Engine Oil Cooler Relocation for Thermal Isolation

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing lubricating oil feeding structures in engines are compromised by thermal influences from exhaust pipes, leading to reduced oil cooling performance and complex attachment/detachment processes for the oil cooler, especially in vehicles with specific engine layouts like V-type engines.

Innovation Solution

The lubricating oil feeding structure includes an oil pump in the crankcase, an oil filter on the outer peripheral wall of the crankcase, and an oil cooler integrated into a cover member covering the crankshaft end, which cools the oil while allowing for easier attachment and detachment, and reduces the thermal influence from exhaust pipes by positioning the oil cooler away from them.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If the oil cooler is attached to the front end surface of the crankcase where exhaust pipes are arranged, then the layout is compact, but the oil cooling performance is lowered due to thermal influence from exhaust heat

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveengine compactnessVSAvoidoil cooling performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The oil cooler is extracted from the front end surface of the crankcase and relocated to the rear end surface, separating it from the thermal influence zone of the exhaust pipes while maintaining engine compactness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The oil cooler is repositioned from a horizontal arrangement at the front to a vertical arrangement at the rear, utilizing the crankshaft rotation direction dimension to achieve spatial separation from exhaust pipes while preserving compact layout

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Device complexity

If the oil cooler is attached and detached from the front side, then the structure is simple, but the attachment and detachment tasks are not easily performed due to disturbance from exhaust pipes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructure simplicityVSAvoidattachment and detachment ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The oil cooler attachment function is extracted from the front end surface and relocated to the rear end surface, eliminating interference from exhaust pipes during maintenance operations while preserving structural simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The attachment location is shifted to the rear end surface in the crankshaft rotation direction, creating clear access space for maintenance personnel to perform attachment and detachment tasks without obstruction from exhaust pipes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If the oil filter is arranged on the outer peripheral wall of the crankcase, then the oil filtering function is maintained, but the forward projecting amount increases, increasing engine size in the front and rear direction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoil filtering functionVSAvoidengine length

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The oil filter is repositioned from a forward projection arrangement to a lateral arrangement on the outer peripheral wall, utilizing the radial dimension of the crankcase to accommodate the filter without increasing the engine's front-rear length

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 configuration maintains oil cooling performance, simplifies the cooling water passage, and facilitates easier assembly and maintenance by reducing the number of parts and complexity in the engine layout, allowing for more flexible arrangement of the oil cooler and reduced width in the engine.

Implementation Method 1

an oil cooler provided in a cover member covering an end of the crankcase in the crankshaft direction, the oil cooler cooling the oil sent from the oil filter

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS8844493B2Lubricating oil feeding structure of engine

Publication Date: 2014.09.30 KAWASAKI MOTORS LTD

AI summary

A lubricating oil feeding structure of an engine includes an oil pump provided in a crankcase for pressurizing and feeding oil in an oil reservoir, an oil filter provided in an outer peripheral wall of the crankcase for purifying the oil fed from the oil pump, and an oil cooler provided in a cover member covering an end of the crankcase in the crankshaft direction for cooling the oil sent from the oil filter. Preferably, the cover member is a generator cover, and the oil cooler is arranged on the outer side in the radial direction of a rotor of the generator.