Pressure Compensation Chamber for Engine Cooling Flow Balance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing liquid-cooled internal combustion engines face issues with asymmetric coolant flow rates due to manufacturing tolerances, leading to higher coolant circulation rates and the need for complex symmetry analysis and cylinder-specific gaskets to ensure uniform cooling.

Innovation Solution

Interconnecting the transition channels of at least two cylinders via a common pressure compensation chamber, which balances coolant flow rates by uniting partial flows before they enter the cooling liners, allowing for identical or nearly identical flow rates without modifying cylinder head gaskets.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If manufacturing tolerances in casting process are considered, then geometric deviations of cooling channels occur, but this leads to asymmetric coolant flow rates requiring higher circulation rates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegeometric precision of cooling channelsVSAvoidcoolant circulation energy

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

A common pressure compensation chamber is introduced as an intermediary component between the cooling chambers and cooling liners. This chamber receives coolant from multiple cooling chambers and redistributes it to cooling liners, acting as a mediator that balances asymmetric flows caused by manufacturing tolerances without requiring higher overall circulation rates

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the pressure parameter distribution by introducing a common pressure compensation chamber that equalizes pressure across multiple cooling channels. This pressure equalization compensates for geometric deviations in the cooling channels, ensuring uniform coolant flow rates despite manufacturing variations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If asymmetric coolant flow rates occur due to manufacturing tolerances, then uniform cooling is compromised, but correcting this requires cylinder-specific gaskets increasing device complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuniform cooling performanceVSAvoidcylinder-specific gasket requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The common pressure compensation chamber serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a pressure equalization chamber, a flow distribution manifold, and a compensation mechanism for manufacturing tolerances. This universal component replaces the need for multiple cylinder-specific gaskets, reducing device complexity while ensuring uniform cooling across all cylinders

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Individual cooling chamber outlets are merged into a common pressure compensation chamber, which then distributes coolant to multiple cooling liners. This merging approach consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate gasketed connections, simplifying the overall system while maintaining uniform flow distribution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If higher coolant circulation rates are used to compensate for asymmetric flows, then cooling uniformity improves, but pressure losses and cavitation risk increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling uniformityVSAvoidpressure losses and cavitation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The common pressure compensation chamber serves as a hydraulic intermediary that redistributes coolant flows more evenly to individual cooling liners. By equalizing pressure and flow distribution, it eliminates the need for higher overall circulation rates, thereby reducing pressure losses and cavitation risk while maintaining uniform cooling

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses hydraulic principles through the common pressure compensation chamber to balance coolant flow distribution. The chamber utilizes pressure equalization and hydraulic redistribution to ensure uniform flow rates to all cooling liners, avoiding the harmful effects of high circulation rates such as excessive pressure losses and cavitation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

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 solution ensures uniform coolant flow rates across all cylinders, eliminating the need for complex symmetry analysis and cylinder-specific gaskets, resulting in cost savings and improved cooling efficiency while reducing pressure losses and the risk of cavitation.

Implementation Method 1

Through the pressure compensation chamber, the coolant partial flows will be united before they enter the cooling liners, whereby deviations in the coolant flow rates can be balanced

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure equalization: Pascal's Law

Data Source

PatentUS11248514B2Liquid-cooled internal combustion engine

Publication Date: 2022.02.15 LIEBHERR MACHINES BULLE

AI summary

The present invention relates to a liquid-cooled internal combustion engine comprising an engine block, which includes a plurality of cylinders, and cylinder heads closing the cylinders, wherein each cylinder is surrounded by a respective cooling liner and each cylinder head has provided therein at least one separate cooling chamber connected to the cooling liner of the associated cylinder via at least one transition channel, wherein the transition channels of at least two cylinders are interconnected via a pressure compensation chamber.