Dual-Drive Vane Oil Pump for Low-Speed Engine Lubrication

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing oil pumps for motor vehicles are often overpowered and bulky due to the need to handle high demands at low engine speeds, leading to inefficiencies and increased dimensions.

Innovation Solution

Designing an oil pump with a direct drive optimized for medium to high engine speeds and a switchable electric drive connected to a control device to adjust output, allowing the electric drive to supplement the direct drive during increased demand, and using a double-stroke vane pump configuration for efficient and compact operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the oil pump is designed for sufficient delivery rate at low engine speeds, then the oil supply reliability is improved, but the oil pump becomes oversized and bulky

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoil supply reliabilityVSAvoidoil pump volume
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The drive system is segmented into two independent components: a mechanical direct drive connected to the first movable component, and a switchable electric drive connected to the second movable component. This segmentation allows each drive to be optimized for specific operating conditions, enabling the use of a smaller oil pump while maintaining reliable oil supply across all engine speeds

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The oil pump incorporates two movable components that can be independently controlled by the control device. The electric drive can be switched on or off depending on operating conditions, allowing dynamic adjustment of the pump's delivery rate. This dynamic control enables the pump to maintain sufficient output at low speeds without being permanently oversized

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Volume of moving object

If the direct drive is used for base load, then the oil pump can be smaller, but the delivery capacity is insufficient at low engine speeds

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoil pump volumeVSAvoiddelivery capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The oil pump is designed with multi-functionality through its dual-drive system. The mechanical direct drive handles base load operations, while the switchable electric drive provides supplemental capacity when needed. This universal design allows the same pump to efficiently operate across the entire engine speed range, from idle to high-speed conditions

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

Solution Approach 2:

The control device acts as an intermediary that manages the interaction between the direct drive and electric drive. It monitors operating conditions and switches the electric drive on or off to supplement the direct drive's output, ensuring sufficient delivery capacity is maintained without requiring the pump to be permanently oversized

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3362652B1Delivery device for a motor vehicle
Publication Date: 2021.07.14 VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
  • EP3362652B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3362652B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3362652B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a delivery device (2) for a motor vehicle for delivering oil from an oil sump (3) to a lubricating oil circuit of an internal combustion engine (1), which delivery device has as an oil pump (5) a double-stroke vane cell pump (28) having positive guidance of vanes (32). A direct drive (6) of the vane cell pump (28) via the internal combustion engine (1) is designed for a working point P2. An increased or reduced oil demand is compensated for by an electric drive (7) that can be connected. In this way, a compact and very small-dimensioned oil pump (5) can be employed.