Internal Combustion Engine Heat Conductor for Bearing Warm-up
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Solution Overview
Problem
Internal combustion engines face challenges in reducing friction losses and fuel consumption due to the inefficiency of heating engine oil, as heated oil cools down before reaching the bearings, and existing heating methods either consume fuel or require re-heating.
Innovation Solution
An internal combustion engine design incorporating a heat conductor that introduces heat into the bearing saddle or cover, leveraging thermally more highly loaded regions to indirectly heat the oil, ensuring it reaches the bearings quickly and reduces viscosity, thereby minimizing friction losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If engine oil is heated using existing heating methods, then the oil temperature increases, but the heated oil cools down before reaching the bearings and requires re-heating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a heat conductor as an intermediary element that transfers heat from thermally highly loaded regions (such as exhaust manifolds or cylinder heads) to the bearing saddles. This mediator enables indirect heating of the oil through the bearing structure, avoiding direct heating of the oil while ensuring the bearing and oil reach optimal temperature without energy loss from cooling during transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes the engine's own thermally highly loaded regions as heat sources to warm the bearings and oil during the warm-up phase. The thermally highly loaded regions naturally generate excess heat that would otherwise be wasted, and this heat is now self-utilized to heat the oil and bearings, making the system self-sufficient without requiring external heating energy.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the oil is heated rapidly to reduce viscosity, then friction losses decrease, but the oil cools down in the oil-conducting lines before reaching the bearings
Solution Approach 1:
The heat conductor is installed in the bearing saddle or cover, positioning the heat source directly at the bearing location before the oil arrives. This preliminary heating action ensures that the bearing and oil are warmed up in advance, so when the heated oil reaches the bearing, it maintains its temperature and viscosity benefits without cooling down during transport through the oil-conducting lines.
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 reduces friction losses and fuel consumption by ensuring the oil heats up rapidly and maintains lower viscosity, optimizing engine performance during the warm-up phase.
Implementation Method 1
at least one heat conductor (4) which runs between at least one bearing (2) and a thermally more highly loaded region of the internal combustion engine (10)
Data Source
AI summary
An internal combustion engine includes a cylinder head, a cylinder block serving as an upper crankcase half for holding a crankshaft in at least two crankshaft bearings, at least one further shaft mounted in at least two shaft bearings, an oil circuit with oil-conducting lines for supplying oil to at least two bearings, and an exhaust-gas recirculation arrangement. A heat conductor runs between at least one of the bearings and a thermally more highly loaded region of the internal combustion engine which, at least in the warm-up phase of the internal combustion engine, is at a higher temperature than the associated bearing.