Electric Oil Pump Cooling via Integrated Heat Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric oil pump systems in vehicles face inefficiencies in cooling the electric oil pump (EOP) and oil pump control unit (OPU), which affects motor efficiency and fuel efficiency, and requires separate cooling systems that increase complexity and cost.
Innovation Solution
An integrated electric oil pump system that combines a water-cooled cooling apparatus for the OPU and an oil-cooled cooling apparatus for the EOP, utilizing a heat exchanger for heat exchange between coolant and oil to efficiently cool both components, thereby reducing electromagnetic noise and electrical losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate cooling systems are used for the electric oil pump and oil pump control unit, then each component can be cooled independently, but the system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cooling of the electric oil pump and oil pump control unit into a single integrated cooling system. The cooling apparatus includes a cooling chamber that accommodates both components, with coolant flow paths that enable simultaneous cooling of both the electric oil pump motor and the control unit through thermal conduction to the cooling chamber wall, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining effective cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling apparatus serves multiple functions: it cools both the electric oil pump motor and the oil pump control unit using a single system. The cooling chamber acts as a universal cooling structure that can handle thermal management for different components with different cooling requirements, making the system more efficient and less complex than separate cooling systems.
2Device complexity
If the electric oil pump is cooled using air cooling, then the system is simpler, but cooling efficiency is insufficient for high-performance applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs liquid cooling (hydraulic cooling) instead of air cooling by circulating coolant through a cooling chamber that directly contacts both the electric oil pump motor and control unit. This liquid cooling approach provides superior heat transfer efficiency compared to air cooling, enabling effective thermal management for high-performance applications while maintaining reasonable system complexity.
3Length of moving object
If the control unit is placed close to the electric oil pump, then connection length is reduced, but electromagnetic noise interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling chamber acts as an intermediary barrier between the electric oil pump motor and the control unit. This metallic cooling chamber provides electromagnetic shielding that blocks noise signals from the motor from interfering with the control unit, while still allowing the components to be positioned close together to minimize connection lengths. The cooling chamber wall serves dual purposes: thermal conduction for cooling and electromagnetic shielding for noise protection.
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 integrated cooling system enhances motor efficiency, reduces size and weight, and improves fuel efficiency by minimizing electrical losses and electromagnetic interference, while also reducing the need for connecting wires, leading to cost savings and improved performance.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger that allows the coolant and the oil to pass through respectively and perform heat exchange with each other
Implementation Method 2
a water-cooled cooling apparatus configured to cool the oil pump controller using coolant
Implementation Method 3
an oil-cooled cooling apparatus configured to cool the electric oil pump using oil
Data Source
AI summary
An electric oil pump system allows the cooling of an electric oil pump (EOP) and an oil pump controller (OPU) to be performed efficiently in the vehicle equipped with the electric oil pump. An electric oil pump of the system includes a pumping part that is operated by power of a motor to suction and direct pressurized oil. An oil pump controller operates the electric oil pump. A water-cooled cooling apparatus cools the oil pump controller using coolant and an oil-cooled cooling apparatus cools the electric oil pump using oil. The coolant of the water-cooled cooling apparatus and the oil of the oil-cooled cooling apparatus pass through a heat exchanger and as the coolant and oil pass therethrough, heat exchange is achieved.