Saddle-Type Electric Vehicle Battery Case Cooling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electric two-wheeled vehicles face heat accumulation in the battery storage space, leading to increased wind resistance and decreased high-speed traveling performance due to the placement of traveling wind inlets and outlets on the lower side of the battery cover.

Innovation Solution

A saddle-type electric vehicle design featuring a traveling wind path with inflow and outflow ports on the upper sides of the battery case, allowing wind to flow through the battery case from front to rear, effectively cooling the battery while minimizing wind resistance and improving high-speed performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If traveling wind inlet and outlet are provided on the lower side of the battery cover, then the lower region of the battery storage space is cooled, but heat accumulates in the upper region and traveling wind resistance increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery cooling effectivenessVSAvoidtraveling wind resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional lower-side inlet/outlet configuration to an upper-side configuration. The traveling wind inlet is positioned at the upper front portion and the outlet at the upper rear portion of the battery cover, allowing wind to flow horizontally across the battery surface rather than from below, thereby reducing wind resistance while improving heat dissipation from the upper region

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from a vertical wind flow path (lower to upper) to a horizontal wind flow path (front to rear) at the upper level. This dimensional change allows the cooling wind to traverse the battery cover horizontally, effectively cooling the upper region where heat accumulates while maintaining a streamlined profile that reduces traveling wind resistance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Temperature

If traveling wind inlet is provided on the lower side of the battery cover, then battery cooling is achieved, but high-speed traveling performance degrades

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery temperatureVSAvoidhigh-speed traveling performance
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the inlet position from the lower side to the upper front portion of the battery cover. This inversion creates a more aerodynamic configuration that reduces air resistance during high-speed travel while still enabling effective cooling of the battery through the upper surface

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Temperature

If electric component is installed upstream with respect to the battery in the traveling wind path, then the electric component is cooled by traveling wind prior to battery cooling, but the configuration becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectric component coolingVSAvoidbattery case configuration
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the cooling functions of both the electric component and the battery into a single integrated traveling wind path. The wind flows sequentially through both components within the same battery case structure, eliminating the need for separate cooling systems while providing prioritized cooling to the electric component first

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 design enables efficient battery cooling with reduced wind resistance and enhanced high-speed performance by ensuring smooth airflow through the battery case, preventing heat accumulation, and effectively discharging hot air.

Implementation Method 1

traveling wind flows from front in the battery case provided on the main frame portion extending rearward from the head pipe, and cools the battery, and traveling wind exchanging heat with the battery flows out behind the battery case

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP2657114B1Saddle-type electric vehicle
Publication Date: 2016.05.11 KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KK
  • EP2657114B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2657114B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2657114B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A saddle-type electric vehicle (1) includes a body frame (6) having a head pipe (7) supporting a steering shaft (4) and a main frame portion (8) extending rearward from the head pipe (7), a battery case (15) provided on the main frame portion (8) behind the head pipe (7), a battery (27) stored in the battery case (15) and supplying electric power to an electric motor (22) generating traveling power, and a traveling wind path (50) including an inner space of the battery case (15), wherein a traveling wind inflow port (15a) allowing traveling wind to flow in the battery case (15) from front is formed on an upper side of a front portion of the battery case (15), and a traveling wind outflow port (15b) allowing the traveling wind flowing in the battery case (15) to flow out rearward is formed on an upper side of a rear portion of the battery case (15).