Cylinder Head Cooling Water Exit Design for Flexible Engine Mounting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cylinder heads for water-cooled internal combustion engines are limited to specific installation positions due to the design of cooling water flow paths, requiring multiple machining steps and additional parts for blocking, which increases manufacturing complexity and cost.

Innovation Solution

A cylinder head design where no cooling water exit openings are formed during manufacturing, allowing for selective drilling of exit openings based on the engine's installation position, eliminating the need for additional parts and machining hours, and enabling the same cylinder head to be used for both longitudinal and transverse installations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple cooling water exit openings are formed during manufacturing, then the cylinder head can be used for different installation positions, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase due to additional parts and machining steps

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation position flexibilityVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cylinder head is designed with multiple cooling water exit openings that can serve different functions depending on the installation position. The same cylinder head can be used for both longitudinal and transverse installations by selectively plugging certain openings, making the component universal for different configurations without requiring separate designs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple cooling water exit openings are pre-formed during the casting manufacturing process, before the actual installation configuration is determined. This preliminary formation of all possible openings allows for later selective plugging based on the specific installation position, simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining versatility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple cooling water exit openings are formed during manufacturing, then the cylinder head can be used for different installation positions, but the manufacturing cost increases due to additional parts and machining hours

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation position flexibilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple cooling water exit openings are combined into a single integrated casting structure during manufacturing. Instead of creating separate components or adding complex machining steps for each opening, the design merges all possible exit openings into the basic casting process, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining the ability to configure different installation positions through simple plugging operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Adaptability or versatility

If cooling water exit openings are selectively plugged, then the same cylinder head can be used for different installation positions, but additional parts and sealing members are required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation position flexibilityVSAvoidnumber of parts
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The plugging system is designed to be universal, where the same plugging mechanism can be applied to different cooling water exit openings depending on the installation position. This allows a single set of standardized plugging components to serve multiple functions and configurations, reducing the overall number of different part types required.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2275662B1Cylinder head of water-cooled internal combustion engine and method of manufacturing same
Publication Date: 2011.09.07 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP2275662B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2275662B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3(A)
  • EP2275662B1 patent drawingFigure 3(B)~3(C)

AI summary

A cast cylinder head 1 of an internal combustion engine to be mounted on a vehicle has an intake-side side wall 2i, an exhaust-side side wall 2e, and opposite end walls 3r and 3f. The walls 2i, 2e, 3r and 3f define a water jacket 8. A first cooling water exit part 11 and a second cooling water exit part 21 both having a solid structure are formed by casting integrally with one of the intake-side side wall 2i and the exhaust-side side wall 2e and with one of the end walls 3r and 3f, respectively. Cooling water exit openings 15,16 or 25,26 opening into the water jacket 8 are drilled selectively in either of the first cooling water exit part 11 and the second cooling water exit part 21 depending on the engine mounting position on the vehicle. Thus the same cylinder head can be used independently of the mounting orientation of the engine on the vehicle.