1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Featured Shell Developing E-Fluids

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by El Dobro, Dec 6, 2019.

  1. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2011
    6,972
    3,209
    1
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
    Trollbait likes this.
  2. noonm

    noonm Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2019
    575
    595
    0
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    So basically they just added a few different additives and rebranded their existing fluids?
     
  3. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2011
    6,972
    3,209
    1
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
    Different formulas for different needs. The days of one works for all are just about all gone.
     
  4. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2006
    21,711
    11,313
    0
    Location:
    eastern Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    The application that is actually new is the thermal fluid, a dielectric oil for cooling the battery. Directly immersing the cells in this fluid could mean better cooling.
     
  5. 3PriusMike

    3PriusMike Prius owner since 2000, Tesla M3 2018

    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2009
    2,938
    2,288
    0
    Location:
    Silicon Valley
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    How is this significantly different than all the existing fluids used to immerse circuit boards in large supercomputers...for decades.
    Same idea...extract lots of heat as efficiently as possible so you can run the computers faster.

    Mike
     
    Robert Holt and Prodigyplace like this.
  6. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    11,696
    11,317
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Not just supercomputers. I managed a television broadcast transmitter that used fluid cooling fir the high voltage power supply circuit boards. I suspect many radio ant television broadcast transmitters use that. Perhaps cellular phone transmitter sites too.
     
    Robert Holt likes this.
  7. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2006
    21,711
    11,313
    0
    Location:
    eastern Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    It's not.
    But since I and most of the general population didn't know about that application, and many probably don't know personal computers have liquid cooling, Shell is justified in talking about it.
     
    Prashanta likes this.
  8. noonm

    noonm Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2019
    575
    595
    0
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    I'm convinced DIY computer builders are some of the most creative people in the world:



    Though, you don't need a fancy Shell-branded E-liquid, that's just their way of getting you to pay twice as much for something like a 10% improvement in performance.
     
    Trollbait and Robert Holt like this.
  9. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2006
    21,711
    11,313
    0
    Location:
    eastern Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Yeah, I'll just wait for the Supertech version.
     
  10. 3PriusMike

    3PriusMike Prius owner since 2000, Tesla M3 2018

    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2009
    2,938
    2,288
    0
    Location:
    Silicon Valley
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    The personal computers use liquid cooling that is contained in pipes. Not the same thing.
    Numerous companies make cooling systems for big data center computers that immerse entire racks of circuit boards.
    This makes the systems very quiet and allows the heat to be removed at a tiny fraction of the cost.
    The downside is you may have to shutdown to fix an issue or change something
    Others systems encapsulate new circuit board designs and allow liquid to be pumped in and out of each board...the fluid touches all the circuits and chips directly

    Mike
     
  11. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2011
    6,972
    3,209
    1
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
  12. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    11,696
    11,317
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
  13. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2011
    6,972
    3,209
    1
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
  14. T1 Terry

    T1 Terry Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2015
    585
    297
    0
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    I wonder if the transmission fluid would be an advancement on the trans fluid used in the Prius motor/planetary gearset up?
    The thermal fluid could be a real game changer for the PHEV battery pack allowing a large capacity pouch cell battery to be fitted in place of the prismatic cell battery or even a cylindrical cell battery pack and fast charging as well as direct feed and regen from the existing system by paralleling to the traction battery. Even locking the traction battery out when all the green bars are up on the Gen2 models and also the ability to feed 270vdc or more directly to the inverter for a higher motor voltage resulting in more EV torque.

    T1 Terry
     
  15. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2006
    21,711
    11,313
    0
    Location:
    eastern Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Toyota hybrids use an automatic transmission fluids. In an automatic, the fluid has to be a lubricant and a hydraulic fluid. Meeting those needs results in a fluid that breaks down under heat. The HSD doesn't need a hydraulic fluid, so any gear oil of similar viscosity would be an improvement.
     
  16. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    11,696
    11,317
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Bu the fluid does need electrical high voltage insulating characteristics. You do not want the fluid to attack the MGs either. ;)
     
    Trollbait likes this.
  17. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2005
    27,123
    15,389
    0
    Location:
    Huntsville AL
    Vehicle:
    2018 Tesla Model 3
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    I would add that my Prius study revealed that AMSOIL attacks 'yellow metal'. This increases the subsequent test results showing high copper and tin. In effect, AMSOIL was eating the bushings

    IF you decide to test an alternative transmission oil/fluid:
    1. Oil test the old oil
    2. Oil test a virgin sample of the new oil
    3. Wait 5-10k miles and draw off a sample for oil analysis (or just drain and replace)
    If you see 'bad stuff' happening in 5-10k service miles, back that oil out.

    Bob Wilson
     
    Raytheeagle and Prodigyplace like this.
  18. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2011
    6,972
    3,209
    1
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
  19. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    11,696
    11,317
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two