EV Drive Cooling Circuit Integrating High-Voltage Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric vehicle drive systems face challenges in efficiently cooling high-voltage components and high-current connecting elements, leading to inefficiencies and increased complexity due to separate cooling circuits for each component.
Innovation Solution
Integrating a single cooling circuit that combines drive components and high-voltage connecting elements, allowing them to convey cooling medium and form part of the cooling path, thereby optimizing cooling and reducing complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate cooling circuits are used for each drive component, then each component can be cooled independently, but the system complexity and number of parts increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges separate cooling circuits into a single integrated cooling circuit that cools multiple drive components (traction battery, inverter, electric machine) and high-voltage connecting elements simultaneously. This combining approach reduces the number of separate cooling systems while maintaining effective cooling of all components through a unified fluid pathway.
Solution Approach 2:
The single cooling circuit is designed to serve multiple functions by cooling different components with different thermal requirements. The cooling medium flows through various channels to cool the traction battery, inverter, electric machine, and high-voltage connecting elements, making the cooling system universal rather than component-specific.
2Reliability
If multiple separate cooling circuits are implemented, then comprehensive cooling coverage is achieved, but the manufacturing cost and assembly complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple separate cooling circuits are merged into one integrated system that provides comprehensive thermal management coverage. The unified cooling circuit includes pathways to all heat-generating components, reducing the number of separate assemblies required while maintaining complete cooling coverage across all drive components.
3Temperature
If dedicated cooling circuits are used for each high-voltage connecting element, then optimal cooling is achieved, but the system becomes more complex and space-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
Dedicated cooling circuits for each high-voltage connecting element are merged into a single integrated cooling circuit. The cooling medium flows through the connecting elements via shared pathways, reducing the total number of cooling circuits while maintaining effective cooling of all high-voltage components through the unified system.
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 approach ensures uniform and efficient cooling of drive components while simplifying the cooling system, reducing parts and complexity, and enhancing thermal management.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling circuit (26) for cooling the drive components by means of a cooling medium (28)
Data Source
AI summary
A drive system for an electric vehicle includes: drive components, including: a traction battery; an inverter; and an electric machine. The traction battery is electrically connected to the electric machine by the inverter. The traction battery is electrically connected to the inverter and the inverter is electrically connected to the electric machine in each case by high-voltage connecting elements. The drive system has a cooling circuit cools the drive components by a cooling medium. The drive components and the high-voltage connecting elements are each formed so as to convey cooling medium and form a part of the cooling circuit.