Crankcase Gallery Oil Separation for High-Pressure Engines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large internal combustion engines with high cylinder pressures require larger and more costly breather devices to effectively remove oil from crankcase gases, which complicates their integration and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A crankcase design featuring a gallery with strategically located openings that decelerates crankcase gases, allowing oil droplets to condense and precipitate before reaching the breather, reducing the size and cost of the breather device needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a larger breather device is used to remove oil from crankcase gases in high cylinder pressure engines, then oil removal effectiveness is improved, but device size, cost, and integration complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The crankcase design performs preliminary oil separation action before the gases reach the breather. The strategic openings in the gallery allow crankcase gases to be diverted and decelerated, enabling oil droplets to condense and precipitate out of the gas stream in advance. This preliminary oil removal reduces the burden on the breather device, allowing a smaller, simpler breather to achieve the same overall oil removal effectiveness.
2Ease of manufacture
If the breather device size is reduced to lower cost and improve integration, then ease of installation is improved, but oil removal effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary oil separation in the crankcase gallery before gases reach the breather. The strategic openings create a flow path that decelerates gases and allows oil droplets to condense and precipitate out of suspension in advance, so that when gases reach the smaller breather, most oil has already been removed. This maintains oil removal effectiveness while enabling a compact breather design.
Solution Approach 2:
The gallery with strategic openings acts as an intermediary separation chamber between the crankcase interior and the breather device. This intermediate structure provides a transition zone where oil-gas mixture is decelerated and partially separated before entering the breather, allowing the breather to be smaller while maintaining overall system effectiveness.
3Speed
If crankcase gases are allowed to flow directly to the breather, then fluid flow speed is maintained, but oil removal effectiveness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow path is segmented into multiple zones: the main crankcase volume, the gallery with strategic openings, and the breather device. This segmentation allows different flow conditions in different zones - faster flow in the main crankcase, decelerated flow in the gallery for oil separation, and controlled flow into the breather. The segmentation enables both speed maintenance and effective oil removal at different stages.
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 effectively reduces the amount of oil carried in crankcase gases, enabling a smaller, more efficient breather that is easier to integrate and less costly, while maintaining effective oil removal.
Implementation Method 1
A crankcase design featuring a gallery with strategically located openings that decelerates crankcase gases
Implementation Method 2
allowing oil droplets to condense and precipitate before reaching the breather
Implementation Method 3
allowing oil droplets to condense and precipitate before reaching the breather
Data Source
AI summary
A crankcase (100) for an engine includes a first bank (102) of cylinders that has a plurality of cylinder bores (104) formed therein, and a second bank (102) of cylinders that includes an additional plurality of cylinder bores (104). The second bank (102) is at an angle with respect to the first bank (102). A valley structure (106) is located between the first bank (102) and the second bank (102). A gallery (122) is located between the first bank (102), the second bank (102), and the valley structure (106). The gallery (122) has at least one rear opening (118) that fluidly connects the gallery (102) to a rear portion (120) of the crankcase. At least one front opening (210) fluidly connects the gallery (122) to a front portion (116) of the crankcase (100). At least one breather opening (124) fluidly connects the gallery (122) to an outer valley surface (107).