Engine Side Structure Intercooler Guide Prevents Fuel Pump Collision Damage
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicle collisions, the high-pressure fuel pump in longitudinal engines is vulnerable to interference and damage from auxiliary machinery due to the rearward movement of intercoolers, which can fail to prevent interference when collision energy is high, necessitating improved collision safety measures for fuel system components.
Innovation Solution
A side part structure of an engine with auxiliary machinery in the front part of the side wall, a fuel system component in the rear part, an intercooler between them, and a first protector member that separates from the side wall and extends rearward to guide the intercooler away from the fuel system component, along with a second protector covering the fuel feeding pipe to prevent interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the intercooler is fixed to the engine body to prevent rearward movement of auxiliary machinery, then collision safety is improved for small collision energies, but for large collision energies the intercooler's fixed state is canceled and it may interfere with the fuel pump
Solution Approach 1:
The intercooler is designed with movable mounting brackets that allow it to move rearward when subjected to collision forces, transforming from a static fixed structure to a dynamic movable one. This enables the intercooler to absorb collision energy through movement while still providing protection for smaller collisions, and prevents it from interfering with the fuel pump even during high-energy collisions.
Solution Approach 2:
A guide member is introduced as an intermediary component between the intercooler and the engine body. This guide member constrains the movement path of the intercooler, ensuring that when the intercooler moves rearward during collision, it follows a controlled trajectory that prevents interference with the fuel pump while still allowing sufficient movement to absorb collision energy.
2Loss of energy
If the fuel pump is disposed in the rear part of the side wall part to reduce fuel piping pressure loss, then fuel efficiency is improved, but the fuel pump remains vulnerable to interference from auxiliary machinery in certain collision modes
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member acts as a protective intermediary that controls the movement of the intercooler during collision. By constraining the intercooler's movement path, the guide member prevents the intercooler from interfering with the fuel pump, thereby protecting the fuel pump's reliability while maintaining its rearward position for fuel efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting brackets are designed as sacrificial components that can deform or fail during high-energy collisions, allowing the intercooler to move freely without damaging the fuel pump. These relatively simple, replaceable components provide an economical solution to protect the more critical and expensive fuel pump system.
Data Source
AI summary
A side part structure of an engine having cylinders lined up in a front-and-rear direction of a vehicle body, is provided. The structure includes auxiliary machinery disposed in a front part of one side wall part of the engine in a vehicle width direction, a fuel system component disposed in a rear part of the side wall part, an intercooler disposed between the auxiliary machinery and the fuel system component, and a first protector member disposed between the intercooler and the fuel system component. At least a front part of the first protector member is formed so as to be separated from the side wall part as it extends rearward. A front part of the intercooler is disposed rearward of the auxiliary machinery and the intercooler is disposed along the first protector member so as to be separated from the side wall part as it extends rearward.