Modular Electro-Mechanical Rotary Valve for Engine Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional electro-mechanical rotary valves for fluid cooling systems in vehicular powertrains face design challenges due to the rigors of the engine environment, leading to high costs and failure modes associated with the outer housing, which is complex, costly, and requires significant development time.
Innovation Solution
A modular electro-mechanical rotary valve design that eliminates the traditional outer housing by integrating a mating cavity within a powertrain component, allowing for scalability, flexibility, and simplified installation, with a valve enclosure, rotary valve body, and actuator assembly, utilizing a cam follower and cam groove system for seal interface positioning and rotational actuation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional outer housing is used for the EMRV, then the valve can withstand the rigors of the IC engine environment, but the design becomes complex, costly, and requires significant development time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the traditional outer housing from the EMRV design entirely. Instead, the valve assembly is directly mounted within a cavity formed in the engine block or cylinder head, eliminating the need for a separate outer housing component and its associated complexity while maintaining environmental protection through the engine component itself
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the mounting structure and protective housing functions into the engine block or cylinder head itself. The cavity formed in these engine components serves both as the mounting location and as the protective enclosure, merging multiple functions into a single integrated structure
2Strength
If a traditional outer housing with multiple fasteners is used, then the valve can be securely mounted, but packaging space increases and serviceability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates multiple external fasteners and mounting hardware by integrating the mounting function directly into the engine component cavity. The valve assembly is secured through the cavity structure itself, reducing the number of external fastening elements and simplifying both installation and removal procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The valve assembly is nested within the cavity formed in the engine block or cylinder head, with the cavity serving as both the mounting structure and protective enclosure. This nested arrangement eliminates the need for external mounting brackets and multiple fasteners, improving serviceability while maintaining secure mounting
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 reduces packaging space, component costs, and failure modes, while enhancing robustness and serviceability by eliminating the need for external hoses and simplifying the design, allowing for continuous variable angular positions of the rotary valve body to manage fluid flows effectively.
Implementation Method 1
Displacement of the seal interface housing within the transverse through-bore is accomplished by actuation of at least one cam follower arranged on the seal interface housing. The at least one cam follower is actuated by a cam groove arranged on at least one leg of a cam leg portion that extends from the actuator assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A modular electro-mechanical rotary valve (EMRV) designed to be installed and removed as a unit is provided. The modular EMRV includes a valve enclosure, at least one rotary valve body with at least one fluid pathway, and an actuator assembly. The valve enclosure, removably disposed within a mating cavity, includes at least one inlet, at least one outlet, and a hollow center. At least one of the at least one inlet or the at least one outlet is configured with at least one exterior seal interface to sealingly engage with at least one interior seal interface of the mating cavity. The actuator assembly, engaged with an actuator interface of the at least one rotary valve body, rotationally actuates the at least one rotary valve body disposed within the hollow center of the valve enclosure.