Motorcycle Cooling Outlet Positioning for Layout Flexibility

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Solution Overview

Problem

In motorcycles with water-cooled internal combustion engines, the length of water piping is often increased due to the radiator's forward placement, compromising layout flexibility with the exhaust pipe, as both require space and can interfere with each other.

Innovation Solution

The motorcycle design positions the outlet of the water passage at the front surface of the cylinder body and the exhaust pipe connection port at the cylinder head, allowing the water piping to be shortened without reducing layout flexibility by avoiding interference between the water piping and the exhaust pipe.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the outlet of the cooling passage is provided at a lateral portion of the cylinder head, then the cooling water can flow out from the lateral portion, but the water piping length increases because the radiator is disposed forward of the internal combustion engine

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling water flowVSAvoidwater piping length
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of providing the outlet at the lateral portion of the cylinder head (conventional approach), the patent inverts the approach by providing the outlet at the front surface of the cylinder body. This inversion allows the water piping to connect more directly to the forward-positioned radiator, thereby reducing piping length while maintaining cooling effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Length of stationary object

If the outlet of the cooling passage is provided at a front portion of the cylinder head, then the distance to the radiator is reduced, but the space at the front portion of the cylinder head is reduced making it difficult to provide a sufficiently large opening

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedistance to radiatorVSAvoidopening area
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of stationary objectVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the outlet function from the cylinder head and relocates it to the cylinder body. This separation allows the cylinder head's front portion to be dedicated to the exhaust pipe connection port while the cylinder body provides the cooling water outlet, thereby avoiding space conflicts and enabling both openings to be sufficiently large.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Length of stationary object

If the outlet of the cooling passage is provided at a front portion of the cylinder head, then the distance to the radiator is reduced, but the layout flexibility of the water piping and exhaust pipe is reduced due to potential interference

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedistance to radiatorVSAvoidlayout flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of stationary objectVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the spatial arrangement by providing the outlet and exhaust pipe connection port at different locations (cylinder body front surface and cylinder head front surface, respectively). This segmentation allows independent routing of water piping and exhaust pipe, maintaining layout flexibility while reducing water piping length to the forward-positioned radiator.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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 configuration enables shorter water piping without compromising the layout flexibility of both the water piping and the exhaust pipe, enhancing the overall spatial arrangement and efficiency of the cooling system.

Implementation Method 1

a radiator disposed forward of the internal combustion engine

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat exchange: Heat Exchanger

Implementation Method 2

Cooling water cooled by the radiator passes through the cooling passage of the internal combustion engine

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP2806133B1Motorcycle
Publication Date: 2016.06.08 YAMAHA MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP2806133B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2806133B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2806133B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A motorcycle includes: an internal combustion engine 20 including a cylinder body 24 and a cylinder head 26; a water passage which is provided inside the internal combustion engine 20 and through which cooling water flows; a radiator 54 disposed forward of the internal combustion engine 20; exhaust pipe connection ports 97 provided at a front surface of the cylinder head 26; an outlet 80o which is provided at a front surface of the cylinder body 24 and through which the cooling water flows out from the water passage; exhaust pipes 101 to 103 connected to the exhaust pipe connection ports 97; and water piping connected to the outlet 80o and the radiator 54.