Liquid Tank Relief Structure Suppressing Sloshing Noise

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing liquid tanks for motor vehicles require costly and complex fabrication and assembly processes to reduce sloshing movements, as separate relief structures need to be fabricated and mounted on the tank walls, increasing manufacturing expenses.

Innovation Solution

The liquid tank integrates a relief structure directly into the tank wall, either by forming it during the casting process or using a one-piece design with a castable material, eliminating the need for separate fabrication and assembly of relief structures, and allowing for a simpler manufacturing process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If separate relief structures are fabricated and mounted on the tank wall to suppress liquid movement, then the effectiveness of noise suppression and electrostatic charging prevention is improved, but the manufacturing cost and assembly complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenoise suppression and electrostatic charging preventionVSAvoidassembly complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The relief structure is integrated directly into the tank wall as a one-piece component, merging the tank wall and relief structure into a single unit. This eliminates the need for separate fabrication and mounting of relief structures, reducing assembly complexity while maintaining the functionality of suppressing liquid movement, noise, and electrostatic charging.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The tank wall serves multiple functions: it contains the liquid, provides structural support, and incorporates the relief structure for noise suppression and electrostatic charging prevention. By making the tank wall multi-functional, the need for separate components is reduced, simplifying the overall device while achieving multiple objectives.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If separate relief structures are fabricated and mounted on the tank wall, then the suppression of liquid movement is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveliquid movement suppressionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The relief structure is combined with the tank wall into a single integrated component, eliminating the need for separate fabrication and assembly processes. This reduces manufacturing costs by streamlining production into one step while maintaining the effectiveness of liquid movement suppression.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of manufacture

If the tank wall is made one-piece with the relief structure, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the potential compromise in tank volume capacity arises

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing process simplicityVSAvoidtank volume capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The relief structure is designed with specific local characteristics (protrusions and recesses) that are optimized for suppressing liquid movement only in the regions where they are most needed. This localized approach allows the one-piece tank wall to maintain overall volume capacity while providing effective relief functionality where required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 approach reduces manufacturing costs and complexity while effectively suppressing liquid movement near the tank wall, preventing noise and electrostatic charging, without compromising the tank's volume capacity.

Implementation Method 1

The motive behind this can simply be noise suppression, for example preventing noise emissions due to the liquid sloshing against the tank wall

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectNoise suppression through relief structure: Damping

Implementation Method 2

the motivation can also be a prevention of undesirable electrostatic charging of the contained liquid due to relative movement of liquid regions relative to one another

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrostatic charging prevention: Electrostatics

Data Source

PatentUS10086695B2Liquid tank including integrated surface structure

Publication Date: 2018.10.02 ROECHLING AUTOMOTIVE SE & CO KG

AI summary

A liquid tank includes a tank wall enclosing a tank volume and at least one relief structure facing the tank volume on an inner side of the tank wall. The relief structure is formed as one-piece with the tank wall. Two shell parts can be joined along a joining surface to make a section of the tank wall. One of the shell parts can include a tank bottom. At least one part of the relief structure can be formed on the tank bottom. The relief structure can include projections protruding into the tank volume along a local direction of projection.