Liquid-Cooled Forklift Powertrain Integration for Cable Loss Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing electric forklift drive and hydraulic power systems have a distributed arrangement that leads to long connecting cables, increased costs, inefficient power usage, and poor heat dissipation, making them complex and costly to assemble and maintain.
Innovation Solution
A liquid-cooled integrative power system for electric forklifts, featuring an integrated transmission gearbox, drive motor, oil pump motor, integrated motor controller, and vehicle controller, with a coordinated control method that eliminates external cables and employs forced liquid cooling for efficient heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a distributed arrangement is adopted for drive and hydraulic power units, then each unit can be independently arranged, but the connecting cables become too long, increasing costs and energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the drive motor, hydraulic motor, and their controllers into a single integrated power system. The drive motor and hydraulic motor are mounted on the same transmission gearbox housing, and their controllers are integrated within the same housing, eliminating the need for long external connecting cables and reducing energy losses.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a distributed arrangement is adopted for power units, then each unit can be separately arranged, but the structure becomes complex and assembly becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple power units into a single integrated assembly where the drive motor and hydraulic motor share a common transmission gearbox housing. The controllers are also integrated within the same housing, simplifying the overall system structure and facilitating easier assembly while maintaining functional independence.
3Device complexity
If natural conduction or forced wind-cooling is used for heat dissipation, then the cooling structure is simple, but the heat dissipation effect is poor and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs liquid cooling channels integrated into the transmission gearbox housing to dissipate heat from the drive motor and hydraulic motor. The cooling channels form a water jacket around the motor housings, providing efficient heat dissipation through forced liquid circulation, which is more effective than natural conduction or wind cooling.
4Ease of operation
If long connecting cables are used in distributed arrangement, then units can be far from control unit, but cable length increases costs and affects power efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the controllers within the same housing as the motors, eliminating the need for long external connecting cables. This integration maintains placement flexibility while significantly reducing cable length, manufacturing costs, and assembly complexity.
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 solution results in a compact, reliable, and efficient power system with reduced cable resistance, improved assembly, enhanced insulation safety, and extended service life, meeting stringent requirements for electric forklifts.
Implementation Method 1
a liquid cooling system, with a highly integrated structure and capable of realizing integrated arrangement and efficient heat-dissipation
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses a liquid-cooled integrative power system for electric forklift and a control method thereof. It includes an integrated transmission gearbox, an integrated motor controller, an oil pump and a vehicle controller. The integrated transmission gearbox includes a drive motor transmission mechanism and an oil pump motor transmission mechanism. The integrated motor controller includes a control unit for a drive motor and a control unit for an oil pump motor. The integrated transmission gearbox, the integrated motor controller, the drive motor, the oil pump motor, the oil pump and the vehicle controller are completely integrated and mounted to form the liquid-cooled integrative power system for electric forklift. The vehicle controller comprehensively controls the integrative power system.