Vehicle Fluid Duct With Auxiliary Channels for Uniform Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ducts for fluid transportation in motor vehicles face issues such as wall collapse during thermoforming and non-uniform heating due to resistive wires not being in intimate contact with the sheath, leading to manufacturing challenges and performance inconsistencies.
Innovation Solution
A duct design featuring an outer tube with integrated auxiliary channels and a resistive wire on the inner tube, where the outer tube is extruded around the inner tube, ensuring structural integrity and allowing for thermal insulation or heat exchange through the auxiliary fluid flow, with the resistive wire wound around the inner tube for uniform heating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the duct is manufactured by thermoforming, then the outer tube can be formed, but the walls defining the groove tend to collapse
Solution Approach 1:
The groove is formed by extruding the outer tube around the inner tube before the thermoforming process, creating a pre-formed structure that maintains wall stability during subsequent heating and forming operations
Solution Approach 2:
The duct is divided into separate components (inner tube and outer tube) that are manufactured independently through extrusion, allowing each component to maintain its structural integrity during the manufacturing process
2Use of energy by stationary object
If resistive wires are placed on the sheath, then heating function is provided, but the wires can move from initial position creating non-uniform heating
Solution Approach 1:
The resistive heating wires are integrated into the inner tube structure during extrusion, merging the heating function with the structural component, which eliminates wire movement and ensures uniform heating distribution
Solution Approach 2:
The inner tube acts as an intermediary structure that carries and positions the resistive wires, providing a stable substrate that prevents wire displacement while enabling effective heat transfer to the fluid
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 enhances manufacturing robustness and versatility, enabling effective thermal management and uniform heating, while reducing manufacturing costs and time, and adapting to different fluid transportation systems.
Implementation Method 1
the duct has a device for heating the fluid to be transported, in particular a heating resistor wire
Implementation Method 2
the auxiliary channels can be used to obtain, relative to the environment on the outside of the duct, an effective thermal insulation of the fluid to be transported, for example by closing them at their axial ends and containing air
Implementation Method 3
the auxiliary channels can be used to heat the fluid to be transported, for example by causing the auxiliary channels to be flown through by an auxiliary fluid suited to carry out a heat exchange with the fluid to be transported
Data Source
AI summary
A duct includes an inner tube configured to have fluid flow through to be transported and an outer tube surrounding the inner tube. The outer tube defines, in its interior, a plurality of auxiliary channels, which extend in the longitudinal direction of the outer tube and are designed to contain or have a further auxiliary fluid flow through, which is configured to thermally interact with the fluid to be transported.