A robot oil circuit cooling system based on pump-driven heat pipe heat dissipation

Abstract

The application discloses a robot oil circuit cooling system based on pump-driven heat pipe heat dissipation, and belongs to the technical field of robot oil circuit cooling, and comprises a phase change refrigeration module, an oil liquid heat exchange circulation module and a posture self-adaptive suspension module. The posture self-adaptive suspension module comprises an upper universal joint, a lower universal joint and a support frame. The upper universal joint and the lower universal joint form a double-cross universal joint structure. The swing axis of the upper universal joint and the swing axis of the lower universal joint form a cross angle of 90 DEG. The support frame is installed at the bottom end of the lower universal joint. The phase change refrigeration module is integrally installed on the support frame. The oil liquid heat exchange circulation module comprises an oil pump. The oil pump is in communication with a robot heat generating component and the phase change refrigeration module. Through the double-cross universal joint layout, the counterweight block and the damping rotating shaft, the application realizes continuous and stable refrigeration circulation under any posture of the robot, is suitable for complex motion working conditions of various robots such as industrial robots, mobile robots and foot-type robots, and greatly improves the reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of robot oil circuit cooling technology, specifically relating to a robot oil circuit cooling system based on pump-driven heat pipe heat dissipation. Background Technology

[0002] With the widespread application of robotics technology in industrial production, special operations and other fields, its core components (such as motors, controllers, reducers, etc.) will continuously generate a lot of heat during high-load operation. If the heat cannot be dissipated in a timely and efficient manner, it will lead to abnormal temperature rise of the components, which will cause problems such as performance degradation, shortened lifespan or even failure and shutdown. Therefore, the reliability and efficiency of the cooling system have become key factors to ensure the stable operation of robots.

[0003] Existing robot cooling technologies are mainly divided into two categories: air cooling and liquid cooling. Air cooling technology has become popular due to its simple structure and low cost, but it is limited by the characteristics of air's small specific heat capacity and low heat exchange efficiency, making it difficult to meet the heat dissipation requirements of high power density robots. Liquid cooling technology is an improvement over air cooling, but it generally adopts a phase-change-free cooling mode, which has limited energy conversion efficiency, and there is still considerable room for improvement in heat dissipation.

[0004] Looking further, the heat dissipation load of a robot is highly concentrated in core components such as motors, joint reducers, and electronic control modules. If each heat-generating component is equipped with a separate cooling unit, it will result in a complex system structure and a chaotic pipeline layout. This will not only significantly increase the manufacturing cost and maintenance difficulty of the equipment, but also occupy the limited internal space of the robot, which goes against the design trend of lightweight and compact robots.

[0005] More importantly, robots often undergo complex posture changes during operation, such as tilting, falling, leaning forward, and leaning backward. This poses a severe challenge to the adaptability of centralized cooling systems: although traditional vapor compression refrigeration is highly efficient, it has the disadvantages of being bulky and heavy, making it difficult to adapt to robots in motion; other conventional refrigeration methods generally have the problem of low efficiency and cannot balance portability and cooling effect.

[0006] Heat pipe refrigeration technology, as a highly efficient method of energy transfer relying on refrigerant phase change, boasts advantages such as compact structure and no additional energy consumption. Its working principle is as follows: the refrigerant absorbs heat and vaporizes in the evaporator section, then rises to the condenser section, releases heat, condenses into a liquid, and flows back to the evaporator section to absorb heat again, forming a cyclic refrigeration. However, traditional applications of this technology have significant limitations: Firstly, the refrigerant recirculation is highly dependent on gravity. When the robot is in tilted, horizontal, or even upside-down positions, the refrigerant flow path is disrupted, leading to circulation interruption and refrigeration failure. Even with a refrigerant pump, the condenser section must be kept vertical to ensure downward liquid flow, which cannot adapt to the robot's complex and varied motion conditions. Secondly, the robot's activity level varies in different motion states, and the heat dissipation of components such as motors and joints changes dynamically accordingly. Traditional heat pipes have relatively fixed heat exchange capacity and weak adaptive adjustment capabilities to variable load demands, making it difficult to match real-time fluctuations in heat dissipation load.

[0007] In summary, existing robot cooling technologies generally suffer from problems such as insufficient heat exchange efficiency, complex system structure, poor adaptability to motion conditions, and weak variable load adjustment capability. There is an urgent need to develop a cooling system that combines high efficiency, compactness, and motion adaptability to meet the stable heat dissipation requirements of robots under complex postures and dynamic loads. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In view of this, the present invention provides a robot oil circuit cooling system based on pump-driven heat pipe heat dissipation to solve the above problems.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A robot oil cooling system based on pump-driven heat pipe heat dissipation includes: a phase change refrigeration module, an oil heat exchange circulation module, and an attitude adaptive suspension module. The attitude adaptive suspension module includes an upper universal joint, a lower universal joint, and a support frame. The upper and lower universal joints form a double cross universal joint structure. The swing axis of the upper universal joint is set along the left-right direction of the robot, and the swing axis of the lower universal joint is set along the front-back direction of the robot. The included angle between the two swing axes is 90°. The support frame is installed at the bottom end of the lower universal joint. The phase change refrigeration module is integrated and installed on the support frame, and is used for the gas-liquid phase change cycle of the refrigerant to achieve heat transfer and output cooling capacity; The oil heat exchange circulation module includes an oil pump. The oil inlet of the oil pump is connected to the oil return port of the robot's heating component, and the oil outlet of the oil pump is connected to the phase change refrigeration module, which is used to circulate lubricating oil between the robot's heating component and the phase change refrigeration module.

[0010] Furthermore, the attitude adaptive suspension module also includes a damping shaft, which is coaxially mounted on the suspension connection shaft of the upper universal joint. The rotor of the damping shaft is circumferentially fixed to the suspension connection shaft, and the stator support of the damping shaft is fixedly connected to the robot body.

[0011] Furthermore, the attitude adaptive suspension module also includes a counterweight block, which is fixedly installed at the bottom of the support frame, and the geometric center of the counterweight block is located on the same vertical line as the overall center of gravity of the phase change refrigeration module.

[0012] Furthermore, the phase change refrigeration module includes a condenser, a liquid receiver, a refrigerant circulation pump, and an evaporator, which are connected in sequence via refrigerant pipelines; the evaporator is used for heat exchange between lubricating oil and refrigerant.

[0013] Furthermore, the phase change refrigeration module also includes a regulating valve, which is disposed on the refrigerant pipeline between the liquid receiver and the refrigerant circulation pump. The flow rate of the refrigerant is controlled by adjusting the opening degree or opening and closing of the regulating valve.

[0014] Furthermore, the outlet of the liquid receiver is connected to multiple branches, all of which are connected to the refrigerant circulation pump. Multiple regulating valves are provided, and each of the multiple regulating valves is respectively provided on each of the branches.

[0015] Furthermore, the condenser employs at least one vertically arranged first straight pipe, the outer wall of which is provided with enhanced heat exchange fins. A forced convection fan is provided on the side of the condenser, and the outlet direction of the forced convection fan is directly facing the heat exchange fins of the condenser, in order to enhance the convective heat exchange efficiency between the condenser and the ambient air.

[0016] Furthermore, the evaporator employs at least one vertically arranged second straight pipe.

[0017] Furthermore, the top height of the second straight pipe is lower than that of the first straight pipe to ensure smooth flow of refrigerant gas phase rising and liquid phase returning.

[0018] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: 1. Exceptionally adaptable to motion and outstanding cooling stability: The dual universal joint cross layout enables adaptive oscillation across all three-dimensional angles. Counterweights enhance the gravity-based return torque, and coaxial damping shafts suppress oscillations. Regardless of the robot's posture, the phase-change cooling module maintains verticality, ensuring continuous and stable cooling cycle operation. Suitable for various motion scenarios including industrial robots, mobile robots, and legged robots. It achieves continuous and stable cooling cycle even in any robot posture, such as tilting, walking, flipping, and bumping, adapting to complex motion conditions of various types of robots, including industrial, mobile, and legged robots, significantly improving reliability.

[0019] 2. High system integration, significant space and cost advantages: The centralized cooling design eliminates redundant components and complex piping of decentralized cooling systems, significantly reducing space requirements and lowering equipment manufacturing costs. Simultaneously, the lubricating oil serves both cooling and lubrication functions, further simplifying the configuration of the robot-assisted system and improving overall integration efficiency. The compact size and small footprint make it suitable for robot installation in confined spaces; the simplified structure and reduced material consumption significantly lower manufacturing costs and overall weight, resulting in higher system integration efficiency.

[0020] 3. High cooling efficiency and flexible load adaptation: Relying on the high efficiency of refrigerant phase change heat transfer, combined with the enhanced heat dissipation design of condenser fins and forced convection fans, the cooling efficiency is significantly improved compared to traditional air cooling and liquid cooling without phase change; multi-branch regulating valves can achieve precise control of cooling capacity, quickly respond to changes in the robot's dynamic heat dissipation load, and balance energy saving and heat dissipation effect; it has the advantages of fast heat exchange rate, strong cooling capacity, high heat dissipation limit, and balance of powerful heat dissipation and low energy consumption operation.

[0021] 4. Reliable structure and convenient operation and maintenance: The double universal joints, refrigeration unit, and oil circulation pipeline all adopt a modular integrated design, making assembly and maintenance convenient; there are no complex precision control components, relying on mechanical structure and simple flow regulation to achieve core functions, resulting in a low failure rate and long service life. Fewer failure points, long service life, and strong tolerance to operating conditions; quick and easy on-site disassembly and repair, reducing the difficulty and cost of later operation and maintenance, suitable for long-term continuous industrial operation. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a robot oil cooling system based on pump-driven heat pipe heat dissipation; In the figure: 1-Support frame, 2-Condenser, 3-Liquid receiver, 4-Regulating valve, 5-Counterweight, 6-Refrigerant circulation pump, 7-Oil pump, 8-Evaporator, 9-Lower universal joint, 10-Upper universal joint, 11-Damping shaft. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] See attached document Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment discloses a robot oil cooling system based on pump-driven heat pipe heat dissipation, including three core components: a phase change refrigeration module, an oil heat exchange circulation module, and an attitude adaptive suspension module. Through the integrated design of "phase change refrigeration - oil heat exchange - attitude adaptation", the system achieves continuous and stable heat dissipation of the core heat-generating components under complex robot motion conditions.

[0026] The attitude-adaptive suspension module includes an upper universal joint 10, a lower universal joint 9, a support frame 1, a damping pivot 11, and a counterweight 5. The upper universal joint 10 and the lower universal joint 9 together form a double-cross universal joint structure. The swing axis of the upper universal joint 10 is set along the left-right direction of the robot, and the swing axis of the lower universal joint 9 is set along the front-back direction of the robot. The included angle between the two swing axes is 90°, enabling adaptive swinging without blind spots in three-dimensional space and compensating for positional shifts caused by complex posture changes such as tilting, falling, forward tilting, and backward tilting. The support frame 1 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the lower universal joint 9 and is used to integrate all the core components of the phase-change cooling module, forming an integrated cooling unit body.

[0027] The damping shaft 11 is coaxially mounted on the suspension connection shaft of the upper universal joint 10. The rotor of the damping shaft 11 is circumferentially fixed to the suspension connection shaft via a flat key. The stator support of the damping shaft 11 adopts an L-shaped structure and is fixedly connected to the robot body. This design does not interfere with the swing range of the universal joint and effectively suppresses the oscillation and vibration of the refrigeration unit when the robot's posture changes abruptly, avoiding problems such as refrigerant level fluctuations, air blockage, and flow interruption, thus further improving the stability of the refrigeration cycle. The counterweight 5 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the support frame 1, and the geometric center of the counterweight 5 is located on the same vertical line as the overall center of gravity of the phase change refrigeration module. This forms a stable gravity-correcting torque. Combined with the double cross universal joint structure, this ensures that the support frame 1 and the phase change refrigeration module integrated on it always remain vertical under any movement posture of the robot, ensuring the stability and smooth flow of the refrigerant circulation path.

[0028] The phase change refrigeration module is integrated and installed on the support frame 1. It achieves heat transfer and continuously outputs cooling capacity through the gas-liquid phase change cycle of refrigerant. Specifically, it includes a condenser 2, a liquid receiver 3, a regulating valve 4, a refrigerant circulation pump 6, and an evaporator 8. The above components are connected in a closed loop through refrigerant pipelines to form a pump-driven heat pipe refrigeration cycle.

[0029] The condenser 2 employs at least one vertically arranged first straight tube, with enhanced heat exchange fins on its outer wall. A forced convection fan is installed beside the condenser 2, with the fan's outlet direction directly facing the heat exchange fins of the condenser 2. This enhances the convective heat exchange efficiency between the condenser 2 and the ambient air, accelerating the exothermic condensation of the gaseous refrigerant. The evaporator 8 employs at least one vertically arranged second straight tube, with the top of the second tube lower than the top of the first straight tube. This ensures smooth flow of the refrigerant's gaseous phase rising and liquid phase returning, avoiding interference in the gas-liquid flow path during circulation. As the core heat exchange component, the evaporator 8 achieves efficient heat exchange between the lubricating oil and the refrigerant, transferring the heat carried by the lubricating oil to the refrigerant, thus cooling the lubricating oil.

[0030] The receiver 3 is connected to the outlet of the condenser 2 and is used to store the liquid refrigerant after it has been condensed by the condenser 2, providing a stable working fluid supply for the refrigeration cycle. The outlet of the receiver 3 is connected to multiple parallel branches, all of which converge at the inlet of the refrigerant circulation pump 6. Each branch is equipped with a regulating valve 4. By adjusting the opening of the regulating valve 4 or the number of branches connected or disconnected, the flow rate of the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle can be precisely controlled, thereby flexibly adjusting the cooling capacity and quickly responding to dynamic heat dissipation load changes under different robot movement states, balancing heat dissipation effect and energy efficiency. The refrigerant circulation pump 6 provides the driving force for the refrigeration cycle, pressurizing and delivering the liquid refrigerant output from the receiver 3 to the evaporator 8, ensuring that the refrigerant completes a stable gas-liquid phase change cycle under the pump's drive.

[0031] The oil heat exchange circulation module includes an oil pump 7 and a matching lubricating oil pipeline. The oil inlet of the oil pump 7 is connected to the oil return port of the robot's motor, joint reducer, and other heat-generating components via the lubricating oil pipeline. The oil outlet of the oil pump 7 is connected to the oil-side flow channel inlet of the evaporator 8 via the lubricating oil pipeline. The oil-side flow channel outlet of the evaporator 8 is connected to the oil inlet of each heat-generating component of the robot via the lubricating oil pipeline, forming a closed-loop lubricating oil circulation circuit. The oil pump 7 provides the driving force for the lubricating oil circulation, delivering the high-temperature lubricating oil that has absorbed heat from the robot's heat-generating components to the evaporator 8. After being cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant, the low-temperature lubricating oil is then delivered back to the robot's heat-generating components. While achieving cooling, it also lubricates moving parts such as the motor and reducer, serving a dual purpose and further simplifying the configuration of the robot's auxiliary systems.

[0032] Working principle: During robot operation, its core components such as motors and joint reducers continuously generate heat. Lubricating oil absorbs heat after flowing through the heat-generating components and becomes high-temperature lubricating oil. Driven by oil pump 7, the high-temperature lubricating oil is transported through pipelines to the oil-side flow channel of evaporator 8. At the same time, refrigerant circulation pump 6 pressurizes the liquid refrigerant in receiver 3 and transports it to the refrigerant-side flow channel of evaporator 8. The liquid refrigerant absorbs heat from the lubricating oil in evaporator 8 and vaporizes, completing the cooling of the lubricating oil. The low-temperature lubricating oil is then transported back to the robot's heat-generating components through pipelines to continuously cool the components and provide lubrication. The vaporized refrigerant rises and flows into condenser 2 under the action of pressure difference and lift. Under the enhanced heat exchange effect of forced convection fan and fins, the gaseous refrigerant releases heat to the ambient air and recondenses into liquid refrigerant, which then flows into receiver 3 for storage, completing one complete refrigeration cycle.

[0033] When the robot undergoes tilting, flipping, or bumping during operation, the double cross universal joint structure can achieve full-angle follow-up deflection in three-dimensional space. Combined with the gravity-correcting torque generated by the bottom counterweight 5, it can automatically drive the support frame 1 and the phase change refrigeration module to always maintain a vertical state, completely avoiding the problems of refrigerant flow path disruption and circulation interruption caused by changes in robot posture. At the same time, the damping shaft 11 coaxially set on the upper universal joint 10 can effectively suppress the oscillation and vibration of the refrigeration unit when the robot's posture changes abruptly, avoiding problems such as refrigerant liquid level fluctuations and air blockage, and ensuring that the refrigeration cycle can operate continuously and stably under any working conditions.

[0034] When the robot is under different load conditions and the heat dissipation of the heat-generating components changes dynamically, the flow rate of the refrigerant circulation can be precisely adjusted by adjusting the opening of the regulating valve 4 on each branch of the liquid receiver 3 outlet, or by switching the number of on / off branches. This allows for flexible adjustment of the system's cooling capacity, matching the robot's dynamic heat dissipation needs in real time, providing efficient heat dissipation under high load conditions, reducing energy consumption under low load conditions, and achieving optimal control of the energy efficiency ratio.

[0035] The above descriptions are merely specific embodiments of the present invention, and common knowledge regarding the specific structures and characteristics of the solutions is not described in detail here. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the structure of the present invention, and these should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention. These modifications and improvements will not affect the effectiveness of the implementation of the present invention or the practicality of the patent. The scope of protection claimed in this application should be determined by the content of its claims, and the specific embodiments described in the specification can be used to interpret the content of the claims.

[0036] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. For the apparatus disclosed in the embodiments, since they correspond to the methods disclosed in the embodiments, the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the method section.

[0037] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A robot oil cooling system based on pump-driven heat pipe heat dissipation, characterized in that, It includes: a phase change refrigeration module, an oil heat exchange circulation module, and an attitude adaptive suspension module. The attitude adaptive suspension module includes an upper universal joint (10), a lower universal joint (9), and a support frame (1). The upper universal joint (10) and the lower universal joint (9) form a double cross universal joint structure. The swing axis of the upper universal joint (10) is set along the left and right direction of the robot, and the swing axis of the lower universal joint (9) is set along the front and back direction of the robot. The included angle between the two swing axes is 90°. The support frame (1) is installed at the bottom end of the lower universal joint (9). The phase change refrigeration module is integrated and installed on the support frame (1) for the gas-liquid phase change cycle of the refrigerant to realize heat transfer and output cooling capacity; The oil heat exchange circulation module includes an oil pump (7), the oil inlet of which is connected to the oil return port of the robot heating component, and the oil outlet of which is connected to the phase change refrigeration module, for circulating lubricating oil between the robot heating component and the phase change refrigeration module.

2. The robot oil cooling system based on pump-driven heat pipe heat dissipation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The attitude adaptive suspension module also includes a damping shaft (11), which is coaxially mounted on the suspension connection shaft of the upper universal joint (10). The rotor of the damping shaft (11) is circumferentially fixed to the suspension connection shaft, and the stator bracket of the damping shaft (11) is fixedly connected to the robot body.

3. The robot oil cooling system based on pump-driven heat pipe heat dissipation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The attitude adaptive suspension module also includes a counterweight (5), which is fixedly installed at the bottom of the support frame (1), and the geometric center of the counterweight (5) is on the same vertical line as the overall center of gravity of the phase change refrigeration module.

4. The robot oil cooling system based on pump-driven heat pipe heat dissipation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The phase change refrigeration module includes a condenser (2), a liquid receiver (3), a refrigerant circulation pump (6), and an evaporator (8). The condenser (2), liquid receiver (3), refrigerant circulation pump (6), and evaporator (8) are connected in sequence through refrigerant pipelines. The evaporator (8) is used for heat exchange between lubricating oil and refrigerant.

5. A robot oil cooling system based on pump-driven heat pipe heat dissipation according to claim 4, characterized in that, The phase change refrigeration module also includes a regulating valve (4), which is located on the refrigerant pipeline between the liquid receiver (3) and the refrigerant circulation pump (6). The flow rate of the refrigerant is controlled by adjusting the opening degree or switching on / off of the regulating valve (4).

6. A robot oil cooling system based on pump-driven heat pipe heat dissipation according to claim 5, characterized in that, The outlet of the liquid receiver (3) is connected to multiple branches, and each of the multiple branches is connected to the refrigerant circulation pump (6). The regulating valve (4) is configured as multiple, and the multiple regulating valves (4) are respectively set on each of the branches.

7. A robot oil cooling system based on pump-driven heat pipe heat dissipation according to claim 4, characterized in that, The condenser (2) adopts at least one vertically arranged first straight pipe. The outer wall of the first straight pipe is provided with enhanced heat exchange fins. A forced convection fan is provided on the side of the condenser (2). The air outlet direction of the forced convection fan is directly opposite the heat exchange fins of the condenser (2) to enhance the convective heat exchange efficiency between the condenser (2) and the ambient air.

8. A robot oil cooling system based on pump-driven heat pipe heat dissipation according to claim 7, characterized in that, The evaporator (8) employs at least one vertically arranged second straight pipe.

9. A robot oil cooling system based on pump-driven heat pipe heat dissipation according to claim 8, characterized in that, The top of the second straight pipe is lower than the top of the first straight pipe to ensure smooth flow of refrigerant gas rising and liquid returning.

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