Cooling-Water Control Valve Segmentation for Overheat Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling-water control valve devices for internal combustion engines face challenges in preventing functional failures of the fail-safe valve unit due to potential blockages and extraneous material entering the main valve accommodation space, which can lead to temperature increases and overheating of the engine.
Innovation Solution
A cooling-water control valve device with a housing that includes a main valve accommodation space, a fail-safe valve accommodation space, and partitioning walls to prevent extraneous material from entering the fail-safe valve unit, along with a fail-safe valve unit that operates based on temperature to ensure continuous cooling water flow to the radiator even if the main valve unit is unable to rotate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the fail-safe valve accommodation space is communicated to the main valve accommodation space, then the fail-safe valve unit can operate to prevent overheating when the main valve unit fails, but extraneous material can enter the main valve accommodation space and potentially break the main valve unit, with broken pieces adhering to the fail-safe valve unit causing functional failure
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into a main valve accommodation space and a fail-safe valve accommodation space that are fluidically separated by a partitioning wall. This segmentation prevents extraneous material and broken pieces from the main valve space from contaminating the fail-safe valve space, while both spaces remain functionally integrated for cooling water flow control.
Solution Approach 2:
The partitioning wall acts as an intermediary barrier between the main valve accommodation space and the fail-safe valve accommodation space. It allows the system to maintain functional connectivity for cooling water flow while physically isolating the fail-safe valve unit from harmful extraneous material and broken pieces.
2Ease of operation
If the main valve unit is rotatably provided in the main valve accommodation space to control cooling water flow rate, then precise flow control is achieved, but the main valve unit may become locked by extraneous material and become unable to rotate
Solution Approach 1:
The valve system is segmented into a main valve unit for precise flow control and a fail-safe valve unit for emergency operation. The partitioning wall separates these two units, allowing the main valve unit to rotate freely for precise control while protecting it from contamination that could cause locking.
Solution Approach 2:
The fail-safe valve unit is pre-configured to automatically open when the main valve unit fails to rotate. This preliminary arrangement ensures that if extraneous material locks the main valve unit, the fail-safe mechanism immediately activates to maintain cooling water flow without requiring manual intervention.
3Temperature
If the fail-safe valve unit is provided to supply cooling water when temperature exceeds predetermined value, then overheating prevention is achieved, but the fail-safe valve unit may suffer functional failure due to adhered broken pieces from the main valve unit
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is fluidically separated into distinct main valve accommodation space and fail-safe valve accommodation space by a partitioning wall. This segmentation protects the fail-safe valve unit from broken pieces generated when extraneous material locks the main valve unit, ensuring the fail-safe unit maintains its temperature control function.
Solution Approach 2:
The partitioning wall serves as an intermediary barrier that prevents broken pieces from the main valve unit from reaching the fail-safe valve unit. This allows the fail-safe valve unit to reliably control cooling water temperature based on thermal expansion without contamination interference.
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 effectively prevents temperature increases in the engine by ensuring continuous cooling water flow to the radiator, even if the main valve unit fails, and prevents functional failures of the fail-safe valve unit by isolating it from potential blockages and extraneous material.
Implementation Method 1
the fail-safe valve unit is operated in such a manner that; i) the fail-safe valve unit is closed when temperature of the cooling water is lower than a predetermined value so as to block off flow of the cooling water from the second opening portion to the fail-safe water passage; and ii) the fail-safe valve unit is opened when the temperature of the cooling water is higher than the predetermined value
Data Source
AI summary
A main valve unit is rotatably provided in a main valve accommodation space connected to a first opening portion. A fail-safe valve unit is provided in a fail-safe valve accommodation space connected to a second opening portion. The main valve unit controls flow rate of cooling water flowing from the first opening portion to a radiator via a main water passage formed in a housing depending on a rotational position thereof. The fail-safe valve unit is closed when temperature of the cooling water is lower than a predetermined value, to thereby block off flow of the cooling water to the radiator. The fail-safe valve unit is opened when the temperature of the cooling water is higher than the predetermined value, to thereby allow the flow of the cooling water to the radiator. Each of the first opening portion and the main valve accommodation space is fluidically separated from the second opening portion and the fail-safe valve accommodation space by a partitioning wall formed in the housing.