Additive Manufacturing Cooling Module for Hydraulic Machines
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooling solutions for hydroma machines are inefficient, complex, and costly due to large heat exchange surfaces required for thermal energy dissipation, and existing integrated heat exchange tubes are not standard elements, necessitating custom production and potential material mismatches leading to manufacturing challenges.
Innovation Solution
An additively manufactured cooling module with a heat exchange device designed for axial piston machines, where the cooling device is integrated within the housing section, allowing for optimized geometry and material consistency, reducing manufacturing complexity and costs, and enhancing heat transfer efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional external heat exchangers are used to dissipate thermal energy, then heat dissipation is achieved, but the heat exchange surface must be large which increases investment and operating costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cooling device with the housing section by additively manufacturing them as an integrated unit. The cooling device is formed integrally with the housing section, eliminating the need for separate external heat exchangers and reducing the required heat exchange surface area while maintaining effective heat dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the internal three-dimensional space within the housing section to accommodate the cooling device. By arranging the cooling device inside the housing section and utilizing internal volume rather than external surface area, the solution achieves efficient heat exchange without increasing the external footprint.
2Temperature
If integrated heat exchange tubes are used close to the heating point, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases due to custom production requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical manufacturing methods (tube bending, milling, casting, soldering, or screwing) with additive manufacturing. This substitution enables the integral formation of the cooling device with the housing section, eliminating complex joining processes and reducing manufacturing steps while achieving high heat transfer efficiency through optimized geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the manufacturing approach from conventional subtractive or assembly-based methods to additive manufacturing. This parameter change in the manufacturing process enables complex geometries to be produced directly without requiring multiple manufacturing steps or material joining, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining design flexibility for optimized heat transfer.
3Strength
If different materials are used for housing section and cooling device, then strength requirements are met, but tightness is at risk due to different thermal expansion coefficients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies homogeneity by manufacturing both the housing section and cooling device from the same material using additive manufacturing. This eliminates material interfaces and associated problems with differential thermal expansion, ensuring joint tightness and reliability while still meeting strength requirements through optimized material selection and geometric design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the housing section and cooling device into a single monolithic component through additive manufacturing. This integration eliminates the need for material joining processes that could compromise tightness due to different thermal expansion coefficients, while the unified structure maintains the required strength through optimized geometry and material properties.
4Temperature
If conventional cooling solutions are used, then cooling function is provided, but the amount of pressure fluid to be circulated is large which reduces efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial cooling by positioning the cooling device to cool only the specific region where heat is generated (the housing interior near the heating point), rather than cooling the entire hydraulic system. This localized approach reduces the volume of pressure fluid required for cooling while maintaining effective temperature control at the critical heat generation zone.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a compact, efficient, and cost-effective cooling system with reduced flow resistance and manufacturing effort, achieving high heat transfer efficiency without the need for extensive external heat exchangers and minimizing material compatibility issues.
Implementation Method 1
The cooling device (26) through which a coolant can flow is arranged in an annular space defined by the housing shell (6) and the cylinder drum (16) for dissipating thermal energy from the housing (4)
Implementation Method 2
a coolant is arranged in the cooling device in a single-phase or two-phase manner, in particular arranged in a flowing manner
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
Cooling module (28) for a hydraulic machine (2) comprising a cooling device (26) and a housing section (10), wherein the cooling device (26) is at least partially immersible in a housing interior which is delimited by a housing (6) and a drive unit (16) of the hydraulic machine (2) rotatable therein, and wherein an inlet (40) of the cooling device (26) is connected to an inlet channel (32) of a housing section (10) and an outlet (42) of the cooling device (26) is connected to an outlet channel (34) of the housing section (10). The cooling module (28) is at least partially additively manufactured. Also disclosed are a hydraulic machine (2) with the cooling module (28) and a hydraulic power unit with the hydraulic machine (2).