Turbocharger Hot-charge Duct NVH Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional hot-charge ducts in turbocharger systems are heavy and expensive due to their metal construction, and when made from plastic or composite materials, they struggle to achieve suitable noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) performance without increasing weight and cost.
Innovation Solution
A thin-walled plastic or composite hot-charge duct with a unique flower-shaped cross-sectional design featuring circumferentially interconnected semi-tubular sections and longitudinal exterior and interior ribs, which enhances stiffness and reduces surface velocity to minimize noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional metal construction is used for hot-charge ducts, then strength and durability are improved, but weight and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters from metal to thin-walled plastic or composite materials, while compensating for reduced inherent strength through structural design modifications (longitudinal ribs, circumferential ribs, optimized wall thickness distribution) to achieve the required strength-to-weight ratio
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material construction by combining plastic base material with reinforced rib structures, creating a composite system that delivers metal-level strength with plastic-level weight benefits
2Weight of moving object
If thin-walled plastic or composite materials are used for hot-charge ducts, then weight and cost are reduced, but noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces longitudinal ribs and circumferential ribs that act as vibration dampers and noise barriers, using mechanical structures to absorb and dissipate vibration energy and block airborne noise propagation paths
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies localized structural enhancements (ribs, thickened sections) only where needed for NVH control, rather than uniformly thickening the entire duct, thus maintaining weight efficiency while providing targeted noise and vibration mitigation
3Weight of moving object
If thin-walled plastic or composite materials are used for hot-charge ducts, then weight and cost are reduced, but structural stiffness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the duct wall structure into multiple functional elements (base wall, longitudinal ribs, circumferential ribs) that work together to provide enhanced stiffness through distributed structural support rather than relying on uniform wall thickness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds structural complexity in the longitudinal and circumferential dimensions by introducing rib structures, transforming a simple thin-walled tube into a multi-dimensional reinforced structure that achieves high stiffness-to-weight ratio
Data Source
AI summary
A turbocharger system includes a compressor, an intercooler, and a hot-charge duct connecting an outlet of the compressor to an inlet of the intercooler. The hot-charge duct has a first end portion connected to the inlet, a second end portion connected to the outlet, and a central tubular portion extending from the first end portion to the second end portion. The central tubular portion is formed of a plurality of circumferentially interconnected semi-tubular sections that extend longitudinally.