What is an inverter and what does it do? Also does a Prius have a traditional water pump and radiator? I assume the invertor uses anti-freeze.
The inverter collects DC current to charge the battery it also converts DC to AC to power the electric motor. Prius does have a traditional water pump and radiator. The inverter uses a special liquid for cooling not anti-freeze. (pink color)
According to my understanding it has two water pumps one is electirical and one is engine driven. When the ICE is off depending on the temperature of the cylinder head the electric pump kicks in to raise ICE temperature to optimize engine starting. This is called preheat mode. During normal operation the engine driven pump operates to keep the engine cool.
Just to make things a little clearer: Imagine a sine wave. It goes from zero, to some positive value, back to zero, then to some negative value, then back to zero again. Depending upon power direction, an inverter either takes DC (from ye battery or whatever) and periodically "inverts" it to a negative value. Modern inverters do a pretty good job of taking a nice, DC waveform and making a sine wave of it. Going in the other direction, an inverter can take an AC waveform and make it DC, this time by flipping the negative half of the sine wave up to the positive side. Hence, the inverters in a Prius can either take the AC voltages from MG1/MG2 and convert it to DC, or take DC and convert it to AC. The inversion trick is done with some hefty transistors, inductive chokes, and resonant circuits. Given the power that they're passing, the built-in inefficiencies of these transistors make them hot. Hence, the need for some serious coolant, lest they go blooey. KBeck.
In the Gen 1 (2001-2003) & Gen 2 Prius (2006 -2009) the ICE (internal combustion engine) has a belt driven (non-electric) water pump. On the Gen 3 (2010+) the ICE water pump is electric. The inverter/transaxle water pump is electric on all versions.
The inverter takes the DC voltage from the battery and converts it from 200V DC to about 530V AC three phase to run the electric motor and A/C system. It also takes the 530V three phase AC from the generator and converts it to just over 200V DC to dump back into the battery in a controlled fashon (charge control) and can use that power to drive the motor as well. Built into the inverter is also a 12V system battery charger and system supply (converts the 200VDC to 13.8VDC nominal) to keep the 12 volt battery charged and power the 12V system (interior electronics, lights, etc). As far as water pumps, there are two. There is an electric one to keep the coolant in the engine circulating. There is another electric one to keep the coolant in the inverter cooling system circulating. The two systems are separate, though the radiator is one physical piece with two sections (separated coolant). The GII has a mechanical water pump for the engine coolant (belt driven), another electric water pump to put hot coolant through the interior heater when the engine shuts down at lights etc., and a third pump (electric) to pump hot coolant into the thermos when shut off, and pump that hot coolant back into the engine at startup. The GIII doesn't have this thermos system, instead using an exhaust heat recovery system. There may actually be a third pump in the GIII in this exhaust heat recovery system, but I haven't had the time to check.
^^^ The fewer water pumps the better. Read the comments in this link http://www.mibz.com/26937-toyota-pr...mp-issues-affects-650000-cars-world-wide.html
Will someone find this guy a life so he'll stop posting about crap that he has no direct experience with? 128,000 miles and my water pumps were fine. Toyota replaced one of them for free anyway. Good on them. Better then my GM or Ford dealers have ever treated me.
Actually there are more then 2 pumps, add the A/C, brake circuit, windshield fluid ones. All electric. BTW. The Prius, as every car, is just a technology, nothing is 100% failproof.
