Switchable Cooling Circuit for Battery and Electrical Components
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Solution Overview
Problem
Working machines with battery units and electrical components face temperature rise issues during charging or load generation, requiring a cooling mechanism that can handle different temperature limits, leading to increased size and cost.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system with a switching unit that controls the flow of cooling water between electrical components and the battery unit, allowing separate cooling paths for the battery unit and electrical components based on charging state and load conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cooling mechanism is designed to cool both the electrical component and the battery unit simultaneously, then both components can be cooled, but the cooling mechanism requires large size and high cooling capacity to cope with the lower upper limit temperature of the electrical component, increasing costs
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system uses a switching unit (three-way valve) to dynamically change the cooling water flow path based on operational conditions. The system can switch between cooling only the electrical component, cooling only the battery unit, or cooling both simultaneously, allowing the cooling mechanism size to be optimized for the more critical component while maintaining capability to cool both when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is divided into two separate cooling circuits: a first cooling water channel for the electrical component and a second cooling water channel for the battery unit. This segmentation allows each circuit to be independently sized and optimized for its specific cooling requirements, rather than designing a single oversized system to handle both components simultaneously.
2Reliability
If a cooling mechanism with high cooling capacity is provided to cool both components, then both can be cooled effectively, but the device size becomes relatively large, increasing costs
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a controller that monitors temperatures of both the electrical component and battery unit, and dynamically controls the switching unit to direct cooling water flow to whichever component requires cooling at that moment. This dynamic control allows a smaller, more cost-effective cooling mechanism to achieve effective temperature control for both components by serving them sequentially or simultaneously based on need.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling water system serves multiple functions through the switching unit: it can cool the electrical component alone, cool the battery unit alone, or cool both components. This multi-functionality allows a single cooling mechanism to replace what would otherwise require two separate cooling systems, reducing overall cost and complexity while maintaining effective temperature control.
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 system efficiently cools both battery units and electrical components while minimizing size and cost by optimizing cooling capacity based on operational needs.
Implementation Method 1
a radiator that cools cooling water
Implementation Method 2
the cooling water delivered from an outflow port of the radiator is supplied to the electrical component and the cooling water after cooling the electrical component circulates
Implementation Method 3
the cooling water is supplied from the switching unit to the battery unit and the cooling water after cooling the battery unit flows
Data Source
AI summary
A working machine includes a battery unit; an electrical component; a radiator; an electrical-component cooling water channel along which cooling water delivered from an outflow port of the radiator is supplied to the electrical component and, after cooling the electrical component, circulates to an inflow port of the radiator; a switching unit provided on the electrical-component cooling water channel; and a battery cooling water channel along which the cooling water is supplied from the switching unit to the battery unit and, after cooling the battery unit, flows to the electrical-component cooling water channel. The switching unit is switchable between a first state of blocking a flow of the cooling water from the electrical-component cooling water channel to the battery cooling water channel and a second state of causing the cooling water to flow from the electrical-component cooling water channel to the battery cooling water channel.