Heat-Conducting Sleeve for Low-Temperature Fluid Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for supplying liquid reducing agents in internal combustion engines face challenges with interface freezing, particularly at low temperatures, leading to reduced system availability due to difficulties in heating hydraulic connection pieces which are not part of the heating circuit.
Innovation Solution
A device with a heat-conducting sleeve that separates fluidic and thermal functionalities, allowing heat transmission from a heated supply line or system component to the interface, enabling rapid thawing and preventing freezing without the need for complex heating provisions at the interface itself.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electric heating is applied to the tank and supply module, then the fluid medium is kept in liquid state, but the interface between components freezes due to insufficient heat transmission
Solution Approach 1:
A heat-conducting sleeve is introduced as an intermediary component between the heated supply line and the interface. This sleeve actively conducts heat from the heated supply line to the interface region, ensuring that the interface remains thawed even when the main heating elements are not directly adjacent to it. The sleeve material is specifically selected for its high thermal conductivity to effectively transfer heat across the interface gap.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating system is segmented into multiple independent heating zones: heating elements in the tank, heating elements in the supply module, and the heat-conducting sleeve at the interface. This segmentation allows each zone to be optimized independently, with the sleeve specifically addressing the thermal gap at the interface that would otherwise remain cold despite heating of the main components.
2Reliability
If hydraulic connection pieces are added to the interface, then fluid connection is improved, but heating these pieces becomes exceedingly difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The heat-conducting sleeve merges the thermal function with the existing interface structure. Rather than adding separate heating elements to the hydraulic connection pieces, the sleeve integrates heat conduction directly into the interface region, combining the thermal management function with the structural interface component.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface region serves itself thermally through the heat-conducting sleeve, which passively conducts heat from the already-heated supply line. The interface does not require its own active heating system; instead, it utilizes the thermal energy already present in the supply line through the mediating sleeve.
3Ease of manufacture
If the interface is not heated, then construction is simple and economical, but the interface freezes at low temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The heat-conducting sleeve acts as a passive intermediary that enables thermal transfer without requiring active heating components at the interface. This maintains the simplicity of interface construction while reliably preventing freezing through thermal conduction from the heated supply line.
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
This solution significantly reduces thawing time and increases system usability and user-friendliness by allowing the interface to be constructed simply and economically, ensuring operational readiness even under stringent conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a heat-conducting sleeve, which transmits heat from the heated supply line and/or a heated internal region of the system component to the interface
Data Source
AI summary
A device for transporting a fluid medium to a metering module for metering a liquid reducing agent into an exhaust gas system in order to reduce pollutants in an exhaust gas. The device has at least one heated transport line and at least one system component with a heated internal region. The transport line has a line connecting piece, and the system component has a module connecting piece that is directly or indirectly coupled to the line connecting piece. The device includes at least one heat conducting sleeve that can be inserted in the line connecting piece and the module connecting piece. The heat conducting sleeve is thermally coupled to the heated transport line and/or the heated internal region in order to transmit heat.