Failsafe Air Valve Preloading Mechanism for Cooling Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air valve arrangements in motor vehicles can fail due to actuator failure, leading to impaired cooling of downstream units and potential overheating, especially when in the shut-off position, causing damage.
Innovation Solution
An air valve arrangement coupled with a preloading device that preloads the air valve in a direction of relative rotation, ensuring it adjusts to the passage position if the actuator fails, maintaining a minimum air flow and reducing the risk of damage by counteracting the preloading force with a low energy input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an actuator is used to adjust the air valve, then the air valve can be precisely controlled between shut-off and passage positions, but the system becomes vulnerable to actuator failure which may block the air passage and prevent cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The preloading device is pre-configured to automatically move the air valve to the passage position when the actuator fails. This preliminary action mechanism ensures that upon failure, the air passage is automatically opened without requiring additional control systems or complex failure detection mechanisms, thus improving cooling reliability while maintaining relatively simple system architecture.
2Reliability
If the air valve is preloaded towards the passage position, then minimum air flow is ensured upon actuator failure, but the actuator must constantly overcome the preloading force to maintain the shut-off position
Solution Approach 1:
The preloading device applies only enough force to ensure the air valve moves to the passage position upon failure, not enough to completely override the actuator during normal operation. This partial preloading approach provides sufficient safety margin for failure conditions while allowing the actuator to maintain control during normal operation with acceptable energy consumption.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the preloading device is added to ensure failure safety, then the risk of overheating is reduced, but the structural complexity of the air valve arrangement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The preloading device acts as an intermediary mechanical element between the air valve and the actuator. It provides the fail-safe functionality through a simple mechanical spring-loaded mechanism that automatically activates upon actuator failure, reducing overheating risk without requiring complex electronic control systems or multiple redundant actuators.
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
Ensures a minimum air flow to units requiring cooling even if the actuator fails, reducing the risk of overheating and damage, while maintaining a low energy input and minimizing structural complexity.
Implementation Method 1
the air valve is coupled to a preloading device, which preloads the air valve in a direction of relative rotation
Data Source
AI summary
An air valve arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising a frame and an air valve provided on said frame so as to be rotatable thereto about an axis of relative movement (R) in opposing directions of relative rotation, the frame comprising an air passage opening, and the air valve is provided in such a way on the frame that it is rotatable between a shut-off position and a passage position, the air valve in the passage position reducing a passage opening area of the air passage opening less than in the shut-off position, and further comprising a drive, which is designed to drive the air valve in at least one first direction of relative rotation about the axis of relative movement (R) for relative rotation, characterized in that the air valve is coupled to a preloading device, which preloads the air valve in a direction of relative rotation.