Intake Manifold Heat Exchanger Sealing for Easier Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing combined intake distributor and heat exchanger modules for internal combustion engines face challenges in rigid retention, sealing, and assembly complexity, leading to high manufacturing costs and assembly difficulties due to the integration of multiple functions and materials with different thermal expansion coefficients.
Innovation Solution
A supercharged air intake distributor with a heat exchanger featuring a U-shaped joint and a linear seal, where the U-shaped joint is pre-assembled on three sides of the exchanger and the linear seal is attached to the crosspiece or support plate, forming a continuous circumferential seal that is easy to assemble and adaptable to dimensional variations, allowing for flexible mounting and independent sealing functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the heat exchanger is rigidly retained in the distributor body with peripheral sealing, then the sealing effectiveness is improved, but the assembly complexity and manufacturing cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger assembly is segmented into modular components: the heat exchanger core, the cross-member with integrated sealing, and the distributor body. This segmentation allows independent manufacturing and assembly of each component, reducing overall assembly complexity while maintaining sealing effectiveness through dedicated sealing elements at each interface.
Solution Approach 2:
A cross-member acts as an intermediary component between the heat exchanger and the distributor body. This cross-member integrates both mechanical retention functions and sealing functions, eliminating the need for separate retention and sealing mechanisms. The cross-member includes peripheral sealing elements that ensure effective sealing while simplifying the assembly process.
2Ease of manufacture
If the heat exchanger is made separately and mounted in the assembled distributor, then the manufacturing flexibility is improved, but the assembly precision and sealing reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The cross-member with integrated peripheral sealing is prepared in advance as a pre-assembled unit. This preliminary preparation includes attaching the sealing elements to the cross-member before the final assembly with the distributor body, ensuring proper sealing configuration and reducing assembly precision requirements during final installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cross-member serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical retention for the heat exchanger, ensures peripheral sealing through integrated sealing elements, and facilitates easy assembly by being a self-contained module. This multi-functionality maintains both manufacturing flexibility and assembly precision.
3Reliability
If the peripheral seal is made as a single continuous piece, then the sealing barrier is improved, but the adaptability to dimensional variations and thermal expansion decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The peripheral sealing is segmented into multiple discrete sealing elements attached to the cross-member at different locations. These segmented sealing elements can independently accommodate dimensional variations and thermal expansion of different components, while collectively maintaining a continuous sealing barrier around the heat exchanger.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing system incorporates dynamic adaptability through flexible sealing elements that can adjust to dimensional changes and thermal expansion. The segmented sealing elements attached to the cross-member can move or deform independently to accommodate changes in the relative positions of the heat exchanger and distributor body, maintaining sealing effectiveness under varying conditions.
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 simplifies assembly, reduces manufacturing complexity, and ensures effective sealing despite thermal expansion, while maintaining structural integrity and flexibility in mounting, thereby reducing costs and improving assembly efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the flow of gas circulating in the collector passes through the said exchanger to go from one of the said compartments to the second compartment
Implementation Method 2
the gas flow to be cooled circulates by circulating around and between these tubes or fins
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to an intake manifold for an internal combustion engine comprising an integrated heat exchanger (2). This heat exchanger (2) includes a support plate ensuring its rigid mounting within the manifold and peripheral sealing means (6, 7) forming a substantially continuous circumferential airtight barrier between the heat exchanger (2) and the manifold (1), peripherally dividing the interstitial volume (5) in two. The manifold (1) is characterized in that the plane (P) of subdivision of the interstitial volume (5) is perpendicular to the plane of the support plate (3) and in that the peripheral sealing means consist of two complementary components (6 and 7) connected to each other and fixed to the heat exchanger (2).