Motor Vehicle Charge Air Cooler Collector Plate Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle engine supercharging air coolers face mechanical stress issues and suboptimal thermal performance due to the design of bosses on plates, which can lead to component breakage and inefficient heat exchange between supercharging air and coolant.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchanger design with a collector plate having orifices without collars, allowing for a more compact collector and improved mechanical holding through planar connecting parts that secure directly to the housing, reducing mechanical stress and enhancing thermal performance by minimizing the area where supercharging air does not exchange heat with the coolant.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If bosses are added to plates for coolant inlet/outlet, then coolant circulation is enabled, but mechanical stress concentration occurs leading to component breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the problematic bosses from the plate structure and replaces them with integrated inlet/outlet openings directly formed in the plates. This eliminates the stress concentration zones created by boss connections while maintaining coolant circulation functionality through the simplified opening design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the coolant inlet/outlet function directly into the plate structure by forming openings in the plates themselves, rather than using separate boss components. This integration eliminates the interface between bosses and plates, removing the stress concentration point while preserving the coolant distribution function.
2Ease of operation
If bosses are added to plates for coolant inlet/outlet, then coolant distribution is achieved, but thermal performance deteriorates due to reduced heat exchange area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the bosses that created dead zones in the heat exchange area. By forming direct openings in the plates, the design eliminates the non-exchanging zones between bosses and plate edges, maximizing the effective heat transfer surface area while maintaining coolant distribution capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality optimization by designing the plate openings and adjacent heat exchange zones with enhanced thermal characteristics. The local geometry around the openings is optimized to ensure efficient heat transfer, while the overall plate structure maintains uniform thermal properties across the heat exchange surface.
3Strength
If collars are added to collector plate orifices for mechanical retention, then bundle plate retention is improved, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the collars from the collector plate orifice structure and replaces them with integrated retaining features formed directly in the collector plate. This simplification maintains the mechanical retention function while eliminating the additional components and assembly steps associated with separate collars.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the orifice and retention function into a single integrated structure in the collector plate. The retaining features are formed as part of the orifice geometry itself, combining the coolant passage function with the mechanical retention function in one element, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
4Stability of the object's composition
If collars are added to collector plate orifices for mechanical retention, then bundle plate positioning is achieved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the separate collar components and their associated assembly operations. The positioning function is achieved through integrated features formed during the collector plate manufacturing process, eliminating the need for separate collar installation steps and reducing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the positioning and retention functions into the collector plate manufacturing process itself. The retaining features are formed as integral parts of the plate during fabrication, merging multiple functions (coolant passage, mechanical retention, positioning) into a single manufacturing operation.
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
This design reduces mechanical stress and improves thermal efficiency by allowing closer integration of the collector with the housing, eliminating the need for additional space and collars, resulting in a more compact and effective heat exchanger.
Implementation Method 1
heat exchange bundle with a stack of plates defining alternating circulation channels for the charge air and the coolant
Implementation Method 2
brazed components breaking
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
A heat exchanger, in particular a supercharging air cooler for a motor vehicle engine, comprises a housing (11) provided with a heat exchange bundle (3), a collector (13) of a cooling liquid circulating in the heat exchange bundle (3), and a collector plate (15) forming a side wall of the heat exchanger housing (11) and of the cooling liquid collector (13). The collector plate (15) is provided with orifices (27) communicating with the cooling liquid circulation pipes of the bundle (3). The collector plate (15) comprises a flat connecting part (33a, 35a) fixed to the cooling liquid collector (13) opposite edges of the orifices (27). The flat connecting part (33a, 35a) is contiguous to at least one of the edges.