Radiator ventilation system

Abstract

To reduce insufficient airflow in the corners of the radiator and improve the heat exchange efficiency of the radiator. [Solution] A radiator blower 20 for introducing and blowing air into a radiator 10, comprising a blower fan 21, shrouds 22 provided in each of the partitioned areas 12a to 12i, which divide the back surface 12 of the radiator 10 into multiple areas, and a duct 23 provided between the shrouds 22 and the blower fan 21, wherein the duct 23 comprises branch duct sections 24 connected to each shroud 22, a single duct section 26 connected to one blower fan 21, and a collection section 25 where the branch duct sections 24 converge into the single duct section 26.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a radiator blower for blowing air to a radiator mounted on a vehicle or the like.

Background Art

[0002] Vehicles are equipped with a cooling system for cooling heat-generating members such as an engine or an electric motor, which are drive sources. This cooling system is equipped with a radiator for exchanging heat with a cooling medium such as cooling water, and a blower for introducing and blowing outside air or the like to the radiator. The blower includes a fan that is rotationally driven, and a shroud that is disposed on the air suction side of the fan and forms a ventilation space for guiding outside air to the fan (see Patent Document 1). [[ID=]13] [[ID=]14]

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] [[ID=]34] [[ID=]35]By the way, FIGS. 3(a) and (b) are views showing the main parts of a radiator and a blower of a general cooling system. FIG. 3(a) is a rear view of the radiator (viewed from arrow C in FIG. 3(b)), and FIG. 3(b) is a schematic side view thereof. As shown in FIG. 3(b), a blower fan 2 is provided on the back side of the radiator 1, and a shroud 3 that forms a ventilation space 4 for guiding outside air to the blower fan 2 is provided between the radiator 1 and the fan 2. [[ID=]36] [[ID=]37]

[0005] [[ID=]38] As shown in Figure 3(a), the blower fan 2 is circular in a front view relative to the rectangular radiator 1. Therefore, the airflow tends to be insufficient at the four corners of the radiator 1 (see shaded area), which may be undesirable for improving the heat exchange efficiency of the radiator 1. To reduce this airflow deficiency, it is effective to increase the distance d between the radiator 1 and the fan 2 (distance relative to the flow path diameter), that is, to separate the radiator 1 and the fan 2 as far apart as possible. However, due to layout requirements, it may not always be possible to secure a sufficient distance d.

[0006] This invention was conceived in response to these challenges, and one of its objectives is to provide a radiator blower that can reduce insufficient airflow in the corners of the radiator and improve the heat exchange efficiency of the radiator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This project was undertaken to solve at least some of the above-mentioned problems and can be implemented in the following forms or applications. The radiator blower according to this application example is a radiator blower that introduces and blows air into a radiator, comprising a blower fan, a shroud provided in each of the partitioned areas on the rear side of the radiator, and a duct provided between the shroud and the blower fan, wherein the duct comprises branch duct sections connected to each of the shrouds, a single duct section connected to one of the blower fans, and a collection section where the branch duct sections converge into the single duct section.

[0008] In this application example, when the blower fan is activated, air is introduced into the radiator and blown out. The rear side of the radiator is divided into multiple areas, each equipped with a shroud, and the shrouds are connected to the blower fan by ducts. The ducts consist of branch duct sections provided in each shroud, and these branch duct sections converge into a single duct section via a manifold, so the airflow in each section can be set by setting the shape of the ducts, etc. This reduces insufficient airflow in the corners of the radiator and generates the required airflow in each section, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the radiator. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this method, it becomes possible to reduce insufficient airflow in the corners of the radiator and improve the heat exchange efficiency of the radiator. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This figure shows a radiator blower according to one embodiment together with a radiator, where (a) is a cross-sectional view of the radiator as seen from the rear side [cross-sectional view taken along arrow AA in Figure 1(b)], and (b) is a schematic side view thereof. [Figure 2] This figure shows a radiator blower and radiator according to a modified example of one embodiment, where (a) is a cross-sectional view of the radiator as seen from the rear side [cross-sectional view taken along arrow BB in Figure 2(b)], and (b) is a schematic side view thereof. [Figure 3] This diagram illustrates a general radiator blower system for explaining the problem in this case, showing the radiator together with (a) a rear view of the radiator [viewed from arrow C in Figure 3(b)], and (b) a schematic side view thereof. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The embodiments of this invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are merely illustrative examples, and there is no intention to exclude various modifications or applications of techniques not explicitly shown in these embodiments. Each configuration of the embodiments described below can be modified in various ways without departing from their spirit. Furthermore, they can be selected or combined as needed.

[0012] In this embodiment, the radiator to which the radiator air blower is applied is assumed to be mounted on a vehicle, but the radiator is not limited to one mounted on a vehicle. Furthermore, for example, in the case of radiators equipped in engine-driven vehicles, it can be applied to radiators for heat exchange with the engine's coolant, and in the case of radiators equipped in electric vehicles, it can be applied to radiators for heat exchange with the coolant of the electric motor or battery.

[0013] Furthermore, in the referenced Figures 1 and 2, and the aforementioned Figure 3, the front (front side) in the thickness direction of the radiator is denoted as "FR," the rear (back side) as "RR," the right side in the lateral (width direction) when viewing the radiator from the back as "RH," the left side in the lateral direction as "LH," the upper (vertically upward or diagonally upward) side of the radiator as "UP," and the lower (vertically downward or diagonally downward) side as "DW," all indicated by arrows. In addition, the airflow direction (roughly indicated by a dashed arrow near the center of the airflow) is indicated as F.

[0014] 〔composition〕 As shown in Figures 1(a) and 1(b), the radiator blower 20 is mounted on the rear side RR of the radiator 10 and blows air into the radiator 10 from its front side 11 toward its rear side 12. The blower device 20 includes a blower fan 21, a shroud 22 provided on the rear side RR of the radiator 10, and a duct 23 provided between the shroud 22 and the blower fan 21.

[0015] The rear surface 12 of the radiator 10 is divided into multiple areas (partition areas) 12a to 12i, and each partition area 12a to 12i is provided with shrouds 22a to 22i (the reference numeral 22 is used when the shrouds are not distinguished). In this embodiment, the back surface 12 of the radiator 10, which is rectangular in shape when viewed from the front, is divided into three equal parts in both the vertical and horizontal directions, providing a total of nine identical partitioned areas 12a to 12i. However, this partitioning configuration is just one example, and various partitioning configurations are possible. Furthermore, the partitions do not necessarily have to be equally divided in the vertical and horizontal directions. That is, each partitioned area 12a to 12i does not have to be identical in shape.

[0016] Shrouds 22a to 22i are positioned on the back surface 12 of the radiator 10, one for each compartment 12a to 12i. Within each shroud 22a to 22i, a ventilation space 221 is formed to guide the air that has passed through the radiator 10 to the blower fan 21. The shrouds 22a to 22i are formed in a roughly rectangular cylindrical shape to match each compartment 12a to 12i on the back surface 12 of the radiator 10. On the upstream side of the airflow direction F (radiator 10 side, hereinafter simply referred to as the "upstream side"), the shrouds 22a to 22i have a rectangular upstream opening 222 which is roughly the same shape as each compartment 12a to 12i.

[0017] The duct 23 comprises branch duct sections 24a to 24i (reference numeral 24 is used when the branch duct sections are not distinguished) branching off to each shroud 22, a single duct section 26 connected to a single blower fan 21, and a converging section 25 where the branch duct sections 24a to 24i converge into the single duct section 26, forming a ventilation space 23A inside. In the converging section 25, the branch duct sections 24a to 24i are connected in a smooth curved shape when viewed externally, but the side view in Figure 1(b) does not show the external shape such as the edges of these curved surfaces. Each of the branch duct portions 24a to 24i has an upstream end 241 connected to the corresponding shroud 22, and the downstream ends 242 thereof on the downstream side in the blowing direction F (hereinafter, also simply referred to as the "downstream side") converge at the converging portion 25. The downstream side of the converging portion 25 is a single duct portion 26, and a blower fan 21 is disposed at the downstream portion of this single duct portion 26.

[0018] In the present embodiment, the cross-sectional shapes of each of the branch duct portions 24a to 24i and the single duct portion 26 of the duct 23 are all circular. Also, the inner diameters of each of the branch duct portions 24a to 24i and the single duct portion 26 are here simply set to be the same or substantially the same. Therefore, the cross-sectional areas (flow path cross-sectional areas) of each of the branch duct portions 24a to 24i and the single duct portion 26 are the same or substantially the same, and the cross-sectional area (flow path cross-sectional area) of the converging portion 25 gradually decreases from the upstream side to the downstream side.

[0019] However, the cross-sectional shapes of the branch duct portions 24a to 24i and the single duct portion 26 of the duct 23 are not limited to circular, and may be elliptical, oval, or a rectangular shape without corners (less likely to generate turbulent flow). For example, the cross-sectional shape of the upstream edge portion of the branch duct portion 24 may be formed into a rectangular shape without corners that is close to the cross-sectional shape of the shroud 22 having a substantially square tube shape, and may be formed such that the cross-sectional shape approaches a circular shape as it goes downstream in the branch duct portion 24. In this case, the downstream opening of the downstream edge of the shroud 22 is also formed into a rectangular shape without corners.

[0020] Also, the cross-sectional areas (hereinafter, referred to as "flow path cross-sectional areas") of each of the branch duct portions 24a to 24i and the single duct portion 26 are not limited to be the same or substantially the same. For example, the inner diameter of the single duct portion 26 may be larger than the inner diameters of each of the branch duct portions 24, or the inner diameters of the branch duct portions 24 may be set to different sizes according to the positions of the connection destination shrouds 22 (the positions of the partition regions 12a to 12i). <00​​​​In this embodiment, the branch duct section 24e extending from the shroud 22e of the central section 12e (center vertically and horizontally) of the sectioned areas 12a to 12i on the back surface 12 of the radiator 10 extends in a nearly straight line, and the single duct section 26 extends in a nearly straight line along the extension of this branch duct section 24e. In contrast, the branch duct sections 24a to 24d, 24f to 24i surrounding this branch duct section 24e are formed by bending toward the single duct section 26.

[0022] Therefore, compared to the central branch duct section 24e, the flow path length of these branch duct sections 24a-24d and 24f-24i is slightly increased due to their bending, and the flow resistance is also slightly increased. If this flow resistance cannot be ignored, for example, the flow resistance of the branch duct sections 24a-24d and 24f-24i may be set so that the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​each branch duct section 24a-24i is slightly larger than that of the central branch duct section 24e, thereby reducing their flow resistance. This results in nearly uniform airflow in each branch duct section 24a-24i.

[0023] Furthermore, a downstream opening 223 is formed at the downstream edge of each shroud 22, matching the cross-sectional shape of the upstream edge of the branch duct sections 24a to 24i. In this embodiment, the shape of the downstream opening 223 is set to be circular to match the cross-sectional shape of the upstream edge of the branch duct section 24. However, if the cross-sectional shape of the upstream edge of the branch duct section 24 is elliptical, oblong, or a rectangle without corners, the downstream opening 223 will be set to be elliptical, oblong, or a rectangle without corners accordingly.

[0024] The blower fan 21 is shown here as a general axial fan, but any fan that can be placed downstream of the single duct section 26 is acceptable, and may also be a centrifugal fan or a sirocco fan. Furthermore, the blower fan 21 may be connected to the downstream end of the single duct section 26, or it may be installed within the downstream section of the single duct section 26, depending on its type. In addition, the blower fan 21 is smaller in diameter than those of conventional technology, in order to match the inner diameter of the single duct section 26.

[0025] [Mechanism of Action and Effects] The radiator blower according to this embodiment is configured as described above, and therefore the following functions and effects can be obtained. According to this radiator ventilation system, when the ventilation fan 21 is activated, air is introduced into the radiator 10 and blown out as shown by the arrow in the direction of airflow F in Figure 1(b). Specifically, the back surface 12 of the radiator 10 is divided into multiple compartmentalized areas 12a to 12i, each compartmentalized area 12a to 12i is equipped with shrouds 22a to 22i, and the shrouds 22 and the ventilation fan 21 are connected by ducts 23. When the ventilation fan 21 is activated, the suction force of the ventilation fan 21 acts through each shroud 22 and duct 23, causing air to flow from the front surface 11 to the back surface 12 of the radiator 10. This air cooling exchanges heat with the coolant inside the radiator 10.

[0026] In duct 23, each branch duct section 24a to 24i converges into a single duct section 26 via a collection section 25, and air is supplied almost uniformly in each branch duct section 24a to 24i. Furthermore, the distance from the partitioned areas 12a to 12i to the blower fan 21, which is located via duct 23, is sufficiently large compared to the area of ​​the partitioned areas 12a to 12i where the shrouds 22a to 22i at the upstream ends of each branch duct section 24a to 24i are located, so air is supplied almost uniformly without bias in each partitioned area 12a to 12i. Therefore, the lack of airflow in the corners of the radiator 10 can be reduced, and the heat exchange efficiency of the radiator 10 can be improved.

[0027] [Variation] Next, a modified version of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 2. As shown in Figures 2(a) and (b), the radiator blower 20' in this modified example is also mounted on the rear side RR of the radiator 10, and blows air into the radiator 10 from its front side 11 and towards its rear side 12. The blower device 20' comprises a blower fan 21, a shroud 22' provided on the rear side RR of the radiator 10, and a duct 23 provided between the shroud 22' and the blower fan 21.

[0028] The rear surface 12 of the radiator 10 is divided into multiple regions (partition regions) 12a' to 12i', and each partition region 12a' to 12i' is provided with a shroud 22a' to 22i' (reference numeral 22' is used when the shrouds are not distinguished). In this modified example, the rear surface 12 of the radiator 10, which is formed as a rectangle in front view, is divided into three sections in both the vertical and horizontal directions, providing a total of nine partition regions 12a' to 12i'. However, in this modified example, the partition regions 12a' to 12i' are equally divided in the horizontal direction of the radiator 10, but their dimensions increase as you go down in the vertical direction. This is a difference from the embodiment.

[0029] In other words, if we divide the partitioned area 12a'~12i' into the upper partitioned area 12a'~12c', the middle partitioned area 12d'~12f', and the lower partitioned area 12g'~12i', the area increases in the order of upper partitioned area 12a'~12c', middle partitioned area 12d'~12f', and lower partitioned area 12g'~12i'.

[0030] Similar to the embodiment, the shrouds 22a' to 22i' are also arranged on the rear side 12 of the radiator 10, for each partitioned area 12a' to 12i', and a ventilation space 221' is formed within each shroud 22a' to 22i' to guide the air that has passed through the radiator 10 to the blower fan 21. Similar to the embodiment, the shrouds 22a' to 22i' also have an upstream opening 222' and a downstream opening 223'.

[0031] These shrouds 22a'~22i' are also formed in a roughly rectangular shape to match the respective compartment areas 12a'~12i' on the back surface 12 of the radiator 10. Similar to the compartment areas 12a'~12i' and 112a~112i, they have equal dimensions in the horizontal direction, but their dimensions increase as you go down in the vertical direction. Naturally, the upstream opening 22' formed on the upstream side (radiator 10 side) of the shrouds 22a'~22i' also has equal dimensions in the horizontal direction, similar to the respective compartment areas 12a'~12i', but its dimensions increase as you go down in the vertical direction.

[0032] On the other hand, the duct 23, like the embodiment, includes branch duct sections 24a to 24i (reference numeral 24 is used when the branch duct sections are not distinguished) branched from each shroud 22, a single duct section 26 connected to a single blower fan 21, and a collection section 25 where the branch duct sections 24a to 24i converge into the single duct section 26, forming a ventilation space 23A inside. These are the same as in the embodiment, so a detailed explanation is omitted. Note that in Figure 2(b), as in Figure 1(b), the external shape of the curved surface of the collection section 25 is not shown in the side view of Figure 1(b).

[0033] Therefore, similar to the embodiment, these branch duct sections 24a-24d, 24f-24i have a slightly increased flow path length and a slightly increased flow path resistance compared to the central branch duct section 24e, due to their bent shape. If this flow path resistance is not negligible, the methods described in the embodiment can be added. This ensures that air is supplied almost uniformly through each branch duct section 24a-24i.

[0034] With this configuration, the airflow velocity increases in the shrouds 22a' to 22c' of the upper compartment regions 12a' to 12c' due to the narrowing of the flow path cross-sectional area, while the airflow velocity decreases in the shrouds 22g' to 22i' of the lower compartment regions 12g' to 12i' due to the widening of the flow path cross-sectional area. In other words, the airflow volume increases and cooling is promoted as you move up the stage.

[0035] As the coolant flows through the radiator 10, it is cooled as it flows from top to bottom, resulting in a higher coolant temperature at the top of the radiator 10 than at the bottom. Therefore, by promoting the cooling of the upper part of the radiator 10, the cooling efficiency (heat exchange efficiency) of the coolant in the radiator 10 can be increased.

[0036] Furthermore, in this modified example, the single duct section 26' is formed to be longer and more bent than in the embodiment. This indicates that the device offers a high degree of freedom in arranging the relatively small-diameter blower fan 21, and the shape of the single duct section 26' shown in Figure 2(b) is just one example; it can be set to any appropriate shape. Of course, lengthening or bending the single duct section 26' tends to increase the flow resistance of the single duct section 26', but this can be applied if the freedom in arranging the blower fan 21 is to be prioritized.

[0037] 〔others〕 Although embodiments and their modifications have been described above, the present device is not limited to these configurations and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of this invention. For example, if the coolant flowing through the radiator 10 is cooled while flowing from the upper right to the lower left, a configuration may be added in which the area of ​​the compartment is made smaller towards the upper section to increase the airflow velocity, as in the modified example described above, and the area of ​​the compartment is made smaller towards the right to increase the airflow velocity. Furthermore, although the embodiment described adjusting the flow area as an example of adjusting the flow resistance of the duct 23, the flow resistance may also be adjusted by the shape of the duct 23, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1.10 Radiator 11 Front of Radiator 1 12. Rear of Radiator 1 12a~12i, 12a'~12i' partitioned area 20,20' Fan for radiators 2.21 Blower fan 3,22,22a~22i,22´,22a´~22i´ Shroud 4,221,221' Ventilated space Upstream opening of shroud 222,222' 223,223' Downstream opening of shroud 22,22' 23 Duct 23A Ventilated space 24, 24a~24i Branch duct section 241 Upstream end of branch duct section 24 242 Downstream end of branch duct section 24 25 Gathering area 26,26' Single duct section d Distance between radiator 1 and fan 2 Front (front side) of FR radiator 10 RR Radiator 10 rear (rear side) RH Radiator 10, right side LH Radiator 10, left side Upward direction of radiator 10 DW Radiator 10, vertical downward F Air blow direction

Claims

[Claim 1] A radiator blower that introduces and blows air into the radiator, A cooling fan, The rear surface of the radiator is divided into multiple regions, and a shroud is provided in each of the divided regions. The shroud and the blower fan are provided with a duct, The duct comprises a branch duct section connected to each of the shrouds, a single duct section connected to one of the blower fans, and a junction section where the branch duct sections converge into the single duct section. A radiator blower characterized by the following features.

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