Gearbox Housing Cooling Channels to Eliminate Coolant Blind Areas
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gearbox casing heat dissipation structures, such as liquid cooling systems, suffer from small heat dissipation areas and coolant blind areas, leading to low heat exchange rates and reduced service life in high-power, high-torque applications.
Innovation Solution
The gearbox casing incorporates multiple coolant tanks with obliquely arranged suspended and fixed guide ribs, forming S-shaped or maze channels to increase heat dissipation contact areas and prevent eddies, while adjustable depths and wavy shapes enhance coolant flow and heat transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional casting methods are used to manufacture transmission housings, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates resulting in poor dimensional accuracy and rough surface finish
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission housing is divided into multiple modular components (e.g., case halves, covers, bridges) that can be manufactured separately using additive printing and then assembled together. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for additive manufacturing while achieving complex geometries that would be impossible with traditional casting, thereby improving manufacturing precision without excessive overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the manufacturing parameter from subtractive/casting processes to additive manufacturing processes. This parameter change enables direct production of complex internal geometries, thin walls, and integrated features with high dimensional accuracy and smooth surface finish, eliminating the need for multiple casting operations and post-processing steps.
2Manufacturing precision
If complex geometries are manufactured using traditional casting, then device complexity is handled, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to mold limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The additive manufacturing process allows for dynamic adjustment of geometric parameters during production. Complex geometries can be modified, optimized, and reproduced with high precision by changing digital models rather than retooling physical molds, providing both geometric accuracy and design flexibility simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
Additive manufacturing adds the dimension of digital design freedom, allowing complex 3D geometries to be manufactured directly from CAD models without the constraints of traditional mold-making. This enables intricate internal channels, variable thickness walls, and integrated features to be produced with high precision that would be impossible or extremely costly with conventional casting.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate parts are assembled to form transmission housing, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple assembly operations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines multiple transmission housing components into integrated assemblies using additive manufacturing. Complex geometries that would require multiple separate cast parts and extensive assembly operations are produced as single integrated components or pre-assembled modules, reducing the number of assembly steps while maintaining modular adaptability for different transmission configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The additive manufactured transmission housing components are designed with universal features and standardized interfaces that allow the same basic component design to serve multiple functions and adapt to different transmission layouts. This multi-functionality reduces the number of unique parts needed while maintaining assembly flexibility and adaptability.
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 design significantly improves heat exchange efficiency and prevents coolant blind areas, resulting in enhanced gearbox performance and extended service life at a lower cost compared to traditional heat dissipation structures.
Implementation Method 1
The water cooling structure includes a cavity formed by a reducer housing and a cover plate... the partitions and the cavity side wall parallel to the partitions are also vertically provided with a plurality of baffles, and the baffles are staggered. The water inlet and the water outlet are formed in the two ends of the water channel
Implementation Method 2
the outer heat dissipation columns can effectively conduct out heat absorbed by the interior of the heat dissipation structure in a contact mode, the heat conduction efficiency is improved, and the heat dissipation speed is increased
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A gearbox casing is disclosed. A bottom part or a side part of the gearbox casing is provided with a number of first coolant tanks (1), the gearbox casing above a bottom part of the first coolant tanks (1) is provided therein with a lubricating liquid, and the first coolant tanks (1) are used to cool the lubricating liquid. The first coolant tank (1) is provided therein with a number of parallel partition walls (2), by which the first coolant tank (1) is separated into at least two communicated sub-tanks. The sub-tanks are provided with first fixed guide ribs (3) and first suspended guide ribs (6) to divide the coolant. In the gearbox casing according to the present disclosure, by providing a number of coolant tanks at the bottom part or the side part of the gearbox casing, the lubricating liquid in the gearbox casing can be cooled; by providing suspended guide ribs and fixed guide ribs in the coolant tanks to guide the flow direction of the circulating coolant, the heat dissipation contact area between the coolant and the gearbox casing is increased, blind areas where the coolant does not flow or eddies are generated can be avoided, and heat dissipation effect is improved.