Axle Temperature Control Team Members: Mike Erwin Emery Frey Boun Sinvongsa Lee Zimmerman Advisors: Industry: Dave Ruuhela Faculty: Lemmy Meekisho Internal/External Search
Design Goal Improve Fuel Efficiently of Tractor Trailers by Heating the Differential Fluid At 0°C Ambient, Fluid Temp Must be 65-80°C Fluid Temperature Cannot Exceed 80°C in the Differential
External Search Prius Exhaust Heat Recovery System
Wolverine Engine Oil Heaters External heating element with adhesive surface Internal heating element combined with oil drain plug assembly
E.J. Bowman Heat Exchangers Removes thermal energy from exhaust gas and transfers it to water
PADI USA Inc. Removable insulation blankets custom fit to device
Internal Search Potential solutions include: Insulation of Axle Electric Heating of Fluid Differential Case Warming with Exhaust Gas Heat Exchanger Exhaust Gas Heat Exchanger Coolant Fluid Heat Exchanger
Insulation Bearing losses (friction) generates ~2000W Better retention of this heat may be sufficient to reach temperature goal. Becomes a cooling problem ▫Radiator ▫Cool air ventilation
Electric Heater Simple and effective heat source Cheap to implement/control Does not harvest waste energy ▫Potentially little or no overall efficiency gain when used Could be part of a solution package ▫Meet warm up rate requirement © BriskHeat
Warm The Diff Case with Exhaust Uses Waste Energy Offers potential for active control (gas on/off) Most likely would require an enclosure of some kind Potentially mechanically complex
Heat Exchanger Uses waste energy Very Effective Active Control More pieces/complexity ▫Heat transfer fluid, pumps, exchangers, valves, manifolds Less Robust More Cost © Mocal Heat Exchangers
Conclusion Many potential solutions Final design will be influenced by how much additional heat energy is needed Once scope is set, driving force for design will be balancing cost and performance
Questions?