Vehicle Cooling Branch Piece for Valve-Free Flow Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooling circuit arrangements for motor vehicles are complex and costly, requiring multiple components and valves to manage different temperature levels, which increases assembly complexity and costs.
Innovation Solution
A simplified cooling circuit arrangement featuring two parallel cooling circuits with a branch piece having three connections of different flow cross sections, allowing for a predetermined distribution of fluid volume flow without switchable valves, ensuring efficient cooling of components like intercoolers and exhaust gas turbocharger bearings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If switchable valves are used to control fluid distribution in cooling circuits, then temperature control precision is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the switchable valves from the cooling circuit arrangement, replacing them with a passive branch piece that has different flow cross-sections. This eliminates the complex valve mechanism while maintaining temperature control functionality through geometric flow distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the control parameter from active valve switching to passive geometric flow cross-sections. The branch piece uses different flow cross-section areas to naturally distribute fluid flow to different cooling circuits, replacing active control with passive parameter-based distribution.
2Reliability
If multiple components are used to manage different temperature levels, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but assembly complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of multiple components (pump, valves, flow distributors) into a single integrated branch piece. This one-component solution maintains the ability to manage different temperature levels while significantly reducing assembly complexity and part count.
Solution Approach 2:
The branch piece serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a flow distributor, a flow controller, and a circuit connector all in one component. This multi-functionality replaces what would traditionally require multiple separate components, reducing assembly complexity while maintaining cooling effectiveness.
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 solution reduces complexity and costs by eliminating switchable valves and ensuring consistent fluid distribution, improving cooling efficiency and reducing emissions by maintaining optimal temperature control across components, even at high operating speeds.
Implementation Method 1
a pump (5) for circulating a fluid through the at least one fluid line (4)
Implementation Method 2
The differently designed smallest flow cross-sections allow for a simple, predetermined division of the volume flow delivered by the pump (5)
Implementation Method 3
a first heat exchanger (17) is arranged in the first cooling circuit (3), through which heat from the first cooling circuit (3) is dissipated to an environment (18)
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Cooling circuit arrangement (1) of a motor vehicle (2), comprising at least one first cooling circuit (3) with a fluid line (4) and a pump (5) for conveying a fluid through the at least one fluid line (4), wherein the first cooling circuit (3) comprises at least a first part (6) and a second part (7) which are connected in parallel to each other and fluidically connected to the pump (5) via a common branch piece (8), wherein the branch piece (8) has at least one first connection (9) with a minimum first flow cross-section (10), a second connection (11) with a minimum second flow cross-section (12) and a third connection (13) with a minimum third flow cross-section (14), wherein the connections (9, 11, 13) are connected to each other within the branch piece (8) via a flow path for the fluid, wherein the branch piece (8) is connected to the pump (5) via the first connection (9),is connected via the second connection (11) to the first part (6) and via the third connection (13) to the second part (7) of the first cooling circuit (3), wherein at least the second flow cross-section (12) and the third flow cross-section (14) are of different sizes.