Flowable Seal for Suction Pipe and Intercooler
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing suction pipe assemblies for internal combustion engines face challenges in achieving a reliable and simple sealing mechanism, particularly between the suction pipe and the cooling fluid intercooler, which is affected by component tolerances, material differences, and environmental factors like vibrations and temperature fluctuations.
Innovation Solution
A seal made of flowable and curable sealing material is introduced into a seal chamber between the suction pipe and the cooling fluid intercooler, which adjusts to the chamber's shape and cures to provide a tight seal, compensating for tolerances and movements, and can be used in complexly shaped areas without requiring additional pressing or precise alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional rigid seal is used between the suction pipe and cooling fluid intercooler, then the sealing effect is initially good, but the seal cannot compensate for movements and deformations caused by vibrations, temperature fluctuations, and pressure differences
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is made from a material that changes its physical state from flowable to cured solid, transforming its parameters to achieve both initial adaptability and final sealing reliability. This parameter change allows the seal to initially flow into the seal chamber and then固化 to maintain sealing under various operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing solution uses a composite approach by combining the rigidity of cured sealing material with the flexibility to compensate for movements. The cured seal material provides structural stability while maintaining the ability to adapt to thermal expansion and mechanical deformations of the connected components.
2Device complexity
If pre-manufactured seals are used, then the sealing structure is simple, but additional pressing is required to achieve satisfactory sealing action, increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical pressing system with a chemical curing process. Instead of using external pressing mechanisms to achieve sealing, the seal material is introduced in a flowable state and then cured in place, eliminating the need for complex pressing equipment and reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal material performs self-service by automatically filling the seal chamber and creating its own sealing pressure through the curing process. The material self-adjusts to the geometry of the seal chamber and creates sealing force internally during curing, eliminating the need for external pressing mechanisms.
3Ease of manufacture
If the seal chamber is made seal-tight before introducing sealing material, then the sealing process is simple, but gas contained in the seal chamber cannot escape during material introduction
Solution Approach 1:
The seal chamber is prepared in advance with controlled openings that allow gas to escape during the sealing process. These openings are designed to be closed after the seal material is introduced, ensuring that gas can vent during filling but the chamber remains sealed during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal material itself acts as an intermediary that manages the transition from an open to a sealed state. The material is introduced through fill openings and simultaneously displaces and seals around trapped gas, using its flowable-to-cured transformation to manage gas exclusion while maintaining process simplicity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If different materials are used for the suction pipe and cooling fluid intercooler, then design flexibility is improved, but thermal expansion differences create additional sealing challenges
Solution Approach 1:
The seal material's physical parameters are optimized to match the thermal expansion characteristics of both connected components. By adjusting the curing properties and elasticity of the seal material, it can accommodate differential thermal expansion between different materials while maintaining consistent sealing pressure and contact.
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 solution enhances the sealing effectiveness, reduces manufacturing costs, and improves reliability by allowing for better compensation of movements and deformations, ensuring a consistent seal even with different material thermal expansions and complex geometries, without the need for additional pressing or precise positioning.
Implementation Method 1
a seal made of a sealing material that, for introduction into a seal chamber, is initially flowable and subsequently curable
Implementation Method 2
the sealing material can adhere to the sections of the cooling fluid intercooler and of the suction pipe that delimit the seal chamber
Implementation Method 3
the sealing material can remain elastic after curing. In this way, movements between the suction pipe and the cooling fluid intercooler and/or deformations of the sections which delimit the seal chamber can be compensated
Implementation Method 4
The seal chamber can advantageously have leakage sites or openings that are so small that they are permeable only for substances, in particular gases, that are more flowable than the flowable sealing material. Through these openings or leakage sites, gas that is contained possibly in the seal chamber can escape when introducing the flowable sealing material
Data Source
AI summary
A suction pipe assembly of an internal combustion engine has a suction pipe and a cooling fluid intercooler arranged in the suction pipe. A seal chamber is provided that is delimited by at least one section of the suction pipe and at least one section connected with the cooling fluid intercooler. A seal, disposed in the seal chamber, seals the suction pipe relative to the cooling fluid intercooler. The seal is made of an initially flowable sealing material introduced into the seal chamber in an initially flowable state and subsequently cured in a curing phase in the seal chamber. The seal chamber is seal-tightly closed with the exception of at least one fill opening through which the sealing material is introduced into the seal chamber.