Parallel Refrigerant Routing in Drive Units for Balanced Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drive apparatuses face inefficiencies in cooling systems due to unequal cooling demands among rotating electrical machines and electricity conversion apparatuses connected by the same refrigerant route, leading to decreased cooling efficiency.
Innovation Solution
Implementing parallel refrigerant routes to cool rotating electrical machines and electricity conversion apparatuses separately, ensuring each component receives the necessary cooling amount, with oil and refrigerant systems working in conjunction to optimize cooling efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the same refrigerant route is used to cool both the rotating electrical machine and the electricity conversion apparatus, then the structure is simplified, but the cooling efficiency decreases due to unequal cooling demands
Solution Approach 1:
The single refrigerant route is divided into multiple independent refrigerant routes (first refrigerant route and second refrigerant route). Each route is assigned to cool specific components based on their cooling demands, allowing independent optimization of cooling for each component group while maintaining overall system efficiency.
2Reliability
If parallel refrigerant routes are implemented to cool different components separately, then cooling efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerant system is designed with multi-functionality where the first refrigerant route cools both the first electricity conversion apparatus and the second rotating electrical machine, while the second refrigerant route cools both the second electricity conversion apparatus and the first rotating electrical machine. This cross-cooling arrangement allows each refrigerant route to serve multiple components, reducing the need for dedicated cooling routes for each component and thereby limiting the increase in system complexity.
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 equalizes cooling demands, improving overall cooling efficiency and preventing unnecessary operation of cooling components, thereby enhancing the performance and reliability of the drive apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of refrigerant routes provided to be parallel to each other and configured to cool the rotating electrical machines and the electricity conversion apparatuses
Data Source
AI summary
A drive apparatus includes: a plurality of rotating electrical machines; a plurality of electricity conversion apparatuses; and a plurality of refrigerant routes that are provided to be parallel to each other and are for cooling the rotating electrical machines and the electricity conversion apparatuses. Each of the electricity conversion apparatuses is electrically connected to at least one of the rotating electrical machines. Each of the refrigerant routes is configured to cool at least one of the electricity conversion apparatuses and at least one of the rotating electrical machines. Each of the rotating electrical machines is electrically connected to an electricity conversion apparatus different from the at least one electricity conversion apparatus cooled by the same refrigerant route as the rotating electrical machine itself.