Adaptive Swirl Control Device for Pipeline Fluid Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices fail to adapt fluid swirl in pipelines to changing flow conditions, limiting the efficiency of charge-air pre-coolers and causing pressure losses in bent charge-air lines, as they do not account for dynamic changes in swirl during operation.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a swirl measuring unit and a control unit that compares actual swirl with desired swirl, generating a corrective value to adjust the swirl to maintain a setpoint value, ensuring optimal flow conditions in charge-air pre-coolers and minimizing pressure losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional pre-coolers are used with fixed geometry, then manufacturing is simple, but efficiency deteriorates when flow conditions change
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a dynamic swirl control device with adjustable control blades that can change the swirl magnitude of the charge air flow. This allows the pre-cooler system to adapt to varying operating conditions (different engine loads, temperatures, pressures) by actively adjusting the swirl parameter, thereby maintaining optimal efficiency across the entire operating range rather than being fixed for a single design point.
2Device complexity
If swirl is not controlled, then device complexity is low, but pressure losses increase in bent charge-air lines
Solution Approach 1:
The invention incorporates a feedback control system that includes a swirl sensor to measure the actual swirl magnitude, an evaluation unit to compare measured swirl with desired swirl, and a control unit to adjust the control blades accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism automatically compensates for swirl variations caused by changing exhaust gas flow conditions, maintaining optimal flow conditions through bends and minimizing pressure losses without requiring complex manual adjustments.
3Adaptability or versatility
If swirl magnitude varies with turbocharger operation, then system adaptability improves, but pre-cooler efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The feedback control system continuously monitors the swirl magnitude using a swirl sensor and compares it with the desired swirl value. When deviations occur due to changing turbocharger operating conditions, the evaluation unit calculates the difference and the control unit adjusts the control blades to restore the optimal swirl magnitude, thereby maintaining constant pre-cooler efficiency despite variations in system adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system acts in advance to prevent efficiency deterioration by detecting swirl deviations and adjusting the control blades before the suboptimal flow conditions significantly impact pre-cooler performance. This proactive control ensures that the charge air always enters the pre-cooler with the optimal swirl magnitude required for maximum cooling efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables adaptive control of fluid swirl, maintaining optimal pre-cooler efficiency and reducing pressure losses in charge-air lines, regardless of initial swirl conditions, by continuously adjusting swirl to match desired settings.
Implementation Method 1
EP 0 764 833 A1 discloses a method in which the swirl in a pipe flow can be determined by means of differential pressure measurements
Implementation Method 2
the charge air must be cooled, normally by means of a charge-air pre-cooler
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for controlling the swirl of a fluid (2) flowing in a pipeline (1). The invention was based on the object of creating a device with which the adaptation of the swirl (2B) of a fluid (2) flowing in a pipeline (1), even in the case of constantly changing initial swirl (2B), to the desired flow conditions in the pipeline (1) is possible. Said object is achieved in that a swirl measuring device (4) and a swirl control device (6) are provided at predetermined positions of the pipeline (1), and the device has an evaluation and encoder unit (5), wherein, in the presence of differences between the measured actual swirl (2B) and the desired swirl, a corrective value can be determined by means of the evaluation and encoder unit (5), and the swirl control device (6) corresponds with the evaluation and encoder unit (5) and, by means of the swirl control device (6), the present swirl (2B) can be adapted to the predetermined desired swirl in accordance with the determined corrective value.