Progressive Flex Geometry for Charge-Air Cooler Hose Bellows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current flexible charge-air cooler (CAC) hose designs fail to evenly absorb dynamic motion, leading to stress concentration and potential failure due to fatigue, as the flexing is concentrated at one convolution or end of the hose.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a bellows section with convolutions of varying diameters and shapes, along with a textile reinforcement and outer layer, to distribute forces more evenly along the hose length, reducing stress concentration and increasing flexibility and fatigue resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If identical bellows convolutions are used throughout the hose, then manufacturing is simplified and consistency is maintained, but stress concentrates at specific convolutions leading to fatigue failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the convolution geometry along the hose length. Specifically, the bellows section includes convolutions with different diameters, where the diameter changes progressively from one end to the other. This creates locally differentiated stress distribution characteristics, preventing stress concentration at any single convolution while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through controlled geometric progression.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the hose is made highly flexible to accommodate dynamic motion, then adaptability improves, but stress concentration increases leading to earlier failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements parameter changes by systematically varying the convolution diameter along the bellows section. The diameter progression creates a gradient in flexibility characteristics, allowing the hose to accommodate dynamic motion while distributing the mechanical stress across multiple convolutions with different geometric parameters. This prevents any single convolution from bearing excessive stress, thereby extending service life.
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 results in a more even stress distribution, extending the service life of the CAC hoses and reducing fatigue on system components, while allowing for greater flexibility and improved force distribution.
Implementation Method 1
a bellows type feature formed into the hose... the bellows section has two ridges... each of the three ridges may have a diameter different from one another... distribute forces more evenly along the hose length
Data Source
AI summary
A charge-air cooler hose includes a hollow cylindrical structure defining an air conduit, an outer surface, and a bellows section, where a plurality of convolutions are formed on the bellows section and the bellows section includes a plurality of ridges and a plurality of valleys. At least one of the plurality of ridges has a diameter and/or shape different from other ridges. In some cases, the bellows section has two ridges. In some other cases, the bellows section has three ridges. Where there are three ridges, each of the three ridges may have a diameter different from one another. In an embodiment where there are three ridges, a first ridge has a diameter D3, a second adjacent ridge has a diameter D4, and a third adjacent ridge has a diameter D5, and where D3<D4<D5.