Fluid Container Heating Element Housing for Ice Pressure Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid containers for motor vehicles face challenges in protecting heating devices from mechanical damage due to ice pressure and ensuring a media-resistant energy supply, particularly at low temperatures where aqueous operating liquids can freeze.
Innovation Solution
A liquid container design featuring a housing that encloses the heating element in a liquid-tight manner, with a cable leadthrough that maintains a liquid-tight seal and uses a welding ring or silicone seal for connection, ensuring the heating element is protected from mechanical and chemical damage while allowing energy supply through a sealed, media-resistant connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a heating element is arranged in the storage volume of the liquid container, then rapid thawing of aqueous operating liquid is enabled, but the heating element is exposed to mechanical damage from ice pressure and impact of ice pieces
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two functional parts: a heating element for rapid thawing and a housing for protection. The heating element is enclosed within a housing that has a different level of protection than the container wall, allowing the heating element to be protected from mechanical damage while remaining thermally effective for thawing the liquid.
2Reliability
If the heating element is enclosed in a housing for protection, then mechanical and chemical damage is prevented, but the energy supply cable must pass through the housing and container wall requiring sealed connections
Solution Approach 1:
A housing acts as an intermediary structure between the heating element and the container wall. The housing provides a protected enclosure for the heating element while incorporating a cable leadthrough with sealed connections. This intermediary structure simplifies the overall design by consolidating the sealing requirements at the housing level rather than requiring direct sealed integration between the heating element and container wall.
3Reliability
If cable leadthrough with sealed connections is implemented, then media-resistant energy supply is achieved, but the connection between housing and container wall requires additional sealing measures
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system is segmented into multiple functional elements: the housing provides the first level of sealing around the heating element, the cable leadthrough provides sealing for the energy supply cable, and the connection between housing and container wall provides the final seal. This segmentation allows each sealing function to be optimized independently and facilitates modular assembly and manufacturing.
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 design effectively protects the heating element from mechanical and chemical damage while ensuring a reliable, media-resistant energy supply, enabling rapid thawing of aqueous operating liquids at low temperatures without compromising the container's integrity.
Implementation Method 1
having a heating element, which is arranged in the storage volume
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a fluid container for a motor vehicle, having a container wall that bounds a storage volume for storing liquid with respect to an environment, a heating element that is arranged in the storage volume, and a housing, wherein the housing encloses the heating element in a liquid-tight manner with respect to the supply volume.