Traction Drive Cooling System With Parallel Coolant Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional traction drive systems for electric vehicles are inefficient due to redundant components, suboptimal thermal management, and larger size and weight, which can lead to reduced performance and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A unified housing system that integrates a motor, motor controller, and transmission with a coolant cavity that defines parallel coolant paths for efficient heat exchange, allowing for counter-flow heat transfer between oil and coolant, thereby enhancing thermal management and reducing weight and size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate cooling systems are used for motor and transmission, then each component can be cooled independently, but the system weight and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines separate cooling systems into a single integrated cooling system where one coolant circuit serves both the motor and transmission components. The housing includes integrated coolant flow paths that distribute coolant to both the motor cavity and transmission cavity, eliminating redundant cooling components and reducing overall system weight while maintaining effective thermal management for all drive system components.
2Reliability
If redundant cooling components are included, then thermal management reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The housing structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for the motor and transmission components, defines cavities for both components, and integrates coolant flow paths for thermal management. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate cooling components, reducing system complexity while maintaining reliable cooling across all drive system components through the unified housing structure.
3Temperature
If larger housing is used to accommodate separate cooling systems, then cooling capacity is sufficient, but the overall system size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges separate cooling systems into a single integrated cooling circuit within the housing. The coolant flow paths are designed to distribute coolant to both motor and transmission components through the unified housing structure, providing sufficient heat removal capacity for all components while minimizing housing volume by eliminating redundant cooling system components and optimizing space utilization.
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 integrated system achieves improved thermal efficiency, reduced weight, and lower costs by effectively cooling both motor and transmission components with a single cooling fluid system, leading to enhanced performance and moderated thermal behavior.
Implementation Method 1
a coolant cavity configured to: define a first coolant path from a coolant inlet to a coolant outlet, wherein the first coolant path is thermally coupled to the oil cavity and the motor cavity, define a second coolant path from the coolant inlet to the coolant outlet, wherein the second coolant path is thermally coupled to the electronics cold plate and the motor cavity
Implementation Method 2
the housing is configured to cause a counter-flow heat exchange between oil flowing in the oil cavity and a coolant flowing in the first coolant path
Data Source
AI summary
A housing for a drive system. The housing defines a motor cavity, an electronics cold plate, an oil cavity, and a coolant cavity. The coolant cavity defines a first coolant flow path configured to provide cooling to the motor cavity and the oil cavity. The coolant cavity defines a second flow path configured to provide cooling to the motor cavity and the cold plate. The housing defines a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet fluidically coupled to the first coolant flow path and the second coolant flow path, such that the first coolant flow path and the second coolant flow path are parallel fluid paths. In some applications the coolant paths can be connected in series. In some examples, the housing is configured to cause a counter-flow heat exchange between an oil flowing in the oil cavity and a coolant flowing in the first coolant flow path.