Heatable Fluid Line Volume Reduction Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heatable fluid lines used to transport urea solutions in diesel engines face issues with freezing at low temperatures, leading to unreliable suction of urea solution back into the injector assembly, causing potential damage due to increased volume and flow resistance between the heater and tube.
Innovation Solution
A volume reduction element with a recess is integrated between the heating device and the tube, reducing the annular gap volume and flow resistance, allowing efficient suction of the urea solution without increasing the overall volume, and enabling direct thermal energy utilization for rapid thawing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a heating device is arranged in the interior of the tube, then the urea solution can be heated to prevent freezing, but the volume between the heater and the tube increases making it difficult to suck back urea solution
Solution Approach 1:
The heating device is segmented into multiple heating sections arranged along the tube interior. This segmentation allows the heating function to be distributed while reducing the radial thickness of each heating section, thereby minimizing the annular gap volume between the heater and tube wall.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating device transitions from a potential solid block configuration to a series of spaced heating sections or ribs that extend longitudinally but occupy minimal radial space. This dimensional reorganization maintains heating effectiveness while dramatically reducing the volume in the annular gap.
2Volume of stationary object
If the annular gap volume is reduced, then less urea solution needs to be suctioned back, but the wetted surface area increases causing higher flow resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The heating device is divided into multiple discrete heating sections with gaps between them. These gaps create additional flow passages that reduce the wetted surface area of the annular gap, thereby lowering flow resistance while maintaining the reduced volume configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The spaced heating sections maintain continuous heating capability along the tube length while the gaps between sections provide flow pathways. This ensures that the useful heating action continues throughout the fluid path without creating excessive flow resistance.
3Power
If the heating device cross section is increased to improve heating capability, then more thermal energy can be transferred, but the volume between the heater and tube increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating device is segmented into multiple high-efficiency heating sections distributed along the tube. Each section has a reduced cross-section but the cumulative heating effect along the extended length provides sufficient total heating power while minimizing the annular gap volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating device parameters are optimized by transitioning from a single large cross-section to multiple smaller cross-sections distributed longitudinally. This parameter change maintains or enhances heating power through increased surface area exposure while reducing the radial thickness and annular gap volume.
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 effectively reduces the volume and flow resistance in the annular gap, ensuring reliable suction of the urea solution and protecting the injection arrangement from damage by maintaining the suction behavior of the pump and facilitating rapid thawing of frozen fluid.
Implementation Method 1
a heating device arranged in the interior space
Implementation Method 2
the volume reduction element having a recess running along the heating device... the recess has a smaller wetted surface and thus a lower flow resistance
Implementation Method 3
attempts have been made to suck the urea solution back out of the fluid line... the pump can suck UREA out of the injection arrangement
Data Source
Figure 1a~3
AI summary
Disclosed is a heatable fluid line (1) comprising a tube (2) with an interior, and a heating device (3) inside the interior. The aim is to protect an injection arrangement, which is connected to the fluid line (1), at low temperatures. In order to achieve said aim, a volume reducing element (5) is disposed between the tube and the heating device (3).