Vehicle Heat Exchanger Air Guide with Adjustable Gap
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Variations in heat exchanger sizes lead to air bypassing, reducing the effectiveness of heat transfer in vehicle cooling systems due to gaps between the heat exchanger frame structure and the heat exchanger.
Innovation Solution
An air guide system with breakable regions and living hinges that can be adjusted to accommodate heat exchangers of different sizes, ensuring airflow is directed effectively to the heat exchanger core, regardless of size variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a fixed heat exchanger frame structure is used, then manufacturing and installation are simplified, but gaps appear between the frame and heat exchanger when sizes vary, causing air bypass
Solution Approach 1:
The air guide includes a movable portion that can be positioned at different locations along the heat exchanger frame structure. This movable portion is retainable at multiple positions to accommodate heat exchangers of different sizes, allowing the air guide to dynamically adjust rather than remain fixed, thereby preventing air bypass while maintaining manufacturing simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The air guide is divided into a fixed portion and a movable portion. The fixed portion attaches to the heat exchanger frame structure while the movable portion can be repositioned along the frame. This segmentation allows the air guide to adapt to different heat exchanger sizes by adjusting the movable portion's position, preventing air bypass through gaps
2Adaptability or versatility
If the air guide is made adjustable for different heat exchanger sizes, then adaptability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movable portion of the air guide includes a biasing element that provides resilient biasing force. This flexible mechanism allows the air guide to adapt to different heat exchanger sizes through elastic deformation and resilient movement, achieving adjustability without complex mechanical systems, motors, or actuators
Solution Approach 2:
The biasing element automatically adjusts the movable portion to the appropriate position based on the heat exchanger size. The system is self-adjusting through the resilient biasing force, eliminating the need for external actuators, motors, or complex control mechanisms, thereby maintaining simplicity while achieving adaptability
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchanger assembly can include a support structure, a heat exchanger, and an air guide. The heat exchanger can be mounted to the support structure. The heat exchanger and the support structure can cooperate to define a gap. The air guide can block the gap to guide an airflow toward a core of the heat exchanger. The air guide can include a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end can be coupled to the support structure. The distal end can extend a first distance from the proximal end in a first condition and can extend a second distance from the proximal end in a second condition. The second distance can be less than the first distance.