Moisture removal device and crankcase ventilation system including same

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a moisture removal device 40 that can be installed on a path connecting an engine 20 and an oil removal unit 30 that removes oil mist from blowby gas. The moisture removal device 40 is configured to remove moisture from blowby gas.

Description

Water removal device and crankcase ventilation system including the same

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a water removal device and a crankcase ventilation system including the same.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a crankcase ventilation system (blow-by gas recirculation device) including an oil removal unit (oil separator).

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-084772

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to suppress clogging of an oil removal unit in a crankcase ventilation system including the oil removal unit.

[0005] The water removal device of the present disclosure can be installed on a path connecting an engine and an oil removal unit that removes oil mist in blow-by gas, and is configured to remove moisture in blow-by gas.

[0006] The crankcase ventilation system of the present disclosure includes: an engine; an oil removal unit that removes oil mist in blow-by gas; and the water removal device that is installed on a path connecting the engine and the oil removal unit and is configured to remove moisture in blow-by gas.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, clogging of the oil removal unit can be suppressed in a crankcase ventilation system including the oil removal unit.

[0008] It is a schematic diagram of a crankcase ventilation system. It is a conceptual diagram of a water removal device. It is a diagram schematically showing the configuration and function of a water removal device. It is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a specific structure of a condensing unit. It is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the structure of a separation unit.

[0009] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a crankcase ventilation system 10 according to the present embodiment.

[0011] The crankcase ventilation system 10 according to the present embodiment is applied to construction machinery. The construction machinery is, for example, a work vehicle such as a dump truck or a wheel loader.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the crankcase ventilation system 10 comprises an engine 20 and an oil removal unit 30 that removes oil mist from blow-by gas. The oil removal unit 30 is a CCV (Closed Crankcase Ventilation) filter 30.

[0013] The engine 20 is a hydrogen engine 20. The engine 20 comprises an intake manifold 21 and an exhaust manifold 22. The intake manifold 21 is responsible for supplying a hydrogen-containing mixture or air to each cylinder of the engine 20. The exhaust gas after combustion is discharged through the exhaust manifold 22.

[0014] The engine 20 is equipped with a breather (not shown). The breather is configured to discharge blow-by gas generated in the crankcase of the engine 20.

[0015] The oil removal unit 30 is installed on the path for recirculating blow-by gas discharged through the breather, and functions to remove oil mist from the blow-by gas. The gas from which the oil mist has been removed by the oil removal unit 30 is configured to return to the intake system.

[0016] (Moisture Removal Device 40) The crankcase ventilation system 10 includes a moisture removal device 40 installed on the path connecting the engine 20 and the oil removal unit 30. The moisture removal device 40 is configured to remove moisture from the blow-by gas.

[0017] As schematically shown in Figure 1, the moisture removal device 40 is positioned relatively close to the intake manifold 21 among the intake manifold 21 and the exhaust manifold 22.

[0018] The moisture removal device 40 is configured to be installed on the path connecting the engine 20 and the oil removal unit 30. That is, as shown in Figure 2, the moisture removal device 40 includes a first connection part 40A that can be connected to the piping on the engine 20 side, a second connection part 40B that can be connected to the piping on the oil removal unit 30 side, and a moisture removal unit 40C located between the first connection part 40A and the second connection part 40B.

[0019] As shown in Figure 3, the moisture removal unit 40C includes a condensation unit 50 that condenses water vapor in the blow-by gas, a separation unit 60 that separates the emulsion generated in the condensation unit 50 into water and oil, and a discharge unit 70 that discharges the water separated by the separation unit 60 through the path.

[0020] (Condensing section 50) The condensing section 50 is configured to cool the pipe through which blow-by gas flows with a refrigerant. The refrigerant is water (specifically, room temperature water).

[0021] Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the condenser 50 comprises an inner pipe 51 through which blow-by gas flows, and an outer pipe 52 surrounding the inner pipe 51 and for circulating refrigerant in the space between the inner pipe 51 and the outer pipe 52. The inner pipe 51 is made of copper. The condenser 50 is configured to circulate refrigerant in the space between the inner pipe 51 and the outer pipe 52 in a separate circuit from the engine 20's cooling water.

[0022] (Separation section 60) The separation section 60 includes an oil-water separation filter 61 that separates the emulsion generated in the condensation section 50 into water and oil.

[0023] Figure 5 shows an example of the specific configuration of the separation unit 60. The separation unit 60 shown in Figure 5 comprises a cylindrical oil-water separation filter 61, a housing 62, and a lid 63.

[0024] The housing 62 comprises a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 62A, a bottom wall portion 62B, and an outlet portion 62C. The outlet portion 62C is provided at the radially outer end of the bottom wall portion 62B.

[0025] The bottom wall portion 62B comprises a base 62B1 on which the oil-water separation filter 61 is placed, and an insertion portion 62B2 that is inserted into the inside of the cylindrical oil-water separation filter 61.

[0026] The lid 63 comprises a top wall portion 63A and an inlet 63B. The inlet 63B has a portion that protrudes into the housing 62, and this protruding portion is inserted into the cylindrical oil-water separation filter 61.

[0027] (Discharge section 70) The discharge section 70 is equipped with a float 71 that has a specific gravity intermediate between that of water and oil.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, the discharge section 70 includes a float 71, a storage section 72, a discharge port 73, and an oil removal section 30 side outlet 74. The float 71 ensures that water is discharged from the discharge port 73, and oil is not discharged. The water discharged from the path at the discharge port 73 is discharged to the outside of the work vehicle.

[0029] <Effects> Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0030] This embodiment relates to a moisture removal device 40 that can be installed on the path connecting an engine 20 and an oil removal unit 30 that removes oil mist from blow-by gas, as shown in Figure 1.

[0031] Incidentally, since blow-by gas contains water vapor, the water vapor condenses into water in the path connecting the engine 20 and the oil removal unit 30, and the resulting water-oil emulsion can cause clogging of the oil removal unit 30. Therefore, the moisture removal device 40 according to this embodiment is configured to remove moisture from the blow-by gas. By installing the moisture removal device 40 on the path connecting the engine 20 and the oil removal unit 30, moisture in the blow-by gas can be removed before it reaches the oil removal unit 30. As a result, clogging of the oil removal unit 30 can be suppressed.

[0032] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the moisture removal device 40 includes a condensing unit 50 that condenses water vapor in the blow-by gas, a separation unit 60 that separates the emulsion generated in the condensing unit 50 into water and oil, and a discharge unit 70 that discharges the water separated by the separation unit 60 through a path. Therefore, moisture can be effectively removed from blow-by gas containing water vapor and oil mist.

[0033] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the condensing unit 50 is configured to cool the piping through which the blow-by gas flows with a refrigerant. Therefore, compared to the configuration in which the piping through which the blow-by gas flows is not cooled, the path corresponding to the condensing unit 50 can be shortened.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the condensing unit 50 includes an inner pipe 51 through which blow-by gas flows, and an outer pipe 52 that surrounds the inner pipe 51 and allows refrigerant to flow in the space between the inner pipe 51 and the outer pipe 52. Therefore, the piping (inner pipe 51) through which blow-by gas flows can be effectively cooled.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inner pipe 51 is made of copper. Therefore, the inner pipe 51 can be made of piping with high thermal conductivity, and the water vapor in the blow-by gas can be effectively condensed.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the refrigerant is circulated in a separate circuit from the engine 20's coolant. This allows the refrigerant to be cooled to a lower temperature compared to the engine 20's coolant, enabling more effective cooling.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, the separation unit 60 includes an oil-water separation filter 61 that separates the emulsion generated in the condensation unit 50 into water and oil. Therefore, the separation unit 60 can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the discharge section 70 is equipped with a float 71 having a specific gravity intermediate between that of water and oil. Therefore, the discharge section 70 can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0039] Furthermore, this embodiment relates to a crankcase ventilation system 10 comprising an engine 20 and an oil removal unit 30 for removing oil mist from blow-by gas, as shown in Figure 1. In such a crankcase ventilation system 10, since blow-by gas contains water vapor, the water vapor condenses into water in the path connecting the engine 20 and the oil removal unit 30, and the resulting water-oil emulsion may cause clogging of the oil removal unit 30. Therefore, in this embodiment, the crankcase ventilation system 10 includes a moisture removal device 40 installed on the path connecting the engine 20 and the oil removal unit 30, configured to remove moisture from the blow-by gas. As a result, moisture in the blow-by gas can be removed before it reaches the oil removal unit 30. Consequently, clogging of the oil removal unit 30 can be suppressed.

[0040] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the engine 20 is a hydrogen engine 20. Therefore, compared to a case where the engine 20 is a diesel engine, the water removed by the moisture removing device 40 contains fewer impurities, and is easily discharged to the outside (outside the vehicle).

[0041] Incidentally, a position closer to the exhaust manifold 22 has a higher temperature than a position closer to the intake manifold 21. Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the moisture removing device 40 is arranged at a position closer to the intake manifold 22 of the engine 20 than to the exhaust manifold 21 of the engine 20. In other words, the moisture removing device 40 is arranged at a position relatively closer to the intake manifold 21 among the intake manifold 21 and the exhaust manifold 22. Therefore, since the moisture removing device 40 can be arranged at a position with a relatively low temperature, moisture in blow-by gas can be easily condensed.

[0042] The preferred embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above description.

[0043] In the above embodiment, the crankcase ventilation system 10 is applied to a construction machine, but the crankcase ventilation system of the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the water discharged from the passage at the discharge portion 70 is discharged to the outside of the vehicle, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The water discharged from the passage at the discharge portion may be used for some purpose inside the vehicle.

[0045] In the above embodiment, the condensing portion 50 is configured to cool the pipe through which blow-by gas flows with a coolant, but the condensing portion is not limited to this. The condensing portion only needs to be configured to condense water vapor in blow-by gas.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the coolant is water (specifically, normal-temperature water), but the coolant of the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the inner pipe 51 is a copper pipe, but the inner pipe is not limited to this.

[0048] In the above embodiment, the oil-water separation filter 61 is cylindrical, but the oil-water separation filter is not limited thereto.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the engine 20 is a hydrogen engine 20, but the engine of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The engine may be a diesel engine, a gasoline engine, or any other type of engine.

[0050] <Notes> The following additional notes are disclosed as a concept encompassing the configuration according to the above embodiment. (Addendum 1) A moisture removal device that can be installed on a path connecting an engine and an oil removal unit that removes oil mist from blow-by gas, and is configured to remove moisture from blow-by gas. (Addendum 2) The moisture removal device according to Addendum 1, comprising: a condensing unit that condenses water vapor in blow-by gas; a separation unit that separates the emulsion generated in the condensing unit into water and oil; and a discharge unit that discharges the water separated by the separation unit from the path. (Addendum 3) The moisture removal device according to Addendum 2, wherein the condensing unit is configured to cool the piping through which blow-by gas flows. (Addendum 4) The moisture removal device according to Addendum 2 or Addendum 3, wherein the condensing unit comprises: an inner pipe through which blow-by gas flows; and an outer pipe that surrounds the inner pipe and allows refrigerant to flow in the space between the inner pipe and the outer pipe. (Note 5) The inner tube is a copper tube, as described in Note 4. (Note 6) The condensing section is configured to circulate the refrigerant in a separate circuit from the engine's cooling water, as described in any one of Notes 3 to 5. (Note 7) The separation section is equipped with an oil-water separation filter that separates the emulsion generated in the condensing section into water and oil, as described in any one of Notes 2 to 6. (Note 8) The discharge section is equipped with a float having a specific gravity intermediate between water and oil, as described in any one of Notes 2 to 7. (Note 9) The engine is a hydrogen engine, as described in any one of Notes 1 to 8. (Note 10) A crankcase ventilation system comprising: an engine; an oil removal unit for removing oil mist from blow-by gas; and a moisture removal device installed on a path connecting the engine and the oil removal unit, configured to remove moisture from blow-by gas. (Note 11) The crankcase ventilation system according to Note 10, wherein the engine is a hydrogen engine.(Appendix 12) The crankcase ventilation system according to Appendix 10 or Appendix 11, wherein the moisture removal device is positioned closer to the intake manifold of the engine than to the exhaust manifold of the engine.

[0051] 10...Crankcase ventilation system, 20...Hydrogen engine (engine), 21...Intake manifold, 22...Exhaust manifold, 30...CCV filter (oil removal section), 40...Moisture removal device, 40A...First connection section, 40B...Second connection section, 40C...Moisture removal section, 50...Condensing section, 51...Inner pipe, 52...Outer pipe, 60...Separation section, 61...Oil-water separation filter, 70...Discharge section, 71...Float

Claims

1. A moisture removal device that can be installed in the path connecting the engine and an oil removal unit that removes oil mist from blow-by gas, and is configured to remove moisture from blow-by gas.

2. A moisture removal device according to claim 1, comprising: a condensing unit for condensing water vapor in blow-by gas; a separation unit for separating the emulsion generated in the condensing unit into water and oil; and a discharge unit for discharging the water separated by the separation unit through the path.

3. The moisture removal device according to claim 2, wherein the condensing section is configured to cool the piping through which blow-by gas flows.

4. The moisture removal device according to claim 2, wherein the condensing section comprises an inner pipe through which blow-by gas flows, and an outer pipe surrounding the inner pipe and for flowing refrigerant into the space between the inner pipe and the outer pipe.

5. The moisture removal device according to claim 4, wherein the inner tube is a copper tube.

6. The moisture removal device according to claim 3, wherein the condensing unit is configured to circulate the refrigerant in a separate circuit from the engine's cooling water.

7. The water removal apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the separation unit is equipped with an oil-water separation filter for separating the emulsion generated in the condensation unit into water and oil.

8. The water removal device according to claim 2, wherein the discharge section is equipped with a float having a specific gravity intermediate between that of water and oil.

9. The water removal device according to claim 1, wherein the engine is a hydrogen engine.

10. A crankcase ventilation system comprising: an engine; an oil removal unit for removing oil mist from blow-by gas; and a moisture removal device installed on a path connecting the engine and the oil removal unit, configured to remove moisture from blow-by gas.

11. The crankcase ventilation system according to claim 10, wherein the engine is a hydrogen engine.

12. The crankcase ventilation system according to claim 10, wherein the moisture removal device is positioned closer to the intake manifold of the engine than to the exhaust manifold of the engine.

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