Single-Wheel In-Wheel Motor Cooling for Stable Personal Mobility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing personal mobility vehicles with small physical footprints are not user-friendly and lack autonomous driving capabilities, often requiring users to balance manually and occupying excessive road space.
Innovation Solution
A single-wheeled vehicle with an integrated in-wheel motor, cooling system, and battery, featuring a self-balancing mechanism, active suspension, and automated driving capabilities, including sensors and a steering system for enhanced maneuverability and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a single-wheeled vehicle design is used to minimize physical footprint, then road space utilization is improved, but vehicle stability and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an active suspension system that dynamically adjusts the rake angle between the wheel assembly and vehicle body, allowing the vehicle to adapt its geometry for optimal stability during travel versus maneuverability during turns. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by making the vehicle stable in straight-line travel while maintaining compact footprint for urban spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle employs variable geometric parameters including adjustable rake angle and steering angle to optimize performance. By changing these parameters based on operational mode (traveling vs. turning), the vehicle achieves both compact footprint and adequate stability, resolving the contradiction between space efficiency and operational ease.
2Device complexity
If manual self-balancing mechanisms are used, then vehicle complexity is reduced, but ease of operation deteriorates due to user difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an automated balancing system with sensors and control algorithms that continuously monitor vehicle orientation and make real-time adjustments without user intervention. This self-service approach maintains relatively simple mechanical structure while eliminating the learning curve associated with manual balancing, resolving the contradiction between complexity and ease of operation.
3Productivity
If integrated in-wheel motor with cooling system is used, then vehicle efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the cooling system directly within the in-wheel motor assembly, combining two functional systems into a single unified structure. This merging approach improves overall vehicle efficiency by reducing energy losses while avoiding the additional complexity that would result from separate cooling and motor systems, resolving the contradiction between productivity and device complexity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If active suspension system with adjustable rake angle is used, then vehicle maneuverability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The active suspension system dynamically adjusts the rake angle based on vehicle state and operational requirements, providing optimal maneuverability when needed while maintaining simplicity during normal travel. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making complexity available only when it benefits performance, rather than being constantly present.
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 vehicle provides easy operation, efficient space utilization, and sustainable energy use, allowing for autonomous travel and maneuverability, reducing road space occupation.
Implementation Method 1
a rotatable air guide structure mounted between the wheel rim and the rotor, which is arranged circumferentially around the stator to rotate with the rotor about the axis of rotation for generating air circulation within the traction motor to evenly dissipate heat energy from the stator
Implementation Method 2
The in-wheel motor is a traction motor comprising a stator and a rotor in magnetic interaction with each other, wherein the rotor is mounted circumferentially outside the stator and is rotatable about the axis of rotation by a magnetic field
Data Source
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AI summary
A personal mobility vehicle with a high degree of maneuverability is disclosed. The personal mobility vehicle is a single-wheel vehicle with an in-wheel motor. The in-wheel motor has a traction motor, a wheel rim, a rotatable air guide structure, and a vehicle stabilization mechanism. The traction motor has a stator and a rotor in magnetic interaction with each other. The wheel rim is connected to and fitted to the rotor and has an outer circumferential rim wall for installing a tyre. An opening is provided at an inner peripheral side of the wheel rim for accommodating the traction motor. The rotatable air guide structure is mounted between the wheel rim and the rotor, which is arranged circumferentially around the traction motor to rotate with the rotor about the axis of rotation for generating air circulation within the in-wheel motor to evenly dissipate heat energy from the traction motor.