Electric Work Vehicle Cooling Path for Inverter-First Heat Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric work vehicles face inefficiencies in cooling components like motors, inverters, and DC/DC converters, leading to potential malfunctions due to heat generation.
Innovation Solution
A cooling path is designed to efficiently cool these components by prioritizing the inverter, then the motor, and finally the DC/DC converter, with coolant flow arranged to maximize cooling efficiency and minimize heat-related malfunctions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the motor is cooled first by the coolant, then the motor temperature is reduced, but the coolant temperature increases significantly and cooling ability decreases for subsequent components
Solution Approach 1:
The inverter is cooled first by the coolant before the motor is cooled, so that the inverter which has low heat resistance can be cooled preferentially. This preliminary cooling action prevents the inverter from overheating while maintaining sufficient cooling ability for the motor.
Solution Approach 2:
Different cooling paths are designed for different components based on their heat resistance characteristics. The inverter has a dedicated cooling path that prioritizes cooling of heat-sensitive components (IGBT, capacitor, resistor), while the motor has its own cooling path. This local differentiation ensures each component receives appropriate cooling.
2Reliability
If multiple components are cooled simultaneously, then all components receive cooling, but the cooling efficiency decreases due to heat distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple independent cooling paths: a first cooling path for the inverter, a second cooling path for the motor, and a third cooling path for the DC/DC converter. This segmentation allows each component to be cooled independently and efficiently without heat distribution issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The coolant acts as an intermediary that transfers heat from multiple components to the radiator. By designing separate cooling paths that all converge at the radiator, the system efficiently manages heat from different sources without direct thermal interference between components.
3Temperature
If the inverter is cooled after the motor, then the motor cooling is effective, but the inverter temperature increases and may malfunction due to low heat resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The inverter is cooled first by the coolant before the motor is cooled, so that the inverter which has low heat resistance can be cooled preferentially. This preliminary cooling action prevents the inverter from overheating while maintaining sufficient cooling ability for the motor.
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 cooling path effectively stabilizes the performance of the inverter, motor, and DC/DC converter by maintaining optimal coolant temperature and flow rates, reducing the risk of malfunctions.
Implementation Method 1
a radiator to cool a coolant
Implementation Method 2
the coolant cooled by the radiator circulates through the inverter, the motor, and the DC/DC converter... when the coolant cools the motor through heat transfer with the motor
Data Source
AI summary
An electric work vehicle includes a body, a travel device in the body, a motor to drive the travel device, an inverter to supply power to the motor, an electric component, a DC/DC converter to convert a voltage of power to be supplied to the electric component, a radiator to cool coolant, and a cooling path through which the coolant cooled by the radiator circulates through the motor, the inverter, and the DC/DC converter and returns to the radiator. The cooling path extends from the radiator, passes through the inverter, the motor, and the DC/DC converter in this order, and returns to the radiator.