Shared Intercooler Engine with Side-by-Side Cylinder Banks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional V-type engines with intercoolers face challenges in cost, size, and cooling performance due to the increased number of parts and differences in cool liquid flowrate and velocity between banks, as well as the difficulty in accommodating two turbochargers within the narrow intra-bank space.
Innovation Solution
The engine design features two cylinder rows aligned side by side with a shared intercooler and two turbochargers, where the intercooler is placed at one end and the turbochargers are positioned on the extended region of the exhaust manifolds or between the exhaust manifolds and the intercooler, reducing the number of parts and minimizing temperature differences between banks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If an intercooler is installed for each of the pair of banks, then cooling performance is improved, but the number of parts increases resulting in higher cost and larger engine size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the intercoolers of both banks into a single shared intercooler unit. The intercooler is positioned to serve both cylinder banks simultaneously, with cooling channels that can cool intake air for both banks. This reduces the total number of intercooler units from two to one, thereby reducing part count, cost, and engine size while maintaining cooling performance.
2Temperature
If an intercooler is installed for each of the pair of banks, then cooling performance is improved, but differences in cool liquid flowrate and velocity occur between the two intercoolers
Solution Approach 1:
By consolidating into a single shared intercooler, the patent eliminates the flowrate inconsistency issue entirely. The cool liquid flows through a unified cooling channel system that serves both banks, ensuring uniform flow distribution and consistent cooling performance across both cylinder banks without the variability that would exist with separate intercoolers.
Solution Approach 2:
The intercooler design incorporates localized cooling channels that are optimized for each bank's specific requirements. The cooling passages are arranged to provide appropriate flow rates and velocities to different regions of the intercooler, ensuring that each bank receives adequate cooling while maintaining overall system consistency.
3Productivity
If two turbochargers are provided for the two cylinder rows, then engine response is improved, but the intra-bank space is too narrow to accommodate them
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the two turbochargers in the crankshaft direction (front-rear dimension) rather than attempting to fit them side-by-side in the limited lateral space. Each turbocharger is mounted on the extended region of its corresponding exhaust manifold, utilizing the available space along the crankshaft axis. This dimensional reconfiguration allows both turbochargers to be accommodated without increasing the engine's lateral footprint.
4Productivity
If two turbochargers are placed outside of the intra-bank space, then they can be accommodated, but the engine size is enlarged
Solution Approach 1:
The turbochargers are nested within the engine's existing structural envelope by mounting them on the extended regions of the exhaust manifolds. This integration allows the turbochargers to be housed within or alongside existing engine components rather than adding separate external housings, thereby minimizing the increase in overall engine dimensions while still accommodating both turbochargers.
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 reduces the number of parts, minimizes temperature differences between cylinder banks, and achieves both improved performance and compactness of the engine.
Implementation Method 1
an intercooler shared by the two cylinder rows, and connected to the turbocharger. The intercooler has: a cool liquid flow path through which a cool liquid flows, and an intake air flow path through which intake air from the turbocharger flows
Data Source
AI summary
An engine includes: two cylinder rows so placed as to be aligned side by side; a turbocharger; and an intercooler shared by the two cylinder rows, and connected to the turbocharger. The intercooler has: a cool liquid flow path through which a cool liquid flows, and an intake air flow path through which intake air from the turbocharger flows. The cool liquid flow path has an inlet and outlet of the cool liquid on one side in a first direction along the flow of the cool liquid. The intake air flow path has an inlet of the intake air on one side in a second direction along the flow of the intake air, and an outlet of the intake air on another side.