Engine Cooling Device Bypassing Cylinder Head Gasket

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cooling devices for internal combustion engines face challenges due to complex geometry in the upper cylinder head cooling enclosure, leading to increased manufacturing costs, mechanical stress, and pressure drops, which can result in cracking and inefficient cooling.

Innovation Solution

The cooling device incorporates upper and lower pipes that bypass the cylinder head gasket, allowing direct circulation of cooling fluid between the cylinder block and cylinder head cooling enclosures, eliminating the need for complex geometry in the upper cylinder head cooling chamber and incorporating heat exchangers and turbochargers to enhance cooling efficiency and tightness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the upper cylinder head cooling enclosure has complex geometry to allow coolant passage through the cylinder head gasket, then cooling function is achieved, but manufacturing costs increase and mechanical strength decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling functionVSAvoidmanufacturing costs
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling system is divided into separate circulation paths: one through the cylinder block cooling chamber and another through the upper and lower cylinder head cooling enclosures. The upper pipe creates an independent circulation path that bypasses the need for complex geometry in the upper enclosure, allowing simpler manufacturing while maintaining cooling effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The upper pipe acts as an intermediary element that connects the cooling chamber directly to the upper cooling enclosure, eliminating the need for the coolant to pass through the complex geometry of the cylinder head gasket. This intermediary component simplifies the overall system geometry while maintaining the cooling function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the upper cylinder head cooling enclosure has complex geometry, then coolant circulation is enabled, but mechanical stress increases leading to cracking

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoolant circulationVSAvoidmechanical strength
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling system is divided into separate circulation paths, with the upper pipe creating an independent path that bypasses the structurally vulnerable areas. This segmentation allows the upper enclosure to have simpler, more robust geometry that can better withstand mechanical stresses without compromising coolant circulation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The problematic complex geometry portion is extracted from the upper cooling enclosure design. The upper pipe takes over the function of guiding coolant to the upper enclosure, allowing the enclosure itself to have simpler, stronger geometry that is less prone to cracking under mechanical stress.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If the upper cylinder head cooling enclosure has complex geometry, then coolant passage is achieved, but pressure drops increase affecting pump sizing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoolant passageVSAvoidpressure drops
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The upper pipe serves as an intermediary that provides a direct, low-resistance path for coolant flow from the cooling chamber to the upper cooling enclosure. This eliminates the need for coolant to navigate through complex geometry with multiple bends and constrictions, thereby reducing pressure drops and energy losses.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The upper pipe creates a new spatial dimension for coolant circulation, establishing a direct three-dimensional pathway that bypasses the constrained two-dimensional flow path through the cylinder head gasket. This dimensional change allows for more efficient flow with fewer restrictions and lower pressure drops.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 reduces mechanical stress, manufacturing costs, and pressure drops, while improving cooling efficiency and reducing the risk of cylinder head damage by allowing independent regulation of cooling fluid flow, thus preventing overcooling and optimizing energy consumption.

Implementation Method 1

a cooling chamber (2) for cooling the cylinder block, supplied with cooling fluid by a cooling pump (3) via a line (4), a lower enclosure (5) for cooling the cylinder head of the engine and a upper enclosure (6) for cooling the cylinder head placed globally above the lower enclosure (5)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat absorption: Heat Sink

Implementation Method 2

At least one heat exchanger or a turbocharger can be interposed along the upper and/or lower pipe. The heat exchanger is advantageously a coolant/engine oil exchanger or a coolant/EGR gas exchanger.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat exchange: Heat Exchanger

Data Source

PatentEP2342435B1Device for cooling an internal combustion engine
Publication Date: 2017.12.06 RENAULT SA
  • EP2342435B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2b
  • EP2342435B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a cooling device (1) for an internal combustion engine including a cylinder block and a cylinder head between which a gasket (7) is provided, wherein the device (1) includes a housing (2) for cooling the cylinder block, a lower housing (5) for cooling the cylinder head and an upper housing (6) for cooling the cylinder head, the lower (5) and upper (6) housings for cooling the cylinder head being separated from each other while a coolant can flow therethrough, characterised in that the device (1) further includes a so-called upper duct (9, 10) bypassing the gasket (7) and enabling a coolant flow between the housing (2) for cooling the cylinder block and the upper housing (6) for cooling the cylinder head.