Range extending system for a vehicle

Abstract

The utility model relates to a range extending system for vehicle. A range extending system for vehicle, include: power electronic unit, including capacitor and first casing, capacitor includes opposite first surface and second surface, motor, including second casing, heat conducting medium, set up between capacitor's second surface and second casing and with respectively with second surface and second casing fit, first cooling liquid channel, it is set up in first casing and is constituted to at least partially coincide with first surface observes along the thickness direction of first casing, to make the first cooling liquid that flows through first cooling liquid channel can cool the capacitor through first casing and first surface, and second cooling liquid channel, it is set up in second casing and is constituted to at least partially coincide with second surface observes along the thickness direction of second casing, to make the second cooling liquid that flows through second cooling liquid channel can cool the capacitor through second casing, heat conducting medium and second surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of vehicle technology. More specifically, this utility model relates to a range extender system for vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of electric and hybrid vehicles, vehicle range has become a core concern for users. Range extenders, as an effective solution, can extend a vehicle's range by providing an additional power source. A range extender includes a motor and a power electronic unit (PEU), which converts, regulates, and controls the electrical energy output from the motor. The axial length of the range extender should be minimized. To this end, the most compact solution is to use a planar structure for the key components of the PEU. In this design, the DC-link capacitor in the PEU is cooled through cooling channels within the PEU housing. The DC-link capacitor must be large enough to meet the system's requirements for reducing ripple current, while the axial length of the PEU needs to be as short as possible. Therefore, the DC-link capacitor must be designed with a planar structure, which results in some DC-link capacitors not being covered by the cooling channels, potentially leading to overheating in certain localized areas.

[0003] Therefore, a range extender system that can improve cooling performance is needed. Utility Model Content

[0004] One object of this invention is to provide a range extender system capable of improving cooling performance. Another object of this invention is to provide a range extender system capable of achieving bi-lateral cooling of the capacitor.

[0005] One aspect of this utility model provides a range extender system for a vehicle, comprising: a power electronic unit including a capacitor and a first housing, wherein the capacitor includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other along the thickness direction of the first housing, the capacitor being configured to be connected to the first housing such that the first surface of the capacitor is in contact with the first housing; a motor including a second housing, wherein the second housing is connected to the first housing and forms a first receiving cavity with the first housing, the capacitor being disposed in the first receiving cavity; a heat-conducting medium disposed between the second surface of the capacitor and the second housing and in contact with the second surface and the second housing respectively; a first coolant channel disposed in the first housing and configured to at least partially overlap with the first surface when viewed along the thickness direction of the first housing, such that a first coolant flowing through the first coolant channel can cool the capacitor through the first housing and the first surface; and a second coolant channel disposed in the second housing and configured to at least partially overlap with the second surface when viewed along the thickness direction of the second housing, such that a second coolant flowing through the second coolant channel can cool the capacitor through the second housing, the heat-conducting medium, and the second surface.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the range extender system further includes a deflector plate connected to the rotor of the motor for spraying a second coolant into the second coolant passage.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the range extender system further includes a flow channel disposed in the second housing, which is configured to spray a second coolant into the second coolant channel.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the flow channel further includes a plurality of holes disposed at its outlet.

[0009] According to an embodiment of this utility model, the thermally conductive medium is thermally conductive silicone grease.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first coolant is water.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the second coolant is cooling oil.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the range extender system further includes a third housing, which is connected to the second housing and forms a second receiving cavity with the second housing, wherein the stator and rotor of the motor are disposed in the second receiving cavity.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first housing includes a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet disposed on the outer periphery, which are respectively in fluid communication with a first coolant channel.

[0014] Another aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle including a range extender system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] According to an embodiment of this utility model, by providing a first coolant channel and a second coolant channel in the first housing and the second housing respectively, double-sided cooling of the first and second surfaces of the capacitor is achieved. The first coolant channel directly cools the first surface of the capacitor, while the second coolant channel cools the second surface of the capacitor through the heat-conducting medium and the second housing. This double-sided cooling design can remove the heat generated by the capacitor more quickly and effectively, improving heat dissipation efficiency and effectively solving the problem of localized overheating of the capacitor in the prior art. The first and second coolant channels at least partially overlap with the first and second surfaces of the capacitor in the thickness direction, ensuring that the coolant channels can fully cover the surface of the capacitor.

[0016] According to embodiments of this invention, the use of a thermally conductive medium ensures good thermal conductivity between the second surface of the capacitor and the second housing, further improving heat dissipation. Using thermally conductive silicone grease as the thermally conductive medium effectively fills the gap between the capacitor and the second housing, improving thermal conductivity.

[0017] According to embodiments of this utility model, by setting a guide plate on the motor rotor or setting a guide channel in the second housing, the flow of the second coolant can be further optimized, the cooling effect on the second surface of the capacitor can be enhanced, and a variety of cooling solutions can be provided to adapt to different application scenarios. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a power electronic unit.

[0019] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the power electronic unit.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a range extender system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the second housing according to another embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following detailed description and drawings are provided to exemplarily illustrate the principles of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the described preferred embodiments, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to exemplary embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The following description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings, and unless otherwise indicated, the same reference numerals in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The solutions described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all solutions of the present invention. Rather, these solutions are merely examples of systems and methods of various aspects of the present invention covered by the appended claims.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a power electronic unit. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of a power electronics unit. This power electronics unit is used in a vehicle's range extender system. Figure 2 As shown, the capacitor 1 (e.g., a DC link capacitor) of the power electronic unit adopts a planar structure. A coolant channel 3 is provided in the housing 2 of the power electronic unit. The capacitor 1 is mounted to the housing 2 and adjacent to the coolant channel 3. Thus, water can flow through the coolant channel 3 to cool the capacitor 1 of the power electronic unit. The capacitor 1 must be large enough to meet the requirements of the power electronic unit, while the axial length (i.e., the dimension in the thickness direction) of the power electronic unit needs to be as short as possible. Therefore, the capacitor 1 adopts a planar structure. However, as... Figure 2As shown, when viewed along the thickness direction, capacitor 1 cannot be completely covered by coolant channel 3, which may cause capacitor 1 to overheat in some local areas.

[0024] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention proposes an improved range extender system that achieves efficient heat dissipation through a unique structural design while maintaining overall compactness. In exemplary embodiments, the range extender system of this invention is applied in vehicles, particularly hybrid or electric vehicles. However, this invention is not limited thereto. Exemplary embodiments of this invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the drawings only show certain embodiments of this invention, and the scope of this invention should be determined according to the claims.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a range extender system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 As shown, the range extender system for vehicles provided by this utility model includes a power electronic unit (PEU) and a motor.

[0026] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a power electronic unit includes a capacitor 10 and a first housing 20 (i.e., a PEU housing). The capacitor 10 includes a first surface 11 and a second surface 12 opposite to each other along the thickness direction of the first housing 20. In an exemplary embodiment, the capacitor 10 has a plate shape. The first surface 11 and the second surface 12 are disposed opposite each other along the thickness direction of the first housing 20. The capacitor 10 is connected to the first housing 20, thereby stably mounting the capacitor 10 in the power electronic unit. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first surface 11 of the capacitor 10 is attached to the first housing 20. By attaching the first surface 11 of the capacitor 10 to the first housing 20, a good heat conduction path can be formed to effectively transfer the heat generated by the capacitor during operation to the first housing 20. In an exemplary embodiment, the capacitor 10 is a DC-link capacitor.

[0027] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the motor includes a second housing 30 (i.e., a motor housing). The second housing 30 is connected to the first housing 20 and together forms a first receiving cavity. A capacitor 10 is disposed in the first receiving cavity.

[0028] A thermally conductive medium 40 is disposed between the second surface 12 of the capacitor 10 and the second housing 30, and the thermally conductive medium 40 is in contact with both the second surface 12 and the second housing 30 of the capacitor 10. Thus, the thermally conductive medium 40 contacts both the second surface 12 and the second housing 30 of the capacitor 10, thereby improving the thermal conductivity between the capacitor 10 and the second housing 30. In an exemplary embodiment, the thermally conductive medium 40 is thermally conductive silicone grease, which has good thermal conductivity and filling properties. Because the thermally conductive medium 40 can fill the gaps between the surfaces of the capacitor 10 and the second housing 30 and reduce the interfacial thermal resistance, the thermal conductivity between the second surface 12 and the second housing 30 of the capacitor 10 is significantly improved.

[0029] To address the issue of localized overheating in the capacitor, this invention employs a dual-sided cooling scheme, cooling the capacitor 10 from its first surface 11 and second surface 12 respectively. Specifically, the range extender system of this invention not only includes a first coolant channel but also a second coolant channel. In an exemplary embodiment, the first coolant channel primarily uses water as the cooling medium, while the second coolant channel can use cooling oil or other suitable cooling media. The following description refers to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a first coolant channel 50 is provided in the first housing 20. The first coolant channel 50 is configured to at least partially coincide with the first surface 11 when viewed along the thickness direction of the first housing 20. In this way, the first coolant flowing through the first coolant channel 50 can cool the capacitor 10 through the first housing 20 and the first surface 11. In an exemplary embodiment, the first coolant is water.

[0031] In some embodiments, the outer periphery of the first housing 10 may be provided with a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, which are respectively in fluid communication with the first coolant channel 50 for the entry and exit of the first coolant.

[0032] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a second coolant channel 60 is provided in the second housing 30. The second coolant channel 60 is configured to at least partially coincide with the second surface 12 when viewed along the thickness direction of the second housing 30. Thus, the second coolant flowing through the second coolant channel 60 can cool the capacitor 10 through the second housing 30, the heat-conducting medium 40, and the second surface 12. In an exemplary embodiment, the second coolant is cooling oil.

[0033] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the range extender module may further include a third housing 70. The third housing 70 is connected to the second housing 30 and together forms a second receiving cavity. The stator and rotor of the motor are disposed within the second receiving cavity.

[0034] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the range extender system may further include a deflector 81 for spraying a second coolant into the second coolant passage 60. The deflector 81 is used to guide a portion of the coolant cooling the motor into the second coolant passage 60. More specifically, the deflector 81 is in fluid communication with the coolant passage through the motor.

[0035] In an exemplary embodiment, the guide vane 81 is connected to the rotor of the motor. Thus, the guide vane 81 can rotate with the rotation of the rotor. After the second coolant flows through and cools the rotor, the guide vane 81 can throw (i.e., spray) a portion of the second coolant into the second coolant channel 60, thereby cooling both the second coolant channel 60 and the capacitor 10. The shape and size of the guide vane 81 are designed to effectively throw the second coolant into the second coolant channel 60 during rotation. This design utilizes the rotation of the rotor to achieve the spraying of the second coolant without the need for an additional drive device, thereby improving cooling efficiency and simplifying the system structure.

[0036] In some embodiments, the range extender system may further include a flow channel 82. Unlike the above-described scheme using a guide plate 81, the flow channel 82 is a specially designed flow channel that does not share coolant with the motor's cooling system.

[0037] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the second housing according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 As shown, a flow channel 82 is disposed in the second housing 30. The outlet of the flow channel 82 can be configured to be adjacent to the second coolant channel 60, and the second coolant is sprayed into the second coolant channel 60 through multiple holes. In some embodiments, the second coolant can flow through the flow channel 82 under a certain pressure and be sprayed out from the multiple holes at the outlet of the flow channel 82, forming a spraying effect, thereby efficiently cooling the second coolant channel 60 and the capacitor 10. In some embodiments, a suitable pump or the like can be provided for the flow channel 82 to increase the pressure of the second coolant to achieve a better spraying effect.

[0038] The range extender system provided by this utility model achieves double-sided cooling of the capacitor by setting coolant channels on both sides, effectively improving cooling efficiency and preventing local overheating. By setting coolant channels in the PEU housing and motor housing, and using a heat-conducting medium to transfer the capacitor's heat to the coolant channels, comprehensive and efficient cooling of the capacitor is achieved, improving the reliability and efficiency of the range extender system.

[0039] Although the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the construction and methods of the above embodiments. Rather, the present invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent configurations. Furthermore, although various elements and method steps of the disclosed invention have been shown in various exemplary combinations and constructions, other combinations including more or fewer elements or methods also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0040] List of reference numerals

[0041] 1. Capacitor;

[0042] 2. Shell;

[0043] 3. Coolant passage;

[0044] 10. Capacitors;

[0045] 11. First surface;

[0046] 12 Second surface;

[0047] 20 First shell;

[0048] 30 Second shell;

[0049] 40. Thermally conductive medium;

[0050] 50 First coolant passage;

[0051] 60 Second coolant passage;

[0052] 70 Third shell;

[0053] 81. Deflector plate;

[0054] 82. Flow channel.

Claims

1. A range extender system for vehicles, characterized in that, include: A power electronic unit includes a capacitor (10) and a first housing (20), wherein the capacitor (10) includes a first surface (11) and a second surface (12) opposite to each other along the thickness direction of the first housing (20), and the capacitor (10) is configured to be connected to the first housing (20) such that the first surface (11) of the capacitor (10) is in contact with the first housing (20); The motor includes a second housing (30), wherein the second housing (30) is connected to the first housing (20) and together with the first housing (20) forms a first receiving cavity, and the capacitor (10) is disposed in the first receiving cavity; A thermally conductive medium (40) is disposed between the second surface (12) of the capacitor (10) and the second housing (30) and is respectively attached to the second surface (12) and the second housing (30); A first coolant channel (50) is disposed in the first housing (20) and configured to at least partially coincide with the first surface (11) when viewed along the thickness direction of the first housing (20), such that the first coolant flowing through the first coolant channel (50) can cool the capacitor (10) through the first housing (20) and the first surface (11); and A second coolant channel (60) is disposed in the second housing (30) and configured to at least partially coincide with the second surface (12) when viewed along the thickness direction of the second housing (30), so that the second coolant flowing through the second coolant channel (60) can cool the capacitor (10) through the second housing (30), the thermally conductive medium (40) and the second surface (12).

2. The range extender system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a baffle plate (81) connected to the rotor of the motor for spraying the second coolant into the second coolant passage (60).

3. The range extender system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a flow channel (82) disposed in the second housing (30), which is configured to spray the second coolant into the second coolant channel (60).

4. The range extender system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The flow channel (82) also includes a plurality of holes disposed at its outlet.

5. The range extender system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, It also includes a third housing (70) which is connected to the second housing (30) and together with the second housing (30) forms a second receiving cavity, in which the stator and rotor of the motor are disposed.

6. The range extender system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first housing includes a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet disposed on the outer periphery, which are in fluid communication with the first coolant passage (50).

7. The range extender system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The capacitor (10) has a flat plate shape.

8. A vehicle comprising a range extender system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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