Jet Pump Housing Cooling Channels for Personal Watercraft Thermal Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric components in personal watercraft, such as electric motors and batteries, require effective thermal management to prevent overheating and maintain optimal performance.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management system utilizing a closed-loop circuit with fluid passages in the jet pump housing that are in heat exchange relationship with water, allowing thermal transfer fluid to absorb heat from components and release it to the surrounding water through convection and conduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If electric components are used in personal watercraft, then performance and efficiency are improved, but overheating risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
A thermal transfer fluid is introduced as an intermediary substance that absorbs heat from electric components through thermal contact and transports it to the jet pump housing, where it is dissipated to the surrounding water. This mediator enables effective heat removal without direct thermal contact between the water and the electric components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the hydraulic system of the personal watercraft by routing the thermal transfer fluid through the jet pump housing, which is part of the water circulation system. The pump's operation creates fluid flow that facilitates heat exchange, integrating the thermal management function with the existing hydraulic architecture.
2Temperature
If a thermal management system is added to cool electric components, then temperature control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal management system is merged with the existing jet pump housing structure. The fluid passages are integrated into the housing walls, combining the propulsion system's structural elements with the thermal exchange function. This eliminates the need for separate cooling channels or additional housing structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The jet pump housing serves multiple functions: it contains the impeller for propulsion and simultaneously acts as a heat exchanger for thermal management. The fluid passages within the housing enable the same structure to perform both mechanical and thermal functions, reducing overall system complexity.
3Temperature
If fluid passages are added to the jet pump housing for heat exchange, then cooling efficiency is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid passages are formed as integral features of the jet pump housing during the initial manufacturing process, such as through casting or molding. This preliminary formation of cooling channels eliminates the need for subsequent drilling, machining, or assembly operations, simplifying the manufacturing workflow despite the added geometric 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
Effectively cools electric components by utilizing the water as a heat sink, maintaining optimal operating temperatures and enhancing performance by controlling cooling based on speed and submerged conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal management system having a pump and fluid lines extending between the pump and the one or more fluid passages, the pump operable to convey a thermal transfer fluid through the fluid lines to one or more components of the personal watercraft to absorb heat from the one or more components
Implementation Method 2
the one or more fluid passages fluidly isolated from the water and in heat exchange relationship with the water via one or both of the inner wall and the outer wall
Data Source
AI summary
A jet pump housing is mountable to a hull of a personal watercraft. The jet pump housing comprises a body extending between an inlet and an outlet. The body has an inner wall delimiting an interior of the body and an outer wall. The inner wall and the outer wall are configured to be exposed to water during use of the personal watercraft. The body is shaped and sized to allow water to flow into the interior via the inlet and to expel water from the outlet. The body has one or more fluid passages positioned between the inner wall and the outer wall. The one or more fluid passages are fluidly isolated from the water and are in heat exchange relationship with the water via one or both of the inner wall and the outer wall.