Pilot Valve Locking Unit for Low-Pressure Coolant Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing locking units in electric vehicle automatic transmissions face issues with insufficient hydraulic pressure from coolant circuits to adequately adjust the piston, necessitating additional pressure-increasing devices.
Innovation Solution
A locking unit design that utilizes a solenoid-controlled pilot valve to increase fluid pressure within the system, allowing the coolant circuit to operate the piston effectively without additional pumps, by using a pilot valve to control a main valve, enhancing pressure through fluid flow management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If hydraulic pressure from coolant circuit is used to adjust piston, then device complexity is reduced, but actuation pressure is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
A pilot valve is introduced as an intermediary component between the coolant circuit and the main valve. The pilot valve uses the available low-pressure coolant fluid to control the main valve, which in turn regulates high-pressure fluid to the piston. This mediator approach allows the system to use the existing coolant circuit while achieving the required high actuation pressure through the main valve's pressure amplification effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs hydraulic principles by utilizing fluid pressure from the coolant circuit to operate the pilot valve, which then controls a main valve to amplify and deliver high pressure to the piston. The system uses hydraulic fluid dynamics to transform the low-pressure coolant flow into high-pressure actuation force, solving the pressure insufficiency problem while maintaining system simplicity.
2Stress or pressure
If additional pressure-increasing devices are added, then actuation pressure is sufficient, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The main valve serves multiple functions: it acts as a pressure amplification device, a flow control valve, and a pressure regulation mechanism. By making the main valve multi-functional, the system achieves sufficient actuation pressure without adding separate dedicated pressure-increasing devices, thus avoiding increased device complexity while meeting the pressure requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the existing coolant circuit's fluid flow to automatically operate the pilot valve and main valve through hydraulic pressure. The coolant fluid itself serves to actuate the control mechanism, eliminating the need for external power sources or additional active components to generate pressure, thereby maintaining device simplicity while achieving adequate actuation pressure.
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
The design achieves high actuation pressure for the piston using existing coolant circuit pressure, reducing the need for additional components and ensuring reliable operation with minimal pressure loss and efficient fluid flow.
Implementation Method 1
a solenoid (16)
Implementation Method 2
a pilot valve (20), wherein an armature (22) and/or an armature rod (24) of the solenoid (16) adjusts the pilot valve (20) between a pilot valve open position which releases the fluid duct (14) and a pilot valve closed position which closes the fluid duct (14)
Implementation Method 3
a main valve (26), wherein a fluid pressure in the pilot pressure chamber (12) adjusts the main valve (26) between a main valve open position which releases the fluid outlet (8) and a main valve closed position which closes the fluid outlet (8)
Data Source
AI summary
A locking unit can include: a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet which are connectable to a coolant circuit, and a pilot pressure chamber; a fluid duct which fluidically connects the fluid inlet to the pilot pressure chamber; a solenoid; a piston; a pilot valve, wherein an armature and/or an armature rod of the solenoid adjusts the pilot valve between a pilot valve open position which releases the fluid duct and a pilot valve closed position which closes the fluid duct; and a main valve, wherein a fluid pressure in the pilot pressure chamber adjusts the main valve between a main valve open position which releases the fluid outlet and a main valve closed position which closes the fluid outlet. The locking unit can lock the movement of the piston impingeable with pressure of fluid of the coolant circuit.