Temperature-Actuated Regulating Valve for Engine Oil Spray Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing control valves for piston spray nozzles in internal combustion engines often require high oil pressure to open, leading to increased friction losses and pollutant emissions during the warm-up phase, as they only open when certain pressure limits are reached, which can delay oil spraying and heat dissipation.
Innovation Solution
A control valve design incorporating a temperature-dependent expansion element, such as a wax element, combined with a spring-loaded mechanism, where the expansion element's movement adjusts the spring preload based on oil temperature, allowing the valve to open early at low temperatures and require higher pressure at high temperatures, facilitating early oil spraying and heat absorption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a control valve uses a spring-loaded mechanism that requires high oil pressure to open, then the valve remains closed during the warm-up phase, but this leads to increased friction losses and pollutant emissions due to delayed oil spraying
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the expansion element from rigid to thermally expandable material. The expansion element expands when exposed to heat from the exhaust gas, changing the valve's opening pressure characteristics from pressure-dependent to temperature-dependent, allowing early opening during warm-up while maintaining reliable control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the purely mechanical spring-loaded pressure-sensing system with a thermally-actuated expansion element system. The expansion element's thermal expansion physically pushes the valve needle to open the valve, substituting thermal actuation for mechanical pressure actuation
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the control valve opens early during warm-up phase, then friction losses are reduced, but the valve may open prematurely before the engine reaches operating temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the control parameter from oil pressure to expansion element temperature. The expansion element is positioned to receive heat from the exhaust gas, and its thermal expansion naturally correlates with engine warm-up, providing automatic temperature-based control that prevents premature opening
Solution Approach 2:
The expansion element uses the engine's own exhaust heat to actuate the valve opening. The system is self-regulating, using the thermal energy already present in the exhaust gas to control valve timing without requiring external sensors or actuators
3Productivity
If a calibrated leak is used to allow oil passage parallel to the valve closing means, then some oil flow is maintained, but the main valve opening pressure requirement still causes friction losses during warm-up
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the thermal actuation function from the main valve mechanism and implements it through a separate expansion element. This allows the valve to operate on a different control principle (thermal expansion rather than pressure), eliminating the need for high opening pressure and the associated friction losses
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 reduces friction losses and wear during the warm-up phase by ensuring early oil spraying and heat absorption, thereby decreasing pollutant emissions and fuel consumption, while operating mechanically without electronics.
Implementation Method 1
an expansion element whose expansion changes continuously as a function of temperature
Implementation Method 2
the expansion element is arranged opposite a spring (4) acting on the shut-off element (6)
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The valve (2) has a barrier element (6) arranged opposite to an inlet side (8) with reference to a barrier (17). A spring (4) is assigned to the barrier element opposite to the inlet side of the valve. The spring is supported at a stopper (19) at an outlet side and rests against the barrier element such that the barrier element is pressed into the opening of the barrier. An active side (13) of a movable part (12) of a stretching material element (7) e.g. wax element, is connected with a connection element (16), which is connected with the barrier.