Variable Intake Air Duct with Nested Flow Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing variable intake systems for vehicle engines face challenges with increased spatial requirements, costs, and weight due to multiple air ducts and expensive actuators, while also struggling to effectively manage flow resistance and engine noise at varying RPMs.
Innovation Solution
A single air duct system with a variable valve that adjusts intake air flow by varying its opening degree in response to pressure changes, using a spring mechanism to autonomously control airflow and minimize noise propagation, eliminating the need for additional actuators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple air ducts are provided to reduce discharge sound at low RPM, then noise attenuation is improved, but device complexity and spatial requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The single air duct is segmented into multiple flow paths (first flow path and second flow path) with different lengths, creating acoustic interference patterns that attenuate discharge sound at low RPM without requiring multiple separate ducts
Solution Approach 2:
The second flow path shares a portion of the first flow path, creating a nested structure where the longer flow path contains segments of the shorter path, enabling multiple acoustic pathways within a single duct structure
2Productivity
If multiple air ducts are provided to reduce flow resistance at high RPM, then engine output is improved, but device complexity and spatial requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The air duct is divided into multiple flow paths with different lengths and cross-sectional areas, allowing air to be distributed across multiple pathways at high RPM to reduce overall flow resistance and improve engine output
Solution Approach 2:
The variable valve dynamically adjusts the opening degree to control airflow distribution between different flow paths based on operating conditions, optimizing flow resistance characteristics across varying RPM ranges
3Ease of operation
If expensive actuators are mounted to control valve opening, then valve control precision is improved, but cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The variable valve autonomously adjusts its opening degree in response to pressure changes in the air duct, using the system's own operational parameters (pressure variations with RPM) to control valve position without external actuators
Solution Approach 2:
The valve opening degree is controlled by changes in pressure parameters within the air duct system, which naturally vary with engine RPM, eliminating the need for complex actuation mechanisms
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 solution reduces air flow resistance and engine noise propagation across varying RPMs without the need for multiple air ducts or expensive actuators, enhancing engine output and noise attenuation.
Implementation Method 1
an opening degree of the variable valve may be varied by a variation in pressure in the air duct in accordance with a variation in amount of intake air
Implementation Method 2
using a spring mechanism to autonomously control airflow
Implementation Method 3
the air duct has a first flow path having one end connected with the first inlet, and a second flow path having one end connected with the second inlet... a length of the second flow path is longer than a length of the first flow path
Data Source
AI summary
A variable intake system may include an air duct that guides intake air into an engine and a variable valve having a variable opening degree, to adjust an amount of the intake air, wherein the air duct includes a first inlet and a second inlet that may be opened to an outside, wherein the air duct has a first flow path having one end connected with the first inlet and a second flow path having one end connected with the second inlet, wherein the second flow path shares a part of the first flow path, wherein another end of the first flow path and another end of the second flow path share a same outlet, and wherein a length of the second flow path may be longer than a length of the first flow path.