Integrated Air Drier Separating Oil Water Purge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air dryers for vehicles require additional installation space for an oil separator, increasing environmental burden due to the discharge of purge air containing oil and water.
Innovation Solution
An integrated air drier design with a separation portion downstream of the collected liquid discharge port, which separates clean air from oil and water, and a collected liquid delivering device that delivers the separated oil and water to an external device, minimizing additional installation space and environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If an oil separator is added downstream of the collected liquid discharge port to separate oil and water from purge air, then the environmental burden is reduced, but the installation space increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the oil separator function into the existing air drier housing by utilizing the collected liquid discharge port structure. The separation portion is formed within the same housing that contains the drying container, merging the drying function and oil-water separation function into a single integrated device. This eliminates the need for a separate standalone oil separator while still achieving the environmental benefit of separating oil and water from purge air.
Solution Approach 2:
The air drier housing is designed to perform multiple functions: drying compressed air through the drying container and simultaneously separating oil and water from purge air through the integrated separation portion. The collected liquid discharge port structure serves dual purposes as both a liquid discharge mechanism and a platform for the oil-water separation function, enabling one device to handle multiple tasks that would traditionally require separate components.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a separate oil separator is installed to discharge clean air, then the environmental burden is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the oil separator functionality with the existing air drier structure by forming the separation portion within the housing that already contains the drying container. The collected liquid discharge port is utilized as the discharge port for the separation portion, merging multiple functions into existing structural elements rather than adding separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The separation portion is designed to automatically separate oil and water from purge air using gravity and density differences without requiring additional active control systems or complex mechanisms. The collected liquid discharge port automatically discharges the separated oil and water, eliminating the need for pumps or valves to control the discharge process, thereby reducing device complexity.
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
The solution reduces the environmental burden and minimizes additional installation space by effectively separating oil and water from purge air and delivering them to an external device, ensuring only clean air is discharged, thereby reducing the need for extra space and environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
The air drier removes water from the compressed air to dry the compressed air by the desiccant adsorbing the water
Implementation Method 2
The oil separator performs vapor-liquid separation by causing the purge air to strike the impingement member to collect oil and water and discharge clean air
Data Source
AI summary
An air drier includes an inlet, an outlet, and a collected liquid discharge port. Compressed air flows in the inlet. Dry compressed air is discharged through the outlet. Purge air containing oil and water is discharged through a collected liquid discharge port. The air drier further includes a drying container that is filled with desiccant, and a case that covers the drying container. The air drier is provided with, downstream of the collected liquid discharge port, a separation portion that separates clean air from oil and water in the purge air, a clean air outlet through which the clean air is discharged, and a collected liquid retaining portion in which collected liquid is retained. The collected liquid is separated oil and water.