Transverse Motor Powertrain Baffle for Oil Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In hybrid electric and electric vehicles with transversely mounted motors, the lubricant in the powertrain casing can rise during high-speed turns due to lateral acceleration, potentially entering the air gap between the rotor and stator, and may starve the lubrication pump, requiring a solution to prevent oil from reaching the air gap while maintaining adequate lubrication.
Innovation Solution
A powertrain arrangement with a casing that includes a baffle with transverse barriers and portals to manage fluid pressure and flow, preventing excessive oil rise and ensuring the lubrication pump intake is not starved, featuring a shallow oil pan design with a tilt and strategically placed barriers and windows to control oil migration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the oil pan is made shallow to improve road clearance, then the spatial envelope of the vehicle is reduced, but the lubricant can rise during high-speed turns and enter the air gap between rotor and stator
Solution Approach 1:
The oil pan is segmented into multiple compartments by transverse baffles, creating separate zones that control lubricant flow. The first compartment contains the lubricant reservoir while the second compartment houses the lubrication pump, preventing direct communication between these zones during cornering maneuvers.
Solution Approach 2:
A transverse baffle acts as an intermediary structure between the lubricant reservoir and the pump intake. This baffle includes a restricted passage that limits lubricant flow to the pump during high-speed turns, ensuring the pump remains supplied while preventing lubricant from rising into the air gap.
2Length of moving object
If the oil pan is made shallow to improve road clearance, then the vehicle's spatial envelope is minimized, but the lubrication pump intake can be starved of oil during cornering maneuvers
Solution Approach 1:
A transverse baffle acts as an intermediary structure between the lubricant reservoir and the pump intake. This baffle includes a restricted passage that limits lubricant flow to the pump during high-speed turns, ensuring the pump remains supplied while preventing lubricant from rising into the air gap.
Solution Approach 2:
The restricted passage in the baffle changes the flow parameters of lubricant to the pump, allowing controlled delivery during normal operation while limiting excessive flow during high-speed turns. This maintains pump productivity without compromising the shallow pan design.
3Reliability
If a deep oil pan is used to prevent lubricant from entering the air gap during cornering, then lubrication reliability is improved, but the vehicle's road clearance and spatial envelope are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The oil pan is segmented into multiple compartments by transverse baffles, creating separate zones that control lubricant flow. The first compartment contains the lubricant reservoir while the second compartment houses the lubrication pump, preventing direct communication between these zones during cornering maneuvers.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of increasing the depth (vertical dimension) of the oil pan, the solution introduces transverse baffles that create flow control in the horizontal dimension. This allows the pan to remain shallow while still preventing lubricant from reaching the air gap during cornering.
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 solution effectively restricts oil rise during cornering maneuvers, preventing oil from entering the air gap and ensuring continuous lubrication, thereby maintaining mechanical efficiency and road clearance in electric vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
A baffle is located in the reservoir, the baffle has barriers generally transverse to the first axis. The baffle forms a wall with a portal allowing flow therethrough, and wherein an increase of fluid pressure throttles flow.
Implementation Method 2
A lubrication pump is located in the casing and delivers lubricant to moving components of the motor and the planetary gear train.
Data Source
AI summary
A powertrain arrangement for a transverse mounted motor for an electric powered automotive passenger vehicle including opposing wheel shafts for powering two parallel mounted wheels, the shafts rotating about a first axis, the shafts having at least one end torsionally connected with a differential, an electrical rotor torsionally connected with the wheel shafts via a planetary gear train, an electrical stator surrounding the rotor, a casing supporting the rotor and the wheel shafts, the casing encompassing the stator, the casing having a floor forming a lubricant reservoir, and a baffle located in the lubricant reservoir. The baffle forming a wall with a portal allowing flow through the formed wall, and wherein an increase of fluid pressure throttles flow through the formed wall.