Turbocharger Assembly Imbalance Alignment Method
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Solution Overview
Problem
Turbocharger assemblies often have high residual imbalance due to inefficient balancing processes, leading to increased production time, scrap rates, and instability, which affects their operational life and productivity.
Innovation Solution
The turbocharger assembly and method involve determining and marking individual imbalances of the turbine and compressor wheels, aligning them opposite to each other during assembly to reduce the combined imbalance, allowing for more stable and cost-effective production by utilizing the imbalances as counterbalances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If traditional balancing processes are used for turbocharger assemblies, then the balancing time is reduced, but the residual imbalance remains too large causing rejection during quality assessment
Solution Approach 1:
The balancing process is segmented into two distinct stages: a rough balancing stage that quickly reduces major imbalances, and a subsequent precision stage that fine-tunes the balance. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both speed and precision by applying different balancing intensities at different phases of the process.
Solution Approach 2:
A preliminary rough balancing action is performed before the final precision balancing. This preliminary action removes the bulk of the imbalance quickly, preparing the assembly for the subsequent fine-tuning stage, thereby reducing total balancing time while ensuring final precision requirements are met.
2Productivity
If high-speed balancing is implemented to increase productivity, then production time is reduced, but the balancing precision may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The balancing system dynamically adjusts its operation mode based on the balancing stage. During rough balancing, higher speeds are used to quickly reduce major imbalances. During precision balancing, the system transitions to lower speeds to achieve the required precision, thereby optimizing both productivity and precision throughout the process.
Solution Approach 2:
The balancing process employs periodic action with distinct phases: an initial high-speed rough balancing phase followed by a lower-speed precision balancing phase. This periodic structure allows the system to maximize productivity during the rough balancing phase while ensuring precision requirements are met during the final phase.
3Device complexity
If conventional balancing methods are used, then the process is simpler, but the scrap rate increases due to rejected assemblies
Solution Approach 1:
A preliminary rough balancing action is performed before the final precision balancing. This preliminary action removes the bulk of the imbalance quickly, preparing the assembly for the subsequent fine-tuning stage, thereby reducing total balancing time while ensuring final precision requirements are met.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the previously harmful effect of residual imbalance into a beneficial feature by using the measured imbalance data to guide the alignment process. The residual imbalances of individual components are intentionally aligned in opposite directions to create a counterbalancing effect, thereby reducing the overall assembly imbalance and decreasing scrap rate.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3B
Figure 4
AI summary
The invention relates to a turbo charger assembly and a method for assembly of a turbo charger, in particular within a combustion engine, comprising a shaft (8) with a turbine wheel (6) and a compressor wheel (10) on opposing ends of the shaft (8) within a housing (4), wherein the turbine wheel (6) exhibits a first imbalance (18) together with the shaft (8) in a first angular position and the compressor wheel (10) exhibits a second imbalance (20) in a second angular position, wherein the alignment of the compressor wheel (10) relative to the turbine wheel (6) is performed by orientating the first imbalance (18) and the second imbalance (20) relative to each other such that a combined imbalance from the first imbalance (18) and the second imbalance (20) of the assembly (2) is reduced.