Exhaust Muffler Sliding Support for Thermal Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing exhaust muffler design faces challenges in accommodating pipes of varying lengths due to thermal expansion, restricting the degree of freedom in design and causing interference between pipes connected coaxially, which affects the muffler's performance and design flexibility.
Innovation Solution
The exhaust muffler design incorporates a support member with a smaller diameter, slidably fitted between coaxially disposed pipes, allowing for thermal expansion and shrinkage while preventing excessive pressure buildup and ensuring flow performance by equalizing exhaust gas flow and preventing weld bead interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the pipe length is increased to improve exhaust flow performance, then the degree of freedom in design is enhanced, but thermal expansion causes interference between coaxially disposed pipes
Solution Approach 1:
A support member with a smaller diameter than the pipes is introduced as an intermediary component. This support member is fixed to one lid member and slidably fitted to the other lid member, allowing it to accommodate thermal expansion differences between pipes of varying lengths without causing interference, thus enabling longer pipe lengths while maintaining proper spacing and flow performance.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the pipe length is restricted to prevent thermal expansion interference, then pipe interference is avoided, but the degree of freedom in design is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The support member acts as a mediator that decouples the thermal expansion behavior of different pipe lengths. By providing a sliding connection that accommodates differential expansion, the support member allows designers to choose optimal pipe lengths for exhaust flow performance without being constrained by thermal expansion interference, thereby enhancing design freedom.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member's sliding fitting mechanism changes the physical state of the connection from rigid to movable, allowing dynamic adjustment of pipe positions during thermal expansion. This parameter change enables the system to accommodate varying pipe lengths while maintaining proper spacing, thus resolving the contradiction between pipe length and thermal expansion interference.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid connection is used between pipes to maintain structural stability, then structural stability is improved, but thermal expansion causes excessive pressure buildup
Solution Approach 1:
The support member's sliding fitting connection transforms the rigid, static connection into a dynamic, movable connection. This allows the pipes to move relative to each other during thermal expansion while maintaining structural stability through the support member's guidance, preventing excessive pressure buildup by accommodating thermal movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member serves as an intermediary that absorbs thermal expansion stresses between the pipes and the lid members. By providing a sliding connection, it maintains structural stability while preventing the transmission of excessive thermal stress, thus avoiding pressure buildup in the rigid connections.
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 the degree of freedom in muffler design by allowing unrestricted pipe lengths, prevents excessive pressure, and maintains flow performance by equalizing exhaust gas flow and managing thermal expansion, thereby improving the muffler's functionality and noise reduction.
Implementation Method 1
the pipe within the exhaust muffler is a member exposed to high temperature and is a component that repeatedly extends and shrinks due to thermal expansion
Implementation Method 2
maintains flow performance by equalizing exhaust gas flow and managing thermal expansion
Data Source
AI summary
An exhaust muffler includes first and second pipes which extend through a casing, and which are disposed so that a downstream end of the first pipe faces an upstream end of the second pipe, wherein the downstream end of the first pipe and the upstream end of the second pipe are disposed so as to be spaced from each other in an axial direction, one end part of a support member having a circular cross section that has a smaller diameter than those of the first and the second pipes is fixed to one of a first lid member covering an opening at the downstream end of the first pipe and a second lid member covering an opening at the upstream end of the second pipe, and the other end part of the support member is slidably fitted to the other of the first and the second lid members.