Drivetrain Inverter Heatsink With Variable Cooling Spikes
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Solution Overview
Problem
High power electrified vehicles, such as BEVs, face excessive heat build-up in drivetrain components like On-board Chargers and inverters, leading to performance degradation and potential damage, requiring complex and costly cooling solutions.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system with a fluid turbulent passage formed by cooling spikes of varying sizes on a heatsink, optimized for coolant flow and distribution within the drivetrain assembly, using ultra-low viscosity oil and additional cooling fins for efficient heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional cooling solutions are used for high power electrified vehicles, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple independent cooling circuits, each dedicated to specific components (motor circuit, reducer circuit, inverter circuit). This segmentation allows each circuit to be optimized independently while maintaining overall system simplicity, resolving the contradiction between cooling effectiveness and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system uses a unified coolant distribution manifold that serves multiple cooling circuits simultaneously. The single-point injection design allows one coolant supply system to cool multiple components (motor, reducer, inverter), achieving multi-functionality without increasing system complexity.
2Temperature
If conventional cooling solutions are used for high power electrified vehicles, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple cooling circuits are merged into a single integrated cooling system with a common coolant distribution manifold and single-point injection design. This consolidation reduces the number of separate cooling pumps, reservoirs, and control systems needed, thereby reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining cooling effectiveness for all components.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is designed as a universal system that can cool multiple high-power components (motor, reducer, inverter) through a single coolant distribution network. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate cooling systems for each component, significantly reducing overall system cost.
3Productivity
If cooling spikes with varying sizes are used, then coolant flow distribution is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Cooling spikes with different sizes are strategically positioned at different locations within the coolant distribution manifold based on local heat generation requirements. High-power components receive larger spikes for greater coolant flow, while lower-power components receive smaller spikes. This local quality approach optimizes coolant distribution efficiency without requiring extreme manufacturing precision across all spikes.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling spike design varies key parameters (size, position, orientation) to optimize coolant flow distribution to different components. By changing spike parameters locally rather than uniformly, the system achieves superior coolant distribution efficiency while maintaining reasonable manufacturing tolerances.
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
The cooling system effectively maintains desired operating temperatures with a simple configuration, high efficiency, and low cost, preventing performance degradation and damage to electrical components.
Implementation Method 1
a fluid turbulent passage formed by a plurality of cooling spikes
Implementation Method 2
distributing the coolant at least throughout the integrated drivetrain assembly
Implementation Method 3
The heatsink comprises at least one cooling plate with one corresponding cover
Implementation Method 4
one cooling circuit configured for being flowed through with a coolant and for distributing the coolant
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling system includes one cooling circuit configured to flow a coolant and to distribute the coolant at least throughout an integrated drivetrain assembly. The cooling circuit includes a fluid turbulent passage formed by a plurality of cooling spikes and arranged onto an inner surface of a heatsink configured for cooling at least one power switching device provided with the power inverter. The heatsink comprises at least one cooling plate with one corresponding cover, the plurality of cooling spikes are provided on the cooling plate and the corresponding cover. The plurality of cooling spikes include the cooling spikes with an increased or decreased size, the location of the cooling spikes with an increased or decreased size depends on the location of the electrical components provided by the at least one power of switch device so as to modulate the rate and flow of the coolant within the fluid turbulent passage.