Heating device and method for manufacturing heating device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heating devices for hybrid and electric vehicles face increased production costs and pressure loss due to complex shapes and mold forming requirements, which also lead to abnormal temperature rises and reduced flow rates.
Innovation Solution
A heating device with a case composed of two connected sections, each with an open surface, formed by casting or injection molding, utilizing draft angles to create enlarged-width flow path portions and arranging heating elements between these sections to smooth the flow of the heat medium.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a complex shape is formed to promote heat exchange between heating element and heat medium, then heat exchange performance is improved, but manufacturing cost and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The case is divided into a first case body and a second case body that are connected together. The first case body contains the heating element and has a substantially U-shaped cross-section, while the second case body forms the remaining flow path. This segmentation allows each part to be manufactured separately with simpler mold requirements, reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining effective heat exchange through the configured flow path.
2Reliability
If a complex shape with meandering flow path is formed to lengthen heat exchange time, then heat exchange duration is improved, but pressure loss increases and flow rate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the case into two bodies with specific geometric configurations (U-shaped first body), the flow path achieves an optimized balance between length and smoothness. The heat medium flows through the first flow path section in the first case body and continues through the second flow path section in the second case body, creating sufficient heat exchange duration without excessive meandering that would cause high pressure loss.
3Productivity
If cutting is performed to enlarge flow path width, then flow rate is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The draft angles are built into the mold design during the initial manufacturing process. The first case body is formed with draft angles on its inner surface that naturally create enlarged-width portions in the flow path where the heat medium makes U-turns. This preliminary action during molding eliminates the need for subsequent cutting operations to enlarge the flow path, maintaining high flow rate while reducing manufacturing cost.
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 design simplifies mold formation, reduces production costs, minimizes pressure loss, and prevents abnormal temperature rises while maintaining a required flow rate, enhancing the heating performance and air conditioning efficiency in vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
a heating device using an electric heating wire heater as a heating element is mounted in the vehicle
Implementation Method 2
heat exchange between the heating element and the heat medium has to be activated to improve a heating performance
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a heating device which is capable of smoothening flow of a heat medium while reducing a processing time of a case. A heating device 1 is constituted of a case 2 including therein a flow path 3 through which a heat medium flows, and electric heating wire heaters 4 arranged in the flow path 3 of the case 2 to heat the heat medium. The case 2 is constituted of a first case section 6 and a second case section 7 each of which has at least one opened surface and which are connected to each other in a state where respective openings 6A and 7A are made to abut on each other. The respective case sections 6 and 7 are formed by casting of a metal.