Vehicle Temperature Adjustment System with Circuit Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle temperature adjustment systems risk mixing conductive cooling water with non-conductive oil, potentially causing short circuits in electric motors due to the lack of effective separation and failure detection mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle temperature adjustment system with separate non-conductive and conductive temperature adjustment circuits, a heat exchanger, and a control device that blocks the conductive medium from flowing into the non-conductive circuit when a heat exchanger failure is detected, using a valve to prevent mixing and maintaining system integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a heat exchange unit is used to cool both cooling water and oil, then the system can be miniaturized by eliminating a separate oil radiator, but the risk of mixing between cooling water and oil increases when the heat exchange unit fails
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the temperature adjustment function into two separate circuits: a first temperature adjustment circuit for the rotary electric machine using non-conductive oil, and a second temperature adjustment circuit for the power conversion device using conductive cooling water. This segmentation prevents mixing between the two mediums while maintaining compact heat exchange functionality through the heat exchanger that transfers heat between the circuits without direct fluid contact.
2Temperature
If cooling water is allowed to flow through the heat exchange unit to cool oil, then effective cooling is achieved, but short circuits may occur in the electric motor when the heat exchange unit fails and cooling water mixes with oil
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger acts as an intermediary device that enables thermal energy transfer between the conductive cooling water circuit and the non-conductive oil circuit without allowing direct mixing of the two fluids. The heat exchanger walls serve as a barrier that mediates heat transfer while preventing contamination, thus achieving effective cooling without the harmful effect of fluid mixing and subsequent short circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses non-conductive oil as the temperature adjustment medium in the first circuit, creating an electrically inert environment for the rotary electric machine. This inert medium prevents electrical conduction and short circuits, while the heat exchanger allows thermal energy to be transferred from this inert environment to the conductive cooling water circuit for dissipation.
3Reliability
If separate temperature adjustment circuits are used for oil and cooling water, then mixing is prevented, but the system complexity and size increase due to requiring separate radiators
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the cooling functions of two separate circuits by using a single radiator that cools both the conductive cooling water from the second circuit and the non-conductive oil from the first circuit. This combining of cooling resources reduces overall system complexity and size while maintaining the reliability benefits of separate temperature adjustment circuits that prevent medium mixing.
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
Effectively reduces the risk of short circuits by preventing the mixing of conductive and non-conductive mediums, ensuring the system's reliability and preventing damage to electric motors even when the heat exchanger fails.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between the first temperature adjustment medium and the second temperature adjustment medium
Implementation Method 2
a pressure feed flow path in which the second pump is provided, of which one end portion is connected to the branching portion, and of which the other end portion is connected to the merging portion
Data Source
AI summary
A second temperature adjustment medium branches and flows into the first branch flow path and the second branch flow path at the branching portion, the second temperature adjustment medium and the second temperature adjustment medium are merged at the merging portion and flow through the pressure feed flow path to be supplied to the first pump, and the second temperature adjustment medium circulates through the second temperature adjustment circuit. A valve device configured to adjust a flow rate of the second temperature adjustment medium flowing through the second branch flow path is provided in the second branch flow path between the branching portion and the heat exchanger. The control device is configured to control the valve device to block the second temperature adjustment medium from flowing through the second branch flow path when a failure of the heat exchanger is detected.