Angled Plenum Side Walls for Air Induction Contaminant Separation

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing air induction systems in vehicles draw contaminants like road splash, water, and dirt into the engine due to external air inlets, which increases pressure drop and the engine's work in obtaining air for combustion when traditional baffles are used to block contaminants.

Innovation Solution

An air intake plenum is integrated into the air induction channel with a plenum inlet co-planar to the air inlet, featuring angled side walls that direct air to impinge on the bottom channel wall, causing contaminants to drop out, thereby reducing pressure drop and maintaining airflow efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a baffle structure is provided into the air duct to block contaminants, then contaminant blocking is improved, but air flow is reduced causing increased pressure drop

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontaminant blockingVSAvoidpressure drop

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The harmful function of the baffle (blocking air flow) is extracted and removed. Instead of using a baffle structure that physically obstructs the air duct, the patent uses a plenum chamber that redirects air flow through angled side walls to achieve contaminant separation without the harmful obstruction effect, thus eliminating the pressure drop penalty while maintaining contaminant blocking capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The plenum chamber acts as an intermediary structure between the air inlet and the air cleaner. It provides a transition zone where air flow can be redirected at an angle to impinge on the bottom channel wall, allowing contaminants to settle out without requiring a direct baffle obstruction in the main air flow path

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If external air inlets are located on the top or sides of the hood to achieve shortest passage, then air restriction at the engine is minimized, but road splash and contaminants are drawn into the hood ducts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair flow efficiencyVSAvoidcontaminant intake

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The plenum chamber modifies the local quality of the air flow at the inlet region by creating angled side walls that redirect air flow at a specific angle. This localized modification allows the air inlet to remain in the optimal position for minimum air restriction while changing the flow characteristics to reduce contaminant intake through angled impingement on the bottom channel wall

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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

The solution significantly reduces pressure drop from 1200 Pa to 600 Pa, minimizing the engine's work in obtaining air for combustion while effectively blocking contaminants, compared to systems with or without baffles.

Implementation Method 1

Air through the plenum inlet impinges against the side wall, exits the plenum outlet, and is directed to impinge against the bottom channel wall of the air induction channel where contaminants drop out of the air

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectImpingement: Impact Force

Implementation Method 2

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravitational settling: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentUS8011465B2Air intake plenum for air induction channel

Publication Date: 2011.09.06 INT TRUCK INTPROP CO LLC

AI summary

An air intake plenum (100) disposed in an air induction channel (112) in a hood (116) defined by a bottom channel wall (120), a rear hood reinforcement wall (122), a cab wall (124), and an exterior skin (126), where the air induction channel extends between an air inlet (114) laying in a plane generally parallel with the direction of travel “T” of the vehicle to an air outlet (118), includes a plenum inlet (128). The plenum inlet (128) is generally co-planar with the air inlet (114) of the air induction channel (112). At least one side wall (136, 138) extends from the plenum inlet (128) to a plenum outlet (144) and is angled downwards towards the bottom channel wall (120). Air through the plenum inlet (128) impinges against the side wall (136, 138), exits the plenum outlet (144), and is directed to impinge against the bottom channel wall (120) of the air induction channel (112) where contaminants drop out of the air.