Active brake cooling system and method

Abstract

The application discloses an active brake cooling system, which is provided with a cooling module controller for acquiring the temperature of a vehicle brake, the cooling module controller is connected with and outputs a control signal to an air distribution valve, an air inlet of the air distribution valve is connected with an air tank through a main air pipe, a plurality of air outlets of the air distribution valve are respectively connected with cooling nozzles for blowing air to the brake through air pipes, and an air compressor is connected with an air inlet of the air tank. The active brake cooling system can, when the friction amplitude of the brake is at a high temperature, automatically open the air pipe channel through linkage of the controller and the air storage device, provide additional cooling air flow, and directly cool the brake. When the temperature of the brake is reduced to a set value, the air cooling system is automatically closed, and energy consumption is saved. The system is suitable for normal road conditions of a vehicle, and especially has obvious advantages in heat resistance and recession in extreme road conditions such as mountain roads and continuous long downhills.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive braking system technology, and more particularly to active brake cooling technology. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, pure electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and range-extended hybrid electric vehicles are gaining increasing acceptance among users. As the market share increases, the dynamic performance of new energy vehicles is attracting more and more attention from OEMs and users. New energy vehicles differ from traditional gasoline vehicles in three aspects: first, due to the increased range of the power battery, the vehicles are becoming heavier; second, due to the characteristics of the electric motor drive, the power is getting better and better, comparable to the 0-100 km / h acceleration time of traditional gasoline sports cars; and third, electric vehicles pursue extremely low energy consumption, with wheel rim designs designed for low wind resistance, resulting in poor ventilation and heat dissipation in the brake area, leading to higher brake operating temperatures.

[0003] In summary, heavier vehicles, more powerful engines, and poorer heat dissipation all directly affect the performance of the vehicle's braking system and place higher demands on system development.

[0004] Under various operating conditions and driving states, vehicles require more stable braking system performance and better thermal fade resistance during operation to ensure driving safety. Therefore, the brake cooling system is particularly important. Currently, most implemented brake cooling systems use air cooling. For example, the patent document with publication number CN 118640245A, publication date September 13, 2024, entitled "A Phase Change Material, Air Cooling and Heat Pipe Coupling Automotive Brake Disc Cooling System," discloses a phase change material, air cooling, and heat pipe coupling automotive brake disc cooling system, including: a heat pipe, the cooling section of which is located at the air inlet of the brake disc and adopts a serpentine design, the heat pipe having a Tesla valve inside, and the heat pipe being embedded in the brake disc; a metal tube, which is located between two layers of heat pipes, the metal tube encapsulating a phase change material, the metal tube and the heat pipe evaporation section being placed together in the high-temperature area of ​​the brake disc during braking, the metal tube being positioned between the upper and lower disc plates; cooling fins, which are located between the upper and lower disc plates and serve as supports for the upper and lower disc plates; and cooling fins, through which the metal tube passes.

[0005] Existing traditional solutions cannot solve the current problems. There is an urgent need for a smarter approach to change the situation faced by new energy vehicles, cool down the brake temperature, and reduce the occurrence of heat fade. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to realize an active brake cooling system that can actively control the cooling timing to reduce the working temperature of the brake surface, prevent the brake system from thermal fade, improve the reliability of vehicle braking performance, and ensure the driving safety of the driver.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: an active brake cooling system, wherein the system is equipped with a cooling module controller for acquiring the temperature of the vehicle brake, the cooling module controller is connected to and outputs a control signal to an air distribution valve, the air inlet of the air distribution valve is connected to an air tank via a main air pipe, the multiple air outlets of the air distribution valve are respectively connected to cooling nozzles that blow air onto the brake via air pipes, and the air inlet of the air tank is connected to an air compressor.

[0008] The vehicle brake temperature is collected by an infrared sensor and transmitted to the cooling module controller. The infrared sensor includes two front temperature sensors fixed on the front wheel steering knuckle and two rear temperature sensors fixed on the rear wheel steering knuckle.

[0009] The vehicle brake temperature is estimated by the brake temperature calculation module of the body controller, which is connected to and outputs the calculated temperature value to the cooling module controller.

[0010] The brake includes two front brake discs and their matching front brake calipers, and a rear brake disc and its matching rear brake caliper. The air distribution valve has four air outlets, which are connected to cooling nozzles through air pipes. The cooling nozzles are fixed near the wheel covers of the four wheels. The communication interface of the cooling module controller is connected to a large display screen inside the vehicle. The large display screen is used to display the working status of the active brake cooling system.

[0011] The compressor of the car air conditioner has two parallel condensers, one of which is a cooling condenser for the active brake cooling system. One section of the main gas pipe is a thickened cavity, and the cooling condenser is fixed in the cavity. The cooling module controller is connected to and outputs control signals to the car air conditioner.

[0012] Each cooling nozzle is fixed with an atomizing nozzle having the same spray direction. The atomizing nozzle is connected to a liquid storage container via a water pump pipeline. The cooling module controller is connected to and outputs control signals to the water pump.

[0013] The air tank, air distribution valve, and air compressor are all components of the automotive air suspension system. The automotive air suspension system is equipped with an air spring controller for controlling the operation of the air distribution valve and air compressor. The liquid storage container is a separate water storage container, and the water pump is a water storage and jet pump.

[0014] The active brake cooling method includes the following steps:

[0015] Step 1: Obtain the current temperature of the brakes in real time while the car is running;

[0016] Step 2: If the current temperature of the brake exceeds the set threshold A, control the air distribution valve to blow air into each brake to cool it down.

[0017] Step 3: If the current temperature of the brake is lower than the safety threshold, control the air distribution valve to close.

[0018] The current temperature of the brake is the average temperature of the four brakes.

[0019] The air distribution valve controls the opening degree of the valve in the air line leading to the corresponding brake based on the temperature of each brake. The higher the temperature, the larger the valve opening degree of the air line of that brake.

[0020] If the current temperature of the brake exceeds threshold B, the car air conditioner is activated to cool the main air pipe. If the current temperature of the brake exceeds threshold C, the water pump is activated. The thresholds A < B < C. After the car air conditioner is activated to cool the main air pipe and / or the water pump is activated, the car air conditioner is turned off to cool the main air pipe and / or the water pump is turned off when the current temperature of the brake is lower than the safety threshold.

[0021] When the temperature difference between the car brakes is greater than the set value, the air distribution valve opens the air line valve leading to the brake with the highest temperature until the temperature difference between the brakes is close.

[0022] When the infrared sensor and the brake temperature calculation module calculate the temperature simultaneously, the parameters estimated by the brake temperature calculation module are used as redundant data of the infrared sensor. When the infrared sensor fails, it replaces the infrared sensor data. When the infrared sensor is working properly, the infrared sensor is calibrated by judging the difference between the estimated data and the collected data.

[0023] When the active brake cooling system starts cooling the brake, the large display screen shows the operating status and parameters of the active brake cooling system.

[0024] This invention relates to an active brake cooling system. When the brake friction area is at a high temperature, the system, through a controller and an air energy storage device, actively opens the air duct to provide additional cooling airflow directly to cool the brake. When the brake temperature drops to a set value, the air cooling system automatically shuts off, saving energy. This system is suitable for normal road conditions, but its heat fade resistance is particularly significant in extreme road conditions such as mountain roads and long, continuous downhill slopes. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The following is a brief explanation of the content and markings in each of the accompanying drawings in this specification:

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the temperature cooling system for an active brake.

[0027] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the control method for the active brake cooling system;

[0028] The markings in the above diagrams are as follows: 1. Front brake disc; 2. Front temperature sensor; 3. Front brake caliper; 4. Cooling module controller; 5. Display screen; 6. Air line; 7. Air spring controller; 8. Air compressor; 9. Air distribution valve; 10. Air tank; 11. Rear brake disc; 12. Rear temperature sensor; 13. Rear brake caliper. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, details the specific implementation of the present invention, including the shape and structure of each component, the relative positions and connections between the parts, the function and working principle of each part, the manufacturing process, and the operation and use methods, to help those skilled in the art to have a more complete, accurate, and in-depth understanding of the inventive concept and technical solution of the present invention.

[0030] An active brake cooling system can actively cool down the brakes when their operating temperature rises. For conventional four-wheeled vehicles, the brakes consist of two front brake discs 1 and their matching front brake calipers 3, and a rear brake disc 11 and its matching rear brake caliper 13. Active cooling requires obtaining the brake's temperature parameters. The brake operating temperature monitoring system provides the system with the function of sensing the temperature of the friction pair between the brake disc and the friction pads. This includes an infrared temperature sensor, which directly collects the temperature of the working surface, or indirectly estimates the surface temperature of the brake disc through software algorithms. This software function can be integrated into the brake temperature calculation module of the vehicle body controller. The brake temperature calculation module performs comprehensive analysis and calculation based on braking time, braking force, ambient temperature, and brake performance. The brake operating temperature monitoring system is connected to and outputs temperature signals to the cooling module controller 4.

[0031] The brake operating temperature monitoring system acquires the brake system operating temperature in two ways: first, through an infrared sensor mounted on the steering knuckle, which transmits the collected temperature signal to the cooling system controller via CAN bus through the sensor wiring harness; second, through software algorithms, it estimates the operating temperature to obtain the brake operating temperature. It can be used independently or simultaneously as a signal redundancy scheme. The redundancy design serves two purposes: when the infrared sensor fails, it replaces the infrared sensor data, using the parameters obtained by the brake temperature calculation module as a backup to ensure system reliability; when the infrared sensor is functioning normally, it is checked against the difference between the estimated and collected data, using the parameters from the brake temperature calculation module as a comparison. If the difference is too large, corrections are made, or it serves as one of the reference points for determining infrared temperature sensor malfunctions, allowing the driver to be aware of the vehicle's status in a timely manner and facilitating timely vehicle warnings.

[0032] The cooling module controller 4 is the core decision-making component of the active brake cooling system. It can be integrated with other domain controllers or with the air spring controller 7. It is connected to the energy storage device and air compressor 8 via wiring harness, and obtains temperature sensor data from the CAN bus. According to the preset control logic, it sends commands to the solenoid valve of the air distribution valve 9 to control the timing of opening and closing, thereby achieving the purpose of cooling the brake's operating temperature.

[0033] The cooling module controller 4 is connected to and outputs control signals to the air distribution valve 9. The air inlet of the air distribution valve 9 is connected to the air storage tank 10 via the main air pipe. The multiple air outlets of the air distribution valve 9 are connected to the cooling nozzles that blow air to the brake via the air pipes 6. The air inlet of the air storage tank 10 is connected to the air compressor 8. The air storage system here can utilize the existing air suspension system's air storage components in the vehicle, thereby reducing the equipment cost of the active brake cooling system. In addition to retaining the original functions of the air suspension system, the air distribution valve 9 is equipped with four additional air outlets. These four outlets are connected to cooling nozzles via air lines 6. The cooling nozzles are fixed near the wheel arches of the four wheels. The vehicle's air suspension system includes an air spring controller 7 for controlling the operation of the air distribution valve 9 and the air compressor 8. When the active brake cooling system is operating, if the pressure in the air tank 10 is insufficient, the air spring controller 7 will automatically start the air compressor 8 to replenish the air tank 10. The air distribution valve 9 is connected to the cooling module controller 4 via a wiring harness to receive controller commands. The opening and closing of the air line 6 is achieved through the opening and closing of the solenoid valve. The air tank 10 and the air distribution valve 9 are connected via air lines 6. High-pressure air is stored and flows within the system. Each cooling nozzle is aimed at the working part of the brake, directing the air from the vehicle's air tank 10 to the brake area.

[0034] To further enhance the system's cooling effect, the automotive air conditioning system can be used to cool the injected gas, ensuring that the gas injected towards the brakes is low-temperature gas. This is particularly suitable for environments with high ambient temperatures. The automotive air conditioning compressor can be equipped with two parallel condensers: one for the active brake cooling system and the other for conventional air conditioning. Both condensers are connected to the evaporator section. The two condensers are in parallel, and each has an independent valve at its inlet. When the cooling condenser is operating, the valve at its inlet is opened to allow cooling and condensation. The condenser is located in the main air pipe, one section of which is a thickened cavity. The condenser is a strip-shaped structure and fixed inside the cavity. The fin gap of the condenser is in the same direction as the gas flow direction in the main air pipe. Because the cavity where the condenser is located is a thickened part, this part needs to be placed horizontally, so the bottom is a natural condensate water storage area. A drain valve is installed at the bottom. When the condenser is started, the gap opens, and the condensate water can be quickly drained by utilizing the internal and external pressure difference. The condenser is fixed inside the cavity. The cooling module controller 4 is connected to and outputs control signals to the car air conditioner, which is turned on when needed.

[0035] In addition, an atomizing nozzle with the same spray direction can be fixed next to each cooling nozzle. The atomizing nozzle is connected to a liquid storage container via a water pump line. This part can utilize existing windshield washer fluid system. The liquid storage container is a separate water tank, and the water pump is a storage-to-jet pump, reducing equipment costs. The atomizing nozzle sprays a water mist that evaporates quickly upon contact with the brakes, without affecting their braking performance. By coordinating the atomizing and cooling nozzles, the humidity near the brakes can be increased without completely wetting them, improving cooling without affecting braking performance. Different thresholds need to be set, such as threshold A, threshold B, and threshold C, where threshold A < threshold B < threshold C. If the current temperature of the brake exceeds the set threshold A, the air distribution valve 9 is controlled to blow air to each brake to cool it down. If the current temperature of the brake exceeds threshold B, the car air conditioner is activated to cool the main air pipe. If the current temperature of the brake exceeds threshold C, the water pump is activated to achieve three levels of cooling, further improving the cooling effect and efficiency of the brake. After the car air conditioner is activated to cool the main air pipe and / or the water pump is activated, the car air conditioner is turned off to cool the main air pipe and / or the water pump is turned off when the current temperature of the brake is lower than the safety threshold.

[0036] The communication interface of the cooling module controller 4 is connected to the large display screen 5 inside the vehicle. The large display screen 5 is the core display part of the system, which is used to display the working status of the active brake cooling system. It can display the brake working temperature, the active brake cooling system's function entry and exit, and system fault information on the screen, so that the driver can fully understand the system's working status. That is, when the active brake cooling system starts to cool the brake, the large display screen 5 displays the working status and parameters of the active brake cooling system.

[0037] like Figure 2 As shown, the active brake cooling system monitors the surface temperature of the brake disc using an infrared sensor (in conjunction with brake temperature estimated by software). The temperature data preferably uses an average comparison, meaning the current brake temperature is the average of the temperatures of four brake discs. The sensor is connected to the controller via a wiring harness, transmitting the monitored temperature information to the cooling system controller in real time. Upon receiving the brake temperature information, the cooling system controller compares it to the system's set temperature threshold. If the temperature is within the normal range, the cooling system does not intervene. When the brake temperature rises above the set value, the active brake cooling system initiates an intervention procedure. The cooling controller transmits a command to the air spring controller, which in turn sends a solenoid valve opening command to the air distribution valve 9. Upon receiving the opening signal, the solenoid valve of the air distribution valve 9 opens, allowing high-pressure air from the air tank 10 to flow through the air pipe 6 to the brake area near the wheel arch. The relatively low-temperature gas inside the air pipe 6 blows across the high-temperature brake working surface area, continuously reducing the working surface temperature and gradually improving brake fade performance.

[0038] During this process, the air distribution valve 9 controls the opening of the valve leading to the corresponding brake air line 6 according to the temperature of each brake. The higher the temperature, the larger the valve opening of the brake air line 6. At the same time, the infrared temperature sensor sends a temperature signal to the cooling controller in real time. The air line 6 is always in a state that allows airflow until the brake temperature drops below the threshold. The temperature signal is then transmitted to the cooling controller, which issues a command to close the solenoid valve of the air distribution valve 9, blocking the air line 6 passage and stopping the system from working until the next air cooling cycle begins.

[0039] In addition, the system can also perform independent cooling when some brakes are abnormal. When the temperature difference between the car brakes is greater than the set value, the air distribution valve 9 opens the air pipe 6 valve leading to the brake with the highest temperature until the temperature difference between the brakes is close.

[0040] The active brake cooling system and method can monitor the operating temperature of the braking system in real time and adaptively activate the cooling state as needed based on the operating temperature of the brake, without human intervention. Compared with existing technologies, the cooling air comes from a high-pressure energy storage device and is not dependent on the vehicle speed. Even under low-speed conditions (such as mountain roads or long downhill slopes), it still has good cooling capacity, which can effectively reduce the operating temperature of the brake. When designing brakes, the diameter and thickness of the brake disc can be reduced, realizing a market prospect of lightweighting and cost optimization.

[0041] This invention reuses existing controllers and air supply systems in vehicle air suspension systems, enabling hardware sharing and maximizing the effectiveness of existing systems while achieving cost-benefit maximization. Simultaneously, it provides operating temperature values ​​for the front and rear brakes, enabling monitoring of the braking system's operational health and safe driving, and achieving automatic brake temperature cooling. This provides excellent redundancy and safety assurance for existing vehicles and future autonomous vehicles.

[0042] The present invention has been described above by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the specific implementation of the present invention is not limited to the above-described manner. Any non-substantial improvements made using the inventive concept and technical solution of the present invention, or the direct application of the inventive concept and technical solution of the present invention to other occasions without modification, are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An active brake cooling system, characterized in that: The system is equipped with a cooling module controller for acquiring the temperature of the vehicle brake. The cooling module controller is connected to and outputs control signals to the air distribution valve. The air inlet of the air distribution valve is connected to the air tank via the main air pipe. The multiple air outlets of the air distribution valve are respectively connected to cooling nozzles for blowing air onto the brake via air pipes. The air inlet of the air tank is connected to an air compressor. The automotive air conditioning compressor has two parallel condensers, one of which is a cooling condenser for the active brake cooling system. Both condensers are connected to the evaporator. The two condensers are in parallel and have independent valves at their inlets. When the condenser is working, the valve at its inlet is opened. The condenser is located on the main gas pipe, with a thickened section forming a cavity. The condenser itself is a strip-shaped structure and fixed within the cavity. The fin spacing of the condenser is aligned with the gas flow direction in the main gas pipe. The thickened section of the cavity is horizontal, with a natural condensate reservoir at the bottom and a drain valve. When the condenser is started, the gap opens, allowing for rapid drainage of condensate using the internal and external pressure difference. The condenser is fixed within the cavity. A cooling module controller is connected and outputs control signals to the automotive air conditioning system, which activates it when needed. The air conditioning cools the emitted gas, ensuring that the gas injected towards the brakes is low-temperature gas, particularly suitable for high ambient temperatures.

2. The active brake cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle brake temperature is collected by an infrared sensor and transmitted to the cooling module controller. The infrared sensor includes two front temperature sensors fixed on the front wheel steering knuckle and two rear temperature sensors fixed on the rear wheel steering knuckle.

3. The active brake cooling system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The vehicle brake temperature is estimated by the brake temperature calculation module of the body controller, which is connected to and outputs the calculated temperature value to the cooling module controller.

4. The active brake cooling system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The brake includes two front brake discs and their matching front brake calipers, and a rear brake disc and its matching rear brake caliper. The air distribution valve has four air outlets, which are connected to cooling nozzles through air pipes. The cooling nozzles are fixed near the wheel covers of the four wheels. The communication interface of the cooling module controller is connected to a large display screen inside the vehicle. The large display screen is used to display the working status of the active brake cooling system.

5. The active brake cooling system according to claim 4, characterized in that: Each cooling nozzle is fixed with an atomizing nozzle having the same spray direction. The atomizing nozzle is connected to a liquid storage container via a water pump pipeline. The cooling module controller is connected to and outputs control signals to the water pump.

6. The active brake cooling system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The air tank, air distribution valve, and air compressor are all components of the automotive air suspension system. The automotive air suspension system is equipped with an air spring controller for controlling the operation of the air distribution valve and air compressor. The liquid storage container is a separate water storage container, and the water pump is a water storage and jet pump.

7. An active brake cooling method based on the active brake cooling system according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Obtain the current temperature of the brakes in real time while the car is running; Step 2: If the current temperature of the brake exceeds the set threshold A, control the air distribution valve to blow air into each brake to cool it down. Step 3: If the current temperature of the brake is lower than the safety threshold, control the air distribution valve to close.

8. The active brake cooling method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The current temperature of the brake is the average temperature of the four brakes. The air distribution valve controls the opening degree of the valve in the air line leading to the corresponding brake based on the temperature of each brake. The higher the temperature, the larger the valve opening degree of the air line of that brake. If the current temperature of the brake exceeds threshold B, the car air conditioner is activated to cool the main air pipe. If the current temperature of the brake exceeds threshold C, the water pump is activated. The thresholds A < B < C. After the car air conditioner is activated to cool the main air pipe and / or the water pump is activated, the car air conditioner is turned off to cool the main air pipe and / or the water pump is turned off when the current temperature of the brake is lower than the safety threshold.

9. The active brake cooling method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: When the temperature difference between the car brakes is greater than the set value, the air distribution valve opens the air line valve leading to the brake with the highest temperature until the temperature difference between the brakes is close. When the infrared sensor and the brake temperature calculation module calculate the temperature simultaneously, the parameters estimated by the brake temperature calculation module are used as redundant data of the infrared sensor. When the infrared sensor fails, it replaces the infrared sensor data. When the infrared sensor is working properly, the infrared sensor is calibrated by judging the difference between the estimated data and the collected data. When the active brake cooling system starts cooling the brake, the large display screen shows the operating status and parameters of the active brake cooling system.

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