Spiral Oil Separator for Engine Blow-by Gas
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oil separation devices for internal combustion engines face limitations in improving oil separation performance due to increased flow resistance and reduced blow-by gas velocity when attempting to enhance oil separation through more baffle plates, tortuous passages, or longer lengths, which restricts the effectiveness of oil removal from blow-by gas.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a spiral passage within the gas liquid separation chamber with inclined walls and partition walls that create a swirl flow, minimizing flow resistance and reducing velocity, while promoting oil adherence to the walls through centrifugal force, allowing for improved oil separation performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the number of baffle plates is increased to improve oil separation performance, then oil separation performance is improved, but flow resistance increases and gas velocity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a spiral passage configuration instead of straight or angular baffle plates. The curved, spiral path of the passage allows gas to flow in a rotational pattern, generating centrifugal force that enhances oil separation while maintaining smoother flow transitions that reduce flow resistance compared to sharp-angle baffle arrangements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional arrangement of parallel baffle plates to a three-dimensional spiral passage structure. This dimensional change allows the gas flow to utilize both linear progression and rotational motion, achieving enhanced separation performance through centrifugal effects while maintaining adequate flow velocity through the spiral geometry.
2Manufacturing precision
If the passage length is increased to improve oil separation performance, then oil separation performance is improved, but flow resistance increases and gas velocity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The spiral passage uses curved geometry to achieve extended flow path length within a compact volume. The rotational spiral configuration allows the gas to traverse a longer effective path for separation without requiring a proportionally longer linear passage, thereby maintaining gas velocity while achieving adequate separation distance.
3Manufacturing precision
If the degree of tortuousness is increased to improve oil separation performance, then oil separation performance is improved, but flow resistance increases and gas velocity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The spiral passage provides a controlled tortuous path through uniform rotational curvature rather than complex multi-directional bends. This regular spiral geometry achieves adequate tortuousness for separation while maintaining predictable flow characteristics and avoiding the excessive flow resistance associated with highly tortuous, irregular passage configurations.
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 enhances oil separation efficiency by reducing flow resistance and maintaining blow-by gas velocity, effectively separating oil from the gas while maintaining efficient gas flow, thus improving overall oil separation performance.
Implementation Method 1
a spiral passage extending in a lengthwise direction of the gas liquid separation passage is defined by the lower partition walls and the upper partition walls; and wherein the spiral passage with a certain turn is defined by the lower partition walls and the upper partition walls for causing a swirl flow as gas flows from the gas inlet to the gas outlet
Implementation Method 2
the spiral passage with a certain turn is defined by the lower partition walls and the upper partition walls for causing a swirl flow as gas flows from the gas inlet to the gas outlet
Implementation Method 3
the lower wall is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane such that an upstream part of the lower wall is lower than a downstream part of the lower wall when viewed in a direction of the swirl flow
Data Source
AI summary
To improve the oil separation performance in an oil separation device for an internal combustion engine. The oil separation device (10) comprises a gas liquid separation passage (56) internally defined by a lower wall, an upper wall and a pair of side walls, and extending in a horizontal direction, a gas inlet (54) and a gas outlet (63) provided on either end of the gas liquid separation passage, a plurality of lower partition walls (56H) projecting upward from the lower wall, and a plurality of upper partition walls (56J) projecting downward from the upper wall. The lower partition walls and the upper partition wall are tilted with respective the length wise direction in plan view so as to define a spiral passage. The lower wall is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane such that an upstream part of the lower wall is lower than a downstream part of the lower wall with respect to a direction of the swirl flow.