Variable Intake Valve Train Eliminates Swirl Flaps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing internal combustion engine intake systems face challenges with leakage flows and increased complexity due to the use of swirl flaps, leading to higher susceptibility to faults and increased design effort, which complicates the reduction of fuel consumption and pollutant emissions, especially in the part-load range.
Innovation Solution
A device with a variable intake valve train actuated by a single actuator, featuring charge port intake valves and a cam piece with multiple cam contours, allows for variable valve lift and eliminates the need for swirl flaps by optimizing the flow behavior through the use of charge and swirl channels, enhancing mixing efficiency in the combustion chamber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If swirl flaps are used to close the filling channel, then air-fuel mixing is improved, but leakage flow occurs and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the swirl flap component from the intake system. Instead of using a movable swirl flap to control filling channel closure, the patent uses a fixed geometric design of the filling channel that achieves the desired flow control without the complex movable component, thereby removing the source of leakage and reducing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a movable component (swirl flap) to actively close the filling channel, the invention inverts the approach by designing the filling channel geometry itself to provide the closure function. The fixed geometric design achieves what was previously accomplished by a movable component, eliminating the need for complex actuation mechanisms
2Productivity
If swirl flaps are used to control filling channel closure, then air-fuel mixing is improved, but susceptibility to faults increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the swirl flap component entirely from the system. By eliminating this movable component with its associated actuators and control mechanisms, the patent removes the potential failure points while maintaining the air-fuel mixing efficiency through fixed geometric design of the filling and swirl channels
3Measurement precision
If multiple actuators are used for variable intake valve train, then valve control precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the functions of multiple actuators into a single actuator that controls the intake valve train. The cam piece with multiple cam contours integrated on a single component allows one actuator to achieve variable valve lift control that would otherwise require multiple separate actuators, thereby reducing complexity while maintaining control precision
Solution Approach 2:
The single actuator is designed with multi-functionality to control different intake valves with different cam contours. The cam piece acts as a universal component that provides multiple cam profiles (first cam contour for maximum lift, second cam contour for zero lift) on a single component, allowing one actuator to perform what would traditionally require multiple dedicated actuators
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 fuel consumption and pollutant emissions by improving air-fuel mixing, minimizing leakage flows, and simplifying the intake system design, thereby reducing the complexity and susceptibility to faults, while maintaining efficient operation across varying engine loads.
Implementation Method 1
The cam piece has at least two cams for actuating the intake valves with at least two different cam contours formed axially one after the other
Implementation Method 2
The actuation of the variable intake valve drive in the axial direction of the intake camshaft by means of the actuator through interaction of the actuator with a gate formed on the cam piece
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for influencing the flow behavior of a reaction gas which can be supplied to a combustion chamber (3) of an internal combustion engine (1) having at least two cylinders (2) during operation. Each of the cylinders (2) has an inlet device (4) for supplying the reaction gas, to which at least one inlet channel (5) subdividable into at least one swirl channel (6) and a filling channel (7) is assigned, as well as at least two inlet valves (8, 9) arranged on and/or in the respective cylinder (2).Furthermore, each pair of immediately adjacent cylinders (2) of the internal combustion engine (1) is exclusively assigned to one cylinder pair (10), wherein the internal combustion engine (1) has a variable intake valve train (12) per cylinder pair (10) which can be actuated by at most one actuator (11), by which one intake valve (9) per cylinder (2) of the cylinder pair (10) can be actuated in a variable manner with respect to the valve lift.