Construction Machine Battery Cooling Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Construction machines with batteries in counterweight areas face challenges in cooling due to low heat resistance temperatures and large volumes, requiring efficient cooling systems that prevent exhaust air from the engine room from being used as cooling air, while also managing ventilation resistance and irregular battery installations.
Innovation Solution
A cooling structure with separate ventilation passages for batteries and the engine room, featuring air intake and exhaust ports on the same side surface, blower installation at specific points in the ventilation passage, and guide plates to ensure uniform cooling air distribution, along with thermal insulation to prevent solar heat intrusion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If batteries are installed in the counterweight area to serve as counterweight, then weight balance is achieved, but cooling performance deteriorates due to high temperature of surrounding air
Solution Approach 1:
The ventilation system is segmented into separate passages: one for the engine room and another for the batteries. This segmentation prevents hot exhaust air from the engine room from being drawn into the battery cooling system, ensuring that batteries receive cooler air for effective heat dissipation while maintaining their counterweight function
Solution Approach 2:
A partition wall is introduced as an intermediary structure between the engine room and the counterweight area where batteries are installed. This partition wall prevents direct communication between the two spaces, blocking the path of hot exhaust air from reaching the batteries and maintaining temperature separation
2Quantity of substance
If a large number of batteries are installed to achieve sufficient electricity accumulation capacity, then energy storage capacity is improved, but cooling performance deteriorates due to increased heat generation
Solution Approach 1:
The battery array is segmented into multiple rows with ventilation passages arranged between them. This segmentation creates multiple cooling channels that allow cooling air to reach individual batteries effectively, preventing heat accumulation even when a large number of batteries are installed for sufficient energy storage capacity
Solution Approach 2:
Ventilation passages are arranged in multiple dimensions - both longitudinally between battery rows and vertically between battery layers. This multi-dimensional ventilation approach ensures that cooling air can penetrate throughout the entire battery assembly, maintaining effective cooling performance regardless of the quantity of batteries installed
3Device complexity
If cooling air is taken from oil cooler outlet to cool batteries, then system integration is improved, but cooling performance deteriorates due to elevated cooling air temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The battery cooling system extracts cooling air directly from the external environment through dedicated air intake ports, separating it from the engine room's internal air circulation system. This extraction of fresh external air ensures that batteries receive cool air with lower temperature, improving cooling performance while maintaining independent ventilation control
4Device complexity
If air intake and exhaust ports are formed in the same side surface, then structural simplicity is improved, but risk of exhaust air being drawn in is increased
Solution Approach 1:
Ventilation passages are segmented into distinct intake and exhaust paths with different routing configurations. Even though air intake and exhaust ports are located on the same side surface for structural simplicity, the internal passage segmentation ensures that exhaust air flow does not create suction that would draw in uncooled air or create harmful recirculation patterns
Solution Approach 2:
The ventilation system is designed with exhaust ports positioned and configured to discharge air outward with sufficient velocity and directionality, creating a pressure differential that prevents external air from being drawn back in. This inversion of the typical intake-exhaust logic ensures that the exhaust flow itself acts as a barrier against harmful air intrusion
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
This solution efficiently cools batteries in the counterweight area, prevents the use of heated exhaust air from the engine room, and maintains high cooling performance, reliability, low noise, and vibration isolation, supporting hybrid drive systems with reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
Implementation Method 1
a blower that generates cooling air for the batteries
Implementation Method 2
a ventilation passage that conducts cooling air from the outside environment into the counterweight area
Implementation Method 3
thermal insulation to prevent solar heat intrusion
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(a)~2(b)
Figure 3~4
AI summary
[Object] To provide a cooling structure for a construction machine which can efficiently discharge heat generated in batteries and prevent exhaust air of an engine room from being sucked in the batteries. [Solution Means] In a cooling structure for a construction machine, the construction machine including an engine room 5 having an engine 4, a radiator 11 for cooling the engine 4, and a hydraulic pump 7 which are arranged therein, and a counterweight area 6 which is located adjacent to the engine room 5 and in which batteries 27 are installed, a ventilation passage 23 for cooling the engine room 5 and a ventilation passage 34 for cooling the batteries 27 are formed separately and independently in the substantially same direction, and a flowing direction of cooling air flowing in the ventilation passage 23 for cooling the engine room 5 and a flowing direction of cooling air flowing in the ventilation passage 34 for cooling the batteries 27 are substantially parallel to each other.