Excavator Cooling Layout to Isolate Batteries From Hot Air Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric excavators face challenges in effectively cooling multiple devices, including power storage devices, due to temperature imbalances caused by air circulation patterns that either fail to cool the battery adequately or overheat it by passing high-temperature air from other devices.
Innovation Solution
The excavator design incorporates a cooling system where the power storage device is positioned apart from the airflow path, allowing air to be introduced, pass across cooling devices like radiators and condensers, and be discharged outside, preventing high-temperature air from reaching the power storage device, and utilizing a fan to direct airflow effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single ventilation passage is used for multiple devices, then device complexity is reduced, but temperature control precision for each device deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The ventilation system is segmented into multiple independent passages, each dedicated to cooling specific devices. While this increases system complexity compared to a single passage, it enables precise temperature control for each device by ensuring they receive cooling air at appropriate temperatures without interference from other heat-generating components.
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 ensures appropriate cooling of multiple devices, including the power storage device, by isolating it from high-temperature air and efficiently cooling the cooling system components, thereby maintaining optimal operating temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
a fan (90) mounted on the upper turning body (3) and configured to blow air to a predetermined device for cooling the predetermined device
Implementation Method 2
a cooling device configured to cool the power storage device
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
An excavator 100 includes a lower traveling body 1, an upper turning body 3 turnably mounted on the lower traveling body 1, actuators configured to drive driven portions including the lower traveling body 1 and the upper turning body 3, a power storage device 19 mounted on the upper turning body 3 and used as an energy source for driving the actuators, a cooling circuit 60 configured to cool the power storage device 19, and a fan 90 mounted on the upper turning body 3 and configured to blow air to a radiator 62 and a condenser 82B for cooling the radiator 62 and the condenser 82B. Further, the power storage device 19 is arranged such that the power storage device is apart from a path in which air outside the upper turning body 3, by an operation of the fan 90, is introduced into inside the upper turning body 3, passes across the heat exchanging device, and is discharged to the outside of the upper turning body 3.