In-Vehicle Cooling Device With Overlapping Pipes

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing in-vehicle cooling devices for railroad vehicles are ineffective in managing heat exchange during both travel and stop conditions, as they are designed primarily for traveling air flows, neglecting the rising air flow when the vehicle is stopped, and face challenges in increasing heat exchange without expanding the installation region.

Innovation Solution

The cooling device incorporates both vertically and horizontally installed cooling pipes that overlap orthogonally with respect to the header, allowing for increased surface area without expanding the installation region, effectively addressing both traveling and stopping air flows.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If the surface area of cooling pipe group is increased to increase heat exchange amount, then heat exchange efficiency is improved, but installation region requirement increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat exchange efficiencyVSAvoidinstallation region
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent utilizes three-dimensional space by arranging cooling pipes in multiple directions (vertical and horizontal) and overlapping them in the depth direction. This allows the cooling system to achieve a large effective surface area for heat exchange without proportionally increasing the footprint installation area, as the pipes utilize the available vertical and depth dimensions of the installation space.

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

Solution Approach 2:

The cooling pipes are arranged in overlapping configurations where pipes in different directions interpenetrate or are positioned in nested spatial relationships. This nesting approach maximizes the use of available installation space, allowing multiple pipes to occupy overlapping projection areas when viewed from certain directions, thereby increasing heat exchange surface area without linearly increasing the installation region.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

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 enhances heat exchange efficiency during both travel and stop conditions, allowing for effective cooling without increasing the installation volume, thereby improving airflow rates and heat dissipation.

Implementation Method 1

heat transfer in the natural convection at the outer surface of the cooling pipe group

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectNatural convection: Free Convection

Implementation Method 2

forced convection caused when the traveling air flow passes along the surface of the cooling pipe group

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectForced convection: Forced Convection

Implementation Method 3

heat generated from the transformer positioned in the vicinity of the cooling pipe group flows as a rising air flow from the lower part to the upper part of the cooling pipe group

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRising air flow: Free Convection

Data Source

PatentEP2933166B1In-vehicle cooling device
Publication Date: 2019.11.20 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP2933166B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP2933166B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6
  • EP2933166B1 patent drawingFigure 7~9

AI summary

An in-vehicle cooling device according to the present invention includes: a header (3) to be mounted so as to be adjacent to a side surface of a transformer mounted on a back side of a bottom portion of a vehicle, the header (3) having a vertical surface along a traveling direction and a direction orthogonal to the travelling direction; a vertical-direction installed cooling pipe (4) having both ends fixed to the header and being installed on a vertical plane orthogonal to the traveling direction; and a traveling-direction installed cooling pipe (6) having both ends fixed to the header and being installed on a travel plane that is parallel to a horizontal plane, the vertical-direction installed cooling pipe (6) and the traveling-direction installed cooling pipe (4) being installed to overlap with each other in a direction orthogonal to the header.