Integrated electric drive systems and electric vehicles

Abstract

The present application provides an integrated electric drive system, comprising: a motor, the motor comprising a first housing and an output shaft; a gearbox, the gearbox comprising a second housing and a drive shaft, the gearbox receiving the input torque of the output shaft and outputting it through the drive shaft; a power electronics module, the power electronics module comprising a third housing and an electronic device, the electronic device being configured to provide power to the motor; wherein the power electronics module is constructed to be arranged around the drive shaft. In addition, the present application also provides an electric vehicle comprising the above-mentioned integrated electric drive system. The integrated electric drive system of the present application has a more compact, higher-integration structure and stronger heat dissipation capability, which is conducive to space optimization and lightweight design of electric vehicles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of vehicle drive technology, and in particular to an integrated electric drive system and an electric vehicle including the integrated electric drive system. Background Art

[0002] With increasing attention to energy crises and environmental pollution, coupled with the development of electric drive technology, more and more vehicles are powered by onboard electrical power, using an electric drive system (eAxle, also known as an "electric drive axle" or "e-bridge"). An eAxle is essentially a powertrain assembly integrating a motor, a gearbox, and power electronics modules (e.g., an inverter). This integrated eAxle offers significant advantages in terms of increased power density, reduced component count, shorter high-voltage cables, and a compact design.

[0003] In existing integrated electric drive systems, the motor housing and the transmission housing are fixedly connected or integrated. The motor's output shaft drives the transmission mechanism in the transmission, which in turn drives the transmission's drive shaft to drive the wheels of the electric vehicle. Due to the kinematic coordination between the motor and transmission, the motor and transmission are typically fixedly coupled along the extension direction of the motor's output shaft. Depending on the layout, the motor's output shaft and the transmission's drive shaft can be arranged on the same side or on opposite sides of the transmission. To avoid occupying excessive space, the power electronics module can be arranged on one side of the transmission's drive shaft, for example, above, below, to the left, or to the right of the transmission's drive shaft. This allows the space between the transmission and the wheels to accommodate the power electronics module. However, this layout still has drawbacks. For example, when the power electronics module is arranged on one side of the transmission's drive shaft, the space on that side limits the size of the power electronics module, affecting the layout and heat dissipation of the electronic components in the power electronics module. At the same time, the space on the other side of the drive shaft remains unused, resulting in wasted space.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to improve the existing integrated electric drive system to make full use of space and achieve efficient heat dissipation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to propose an integrated electric drive system to overcome the above technical problems.

[0006] To this end, according to one aspect of the present application, an integrated electric drive system is provided, comprising:

[0007] a motor comprising a first housing and an output shaft;

[0008] a gearbox comprising a second housing and a drive shaft, wherein the gearbox receives input torque from the output shaft and outputs the torque through the drive shaft;

[0009] a power electronics module, the power electronics module comprising a third housing and an electronic device, the electronic device being configured to provide power to the motor;

[0010] The power electronic module is configured to be arranged around the drive shaft.

[0011] Optionally, the power electronic module is configured as a hollow structure, and the drive shaft passes through a third housing of the power electronic module.

[0012] Optionally, the electronic components are arranged around the drive shaft inside the third housing.

[0013] Optionally, the power electronic module and the motor are arranged on the same side of the gearbox, and the third housing is connected to or integrated with the first housing, or the first housing, the second housing and the third housing are connected to or integrated with each other.

[0014] Optionally, at least one of the first shell, the second shell and the third shell is provided with a cooling circuit.

[0015] Optionally, the first cooling circuit of the first housing is connected to the third cooling circuit of the third housing.

[0016] Optionally, the first cooling circuit of the first housing, the second cooling circuit of the second housing, and the third cooling circuit of the third housing are in communication.

[0017] Optionally, the third shell is provided with a connection port, and the connection port can be connected to an external circuit.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present application, an electric vehicle is provided, which includes the integrated electric drive system as described above.

[0019] The integrated electric drive system of the present application can fully utilize the space around the drive shaft of the gearbox, making the entire assembly more compact, reducing the installation space, and also facilitating the arrangement of the cooling circuit to further improve the heat dissipation capacity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The exemplary embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the embodiments described below are only used to explain the present application but not to limit the scope of the present application. In the accompanying drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view schematically illustrating an integrated electric drive system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 2 It is schematically shown Figure 1Schematic cross-section of the integrated electric drive system in FIG, where only the corresponding housing and cooling circuit are retained. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The preferred embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to examples. In the embodiments of the present application, the present application is described by taking an integrated electric drive system for an electric vehicle as an example. However, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that these exemplary embodiments do not mean that any limitation is imposed on the present application. In addition, the features in the embodiments of the present application may be combined with each other unless there is a conflict. In different drawings, the same or similar components are represented by the same reference numerals, and other components are omitted for the sake of brevity, but this does not mean that the integrated electric drive system of the present application cannot include other components. It should be understood that the sizes, proportional relationships and number of components in the drawings are not intended to limit the present application.

[0024] like Figure 1 As shown, the integrated electric drive system according to the embodiment of the present application generally includes a motor 10, a gearbox 20 and a power electronic module 30. The motor 10 may include a first housing 11 and an output shaft ( Figure 1 The gearbox 20 may include a second housing 21 and a drive shaft 22, and the gearbox 20 receives the input torque of the output shaft of the motor 10 and outputs it through the drive shaft 22 to drive the wheels of the electric vehicle to rotate. The power electronic module 30 may include a third housing 31 and electronic devices ( Figure 1 (not shown), and the electronic device is configured to provide power to the motor 10. The power electronic module 30 can be, for example, an inverter. It should be noted that the power electronic module 30 of the integrated electric drive system of the present application is configured to be arranged around the drive shaft 22 of the gearbox 20, such as Figure 1 As shown. Specifically, the power electronics module 30 is constructed as a hollow structure, with the drive shaft 22 passing through the third housing 31 of the power electronics module 30. Accordingly, the electronic components of the power electronics module 30 can be arranged within the third housing 31, surrounding the drive shaft 22. This nested structure of the power electronics module 30 and the drive shaft 22 of the transmission 20 fully utilizes the space around the drive shaft 22, making the entire device more compact, reducing installation space, and correspondingly increasing vehicle space utilization.

[0025] It should be pointed out that in Figure 1In the illustrated embodiment of the present application, the drive shaft 22 of the gearbox 20 and the motor 10 are arranged side by side, that is, the drive shaft 22 of the gearbox 20 and the motor 10 are arranged on the same side of the gearbox 20, and accordingly, the power electronics module 30 and the motor 10 are arranged on the same side of the gearbox 20. However, for embodiments in which the drive shaft 22 of the gearbox 20 and the motor 10 are arranged on opposite sides of the gearbox 20, respectively, the power electronics module 30 can also fully utilize the entire space around the drive shaft 22, thereby reducing unused space compared to existing arrangements.

[0026] The third housing 31 may be provided with a connection port 32, such as an auxiliary component of a port expansion unit (PEU), such as a DC-DC connector. The connection port 32 can be connected to an external circuit, such as an external power supply circuit or a controller control circuit. This allows the connection port 32 to fully utilize the space around the drive shaft 22, further facilitating its placement.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, when the power electronics module 30 and the motor 10 are arranged on the same side of the gearbox 20, the third housing 31 of the power electronics module 30 can be connected to or integrated with the first housing 11 of the motor 10. This can make the structure of the entire device more compact, facilitate installation, and shorten the length of the cable from the power electronics module 30 to the motor 10, thereby reducing cost and weight. Of course, in another embodiment of the present application, the first housing 11 of the motor 10, the second housing 21 of the gearbox 20, and the third housing 31 of the power electronics module 30 can also be tightly connected or integrated, which can accordingly achieve further technical effects.

[0028] In order to ensure sufficient cooling of the integrated electric drive system of the present application, a cooling circuit may be provided in at least one of the first housing 11 of the motor 10, the second housing 21 of the gearbox 20, and the third housing 31 of the power electronic module 30. Figure 2 As shown, a first cooling circuit 41 provided in the first housing 11 of the motor 10 and a third cooling circuit 43 provided in the third housing of the power electronic module 30 are shown, and the first cooling circuit 41 and the third cooling circuit 43 are interconnected to form a common cooling circuit 40. Of course, in another embodiment of the present application, the first cooling circuit 41 of the first housing 10 and the second cooling circuit ( Figure 2 The third cooling circuit 43 of the third housing 30 (not shown) can also be connected to each other. In this way, by forming a common cooling circuit, a higher degree of integrated cooling can be achieved, the number of components can be reduced, and maintenance work can be alleviated. In addition, Figure 2Also shown are a coolant inlet 45 and a coolant outlet 46 of the common cooling circuit 40, wherein the coolant inlet 45 is provided on the third housing 31 and the coolant outlet 46 is provided on the first housing 11. However, the coolant inlet 45 and the coolant outlet 46 may also be provided on the same housing.

[0029] According to another embodiment of the present application, the electric vehicle may include the above-mentioned integrated electric drive system, and may also include a body structure, a power battery, a steering and braking structure, etc., which will not be repeated here.

[0030] The integrated electric drive system of the present application has a more compact, highly integrated structure and stronger heat dissipation capability. When installed on an electric vehicle, it is beneficial to the space optimization and lightweight design of the electric vehicle.

[0031] The present application has been described in detail above with reference to specific embodiments. Obviously, the above description and the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings should be understood as exemplary and do not constitute a limitation to the present application. For example, in a preferred embodiment, the present application is described taking an integrated electric drive system for an electric vehicle as an example. However, it can be applied not only in the field of electric vehicles but also in any field where an integrated electric drive system is required to provide drive. For those skilled in the art, various variations or modifications can be made to the present application without departing from its spirit, and these variations or modifications do not depart from the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An integrated electric drive system comprising: A motor (10), comprising a first housing (11) and an output shaft; A gearbox (20), the gearbox (20) comprising a second housing (21) and a drive shaft (22), the gearbox (20) receiving input torque from the output shaft and outputting the torque through the drive shaft (22); a power electronics module (30), the power electronics module (30) comprising a third housing (31) and an electronic device, the electronic device being configured to provide power to the motor (10); Characterized in that the power electronic module (30) is configured to be arranged around the drive shaft (22); The power electronic module (30) is constructed into a hollow structure, and the drive shaft (22) passes through a third housing (31) of the power electronic module (30), so that the power electronic module (30) and the drive shaft (22) form a nested structure.

2. The integrated electric drive system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electronic components are arranged around the drive shaft (22) inside the third housing (31).

3. The integrated electric drive system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: The power electronic module (30) and the motor (10) are arranged on the same side of the gearbox (20), and the third housing (31) is connected to or integrated with the first housing (11), or the first housing (11), the second housing (21) and the third housing (31) are connected to or integrated with each other.

4. The integrated electric drive system according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one of the first shell (11), the second shell (21) and the third shell (31) is provided with a cooling circuit.

5. The integrated electric drive system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first cooling circuit (41) of the first housing (11) and the third cooling circuit (43) of the third housing (31) are in communication.

6. The integrated electric drive system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first cooling circuit (41) of the first housing (11), the second cooling circuit of the second housing (21), and the third cooling circuit (43) of the third housing (31) are in communication.

7. The integrated electric drive system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: The third housing (31) is provided with a connection port (32), and the connection port (32) can be connected to an external circuit.

8. An electric vehicle comprising the integrated electric drive system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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