Composite Engine Valve with Copper Core for Heat Radiation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing engine valves for downsized internal combustion engines face challenges in achieving sufficient heat radiation performance and efficient production, with previous solutions focusing on weight reduction rather than heat radiation, and involving complex manufacturing processes or hazardous materials like sodium.
Innovation Solution
An engine valve design featuring a steel or nickel alloy valve body with a copper or copper alloy core member, where the core member is integrated through extrusion molding, allowing for improved heat conductivity and efficient production, and a temperature-dependent gap formation between the valve body and core member to adjust heat radiation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a core member made of titanium or titanium alloy is provided inside the valve body, then weight reduction is achieved, but heat radiation performance is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines steel or nickel alloy (for heat resistance and structural integrity) with copper or copper alloy (for superior heat conductivity and weight reduction) to create a composite engine valve. This composite structure achieves both weight reduction and improved heat radiation performance, resolving the contradiction between using lightweight materials and maintaining adequate heat radiation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from titanium/titanium alloy to copper/copper alloy for the core member, exploiting copper's significantly higher heat conductivity to improve heat radiation performance while maintaining the weight reduction benefit.
2Weight of moving object
If a core member made of aluminum or magnesium is provided inside the valve body, then weight reduction and heat radiation performance are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the core member and valve body into a single integrated component through extrusion molding, eliminating the need for separate loading steps. This combining approach simplifies manufacturing while achieving weight reduction and improved heat radiation with copper-based materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex assembly operations (loading core member into pre-formed hollow valve body) with a single extrusion molding process, significantly simplifying the manufacturing system and improving production efficiency.
3Temperature
If metal sodium is sealed inside the valve body, then heat radiation performance is improved, but handling difficulty and production cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces hazardous metal sodium with copper or copper alloy, which is safer, easier to handle, and more cost-effective. While sodium has high heat conductivity, copper provides sufficient heat radiation performance with dramatically improved ease of manufacture and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The copper core member acts as an intermediary heat transfer medium between the combustion chamber and valve exterior, providing effective heat radiation without the handling hazards and cost issues associated with metal sodium.
4Temperature
If the valve body and core member are made to contact each other at operating temperature, then heat radiation is improved, but gap formation at low temperature causes manufacturing precision issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent exploits the thermal expansion difference between the valve body and core member materials. The dimensions are designed so that at operating temperature, thermal expansion causes the components to contact each other for optimal heat radiation, while at manufacturing temperature, a small gap exists that does not compromise manufacturing precision.
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 engine valve effectively suppresses knocking due to preignition by enhancing heat radiation performance and reducing production costs, while simplifying the manufacturing process and ensuring safe handling.
Implementation Method 1
a core member made of copper or copper alloy and provided inside the valve body
Implementation Method 2
positively radiating heat in the combustion chamber through the engine valve
Implementation Method 3
radiating heat in the combustion chamber through the engine valve
Data Source
AI summary
An engine valve and a method of producing the engine valve are provided. The engine valve includes a shaft part and an umbrella part formed at one end of the shaft part. The engine valve opens and closes an intake port or an exhaust port of a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. Further, at least a portion of the engine valve that extends from the umbrella part to a position on the shaft part in a longitudinal direction thereof includes a valve body made of steel or nickel alloy, and a core member made of copper or copper alloy and provided inside the valve body.