Integrated Vehicle Radiator with Partitioned Header Tanks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle radiators face installation space restrictions in small engine compartments, leading to deteriorated collision performance and heat releasing efficiency due to separate engine and intercooler radiators, which increases ventilation resistance and reduces cooling performance.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle radiator design that integrates coolant flow lines within each header tank, utilizing partitioned chambers and condensers to reduce package size, weight, and ventilation resistance, while improving heat release performance by aligning tubes and heat diffusion fins vertically.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate engine radiator and intercooler radiator are applied parallel at the front side, then cooling function is provided, but installation space is restricted and package is enlarged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the engine radiator and intercooler radiator into a single integrated radiator assembly. The radiator includes a first heat exchange section for engine coolant and a second heat exchange section for intercooler coolant, both sharing common structural elements including header tanks, tubes, and heat diffusion fins. This integration maintains separate cooling circuits while reducing overall package size and eliminating the need for separate radiator installations.
2Reliability
If separate engine radiator and intercooler radiator are applied parallel, then cooling function is provided, but ventilation resistance is excessively formed
Solution Approach 1:
The radiator is segmented into distinct first and second heat exchange sections, each with separate inlet and outlet tanks and independent coolant circulation paths. The first heat exchange section handles engine coolant while the second handles intercooler coolant. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each cooling circuit's airflow paths, reducing mutual interference and ventilation resistance while maintaining effective cooling for both systems.
3Reliability
If heights of tubes and heat diffusion fins of each radiator are different, then cooling is provided, but collision performance is deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different heights to tubes and heat diffusion fins at different locations within the radiator assembly. The first and second heat exchange sections have tubes and fins with varying heights optimized for their specific cooling requirements. This local differentiation allows each section to achieve optimal cooling performance while the overall integrated structure maintains consistent external dimensions for improved collision performance.
4Reliability
If engine radiator and intercooler radiator are applied parallel, then cooling is provided, but heat releasing performance is deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated radiator design merges both heat exchange sections into a single assembly with shared heat diffusion fins and coordinated tube arrangements. The first and second heat exchange sections work simultaneously within the same airflow field, allowing heat from both engine coolant and intercooler coolant to be released through the same external surface area. This combined approach improves overall heat releasing performance compared to separate radiators that would compete for airflow.
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 enhances cooling efficiency by reducing ventilation resistance and improving heat release performance, allowing for effective cooling of both engine and intercooler without increasing size or capacity, while also improving collision performance by optimizing engine compartment space.
Implementation Method 1
a vehicle radiator to cool a coolant that is flowed at an inside through heat exchange with outdoor air
Implementation Method 2
heat diffusion fins, each of which are formed between the first tubes and the second tubes
Implementation Method 3
a condenser that is provided at the inside of the fourth chamber in the second header tank, wherein the condenser is configured to circulate a refrigerant through a refrigerant pipe and to condense the refrigerant through heat exchange with a coolant that passes through the fourth chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle radiator may include a first header tank partitioned through a first barrier rib that is integrally formed at the inside to store a coolant to form a first chamber and a second chamber inside the first header tank, a second header tank disposed apart by a predetermined gap from the first header tank and partitioned through a second barrier rib that is integrally formed therein to correspond to the first barrier rib to form a third chamber and a fourth chamber, a plurality of first and second tubes that are mounted in a vertical direction at each separated position of each inside surface of the first header tank and the second header tank, heat diffusion fins, each of which are formed between the first tubes and the second tubes; and a condenser that is provided at the inside of the fourth chamber in the second header tank.