Ship

Abstract

The invention concerns a ship comprising at least one electric motor for driving a ship and a cooling device for cooling the at least one electric motor by means at least one coolant. It is further according to the invention that the cooling device has a heat exchanger adapted to cool the at least one coolant by means of sea water.

1 . A ship comprising:
 a propeller;   at least one electric motor for driving the propeller; and   a cooling device that includes a coolant for cooling the at least one electric motor, the cooling device including a heat exchanger adapted to cool the coolant by sea water.   
     
     
         2 . The ship according to  claim 1  wherein the coolant is at least one of air and fresh water. 
     
     
         3 . The ship according to  claim 1  wherein:
 the coolant is air; and 
 the electric motor includes a rotor and a stator that are cooled by said air. 
 
     
     
         4 . The ship according to  claim 3  wherein the at least one electric motor is arranged in a substantially air tight engine room of the ship, and the air for cooling the electric motor is the air in the engine room. 
     
     
         5 . The ship according to  claim 3  further comprising means for conveying air through the cooling device, wherein the cooling device includes a cooling air inlet and a warm air outlet of the electric motor. 
     
     
         6 . The ship according to  claim 5  further comprising means for guiding the air that is arranged between a cooling air inlet of an electric motor and a cooling air outlet of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         7 . The ship according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one electric motor includes a rotor and a stator located in a housing, the cooling device including cooling passages in at least one of the housing and the stator of the at least one electric motor. 
     
     
         8 . The ship according to  claim 7  wherein cooling air can be passed through at least one of the cooling passages and a gap between the stator and the rotor. 
     
     
         9 . The ship according to  claim 7  wherein the coolant is fresh water that is passed through the cooling passages for cooling the electric motor. 
     
     
         10 . The ship according to  claim 3  wherein the heat exchanger is a first heat exchanger, the cooling device further including a second heat exchanger coupled to the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger being adapted to cool a coolant by fresh water, wherein the fresh water is cooled by sea water of the first heat exchanger. 
     
     
         11 . The ship according to  claim 10  wherein the first heat exchanger is coupled to the stator of the electric motor and is adapted to cool the stator by means of the fresh water. 
     
     
         12 . The ship according to  claim 1  further including an energy supply that is cooled by the coolant. 
     
     
         13 . The ship according to  claim 12  wherein the energy supply has at least one converter that is cooled by fresh water. 
     
     
         14 . A cooling device for a ship comprising:
 a cooling passage that includes a coolant for cooling at least one electric motor; and   a heat exchanger located around a portion of the cooling passage and adapted to cool the coolant using sea water.   
     
     
         15 . The cooling device according to  claim 14 , the coolant is one of air or fresh water. 
     
     
         16 . The cooling device according to  claim 14 , wherein the cooling passage includes an inlet and an outlet, at least one of the inlet and the outlet including a fan for conveying the coolant through the cooling passage. 
     
     
         17 . The cooling device according to  claim 14 , wherein the cooling passage is a first cooling passage that includes air as the coolant, wherein the heat exchanger is a first heat exchanger, the cooling device further comprising:
 a second cooling passage that includes fresh water coolant for cooling the at least one motor; and   a second heat exchanger located around a portion of the second cooling passage and adapted to cool the fresh water coolant using sea water.   
     
     
         18 . The ship according to  claim 5 , wherein the means for conveying air through the cooling device is a fan arranged at least one of the cooling air inlet and the warm air outlet. 
     
     
         19 . The ship according to  claim 5  further comprising means for guiding the air is arranged between a warm air outlet of the electric motor and a warm air outlet of the heat exchanger.