Electric Drive Power Modules Air Cooling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Electric drives face a challenge in achieving high power density while minimizing cooling-related weight and maintenance costs, especially in mobile applications where compact configurations reduce cooling possibilities, often necessitating costly liquid cooling.
Innovation Solution
The electric drive incorporates a power electronic circuit with multiple power modules arranged within a cooling channel structure, allowing air to flow around them for enhanced cooling, thereby eliminating the need for complex liquid cooling and optimizing power density.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If liquid cooling systems are used to cool compact electric drives, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but weight increases and maintenance costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cooling function from a complex liquid cooling system and implements it through a simplified air cooling concept. The power electronic circuit is positioned directly in the airflow path within the housing, allowing ambient air to cool the components without requiring liquid cooling infrastructure, thereby reducing weight while maintaining adequate cooling for the application
Solution Approach 2:
The design allows the electric drive to utilize ambient air flow (including propeller-induced airflow in aircraft applications) to cool the power electronic circuit automatically. The housing structure guides this airflow over the power modules, enabling the system to self-cool without additional active cooling components, reducing both weight and maintenance requirements
2Power
If power density is increased to reduce electric drive size, then compactness is improved, but cooling options are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses the cooling challenge of compact high-power-density drives by utilizing the third dimension - vertical airflow through the housing. The power electronic circuit is arranged in layers within the housing, with airflow paths designed to pass over multiple power modules vertically. This dimensional approach to cooling allows effective heat dissipation in a compact footprint, maintaining high power density while providing adequate cooling capability
3Temperature
If additional cooling components are added to achieve high power density, then cooling performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the housing structure with the cooling system functionality. The housing serves dual purposes: mechanical protection and thermal management. Airflow channels are integrated into the housing design, and the power electronic circuit is mounted directly on cooling surfaces within the housing. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate cooling components, reducing device complexity while maintaining cooling performance
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: structural support, electrical insulation, and thermal management. The same housing that protects the electric machine also serves as the cooling system by guiding airflow over the power electronic circuit. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying the overall system while achieving adequate cooling performance
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 design improves power density by leveraging ambient air for cooling, reducing weight and maintenance costs, and allows for separate cooling of both the electronic and electrical machines, enhancing overall efficiency and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling medium, which is carried in the cooling channel structure, can flow around them
Implementation Method 2
this air can be forced through the cooling channel structure at comparatively high flow rates
Implementation Method 3
The electric motor is located beyond the inner wall, and its heat output via the inner wall can be absorbed by the flowing cooling medium
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
The invention relates to an electric drive with a power electronic circuit (42) to which an electric machine (111) is connected. The electric drive has a housing structure (112) in which a cooling channel structure (114) is formed. According to the invention, the power electronic circuit (42) consists of several power modules (11) and can thus be evenly distributed in the cooling channel structure (114). This enables effective cooling, particularly by cooling air, without the need for technically complex liquid cooling, which would also add weight to the component. In particular, electric drives for aircraft, such as propeller motors with a propeller (119), can be equipped with the electric drive. These are reliable in operation and have a low component weight.