Heater Core Coolant Bubble Separation for Quiet Vehicle Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle air conditioning systems experience reduced heating efficiency and noise due to bubble formation when cooling engine components, as vaporized cooling water introduces bubbles into the heater core, disrupting heat exchange.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a bubble separating means that utilizes the difference in specific gravity and flowing velocity to separate bubbles from the coolant, ensuring only bubble-free coolant is fed to the heating means, employing a receiving chamber and feeding chamber with varying cross-sectional areas and orientations to efficiently remove bubbles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling water is used to heat the interior after cooling the engine, then heating function is provided, but bubbles are transferred to the heater core causing drop in heat exchange efficiency and noise
Solution Approach 1:
The bubble separating means is installed in the cooling water circulation path before the heater core to remove bubbles in advance. This preliminary action prevents bubbles from reaching the heater core, maintaining heat exchange efficiency while preserving the heating function of the cooling water system.
Solution Approach 2:
A bubble separating means is introduced as an intermediary component between the cooling water source and the heater core. This intermediary device separates and removes bubbles from the cooling water, allowing only bubble-free water to reach the heater core, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining heating function and preventing heat exchange degradation.
2Temperature
If cooling water is used to heat the interior, then heating function is provided, but noise is generated when bubbles flow in the heating means
Solution Approach 1:
The bubble separating means removes bubbles from the cooling water before it enters the heater core. By performing this separation action in advance, the system prevents noise generation in the heater core while maintaining the heating function, as bubbles are the source of the harmful noise.
3Temperature
If bubbles are present in the coolant, then heating function is maintained, but heat exchange efficiency drops due to bubble interference
Solution Approach 1:
The bubble separating means acts as an intermediary that filters out bubbles from the cooling water before it reaches the heater core. This eliminates the harmful effect of bubbles on heat exchange efficiency while preserving the useful heating capability of the cooling water system.
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 enhances heating performance by maintaining efficient heat exchange in the heater core and reduces noise by eliminating bubble flow, ensuring effective interior heating with improved thermal efficiency and reduced noise.
Implementation Method 1
the bubble separating means is one that performs the separation of the bubbles by utilizing the fact that the specific gravity of the bubble is smaller than that of the coolant
Implementation Method 2
the bubble separating means is one that performs the separation of the bubbles by utilizing the change of flowing velocity of the coolant
Data Source
AI summary
An air conditioning system for automobile having a heater core capable of heating the interior in good efficiency is to be provided. Such a heater core is supplied with the coolant having bubbles removed, and thereby the efficiency of heat exchange is enhanced and the noise is reduced. On the internal combustion engine is mounted a water outlet (bubble separating means) 3 having a receiving chamber 8 that the coolant after cooling the engine flows in. In the downstream position of the chamber 8 is formed a communicating portion 9 of narrowed sectional area and a feeding chamber 10 of increased sectional area in turn. The flowing velocity of the coolant is increased in the communicating portion 9 and decreased in the feeding chamber 10 and thereby it is possible to make bubbles in the coolant float up and separate out. As a result, the coolant without bubbles may be fed to the heater core 7 through a feeding portion 11.