Electric Coolant Pump ECU Cooling via Radial Convection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric coolant pumps face challenges in heat dissipation due to their sealed design, leading to potential overheating and failure, especially under high performance demands and ambient temperatures, which can jeopardize vehicle operability.
Innovation Solution
The electric coolant pump integrates the ECU in direct heat exchange with the pump housing at a position where convection is strongest, utilizing a radial pump design with a pump impeller and spiral housing to enhance heat transfer, and positions the power circuitry for optimal axial overlap with the impeller for improved heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the ECU is positioned to maximize heat exchange with coolant, then thermal stability is improved, but the ECU cannot be produced using standard formats and assembly processes
Solution Approach 1:
The pump housing is divided into functionally independent sections: the main pump chamber and a separate receptacle for the ECU. This segmentation allows the ECU to be positioned optimally for heat exchange while being produced using standard formats and assembly processes, resolving the contradiction between thermal stability and ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
A receptacle structure acts as an intermediary between the ECU and the coolant flow. This receptacle provides a standardized mounting location that facilitates both heat exchange and standard assembly processes, eliminating the need for custom ECU designs while maintaining thermal stability.
2Ease of manufacture
If the ECU is positioned away from the inlet/outlet for standardized production, then ease of manufacture is improved, but heat exchange efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The receptacle is positioned in the pump housing at a location that provides both standardized assembly access and optimal heat exchange with the coolant flow. This local optimization ensures that the ECU can be manufactured using standard processes while maintaining high heat exchange efficiency, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and thermal performance.
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 configuration ensures effective heat dissipation even at high coolant temperatures, reducing temperature fluctuations and extending the service life of the ECU by maintaining thermal stability and allowing the use of standard formats and assembly processes.
Implementation Method 1
the coolant accelerated radially outwards by the vanes of the pump impeller strikes the peripheral wall of the pump chamber
Implementation Method 2
the convection of the incident mass flow is thus intensified outwards by a convection due to a centrifugal force-related contact pressure
Implementation Method 3
the base section (15) made from a material with high thermal conductivity, in particular from aluminum or an aluminum alloy
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
An electric coolant pump comprises: a pump housing (1), a pump impeller (2) and at least one inlet (16) and one outlet (17), an electric motor (3) and an electronic power circuit (30) for controlling a stator (33); wherein the pump housing (1) has a receptacle (13) for the electronic power circuit (30), which, in relation to the pump shaft (4), is arranged radially outside the pump chamber (10) and axially in overlap with an outer edge of the pump impeller (2) facing the power circuit (30).