Construction Machine Exhaust Duct Layout for Engine Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Construction machines with exhaust ducts in the engine room face challenges in smoothly discharging air due to nearby components, which requires an increased height of the exhaust duct and engine room, compromising noise suppression when trying to enlarge the exhaust flow path area.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a first exhaust duct with an upstream portion extending horizontally and a downstream portion extending upward, combined with a second exhaust duct featuring a cross portion that crosses the first exhaust duct, allowing air to flow independently and effectively discharge through separate outlets without increasing the engine room's height, while maintaining noise suppression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the exhaust duct height is increased to allow smooth air discharge around exhaust gas treatment devices, then air discharge is improved, but the engine room height and overall size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust duct is configured to extend in the horizontal direction rather than vertically, changing the dimension of air discharge from vertical to horizontal. This allows the duct to bypass exhaust gas treatment devices without increasing engine room height, as the duct routes air laterally through the engine room and discharges it through side walls.
2Productivity
If the exhaust duct flow path area is enlarged to improve air discharge efficiency, then cooling performance is improved, but noise suppression effect deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust duct flow path is segmented into multiple sections with varying cross-sectional areas. The duct includes a first section with a smaller flow path area near the engine and a second section with a larger flow path area toward the discharge outlet. This segmentation allows the duct to maintain effective noise suppression in the engine vicinity while providing sufficient flow path area for efficient air discharge at the outlet, resolving the contradiction between cooling performance and noise suppression.
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 configuration enables efficient air discharge through the exhaust ducts with a large flow path area without deteriorating the noise suppression effect, allowing for optimal airflow and reduced engine room height.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling fan that is driven to produce cooling air flow for cooling the cooled object in the internal space of the engine room
Implementation Method 2
a first exhaust duct and a second exhaust duct for guiding air inside the internal space to an outside of the engine room
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Provided is a construction machine including exhaust ducts and favorably discharging air from an engine room through an air outlet. The construction machine includes an engine room with an upper wall portion (36) and a cooling fan, the upper wall portion (36) formed with first and second exhaust ducts (40, 50). The first exhaust duct (40) includes an upstream portion (42) extending in a first horizontal direction and a downstream portion (44) extending upward from a terminal end of the upstream portion (42) to a first air outlet (48). The second exhaust duct (50) includes a cross portion (52) crossing the upstream portion in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction above the upstream portion (42). The cross portion (52) allows air to flow from a second air inlet opened downward and sideward of the upstream portion (42) to a second air outlet opposite to the second air inlet, through an upper side of the upstream portion (42).