Vehicle Drive Unit Partition-Wall Cooling for Low-Speed High Torque
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing drive device for vehicles lacks effective cooling optimization, leading to increased heat transfer from the motor to the power conversion unit during low-speed and high-torque conditions, which shortens the lifespan of electronic components due to excessive heat load.
Innovation Solution
A drive device configuration with a casing having separate chambers for the motor and power conversion unit, utilizing a cooling system that adjusts the supply of a thermal transfer medium to the partition wall and motor based on vehicle speed and torque, optimizing cooling performance by prioritizing cooling where needed most, such as increasing medium supply during low-speed high-torque conditions and reducing it during high-speed high-torque conditions to allocate resources effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the motor and power conversion unit are housed in the same casing with a partition wall, then the device structure is compact and integrated, but heat transfer from the motor to the power conversion unit increases during low-speed high-torque conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into multiple independent cooling routes: a first cooling route that supplies thermal transfer medium to the motor, and a second cooling route that supplies thermal transfer medium to the partition wall. This segmentation allows independent control of cooling for each component, enabling the system to address heat transfer issues between the motor and power conversion unit while maintaining their integrated housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system provides localized cooling by directing thermal transfer medium specifically to areas where heat generation or heat transfer occurs. The control unit adjusts the supply amount of thermal transfer medium to the partition wall based on motor temperature and vehicle operating conditions, providing targeted cooling exactly where needed rather than uniform cooling throughout the system.
2Device complexity
If cooling is provided uniformly to all components, then simple control is maintained, but cooling effectiveness decreases during variable operating conditions such as low-speed high-torque driving
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system transitions from static uniform cooling to dynamic conditional cooling. The control unit continuously monitors motor temperature and vehicle speed, and dynamically adjusts the supply amount of thermal transfer medium to the partition wall accordingly. This dynamic adjustment ensures optimal cooling effectiveness across varying operating conditions while maintaining reasonable control complexity through automated feedback control.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system incorporates feedback control by monitoring motor temperature and vehicle speed, then using this information to adjust the cooling supply to the partition wall. The control unit receives temperature signals from the motor and speed signals from the vehicle, and based on these feedback signals, optimizes the thermal transfer medium supply to maintain reliable operating temperatures under different driving conditions.
3Reliability
If the supply amount of thermal transfer medium to the partition wall is increased during low-speed high-torque conditions, then heat transfer is suppressed and component lifespan is extended, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system applies partial cooling action by selectively increasing thermal transfer medium supply only to the partition wall during specific high-risk operating conditions (low-speed high-torque), rather than continuously cooling all components at maximum capacity. This partial action approach extends component lifespan during critical periods while minimizing overall energy consumption by avoiding unnecessary full-system cooling during normal operating conditions.
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 effectively suppresses heat transfer and thermal load on the power conversion unit, improving the overall cooling performance and extending the lifespan of electronic components by dynamically adjusting cooling resources based on vehicle speed and torque conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling system that circulates a thermal transfer medium to at least one of the first chamber and the second chamber... a partition wall cooling route that supplies the thermal transfer medium to the partition wall
Implementation Method 2
The cooling system circulates a thermal transfer medium... supplies the thermal transfer medium to the partition wall
Data Source
AI summary
A device includes: a motor; a gear unit; a power conversion unit; a casing that includes a first chamber and a second chamber separated from each other by a partition wall; and a cooling system that circulates a thermal transfer medium to at least one of the first chamber and the second chamber, wherein the cooling system includes a partition wall cooling route that supplies the thermal transfer medium to the partition wall, and is configured such that a supply amount of the thermal transfer medium to the partition wall cooling route is greater in a state in which vehicle speed of the vehicle is low and output torque of the motor is high, as compared to a state in which the vehicle speed is high and the output torque is low.