Water Charge Air Cooler Water Box Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water charge air coolers face challenges in the expensive and complex process of forming and attaching water boxes for coolant distribution, which can lead to improper positioning and increased costs due to the need for specialized tools and additional assembly steps.
Innovation Solution
A water charge air cooler design featuring a plate assembly with a water box that is attached to the side wall through a fluid-tight connection, utilizing a collar and flange for support and alignment, allowing for simpler and cost-effective production by protruding outward from the side wall and extending along the stacking direction of the tubes for uniform coolant distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the water box is formed by stamping/punching the housing, then the water box can be integrated into the housing structure, but the process requires expensive and strong tools and carries a risk of damaging the housing
Solution Approach 1:
The water box is separated from the housing structure and formed as a distinct component. This segmentation allows the water box to be manufactured independently using simpler, less expensive tools, eliminating the need for expensive stamping/punching tools while reducing the risk of housing damage during formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The water box is extracted as a separate sub-component from the housing, allowing it to be formed independently. This extraction enables the use of simpler forming processes for the water box while the housing can be manufactured separately, reducing overall tooling complexity and cost.
2Ease of manufacture
If the water box is fixed to the housing as a separate sub-component, then the housing structure remains intact, but additional assembly steps and tools are required and proper positioning is not ensured before joining
Solution Approach 1:
The water box is pre-formed as a separate component with predetermined geometry and features. This preliminary action ensures proper positioning capability is built into the water box itself, allowing for accurate alignment with the housing during assembly without requiring complex positioning tools or additional assembly steps.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional formation methods are used, then the water box can be attached to the housing, but the process is expensive and complex with improper positioning risks
Solution Approach 1:
A collar structure serves as an intermediary element between the water box and the housing. This collar acts as a positioning mediator that ensures proper alignment and positioning of the water box relative to the housing during assembly, eliminating positioning risks while maintaining a simple attachment process.
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 design simplifies the assembly process, reduces production costs, and ensures proper positioning of the water box, enhancing the efficiency and compactness of the heat exchanger while maintaining effective coolant distribution and heat exchange performance.
Implementation Method 1
a bundle of elongated flat tubes for an air, fixed on both sides in a pair of headers... a first fluid and a second heat transfer fluid, this exchange bundle being housed in a casing
Implementation Method 2
heat exchangers to ensure optimal temperature operating conditions for the engine
Implementation Method 3
charge air cooler which is equipped with a set of tubes forming a heat exchange bundle between a first fluid and a second heat transfer fluid
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The object of the invention is, among others, a water charge air cooler (1), comprising a bundle of elongated flat tubes (10) for an air, fixed on both sides in a pair of headers (20), plate assembly (30) encapsulating together with the headers (20) at least part of the tubes (10) to form a fluid tight channel for a coolant, a coolant inlet (40) and a coolant outlet (50) connected to the plate assembly (30), wherein the plate assembly (30) comprises a first side wall (60a), the first side wall (60a) having an inner surface (61) facing the tubes (10), a water box (70) for distribution of the coolant with respect to the tubes (10), the coolant inlet (40) being attached to the water box (70), wherein the first side wall (60a) comprises a first opening (62a) for fluidly communicating the water box (70) with the tubes (10), wherein the water box (70) is attached to the side wall (60a) along the outline of the first opening (62), characterized in that the water box (70) is connected to the inner surface (61) of the first side wall (60a), while it protrudes outwardly from the side wall (60a) through the first opening (62).