Vehicle Cooling Device Clamping Gap Deformation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle cooling devices have a cooling gap between the inner and outer housings that requires an oversized installation gap, leading to unwanted fluid flow and reduced cooling capacity, increasing costs, weight, and space requirements.
Innovation Solution
A clamping device is arranged around the outer housing to introduce a deformation force, reducing the cooling gap by deforming the outer housing, thereby minimizing the installation gap and eliminating unwanted fluid flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a cooling gap is provided between the inner housing and outer housing to allow for installation, then the cooling device can be assembled, but unwanted cooling fluid flows beyond the channel walls reducing cooling capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping device is installed before final assembly to pre-compress the cooling gap, eliminating unwanted fluid flow paths before the cooling device becomes operational. This preliminary action ensures that the cooling fluid remains confined to the intended channels while still allowing for subsequent installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping device acts as an intermediary component between the inner and outer housings, applying controlled compression to reduce the cooling gap. This intermediary mechanism allows the system to achieve both installation feasibility and cooling efficiency without requiring a complete redesign of the housing structure.
2Reliability
If the cooling gap is reduced to eliminate unwanted fluid flow, then cooling capacity is improved, but installation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping device introduces a dynamic element to the otherwise static housing structure. By allowing the cooling gap to be compressed from a larger initial state to a reduced final state, the system transitions from an easily installable but inefficient configuration to an efficiently cooled but difficult-to-install configuration, with the clamping device mediating this transition.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping device changes the physical parameter of the cooling gap size from a larger installation-friendly dimension to a smaller performance-optimized dimension. This parameter change is achieved through mechanical compression, allowing the system to optimize cooling capacity without permanently sacrificing installation ease.
3Reliability
If the size of the cooling device is increased to eliminate unwanted flow, then cooling capacity is maintained, but cost and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the overall size of the cooling device to eliminate unwanted flow, the invention extracts and addresses the specific problem area - the cooling gap between housings. By applying localized compression only where needed, the system maintains cooling capacity without adding unnecessary weight or volume to the entire device.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping device applies localized compression to the cooling gap region rather than uniformly increasing the size of the entire cooling device. This local quality approach ensures that cooling capacity is maintained by eliminating unwanted flow paths only at the critical interface between housings, without adding unnecessary weight or volume elsewhere in the system.
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 enhances cooling efficiency by reducing bypass flows, simplifying thermodynamic configurations, and maintaining or improving cooling capacity while being cost-effective and easy to install.
Implementation Method 1
at least one clamping device (70) is arranged around the circumference of a circumferential wall (44) of the outer housing (40) for introducing a deformation force into the outer housing (40) in order to reduce the cooling gap (30) by deforming the outer housing (40)
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling device for a vehicle, having an inner housing with an inner cooling wall, and an outer housing which surrounds the inner housing, is spaced apart via a cooling gap and has an outer cooling wall. A cooling volume for passage of a cooling fluid is formed between the inner cooling wall and the outer cooling wall. The inner cooling wall and/or the outer cooling wall furthermore have channel walls for dividing the cooling volume and guiding the cooling fluid. At least one clamping device is arranged around the circumference of a circumferential wall of the outer housing for introducing a deformation force into the outer housing in order to reduce the cooling gap by deforming the outer housing.