Cellulose Sponge Regulating Member for Engine Cooling Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing regulating members for cooling water in internal combustion engines face manufacturing complexities, environmental concerns, and structural complications, including the need for binders, complex processing, and mechanical mechanisms to manage expansion and compression.
Innovation Solution
A regulating member featuring a cellulose-based sponge that is restorable from a compressed state through contact with cooling water, eliminating the need for binders and simplifying the manufacturing process, with a supporting member and protecting material to enhance durability and attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a foamed rubber with binder is used to create a regulating member that expands after insertion, then the regulating member can be easily inserted without load, but the binder may mix with cooling water affecting its composition and requires complex impregnation processes
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the binder component from the regulating member system. Instead of using foamed rubber that requires binder impregnation, the patent uses a cellulose-based sponge that maintains its compressed state without any binder, thereby removing the source of contamination while preserving easy insertability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameter from binder-dependent foamed rubber to binder-free cellulose-based sponge. This parameter change allows the regulating member to maintain its compressed state without chemicals, eliminating binder contamination while enabling easy insertion and subsequent restoration upon contact with cooling water
2Ease of operation
If a water-absorbent high-polymer material is used to regulate expansion, then the regulating member can expand upon contact with cooling water, but the material requires integral processing with core material and may flow out affecting cooling water composition
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the complex water-absorbent high-polymer material with a simpler cellulose-based sponge that is compressed and dried. This simpler material achieves the same expansion function upon contact with cooling water but without requiring integral processing or risking material flow-out, as the compressed and dried cellulose-based sponge maintains structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite structure of cellulose-based sponge combined with a supporting member. This composite provides both the expansion capability upon water contact and the structural support needed to prevent material flow-out, while simplifying the manufacturing process compared to integral processing requirements
3Ease of operation
If a compressed spring member is used to support the regulating member, then the regulating member can be restored after insertion, but a mechanical mechanism is required to maintain or release compression making the structure complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The invention eliminates the need for external mechanical mechanisms by making the regulating member self-sufficient. The cellulose-based sponge with supporting member maintains its compressed state through its own structural properties and restores automatically upon contact with cooling water, without requiring separate compression maintenance or release mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs the compression action in advance during manufacturing, where the cellulose-based sponge is compressed and dried to maintain a reduced state for easy insertion. The restoration action is prepared in advance by the material's inherent properties, which automatically trigger upon contact with cooling water, eliminating the need for runtime mechanical control
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 allows for easy manufacturing, improved attachability, and effective regulation of cooling water flow without adverse environmental impact, maintaining the compressed state without chemicals and ensuring reliable operation amidst engine vibrations.
Implementation Method 1
drying the pressurized cellulose-based sponge maintains the cellulose-based sponge in the compressed state by hydrogen bonding between cellulose molecules. Meanwhile, exposing the cellulose-based sponge in this state to the cooling water dissociates the hydrogen bonding between the cellulose molecules by water molecules.
Implementation Method 2
the cellulose-based sponge being restorable from a compressed state through a contact with the cooling water flowing through the cooling water flow passage
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a novel regulating member that ensures easy manufacturing and does not adversely affect cooling water and environment. A spacer 6 is inserted from an opening 30 of a cooling water flow passage 3 into the cooling water flow passage 3 to be disposed. The cooling water flow passage 3 is disposed in a cylinder block 1 in an internal combustion engine. The spacer 6 includes a supporting member 7 with rigidity formed into a shape configured to be disposed in the cooling water flow passage 3 and a regulating portion 8 supported by the supporting member 7. The regulating portion 8 regulates a flow of cooling water. The regulating portion 8 includes a cellulose-based sponge 81. The cellulose-based sponge 81 is restorable from a compressed state through a contact with the cooling water w.