Turbo Intercooler Layout in a Straddled Vehicle to Limit Wheelbase
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Solution Overview
Problem
Straddled vehicles with turbochargers and intercoolers face challenges in maintaining a reduced wheelbase, as existing designs often require larger components that increase the distance between the front and rear axles.
Innovation Solution
The strategic positioning of the intercooler, turbocharger, and radiator within the vehicle, ensuring that the intercooler is positioned close to the engine, and the turbocharger and radiator are arranged to minimize pipe length and overlap with the engine, thereby reducing the overall volume and maintaining a compact design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the intercooler is placed in the straddled vehicle, then the intake air can be cooled effectively, but the wheelbase distance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The intercooler is repositioned from the conventional frontward location to a space above the engine, utilizing the vertical dimension rather than extending the vehicle length. This dimensional shift allows the intercooler to be accommodated within the existing wheelbase by exploiting unused vertical space above the engine assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The intercooler is nested within the space above the engine, effectively placing one component (intercooler) within the spatial envelope defined by another component (engine). This nesting arrangement allows both components to coexist without increasing the overall vehicle length, as the intercooler utilizes the vertical space that would otherwise be unused.
2Ease of operation
If the pipe connecting the intercooler and engine is made longer, then the intercooler can be positioned farther from the engine, but the total volume and wheelbase increase
Solution Approach 1:
The intercooler is positioned in advance above the engine rather than being connected via a long pipe from a distant location. This preliminary positioning minimizes the required pipe length from the outset, reducing the total volume of piping needed while still achieving proper connection between the intercooler and engine.
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 arrangement effectively prevents an increase in the wheelbase, allowing for the integration of turbochargers and intercoolers without expanding the vehicle's dimensions, thereby maintaining a larger wheelbase distance between the front and rear axles.
Implementation Method 1
a turbocharger including: a turbine wheel that is rotatable by exhaust air from the forward-tilted engine body; and a compressor wheel that is connected to the turbine wheel and rotates together with the turbine wheel, the turbocharger compressing intake air by the rotation of the compressor wheel
Implementation Method 2
an intercooler, including an intercooler core, that cools the intake air compressed by the turbocharger
Implementation Method 3
a radiator, including a radiator core, that cools a coolant for cooling the forward-tilted engine body
Implementation Method 4
a turbine wheel that is rotatable by exhaust air from the forward-tilted engine body
Data Source
AI summary
A straddled vehicle having an engine unit. The engine unit includes an engine body having a cylinder axis tilting forward, a radiator including a radiator core, a turbocharger including a turbine wheel and a compressor wheel, and an intercooler including an intercooler core. In a side view, at least a part of the intercooler core, a part of the turbine wheel and a part of the radiator core are within an area enclosed by a first connecting line, a second connecting line, an engine-body front-surface and a wheel rear-surface. In an upward-downward or forward-backward direction of the cylinder axis, the intercooler-core upper end is more upward than the turbine-wheel upper end, the intercooler-core front end is more frontward than the turbine-wheel front end, the intercooler-core lower end is more upward than the radiator-core upper end, and the radiator-core rear end is more frontward than both the turbine-wheel rear end and the intercooler-core rear end.