Hydraulic Fluid Preheating Using External Power in Work Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric-hydraulic work vehicles face significant energy expenditure in heating hydraulic fluids to optimal temperatures, particularly under cold start conditions, which depletes battery energy stores and reduces operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An intelligent work vehicle preheating system that utilizes an external power supply to strategically preheat hydraulic fluids and, optionally, the cabin to optimal temperatures during off-duty periods, using a controller architecture to manage heating devices and sensors, ensuring fluids are at target temperatures before on-duty operation, thereby reducing battery energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If hydraulic fluids are heated to optimal temperatures during on-duty operation, then hydraulic system efficiency is improved, but battery energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs hydraulic fluid heating in advance during off-duty periods when external power is available, so that the fluid reaches optimal temperature before the vehicle begins on-duty operation. This preliminary action eliminates the need to heat fluid during productive work time, thereby maintaining hydraulic efficiency while avoiding battery energy consumption during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses external power supplies (such as facility power during charging) to service the heating requirement, making the battery pack exempt from this energy-demanding task. The battery serves the vehicle's productive functions while the external power handles the thermal preparation, allowing the battery to retain energy for essential operational functions.
2Use of energy by moving object
If hydraulic fluids are preheated during off-duty periods using external power, then battery energy is conserved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating device and control system serve multiple functions: they heat hydraulic fluid during off-duty periods, monitor fluid temperature continuously, and integrate with the existing battery charging infrastructure. By making the system multi-functional and leveraging existing components, the patent avoids adding dedicated separate systems, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates temperature sensors that continuously monitor hydraulic fluid temperature and feed this information back to the controller. This feedback mechanism enables automatic control of the heating device, turning it on when fluid is cold and off when optimal temperature is reached, eliminating the need for complex manual control systems or continuous human intervention.
3Loss of energy
If hydraulic fluid temperature is maintained at optimal levels, then energy losses are minimized, but heating energy expenditure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system heats hydraulic fluid in advance during off-duty periods when the vehicle is stationary and external power is available. This preliminary heating action ensures that fluid reaches optimal temperature before operation begins, minimizing energy losses during hydraulic operations while shifting the heating energy expenditure to non-productive time when external power sources are available.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the temporal parameter of heating operation from during-duty to off-duty periods. By altering when the heating occurs rather than changing the heating mechanism itself, the system maintains optimal fluid temperature parameters for efficient hydraulic operation while changing the energy supply source from battery to external power.
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 effectively extends the operational lifespan of the battery by minimizing energy spent on heating during on-duty usage, allowing optimal hydraulic system operation immediately after disconnecting from the external power supply and maintaining efficient fluid viscosity for actuation and lubrication functions.
Implementation Method 1
A hydraulic subsystem contains a first HF heating device... The controller architecture controls the HF heating device to heat the first hydraulic fluid body
Data Source
AI summary
An intelligent work vehicle preheating system includes an electric drive subsystem containing a battery pack, a hydraulic subsystem containing a first hydraulic fluid (HF) heating device, and a first HF temperature sensor. A memory stores a first minimum target temperature at or above which a first hydraulic fluid body contained in the hydraulic subsystem is desirably maintained. A controller architecture selectively places the intelligent work vehicle preheating system in an off-duty preheat mode when a the electric drive subsystem is connected to an external power supply utilized to charge the battery pack. The controller architecture further controls the HF heating device to heat the first hydraulic fluid body when (i) the intelligent work vehicle preheating system is placed in the off-duty preheat mode, and (ii) the current temperature of the first hydraulic fluid body is less than the first minimum target temperature.