Camshaft Adjuster Dead Space Centrifugal Impurity Separation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Camshaft adjusters face operational reliability issues due to contamination in the lubricant circuit, leading to blockages, increased wear, and decreased dynamic response, as impurities settle and accumulate, affecting the camshaft's adjustment mechanism and lubricant flow.

Innovation Solution

A dead space is created in the camshaft adjuster's lubricant circuit, positioned radially outside the rotational axis, to centrifugally separate and deposit impurities, preventing them from reaching functional surfaces, and an additional outlet can be used to discharge contaminated lubricant, reducing the risk of impurity-related issues.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a lubricant circuit is used to lubricate moving components of the camshaft adjuster, then lubrication and cooling are achieved, but impurities in the lubricant settle and accumulate, causing blockages, increased wear, and decreased dynamic response

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational reliabilityVSAvoidimpurity settlement and accumulation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The lubricant circuit is segmented into a main flow path and a separate dead space region. The dead space acts as a separate zone where impurities can settle without interfering with the main lubrication flow to functional surfaces, effectively separating the harmful impurity accumulation from the useful lubrication function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The harmful settling of impurities is converted into a beneficial centrifugal separation process. By positioning the dead space radially outside the rotational axis, the rotation of the camshaft adjuster creates centrifugal force that actively pushes impurities toward the dead space, transforming the harmful settling behavior into a useful impurity removal mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Measurement precision

If impurities settle between vanes and chamber walls in a vane-cell construction, then the end position of the vane changes, but this makes it impossible to control the valve timing as desired

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve timing control precisionVSAvoidvalve timing control reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The dead space extracts and isolates impurities from the main lubrication circuit. By removing impurities before they can settle in critical areas like vane-chamber interfaces, the system maintains precise valve timing control without the harmful effects of impurity accumulation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Speed

If impurities get between the upper section of a vane and an outer peripheral wall of the chamber, then control forces are increased and fluid tightness worsens, but this leads to decreased dynamic response

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedynamic response speedVSAvoidimpurity interference with vane-chamber interface

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The dead space acts as an intermediary zone that intercepts impurities before they can reach the vane-chamber interface. This intermediary region prevents direct contact between impurities and critical sealing surfaces, maintaining fluid tightness and dynamic response performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 effectively prevents impurities from affecting the camshaft adjuster's functionality by centrifugally separating and removing them, maintaining operational reliability and reducing wear, even with contaminated lubricants.

Implementation Method 1

A dead space is created in the camshaft adjuster's lubricant circuit, positioned radially outside the rotational axis, to centrifugally separate and deposit impurities

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCentrifugal separation: Centrifugal Separation

Implementation Method 2

A dead space is created in the camshaft adjuster's lubricant circuit, positioned radially outside the rotational axis, to centrifugally separate and deposit impurities

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCentrifugal deposition: Deposition (physical)

Data Source

PatentUS8141526B2Camshaft adjuster

Publication Date: 2012.03.27 SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO KG

AI summary

Impurities of a lubricant in traditional camshaft adjusters can cause a problem, leading to impairment in the function and service life of the camshaft adjuster. In order to address this, flow channel areas are provided in the lubricant circuit, which include a dead chamber (37) where impurities can be deposited as a result of centrifugal force. Alternatively or additionally, a labyrinth is used to deposit impurities.