Internal Combustion Engine Oil Suction Passage Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Internal combustion engines for offroad motorcycles face challenges in maintaining lubricating oil quality due to bubble formation, which can reduce the ground clearance when attempting to pump oil from the lower side of the oil sump chamber, as existing lubrication structures allow bubbles to mix and rise, necessitating a bulge in the oil passage that compromises clearance.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a crankcase with an oil suction passage that communicates between the oil sump chamber and the engine hanger boss, with a lowest point below the sump chamber's bottom wall, preventing bubble passage and allowing a compact configuration without reducing ground clearance, and an oil passage that extends vertically between the sump chamber and hanger boss, enabling a larger sump chamber volume without altering the engine's position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the oil suction passage is positioned to pump oil from the lower side of the oil sump chamber to reduce bubble ingestion, then the amount of bubbles in the circulated oil is reduced, but the oil passage must bulge to the lower side of the crankcase, reducing the ground clearance of the engine
Solution Approach 1:
The oil suction passage utilizes the vertical dimension by having its lowest point located below the bottom wall of the oil sump chamber. This three-dimensional configuration allows the passage to extend downward into the crankcase without requiring a lateral bulge, thereby maintaining ground clearance while achieving effective oil suction from the lower region of the sump chamber.
Solution Approach 2:
The oil suction passage is nested within the existing crankcase structure, passing between the oil sump chamber and the hanger boss. This nested configuration allows the passage to utilize the available internal space of the crankcase without adding external bulk or requiring the crankcase to bulge outward, thus preserving ground clearance while enabling lower oil suction.
2Length of moving object
If the oil suction passage passes between the oil sump chamber and hanger boss with the lowest part below the bottom wall, then the ground clearance is maintained and bubble passage is prevented, but the configuration becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The oil suction passage serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the oil suction channel, provides structural support by passing between the sump chamber and hanger boss, and creates a bubble-trap configuration with its lowest point below the sump bottom wall. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components and simplifies the overall design despite the sophisticated geometry.
3Quantity of substance
If the oil sump chamber volume is increased to improve lubrication capacity, then the lubrication performance is enhanced, but the engine size increases, affecting the compactness
Solution Approach 1:
The oil suction passage utilizes the vertical space by extending below the bottom wall of the oil sump chamber. This allows the sump chamber to be positioned higher and potentially optimized for volume without increasing the overall engine footprint, as the suction passage efficiently utilizes the vertical dimension already available in the crankcase structure.
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 effectively reduces bubble ingestion by the oil pump, maintains ground clearance, and allows for a larger oil sump chamber volume, enhancing lubrication efficiency while preserving the engine's compactness.
Implementation Method 1
since the oil passes through the lowest part which is located below the bottom wall of the oil sump chamber, it is made difficult for the bubbles in the oil to pass through the lowest part
Data Source
AI summary
An internal combustion engine for reducing the amount of bubbles contained in the circulated oil without reducing the ground clearance of the engine. A crankcase is provided therein with an oil suction passage makes an oil pump and an end part of a bottom wall of an oil sump chamber communicate with each other, passes between the oil sump chamber and a hanger boss, and has a lowest part located below the bottom wall of the oil sump chamber.