Electric Forklift Battery Cooling

The goal of the project is to assist in the replacement of Internal Combustion (IC) Engines with Lithium-Ion battery powered electric motors. This will be done by designing and prototyping a more efficient cooling system to eject excess heat produced by the batteries while under load.

=Problem Definition=

Deliverables

 * Proof on Concept Prototype
 * Prototype to cost less than $1000 per unit to produce.
 * Solid Model
 * The prototype model is to be modeled in SolidWorks.
 * The model is to include a heat transfer and airflow analysis.
 * Heat transfer Calculations
 * Calculations done to represent total energy removed from the battery module under given conditions.

Functionality

 * The heavy-duty cooling system should be able to remove 100 Watts of heat from each battery module.
 * The heavy-duty cooling system should cool the battery during charge/discharge at a rate of 1C.
 * The heavy-duty cooling system will replace the standard cooling system for equipment operated in ambient temperatures of up to 40.
 * The heavy-duty cooling system should be able to remove 100 Watts of heat from each battery module.
 * The cooling system is expected to maintain internal battery cell temperatures at or below 55 °C by removing heat from the batteries modules.

Spatial
The cooling system needs to fit within the compartment behind the battery assembly and in front of the forklift counter weight.


 * The heavy-duty cooling system dimensions will be:
 * Height <502 mm
 * Width <652 mm
 * Depth <272mm

Mounting

 * The heavy-duty cooling system needs to mount in the same position as the current cooling system.
 * Cooling system components will be mounted using the same mounting hardware as the current cooling system.
 * Additional heat transfer equipment will possibly mount in the 10mm slots between battery cells.
 * The mounting system shall be able to withstand vibrations from daily equipment operation.

Environmental
=Design Considerations=

=Project Learning=

=Final Design=

=Validation=

=Team Members=

=Additional Documentation=

Project Schedule



Meeting Minutes



Presentations



Client Interview