Two-phase cooling system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional single-phase cooling systems for electric work vehicles are limited in effectively cooling electrical components below ambient temperature, especially when ambient temperatures are high, as they rely on air cooling which restricts the temperature reduction of components like engines, hydraulics, and electric machines.
Innovation Solution
A two-phase cooling system comprising a compressor, condenser, thermal expansion valve, and heat exchanger that compresses refrigerant vapor, condenses it, reduces pressure to vaporize it, and transfers heat from electrical components to the refrigerant, allowing for efficient cooling below ambient temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a conventional single-phase cooling system is used, then the system structure is simple, but the cooling effectiveness is limited and cannot cool components below ambient temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs phase transitions of refrigerant (vaporization and condensation) to enable effective heat transfer. The refrigerant evaporates in the evaporator absorbing heat from electrical components, then condenses in the condenser releasing heat to the environment. This phase change mechanism allows the system to cool components below ambient temperature, resolving the technical contradiction between cooling effectiveness and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces refrigerant as an intermediary substance to transfer heat from electrical components to the environment. The refrigerant circulates through the system, absorbing heat in the evaporator and releasing it in the condenser, enabling effective cooling without direct thermal contact between components and ambient air, thus achieving below-ambient cooling while managing system complexity.
2Temperature
If air cooling is used, then the system is simple, but the temperature reduction of components is restricted by ambient temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a refrigerant circulation system with compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator to create a closed-loop pneumatic-hydraulic cooling system. This allows heat to be extracted from electrical components and rejected to the environment through phase change, enabling temperatures below ambient without relying on simple air cooling, thus resolving the contradiction between temperature reduction capability and system structure complexity.
3Temperature
If a two-phase cooling system is implemented, then cooling effectiveness below ambient temperature is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes phase transitions of refrigerant as the core mechanism to achieve efficient heat transfer. By employing evaporation and condensation processes, the system achieves superior cooling effectiveness compared to single-phase systems, justifying the increased component complexity through enhanced thermal management performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The refrigerant serves multiple functions within the system: it acts as a heat absorber in the evaporator, a heat transporter through the expansion valve and condenser, and a heat rejector in the condenser. This multi-functionality of the refrigerant cycle allows the system to achieve below-ambient cooling while the components work together in an integrated manner, making the complexity worthwhile for the temperature capability gained.
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 two-phase cooling system effectively cools electrical components to temperatures lower than ambient, enhancing the operational efficiency of electric work vehicles by managing refrigerant flow and pressure to achieve better heat dissipation.
Implementation Method 1
a compressor operable to compress a refrigerant in vapor form to increase a pressure of the refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
a condenser downstream of the compressor operable to discharge a heat from the refrigerant flowing from the compressor to condense the refrigerant
Implementation Method 3
to condense the refrigerant
Implementation Method 4
a first thermal expansion valve downstream from the condenser operable to decrease the pressure of the refrigerant
Implementation Method 5
to vaporize the refrigerant from liquid form to vapor form to decrease the temperature of the refrigerant
Implementation Method 6
a heat exchanger coupled to an electrical component to transfer a heat from the electrical component to the refrigerant
Data Source
AI summary
A two-phase cooling system of an electric work vehicle includes a compressor, a condenser, a thermal expansion valve, a heat exchanger, and an evaporator. The compressor compresses a refrigerant to increase the refrigerant pressure. The condenser is downstream of the compressor and discharges heat from the refrigerant flowing from the compressor to condense at least a portion of the refrigerant. The thermal expansion valve is downstream of the condenser and decreases the pressure of the refrigerant to vaporize the refrigerant to decrease the temperature of the refrigerant. The heat exchanger is coupled to an electrical component and is used to transfer heat from the electrical component to the refrigerant from the electrical component. The refrigerant then flows through the evaporator, where it absorbs more heat. The refrigerant passes back through the thermal expansion valve on its return to the compressor.