Renault has been coming up with new ideas for nearly 125 years. Its ideas have stood the test of time, and many still use them today without even knowing it: the direct drive gearbox (1899), the electric starter (1909), "5th door" (1961), central opening (1983), and hands-free key card (2000). Renault made all of these and more. The all-new Renault Megane E-TECH Electric shows that the company is still developing new ideas. More than 300 patents have been filed for the vehicle's design and its platform. Fabrice Bernardin, Head of the e-technology work unit at Renault's Engineering Department, tells us more about the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric's engine and how its performance is improved by its innovative oil cooling system, which has two patented inventions.
The Alliance developed the whole powertrain for the new Renault Megane E-TECH Electric. This powertrain is made in Japan for Nissan and in France, at a plant in Cléon, for Renault. It has the best energy efficiency and all the fun of an electric drive, like instant acceleration that is both dynamic and linear.
"For electric motors to work well, they need to have a good cooling system. So, we worked with our coworkers in Japan and Cléon, France, to develop two patent-worthy ideas. The first of these patents are for how our wound rotor synchronous motor cools its oil. We put injectors in the right places to spray water on the electric wound rotor motor and cool the rotor and the stator simultaneously. The second patented innovation cleverly uses the rotor's momentum to help cool the stator by sending oil toward the heads. This is done with a ring gear system."
