Intake Duct Reservoir Pocket for Liquid Drainage Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing intake ducts allow liquid to flow into the duct depth, potentially reaching the cooling blower, which can lead to inefficiencies and potential contamination.
Innovation Solution
An intake duct design with a reservoir pocket behind the air inlet, featuring an inclined bottom surface guiding liquid to a discharge port, and a leg portion to maintain the inclination, preventing liquid from flowing into the duct's back.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a liquid reservoir is provided in the middle of the duct, then liquid can be accumulated, but liquid flows into the duct depth and reaches the cooling blower
Solution Approach 1:
The duct is segmented into distinct functional zones: an air inlet section, a reservoir pocket section with inclined bottom surface, and a discharge port section. This segmentation prevents liquid from the reservoir from flowing into the blower section by creating a physical barrier through the inclined surface design that directs liquid toward the discharge port rather than allowing it to flow backward into the duct depth.
Solution Approach 2:
The inclined bottom surface of the reservoir pocket acts as an intermediary mechanism between the liquid accumulation space and the discharge port. It actively guides liquid flow toward the discharge port using gravity, preventing liquid from flowing into the duct depth while maintaining the reservoir's liquid storage function.
2Quantity of substance
If the reservoir pocket is positioned behind the air inlet, then liquid can be stored, but liquid may flow backward into the duct
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir pocket features an asymmetric inclined bottom surface that slopes downward toward the discharge port. This asymmetric geometry creates a unidirectional flow path for liquid, allowing the reservoir to store liquid while the inclination prevents backward flow into the duct by directing all liquid movement toward the discharge port.
Solution Approach 2:
The inclined bottom surface of the reservoir pocket creates a curved flow path that guides liquid smoothly toward the discharge port. This curved geometry ensures liquid follows the slope downward to the discharge port rather than flowing backward into the duct, maintaining storage capacity while preventing harmful backward flow.
3Ease of operation
If a discharge port is provided at the bottom of the reservoir pocket, then liquid can be discharged, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge port is merged directly into the bottom surface of the reservoir pocket, eliminating the need for separate discharge mechanisms or additional components. This integration provides effective liquid discharge functionality while minimizing structural complexity, as the discharge port is simply an opening in the inclined bottom surface rather than a separate 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
Effectively prevents liquid from entering the duct's blower section, ensuring efficient airflow and reducing contamination risks.
Implementation Method 1
a bottom surface of the reservoir pocket is shaped to be inclined with respect to a horizontal direction so as to guide the liquid to the discharge port
Data Source
AI summary
An intake duct includes: an air inlet; a reservoir pocket for storing liquid flowing from the air inlet; and a discharge port for discharging liquid from the reservoir pocket. Further, the reservoir pocket is provided just behind the air inlet, and a bottom surface of the reservoir pocket is shaped to be inclined with respect to a horizontal direction so as to guide the liquid to the discharge port.