Coolant Deaerator Chamber for High-Flow Bubble Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coolant liquid pumps in automotive circuits are inefficient due to gas/air bubbles carried by the coolant liquid current, which deteriorate cooling capacity and pumping rate, and existing deaerator units are not effective in high-flow velocity conditions.
Innovation Solution
A passive automotive coolant liquid deaerator unit with a deaerator housing featuring a widening deceleration chamber that reduces coolant liquid flow velocity, allowing gas bubbles to rise to the surface, using a semipermeable membrane for air exchange, and integrating with the coolant pump for efficient bubble separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the coolant liquid pump operates at high flow velocity to improve cooling efficiency, then the cooling capacity increases, but air bubbles are carried along with the coolant liquid current and cannot rise to the expansion tank, deteriorating deaeration effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
A deaeration chamber is introduced as an intermediary space between the pump and expansion tank. This chamber provides a dedicated zone where coolant liquid can slow down and air bubbles can separate from the liquid current without interfering with the main high-velocity coolant circulation. The chamber acts as a mediator that reconciles the conflicting requirements of high flow velocity for cooling and low flow velocity for effective deaeration.
Solution Approach 2:
The coolant liquid circuit is segmented into distinct functional zones: a high-velocity zone for efficient heat transfer and a low-velocity deaeration chamber for bubble separation. By dividing the circuit into these segments with different flow characteristics, the system can simultaneously achieve both high cooling efficiency and effective deaeration without one compromising the other.
2Reliability
If a conventional air bubble separator is provided in-line with the coolant liquid tube to separate air bubbles, then deaeration is attempted, but the separator causes turbulences in the fast-flowing coolant liquid current which reduces its effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of trying to separate bubbles directly in the high-velocity main coolant tube (which causes turbulence), the invention inverts the approach by providing a separate deaeration chamber where the flow velocity is naturally reduced. The separation occurs in this low-velocity environment rather than in the high-velocity main flow, eliminating the turbulence problem while achieving effective deaeration.
3Reliability
If the coolant liquid flow velocity is reduced to allow air bubbles to rise to the surface, then deaeration effectiveness improves, but the cooling efficiency and pumping rate are deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The coolant liquid circuit is segmented into distinct functional zones: a high-velocity zone for efficient heat transfer and a low-velocity deaeration chamber for bubble separation. By dividing the circuit into these segments with different flow characteristics, the system can simultaneously achieve both high cooling efficiency and effective deaeration without one compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
A deaeration chamber is introduced as an intermediary space between the pump and expansion tank. This chamber provides a dedicated zone where coolant liquid can slow down and air bubbles can separate from the liquid current without interfering with the main high-velocity coolant circulation. The chamber acts as a mediator that reconciles the conflicting requirements of high flow velocity for cooling and low flow velocity for effective deaeration.
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 deaerator unit achieves over 35% deaeration efficiency across various flow rates, ensuring efficient coolant circulation and pump operation by minimizing turbulence and bubble rise time, thus enhancing fluidic efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
A semipermeable membrane can be provided between the deaeration opening and the atmosphere or the expansion tank, the semipermeable membrane being not permeable for the coolant liquid but permeable for air.
Implementation Method 2
the pressure of the coolant liquid and of the gas bubbles is reduced so that the gas bubbles expand and become lighter in specific weight so that the hydrostatic uplift force of the air bubbles is increased
Data Source
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Figure 2
AI summary
The invention refers to a passive automotive coolant liquid deaerator unit (30) for deaerating a circulating coolant liquid of a coolant circuit of an automobile, with a deaerator housing (32) defining a deceleration chamber (40, 40') with a chamber liquid inlet (38, 38') and a chamber liquid outlet (39, 39') and being provided with a deaeration opening (50) at the vertical top of the deceleration chamber (40, 40'). The fluidic cross section of the deceleration chamber (40, 40') is continuously increasing between the chamber liquid inlet (38, 38') and the chamber liquid outlet (39, 39').