Engine Oil Reservoir Layout for Compact Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing engine designs face challenges in maintaining a large oil reservoir capacity without increasing engine size, as ensuring sufficient oil storage can lead to size expansion and interference issues with other components.
Innovation Solution
The engine incorporates a dry sump system with a reservoir part in the crankcase, utilizing a balance shaft to rotate in conjunction with the crankshaft, and a scavenge pump to feed oil from the oil pan to the reservoir, allowing for a larger oil capacity while avoiding crankshaft interference and optimizing space usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a large oil reservoir capacity is ensured, then sufficient oil storage is achieved, but engine size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir part is nested within the crankcase, utilizing the space inside the crankcase for oil storage. The reservoir part is positioned to overlap with the crankshaft in the offset direction, effectively using the crankcase volume that would otherwise be empty space, thereby increasing oil capacity without increasing overall engine size.
Solution Approach 2:
The reservoir part extends in the offset direction orthogonal to both the cylinder axis and crank axis, utilizing the third dimension (depth) within the crankcase. By positioning the reservoir part to overlap the crankshaft when viewed from the offset direction, the design maximizes oil storage capacity within the available crankcase volume without increasing engine external dimensions.
2Quantity of substance
If the reservoir part is positioned to maximize oil capacity, then sufficient oil storage is achieved, but interference with the crankshaft occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The crank axis is positioned on one side of the cylinder axis in the offset direction, creating asymmetric space distribution. The reservoir part is positioned on the other side of the cylinder axis, utilizing the asymmetric space created by the offset crankshaft position. This asymmetric arrangement allows the reservoir part to overlap the crankshaft when viewed from the offset direction without causing mechanical interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The reservoir part is divided into a first reservoir chamber and a second reservoir chamber arranged in the axis direction of the balance shaft. The balance shaft is positioned between the reservoir part and the crankshaft, acting as a separator that prevents interference while allowing the reservoir part to extend into the space that would otherwise be occupied by the crankshaft.
3Volume of stationary object
If the crank axis is positioned on one side of the cylinder axis, then space is created on the other side, but mass distribution becomes unbalanced
Solution Approach 1:
The balance shaft with its weight is positioned between the reservoir part and the crankshaft, and the weight of the balance shaft is located between both ends of the second reservoir chamber. This balance shaft acts as a counterweight that compensates for the unbalanced mass distribution caused by the offset crankshaft position, reducing vibration while allowing the reservoir part to utilize the available space on the other side of the cylinder axis.
Data Source
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AI summary
The crankshaft 61 is located on the one side Do1 of the axis Lc of the cylinder 511, thereby ensuring space on the other side Do2 of the axis Lc of the cylinder 511. This space is used effectively by arranging the upper end portion 55T of the reservoir part 55 on the other side Do2 of the axis Lc of the cylinder 511 in such a manner that the upper end portion 55T overlaps the crankshaft 61 as viewed from the offset direction Do. This makes it possible to limit size increase of the engine 5 while ensuring a large reservoir capacity for the engine oil.