Venturi Air Discharge Assembly for Vehicle Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicles used for transporting persons, such as ambulances, the heated air from fuel-operated heaters can cause an unpleasant thermal load and compromise physical performance due to its high temperature when discharged from roof-mounted outlets, posing a risk to individuals nearby.
Innovation Solution
An air discharge assembly unit with a Venturi nozzle design that combines primary heated air with secondary air drawn from the interior or surrounding space, reducing the temperature of the air stream through mixing without requiring additional blower operation, using a tapered duct and ring-shaped secondary air inlet openings to achieve efficient mixing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If heated air is discharged directly from the heater into the vehicle interior, then rapid heating is achieved, but excessive thermal load and discomfort occur near discharge sites
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mixing chamber as an intermediary component between the heater and vehicle interior. Heated air from the heater is mixed with cooler ambient air in this chamber, reducing the temperature of the discharged air while maintaining heating effectiveness. This mediator approach allows rapid heating without the harmful thermal load that would occur with direct discharge of high-temperature air.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the discharged air by mixing heated air with cooler ambient air. The mixing chamber combines air streams at different temperatures to produce a discharged air stream with intermediate temperature, achieving both rapid heating and comfort by controlling the temperature parameter rather than discharging maximum temperature air directly.
2Area of stationary object
If the distance between discharge site and persons is reduced, then heating coverage is improved, but thermal discomfort and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the discharged air through mixing with cooler ambient air. This allows the discharge site to be positioned closer to occupants (improving heating coverage) while the reduced temperature of the mixed air prevents thermal discomfort and safety risks that would occur with high-temperature direct discharge.
3Temperature
If secondary air is added to mix with heated air, then temperature is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mixing chamber is designed to utilize the natural flow of heated air from the heater and the surrounding ambient air without requiring additional active components. The geometry of the mixing chamber itself creates the mixing effect, allowing the system to self-regulate the temperature by drawing in ambient air passively, thus reducing device complexity while achieving temperature control.
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 allows for rapid and efficient heating of the vehicle interior without excessive thermal load near discharge sites, maintaining high heat output while minimizing discomfort and performance impact on personnel.
Implementation Method 1
Since the air discharge assembly unit, according to the present invention, operates according to the principle of a Venturi nozzle, i.e., the secondary air stream is drawn due to the Venturi injection into a narrowed area of the duct area due to the reduced static pressure in this area
Implementation Method 2
A secondary air stream, which is combined with the primary air stream in the air routing duct, can be drawn off... so that an air stream is generated, which is composed of the primary air stream and the secondary air stream and it has, in general, a reduced temperature compared to the primary air stream because of the mixing with the secondary air stream
Data Source
AI summary
An air discharge assembly unit, especially for routing air (L) into the interior space (70) of a vehicle, includes an air routing duct (28) for routing primary air (H) from a primary air inlet area (18) to an air outlet area (40). A flow cross-sectional area of the air routing duct (28) decreases, at least in some areas away from the primary air inlet area (18), in the direction of the air outlet area (40) up to a duct area (30) with minimal flow cross-sectional area. A secondary air inlet area (41) is provided for the inlet of secondary air (N) into the air routing duct (28), in the area of the duct area (30), with minimal flow cross-sectional area.