Electric Drive Heat Exchanger End Cover for Transmission Oil Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric drive systems for vehicles face challenges in efficiently cooling the transmission, which limits cooling performance and increases the vehicle's drag coefficient due to reliance on convection cooling.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an end cover with a counterpart cooling structure and an oil sump region, which forms part of the heat exchanger portion, enhancing the surface area for heat transfer and improving oil circulation and cooling efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If transmission is cooled by convection through airstream flowing onto housing surfaces, then cooling is achieved without additional components, but cooling performance is limited and vehicle drag coefficient increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces transmission oil as an intermediary cooling medium that circulates through the transmission system. The oil absorbs heat from transmission components and transports it to a heat exchanger, where it is cooled by a separate coolant loop. This mediator approach eliminates the need for direct air cooling of the transmission housing, thereby reducing vehicle drag while achieving effective transmission cooling.
2Temperature
If tube bundle or plate heat exchangers are placed in oil pan or near transmission, then heat exchange between oil and coolant is achieved, but device complexity and housing structure complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into the end cover component: it serves as a structural closure for the transmission housing, provides mounting surfaces for the heat exchanger, and acts as a coolant distribution manifold with integrated inlet and outlet channels. By merging these functions into a single component, the design reduces the number of separate parts and simplifies the overall housing structure while maintaining effective oil cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The end cover is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides structural support, houses the heat exchanger assembly, and distributes coolant through integrated flow channels. This universal component approach eliminates the need for separate cooling system housings or additional structural elements, thereby reducing device complexity while achieving effective thermal management.
3Temperature
If end cover integrates counterpart cooling structure and oil sump region, then surface area for heat transfer increases and oil circulation improves, but manufacturing complexity of end cover increases
Solution Approach 1:
The end cover incorporates variable thickness regions and integrated cooling channels with varying cross-sections to optimize heat transfer surface area and coolant flow distribution. By carefully designing the geometric parameters of the integrated structures, the patent achieves enhanced cooling performance while maintaining manufacturability through standard casting or forming processes.
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 increases the cooling performance of the transmission oil, reduces the vehicle's drag coefficient, and integrates complex structures from the main housing to the end cover, simplifying the overall housing design.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger, a supply housing region, and an end cover. The heat exchanger is coupled to the cooling circuit on one side and to the oil circuit on the other side
Implementation Method 2
The heat exchanger is formed at this connection, by means of which the cooling of the supply unit is ensured
Implementation Method 3
the oil in turn is cooled in the oil sump accommodated in an oil pan on the bottom of the housing of the electric drive from the underside of the electric drive via cooling ribs running on the outside of the housing
Data Source
AI summary
An electric drive provides transmission oil cooling. An oil circuit supplies the transmission with oil. A cooling circuit cools a supply device and/or an electric motor with a coolant. A heat exchanger portion is coupled on one side to the cooling circuit and on the other side to the oil circuit. The supply device is arranged in a supply housing region. The heat exchanger portion forms a wall portion of the supply housing region. An end cover closes the heat exchanger portion. The end cover has at least one functional region, wherein the functional region is designed as a counterpart cooling structure, as an oil sump region and/or as a pump interface for coupling an oil pump.