Protective Grid Sealing Elements Heat Exchanger Airflow

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional protective grids for heat exchangers in vehicles fail to prevent lighter articles like paper, polythene bags, and leaves from obstructing airflow while also protecting against heavier objects like stones, leading to inefficient performance and potential damage, especially when high-speed ram air is used for cooling.

Innovation Solution

A protective grid system with sealing elements along its longitudinal edges that engage with the heat exchanger core, allowing for partial sealing and preventing air escape while allowing airflow, and featuring restricted air passages and guide-ways for secure mounting, ensuring that ram air reaches the core efficiently and protecting against impacts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a protective grid is mounted over the heat exchanger core to protect against heavier objects like stones, then protection against impact damage is improved, but lighter articles like paper, polythene bags, and leaves can still obstruct airflow causing inefficient performance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection against impact damageVSAvoidairflow efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The protective grid is designed with a porous structure comprising longitudinal bars and transverse bars that create openings. This porous configuration allows airflow to pass through while the bars intercept and prevent lighter articles like paper and polythene bags from entering the heat exchanger core, thus maintaining both protection and airflow efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The grid is segmented into longitudinal bars and transverse bars that form a structured pattern. This segmentation creates specific opening sizes and distributions that allow air to pass through while blocking lighter debris, resolving the contradiction between protection and airflow

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the grid is positioned close to the heat exchanger core to prevent debris entry, then protection against lighter articles is improved, but air escape through the gap between grid and core reduces ram air utilization

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprevention of debris entryVSAvoidram air utilization efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

A sealing element in the form of a flexible lip or film is attached to the heat exchanger core. This flexible sealing element conformally seals the gap between the grid and the core, preventing air escape while maintaining the grid's protective function against lighter articles

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing element acts as an intermediary component between the grid and the heat exchanger core. It fills and seals the gap without preventing the grid from blocking lighter debris, thus resolving the contradiction between debris prevention and air utilization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the grid structure is made dense to block lighter articles effectively, then debris prevention is improved, but air flow rate through the heat exchanger core is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedebris blocking capabilityVSAvoidair flow rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The grid structure employs local quality variations where longitudinal bars and transverse bars are strategically positioned to create openings of specific sizes. The bar dimensions, spacing, and pattern are optimized to block lighter articles like paper and leaves while maintaining sufficient opening area for air flow rate

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 efficiency and service life of heat exchangers by ensuring proper airflow and protection against debris, reducing maintenance needs and being cost-effective and easy to manufacture and retrofit.

Implementation Method 1

the sealing element contacts the face of the heat exchanger core to configure at least a partial sealing of gap between the grid and the heat exchanger core when ram air pushes the grid against the heat exchanger

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSealing contact:

Implementation Method 2

The grid includes an array of elements defining restricted air passages

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRestricted air passages:

Data Source

PatentEP3590771B1A protective grid system with sealing elements

Publication Date: 2021.03.03 VALEO AUTOSYSTY

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AI summary

A protective grid system (100) comprising at least one grid (10a, 10b) adapted to be mounted over a face of at least one heat exchanger core (20) such that at least one lateral edge of said grid (10a, 10b) is adapted to configure sealing engagement with said heat exchanger core (20), said grid (10a, 10b) comprising at least one sealing element (12a, 12b) configured along at least a part of the at least one longitudinal edge thereof and extending in direction of said face of said heat exchanger core (20), said sealing element (12a, 12b) being adapted to contact said face of said heat exchanger core (20) to configure at least a partial sealing of gap between said grid (10a, 10b) and said heat exchanger core (20).