A locomotive cooling system

Abstract

The present application belongs to the field of vehicle manufacturing technology, and discloses a locomotive cooling system, which comprises a converter cooling pipeline, an auxiliary cooling pipeline and a cooling fan, a cooling loop is formed in the cooling fan, a water outlet of the converter cooling pipeline is communicated with a water inlet of the cooling loop through a valve body, a water outlet of the auxiliary cooling pipeline is connected to the valve body, and at least one group of auxiliary cooling pipelines is connected to the valve body; the problem of insufficient cooling capacity of the locomotive under extreme environment in the prior art is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle manufacturing technology, and in particular to a locomotive cooling system. Background Technology

[0002] The locomotive ventilation and cooling system mainly cools the main heat-generating components such as the converter. Taking the converter system as an example, the main principle of the cooling system is that the converter transfers internal heat to the coolant inside the converter through a water-cooling plate. The coolant heats up and flows into the radiator outside the converter through a circulating water pump. A fan is installed on the top of the radiator to blow outside air towards the radiator. The air and the coolant in the radiator exchange heat, which lowers the coolant temperature and raises the air temperature, thus lowering the coolant temperature. Afterward, the coolant will flow back into the converter, and the heated air will be directly discharged outside the train. This cycle repeats, forming a complete cooling system.

[0003] Locomotive ventilation and cooling systems are generally designed for an ambient temperature of up to 40°C. However, in some extreme cases, the ambient temperature where the locomotive is located may be higher than 40°C (such as in tunnels with geothermal activity or extreme weather). In such cases, the locomotive's cooling capacity may be insufficient for a short period of time when running at full power. Typically, in high-altitude, high-temperature tunnels, geothermal activity occurs inside the tunnel, which can lead to insufficient heat dissipation capacity in the locomotive.

[0004] While increasing the cooling system's capacity can indeed solve the problem of insufficient cooling in extreme environments, it also increases the size, weight, and cost of the cooling system. The intangible costs incurred just to cope with a few extreme environments will seriously affect the overall design of the locomotive, resulting in a significant waste of design margin. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a locomotive cooling system that solves the problem of insufficient cooling capacity of locomotives under extreme environments in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: The present invention provides a locomotive cooling system, including a converter cooling pipe, an auxiliary cooling pipe and a cooling fan, wherein a cooling circuit is formed inside the cooling fan, the outlet of the converter cooling pipe is connected to the inlet of the cooling circuit through a valve body, the outlet of the auxiliary cooling pipe is connected to the valve body, and at least one set of the auxiliary cooling pipe is externally connected to the valve body.

[0007] Preferably, the cooling fan includes a fan body, which is barrel-shaped. A ventilator is installed inside the fan body, and the cooling circuit is installed on one side of the ventilator's air outlet. The ventilator draws air in from one end of the fan body and discharges it from the other end of the fan body.

[0008] Preferably, a temperature sensor is installed on the fan body, which is capable of measuring the temperature on the outside of the fan body.

[0009] Preferably, a filter plate is installed on one side of the air outlet of the ventilator, and the filter plate can filter impurities in the air.

[0010] Preferably, the auxiliary cooling pipeline is a power battery cooling pipeline, a converter cooling pipeline, or a traction transformer cooling pipeline.

[0011] Preferably, the valve body is a three-way valve, wherein the branch of the three-way valve connected to the auxiliary cooling pipeline is normally closed, and the main line between the outlet of the converter cooling pipeline and the inlet of the cooling circuit is normally open.

[0012] Preferably, a locomotive microcomputer is installed on the locomotive cooling system, and the locomotive microcomputer is electrically connected to the three-way valve. The locomotive microcomputer controls the on / off state of the branch road and the main road.

[0013] Preferably, the locomotive microcomputer is electrically connected to the ventilator, and the locomotive microcomputer can control the rotational speed of the ventilator.

[0014] Preferably, the locomotive microcomputer is electrically connected to the temperature sensor.

[0015] Preferably, the fan body includes blades and an output end, an output shaft is formed on the output end, and blades are rotatably mounted on the output shaft, with the blades close to the air inlet of the fan body.

[0016] Beneficial effects: When the locomotive encounters extreme operating conditions during operation that lead to insufficient cooling capacity, the auxiliary cooling pipeline can be connected by opening the valve body, allowing the auxiliary cooling pipeline to participate in the converter heat dissipation process, thereby assisting in the cooling of the converter on the locomotive, improving the heat dissipation capacity, and preventing the converter from overheating. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the locomotive cooling system connection of the present invention.

[0018] In the diagram: 1. Inverter cooling pipes; 2. Power battery cooling pipes; 3. Cooling circuit; 4. Valve body; 5. Fan body; 6. Fan; 7. Temperature sensor; 8. Filter plate; 9. Blades. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings show only the parts relevant to the present invention, and not all of the structures.

[0020] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0021] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0022] In the description of this embodiment, the terms "upper," "lower," "right," etc., refer to the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for ease of description and simplification of operation, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used only for distinction in description and have no special meaning.

[0023] To solve the above problems, such as Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a locomotive cooling system, including a converter cooling pipe 1, an auxiliary cooling pipe and a cooling fan. A cooling circuit 3 is formed inside the cooling fan. The outlet of the converter cooling pipe 1 and the inlet of the cooling circuit 3 are connected through a valve body 4. The outlet of the auxiliary cooling pipe is connected to the valve body 4. At least one set of auxiliary cooling pipes is externally connected to the valve body 4.

[0024] Locomotive cooling systems are generally designed and manufactured for ambient temperatures up to 40°C. However, in extreme weather conditions, the ambient temperature may exceed 40°C, such as in geothermal tunnels at high altitudes or in the variable climate of high-altitude environments. In such cases, the locomotive's cooling capacity may be temporarily insufficient when running at full power continuously. As a crucial component of the traction system, the converter operates normally during normal locomotive operation, and its corresponding cooling system also operates normally. Meanwhile, the locomotive's power battery serves as a backup during normal operation. This state will keep the power battery cooling system at a low temperature. At this time, the inverter cooling system and the power battery cooling system are connected in parallel through valve body 4. The power battery cooling system can serve as a backup and redundancy function for the inverter cooling system. When the locomotive is operating under extreme conditions and the cooling capacity is insufficient, a portion of the inverter coolant is bypassed to the power battery cooling system. The power battery cooling system is used to increase the cooling capacity of the inverter cooling system, prevent the inverter coolant from overheating, improve the overall cooling capacity of the locomotive, and avoid the problem of excessive temperature inside the vehicle.

[0025] It should be noted that the auxiliary cooling pipes mentioned in this invention can be the power battery cooling pipe 2 in the power battery cooling system, or the cooling pipes in the auxiliary converter or traction transformer, or multiple pipes can be connected in parallel at the same time, and the on / off of the cooling pipes can be controlled by the valve body 4 to dissipate heat from certain high-temperature parts on the locomotive, improve heat dissipation efficiency, enhance the locomotive's sustainable operation capability in extreme environments, and further increase reliability.

[0026] The outlet of the converter cooling pipe 1 and the inlet of the cooling circuit 3 are controllably connected through a valve body 4. At the same time, the outlet of the auxiliary cooling pipe is also connected to the same valve body 4. At least one set of auxiliary cooling pipes is externally connected to the valve body 4. In actual application, when the locomotive is running normally, the converter is in a continuous working state, and its cooling system is running at full load. Meanwhile, the cooling systems of backup components such as the power battery are usually in a low-temperature standby state. Through the valve body 4 set by this invention, the converter cooling system and the power battery cooling system can be connected in parallel, so that the latter can serve as a backup and redundancy for the former. When the locomotive is operating under extreme conditions, and the cooling circuit 3 is insufficient, the system can bypass a portion of the converter coolant to the auxiliary cooling pipe, namely the power battery cooling pipe 2, to enhance the overall cooling effect by utilizing its heat dissipation capacity, thereby effectively preventing the converter from shutting down due to high temperature of the coolant.

[0027] By flexibly controlling the on / off state of each cooling pipe through valve body 4, priority can be given to cooling any component on the locomotive that is too hot, significantly improving the overall cooling efficiency and continuous operational reliability of the vehicle in extreme environments.

[0028] The cooling fan of the present invention includes a fan body 5, which is barrel-shaped. A fan 6 is installed inside the fan body 5. A cooling circuit 3 is installed on one side of the air outlet of the fan 6. The fan 6 draws air in from one end of the fan body 5 and discharges it from the other end of the fan body 5. The fan 6 is a variable frequency motor, which can rotate continuously at different speeds and can also keep the water temperature in the cooling circuit 3 constant.

[0029] The cooling fan of the present invention includes a fan body 5 with a barrel-shaped structure. This barrel-shaped design is conducive to forming a stable internal airflow channel. A ventilator 6 is fixedly installed inside the fan body 5. The ventilator 6 is the core component for airflow drive. The cooling circuit 3 is installed on one side of its air outlet. When the ventilator 6 is working, it can draw external ambient air into the housing from one end of the fan body 5. After the air flows through the internal channel of the fan body 5, it is discharged at high speed from the other end of the fan body 5. Through this axial intake and exhaust method, the heat exchange medium in the cooling circuit 3, namely the coolant, can exchange heat with the air efficiently, thereby achieving the cooling of the coolant in the converter cooling pipe 1. The barrel-shaped fan body 5 has a compact structure and low airflow resistance, which is suitable for high-density arrangement in the limited installation space of the locomotive, which is conducive to improving the integration and ventilation efficiency of the whole vehicle cooling system.

[0030] A temperature sensor 7 is installed on the fan body 5 of this invention. The temperature sensor 7 can measure the temperature on the outside of the fan body 5. In order to realize real-time monitoring of the locomotive operating environment and improve the control accuracy of the locomotive cooling system, the present invention installs a temperature sensor 7 on the fan body 5. The temperature sensor 7 is preferably set on the outer wall of the fan body 5, and its probe part is directly exposed to or in contact with the external environment of the fan body 5 through a heat-conducting structure, so as to accurately measure the air temperature around the outside of the fan body 5. In high-altitude and geothermal tunnel conditions, the ambient temperature is often significantly higher than the standard design value. The data collected by the temperature sensor 7 can serve as an important basis for judging whether the cooling capacity is insufficient. When the temperature on the outside of the fan body 5 is detected to exceed the preset threshold, the system can automatically trigger the switching action of the valve body 4 or increase the speed of the fan 6, thereby timely activating the auxiliary cooling pipeline and realizing the deployment of the remaining redundant cooling resources that are not working on the locomotive as needed.

[0031] A filter plate 8 is installed on one side of the air outlet of the ventilator 6. The filter plate 8 can filter impurities in the air. Typically, the filter plate 8 of this invention is made of metal, non-woven fabric, or other high-efficiency filter materials. It can effectively intercept dust, sand, fibers, and other suspended particulate impurities in the external air entering the fan body 5. By setting the filter plate 8, it can prevent impurities from accumulating on the surface of the fins of the cooling circuit 3 or the blades 9 of the ventilator 6, thereby avoiding the decrease in airflow and the reduction in heat exchange efficiency caused by dust accumulation. The filter plate 8 of this invention adopts a detachable or washable structure design, which is convenient for cleaning or replacement during the regular maintenance of the locomotive, thereby maintaining the filtration efficiency of the cooling system. It is suitable for use in high-altitude, dusty, and sandy environments.

[0032] The auxiliary cooling pipeline is either the power battery cooling pipeline 2, the converter cooling pipeline 1, or the traction transformer cooling pipeline. In the technical solution of this invention, the auxiliary cooling pipeline can be flexibly connected according to the actual configuration of the locomotive. The auxiliary cooling pipeline can be the power battery cooling pipeline 2, the converter cooling pipeline 1, or the traction transformer cooling pipeline. The above three types of cooling pipelines correspond to the main heat-generating components on the locomotive.

[0033] When the aforementioned components are in backup or low-load state and their cooling pipes are idle or at low temperature, they can be connected to valve body 4 as auxiliary cooling resources. By selecting the type of auxiliary cooling pipe, this invention can temporarily connect the cooling system at low temperature on the locomotive to the cooling circuit 3 of the high-temperature components according to different operating scenarios, realizing the sharing and on-demand allocation of cooling resources for the entire vehicle. There is no need to add additional radiators or fans, which significantly reduces system cost and space occupation, improves the overall cooling capacity of the locomotive, and enables it to change dynamically.

[0034] The valve body 4 used in this invention is a three-way valve. The branch connecting the three-way valve to the auxiliary cooling pipeline is normally closed, while the main line between the outlet of the converter cooling pipeline 1 and the inlet of the cooling circuit 3 is normally open. Under normal ambient temperature, the coolant flows only along the main line, directly dissipating heat through the cooling fan. Only when insufficient cooling capacity is detected will the system instruct the three-way valve to activate, switching the branch line to the open state. This allows some of the high-temperature coolant to be introduced into the auxiliary cooling pipeline for additional cooling via the heat exchanger (such as a power battery radiator) corresponding to the auxiliary cooling pipeline, before returning to the converter cooling pipeline 1. This redundant design of the normally open main line and normally closed branch line ensures that the main cooling circuit 3 can still operate normally even if the valve body 4 or the control system fails, thus improving the system's safety performance.

[0035] The locomotive cooling system is equipped with a locomotive microcomputer, which is electrically connected to a three-way valve. The locomotive microcomputer controls the on / off state of the branch circuit and the main circuit. The locomotive microcomputer runs a temperature judgment and control logic program. It can determine whether the current cooling capacity is sufficient based on the ambient temperature, converter coolant temperature, and locomotive operating status fed back by temperature sensor 7. When the cooling capacity is determined to be insufficient, the locomotive microcomputer automatically outputs a control signal to drive the three-way valve or the ventilation fan 6 to operate, thereby precisely controlling the on / off state of the main circuit and the branch circuit. The locomotive microcomputer does not require manual intervention and can achieve rapid response to extreme operating conditions.

[0036] In addition, the valve body 4 of the present invention can also be manually controlled directly via buttons inside the vehicle's cab, which facilitates flexible adjustments for heat dissipation issues in special scenarios.

[0037] The locomotive microcomputer is electrically connected to the ventilation fan 6. The locomotive microcomputer can control the rotation speed of the ventilation fan 6. When the locomotive microcomputer is powered on, it controls the drive motor of the ventilation fan 6, thereby steplessly adjusting the rotation speed of the ventilation fan 6 according to the real-time heat dissipation demand. When the ambient temperature is low or the inverter load is small, the locomotive microcomputer can reduce the rotation speed of the ventilation fan 6 to save energy and reduce noise. When the ambient temperature rises or the inverter is running at full power, the locomotive microcomputer increases the rotation speed of the ventilation fan 6 to increase the cooling air volume and improve the heat exchange effect.

[0038] By combining the speed adjustment of the ventilator with the amount of auxiliary cooling pipes, the heat dissipation requirements under different operating conditions can be matched more precisely, avoiding over-cooling or under-cooling, and enabling the locomotive to operate at a stable temperature.

[0039] The locomotive microcomputer is electrically connected to the temperature sensor 7. The temperature sensor 7 collects the ambient temperature outside the locomotive in real time and converts it into an electrical signal, which is then transmitted to the locomotive microcomputer. The internal program of the locomotive microcomputer compares the temperature signal. When the detected temperature value is continuously higher than the set threshold and the duration exceeds the preset time, the locomotive microcomputer determines that the locomotive is in an extreme high-temperature environment and then executes a pre-set enhanced cooling strategy, such as opening the three-way valve branch and increasing the speed of the ventilation fan 6.

[0040] The fan body 5 includes blades 9 and an output end. An output shaft is formed on the output end, and blades 9 are rotatably mounted on the output shaft. Blades 9 are close to the air inlet of the fan body 5. The blades 9 are arranged in space close to the air inlet of the fan body 5. By adopting the above-mentioned front-positioned blade design, a higher negative pressure zone can be generated at the front end of the blades 9, thereby effectively improving the fan's suction flow and static pressure capacity, while reducing the flow loss of air inside the fan body 5.

[0041] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will be able to make various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively describe all embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A locomotive cooling system, characterized in that, It includes a converter cooling pipe (1), an auxiliary cooling pipe and a cooling fan. A cooling circuit (3) is formed inside the cooling fan. The outlet of the converter cooling pipe (1) and the inlet of the cooling circuit (3) are connected through a valve body (4). The outlet of the auxiliary cooling pipe is connected to the valve body (4). At least one set of the auxiliary cooling pipe is externally connected to the valve body (4).

2. The locomotive cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling fan includes a fan body (5), which is barrel-shaped. A ventilator (6) is installed inside the fan body (5). The cooling circuit (3) is installed on one side of the air outlet of the ventilator (6). The ventilator (6) draws air in from one end of the fan body (5) and discharges it from the other end of the fan body (5).

3. The locomotive cooling system according to claim 2, characterized in that, A temperature sensor (7) is installed on the fan body (5), and the temperature sensor (7) can measure the temperature on the outside of the fan body (5).

4. The locomotive cooling system according to claim 3, characterized in that, A filter plate (8) is installed on one side of the air outlet of the ventilator (6), and the filter plate (8) can filter impurities in the air.

5. The locomotive cooling system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The auxiliary cooling pipeline is either the power battery cooling pipeline (2), the converter cooling pipeline (1), or the traction transformer cooling pipeline.

6. The locomotive cooling system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The valve body (4) is a three-way valve. The branch of the three-way valve that is connected to the auxiliary cooling pipeline is normally closed, and the main line between the outlet of the converter cooling pipeline (1) and the inlet of the cooling circuit (3) is normally open.

7. The locomotive cooling system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The locomotive cooling system is equipped with a locomotive microcomputer, which is electrically connected to the three-way valve. The locomotive microcomputer controls the on / off state of the branch road and the main road.

8. The locomotive cooling system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The locomotive microcomputer is electrically connected to the ventilator (6), and the locomotive microcomputer can control the rotational speed of the ventilator (6).

9. The locomotive cooling system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The locomotive microcomputer is electrically connected to the temperature sensor (7).

10. The locomotive cooling system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fan body (5) includes blades (9) and an output end. An output shaft is formed on the output end, and blades (9) are rotatably mounted on the output shaft. The blades (9) are close to the air inlet of the fan body (5).

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