Hybrid Drive Cooling System for Power Electronics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for cooling motor vehicle components, such as internal combustion engines and hybrid drives, fail to adequately account for the varying cooling requirements of electrical and electronic components not directly integrated into the coolant circuit, leading to potential overheating and reduced long-term functionality.
Innovation Solution
The method considers the operating status of the hybrid drive, including its driving mode, and the specific cooling requirements of power electronics like pulse-controlled inverters and DCDC converters, using characteristic values and environmental factors like ambient temperature and vehicle speed to determine individual cooling needs, ensuring efficient cooling of all components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cooling system only considers components directly integrated into the coolant circuit, then the cooling system design is simple, but electrical and electronic components not integrated into the coolant circuit may overheat
Solution Approach 1:
The coolant circuit is designed to serve multiple functions: it cools both traditional engine components and electrical/electronic components of the hybrid drive through a universal cooling medium (coolant). The coolant flows through both the engine coolant circuit and the electrical machine coolant circuit, providing a unified cooling solution for diverse components with different thermal requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the cooling systems for the internal combustion engine and the electrical machine into a single integrated coolant circuit. The coolant pump, thermostat, and control unit manage a unified cooling flow that distributes coolant to both the engine coolant circuit and the electrical machine coolant circuit, combining previously separate cooling functions into one system.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the cooling system uses a fixed cooling capacity, then the system is simple to control, but it cannot adapt to varying operating conditions of the hybrid drive
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system transitions from a static, fixed cooling capacity to a dynamic system that continuously adapts to operating conditions. The control unit receives real-time data about the operating status of the hybrid drive (electric driving mode, boost driving mode, etc.) and dynamically adjusts the cooling capacity by controlling the coolant pump and thermostat to match the actual thermal demands of the electrical machine and engine.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control by continuously monitoring the operating status of the hybrid drive components and using this information to adjust the cooling capacity. The control unit processes signals about the electrical machine's operating state and modifies the coolant flow and temperature accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that adapts to changing conditions.
3Reliability
If electrical machines are cooled passively through air circulation, then the cooling system is simple, but the electrical machine may overheat during high-load operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from passive air cooling to active hydraulic cooling for the electrical machine. A dedicated electrical machine coolant circuit uses pressurized coolant flow (hydraulic system) to actively remove heat from the electrical machine, providing reliable cooling even during high-load operations when passive air circulation would be insufficient.
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 that electrical and electronic components, including power electronics, are maintained within an optimal temperature range, preventing overheating and ensuring the long-term functionality of the hybrid drive by dynamically adjusting cooling capacity based on operating conditions.
Implementation Method 1
the temperature of a coolant in a coolant circuit of the motor vehicle... can be regulated
Implementation Method 2
sufficient air circulation in the engine compartment and thus also cooling of components that are not integrated into the coolant circuit
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for cooling components of a motor vehicle, the instantaneous cooling power being determined from a total cooling requirement and the total cooling requirement consisting of individual cooling requirements of the components. The method according to the invention is characterized in that the motor vehicle is driven by a hybrid drive which has at least one internal combustion engine (13) and at least one electric machine (19), said electric machine being controlled by power electronics (10). A cooling requirement of the electric machine (9) and a power electronics cooling requirement are taken into consideration as individual cooling requirements for determining the total cooling requirement.