EV Intake Pipe Layout Around an Integrated Drive-Control Unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
The integration of a supercharger with an engine in an electric vehicle poses challenges due to spatial restrictions and potential interference with the intake pipe, driving apparatus, and electric-power control device within the engine compartment, making it difficult to locate all components efficiently.
Innovation Solution
The engine, including a supercharger, is positioned with a mechanical-electrical integrated unit housed in a single casing adjacent to the engine, where the intake pipe is located downstream of an air cleaner and upstream of the supercharger, straddling the unit in the width direction, and the air cleaner is positioned to protect the unit from collision loads, allowing the engine and other components to fit within the compartment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the engine including a supercharger is disposed together with the driving apparatus and the electric-power control device within the engine compartment, then the space utilization is improved, but the intake pipe may interfere with the driving apparatus and the electric-power control device
Solution Approach 1:
The intake pipe is configured to extend in the width direction of the vehicle, passing through the mechanical-electrical integrated unit from one side to the other. This dimensional arrangement allows the intake pipe to bypass the driving apparatus and electric-power control device that are positioned above the mechanical-electrical integrated unit, thereby avoiding interference while maintaining compact engine compartment layout
Solution Approach 2:
The driving apparatus and electric-power control device are integrated into a single mechanical-electrical integrated unit housing. The intake pipe passes through this integrated unit, with portions located above and below it. This nesting arrangement allows multiple components to occupy overlapping spatial projections without physical interference, maximizing engine compartment space utilization
2Reliability
If the supercharger is connected to the exhaust system and intake pipe, then the supercharging function is achieved, but the position of the supercharger is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The intake pipe is arranged to extend in the width direction of the vehicle rather than only in the longitudinal direction. This allows the supercharger to be positioned on the engine side while the intake pipe passes through the mechanical-electrical integrated unit to reach the air cleaner on the opposite side, providing positioning flexibility while maintaining supercharging function
Solution Approach 2:
The intake pipe is divided into multiple portions: a first portion extending from the supercharger through the mechanical-electrical integrated unit, and a second portion extending from the first portion to the air cleaner. This segmentation allows the intake pipe to navigate around obstacles and connect components that are spatially separated, accommodating the supercharger's restricted positioning requirements
Data Source
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AI summary
An electric vehicle (10;100) in which a mechanical-electrical integrated unit (90) including a driving apparatus (92;108) and an electric-power control device (74) is housed in a single casing (40;110) and is located in a position adjacent to an engine (12) including a supercharger (18), an air cleaner (36) is located on one of opposite sides of the mechanical-electrical integrated unit (90) which is remote from the engine (12) in a width direction of the vehicle (10; 100), and an intake pipe (20) includes a portion which is located downstream of the air cleaner (36) and upstream of the supercharger (18), wherein the portion of the intake pipe (20) is located on an upper side of the mechanical-electrical integrated unit (90) in a vertical direction of the vehicle (10;100), and straddles the mechanical-electrical integrated unit (90) in the width direction.