Modular Electric Drive System for Rear Axle Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric drive systems for vehicles are too large transversely, making them unsuitable for rear-wheel driving due to space constraints and increasing costs, and they are integrated into a single enclosure that complicates testing, maintenance, and repair.
Innovation Solution
The electric drive system consists of separate, detachable enclosures for the inverter, gearbox, and electric motor units, with a compact design that reduces transverse size and allows for independent testing and maintenance, featuring a gearbox with a dry cavity for electrical connections and an insulation block to enhance insulation protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the inverter, gearbox, and electric motor are integrated into a single enclosure, then the structural compactness is improved, but the ease of testing and maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The electric drive system is divided into three independent functional modules: inverter unit, gearbox unit, and electric motor unit. Each unit has its own enclosure and can be independently tested, maintained, and replaced. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by maintaining structural compactness through modular integration while improving ease of testing and maintenance through independent access to each unit.
2Length of moving object
If the inverter, gearbox, and electric motor are arranged transversely to reduce longitudinal height, then the longitudinal space is saved, but the transverse dimension becomes too large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the spatial arrangement by utilizing the axial direction of the gearbox input shaft for longitudinal stacking of components, while the transverse arrangement is minimized. This dimensional reorganization resolves the contradiction by reducing longitudinal height through vertical stacking while controlling transverse footprint through optimized component layout.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the transverse dimension is reduced to meet rear axle mounting space requirements, then the adaptability for rear-wheel driving is improved, but the insulation protection of electrical connections may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical connection components are nested within the gearbox unit enclosure, with the dry cavity providing protected housing for electrical connections. This nesting arrangement resolves the contradiction by reducing overall transverse dimension while maintaining adequate insulation protection through the enclosed structure that shields electrical connections from external environmental factors.
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 enables the electric drive system to be used for both front and rear wheels, reducing overall size, simplifying maintenance, and improving insulation protection, thus meeting space requirements and lowering costs.
Implementation Method 1
an inverter between the energy storage system and the AC electric motor for converting the DC power into AC power
Implementation Method 2
an alternating current (AC) electric motor... The electric motor operates by using the AC power supplied from the inverter as a power source
Implementation Method 3
the rotation of the output shaft is provided to the wheels after being decelerated by the gearbox
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are an electric drive system for a motor vehicle and a motor vehicle using the electric drive system. The electric drive system for a motor vehicle comprises: an inverter unit (100) configured to convert externally-supplied DC power to AC power; an electric motor unit (300) configured to convert the power from the inverter unit (100) into mechanical rotation and output the mechanical rotation from an output shaft (303); and a gearbox unit (200) configured to decelerate the rotation transmitted from an input shaft (202) and output the decelerated rotation. The electric motor unit (300), the gearbox unit (200) and the inverter unit (100) have respective independent enclosures. The electric motor unit (300), the gearbox unit (200) and the inverter unit (100) are detachably and mutually connected in an axial direction along the input shaft (202) of the gearbox unit (200) with the gearbox unit (200) positioned in between. The enclosure of the inverter unit (100) has the minimum thickness in the axial direction.