Intelligent optimization of the cooling water jacket in electric spindles under multiple operating conditions with cylindrical pin fin-enhanced heat transfer

The optimized design of the cooling water jacket in electric spindles is essential for ensuring reliable performance and thermal management. However, traditional optimization approaches often target specific operating conditions, limiting their effectiveness in balancing heat transfer efficiency and temperature uniformity across a range of working scenarios. In this study, a novel cylindrical pin fin-enhanced cooling water jacket is proposed to achieve robust and efficient cooling under variable operating conditions. Initially, a variable density-based topology optimization method is employed to identify optimal water jacket configurations tailored to individual operating states. By superimposing these optimized designs and applying K-means clustering analysis, critical regions highly sensitive to operational variations are pinpointed. Cylindrical pin fins are then embedded into these regions to promote local turbulence and enhance temperature field uniformity. Subsequently, the NSGA-II multi-objective algorithm is utilized to optimize the size and density of the fins, yielding an overall design that performs effectively across multiple conditions. Numerical simulations and experimental validations demonstrate that the proposed structure significantly improves multi-condition adaptability and delivers superior cooling performance. • A novel cooling jacket is proposed for electric spindles using cylindrical pin fins. • Topology optimization is used to identify heat-sensitive areas. • K-means and NSGA-II enhance fin layout for multi-condition cooling. • The proposed design improves both cooling efficiency and thermal uniformity.