Vehicle Drive Cooling Circuit for Coolant-Actuated Parking Lock
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drive arrangements in vehicles, particularly those with electric motors, face challenges of high installation space requirements and weight due to separate systems for cooling, lubrication, and mechanical components like parking locks and clutches, leading to increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A drive arrangement that integrates a cooling circuit with a coolant system to actuate parking locks and coupling devices, eliminating the need for separate electromechanical systems by using coolant pressure, and includes features like a heat exchanger, bypass line, and low-pressure coolant pumps for optimized temperature management and component lubrication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate electromechanical systems are used for parking lock and coupling device, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and installation space increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cooling circuit with the actuation system for the parking lock and coupling device. The coolant serving the electric machine's thermal management is simultaneously used as the actuating medium for these mechanical components, eliminating the need for separate hydraulic or pneumatic systems and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining functional reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling circuit is designed to perform multiple functions: it cools the electric machine's stator and rotor, and simultaneously serves as the actuating medium for the parking lock and coupling device. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate systems required, decreasing installation space and component count while maintaining system reliability
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate electromechanical systems are used for parking lock and coupling device, then functional independence is improved, but weight and installation space increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cooling circuit with the actuation systems for the parking lock and coupling device. By using the same coolant and circulation system for both thermal management and mechanical actuation, the overall system weight is reduced while maintaining the functional independence of each component through controlled coolant flow distribution
3Force
If high-pressure coolant pump is used, then actuation force is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the heat generated by the electric machine during operation as a benefit. The coolant absorbs this waste heat while circulating through the system, and the thermal expansion and pressure changes in the coolant are harnessed to provide sufficient actuation force for the parking lock and coupling device, eliminating the need for high-pressure pumps and reducing energy consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling circuit is designed to self-generate the necessary actuation pressure through the heat input from the electric machine. The system uses its own operational byproducts (heat and coolant circulation) to provide the force needed for mechanical actuation, rather than requiring separate high-pressure pumping systems, thereby reducing overall energy consumption
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 integration results in a more compact and cost-effective drive system with improved efficiency and reduced weight, optimizing heat recovery and lubrication through the use of coolant for actuating mechanical components.
Implementation Method 1
The control device can be configured to control a coolant flow through the electric machine, the stator, the rotor and/or the gearbox
Implementation Method 2
a cooling circuit in which a coolant is circulated
Implementation Method 3
The heat exchanger can be thermally coupled to an external cooling circuit. The external cooling circuit can be configured to transport the heat externally
Implementation Method 4
a coolant pump for circulating the coolant within the cooling circuit
Implementation Method 5
The control device is configured to actuate the parking lock and/or the coupling device by means of the coolant
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a drive arrangement (10) for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, with a cooling circuit (12) in which a coolant (14) is conveyed, comprising an electric machine (16) with a stator (18) and a rotor (20), a transmission (22), a parking lock (24) and/or a coupling device (26), and a control device (28) for controlling a coolant flow through the cooling circuit (12), wherein the control device (28) is configured to actuate the parking lock (24) and/or the coupling device (26) each by means of the coolant (14). The invention further relates to a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, with such a drive arrangement (10).