Water Separator Gutter for Preventing Droplet Reentrainment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water separators in HVAC units are ineffective in preventing water droplets from reentering the air stream due to increased air velocity in smaller units, leading to moisture introduction into the vehicle's passenger compartment.
Innovation Solution
A water separator design featuring a gutter coupled to the diverter wall, which directs water droplets away from the air stream, preventing reentrainment and maximizing water content reduction by using a drainage channel and downspouts to collect and direct water droplets outside the air passage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the HVAC unit is made smaller, then the size of the water separator is reduced, but the air stream velocity increases causing water droplets to reenter the air stream
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the water droplet removal function from the main air passage by introducing a separate gutter structure. The gutter is coupled to the diverter wall and extends into the air passage to define a drainage channel that receives water droplets and directs them away from the air stream path, preventing reentrainment even at high velocities
Solution Approach 2:
The gutter acts as an intermediary element between the diverter wall and the air passage. It provides a dedicated drainage channel that mediates the separation of water droplets from the air stream, allowing water to be collected and directed outside the air passage without interfering with the high-velocity air flow
2Reliability
If ribs are added to the diverter wall to direct water droplets, then water droplet reentrainment is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the water separation function from the air passage structure by adding a separate gutter component. This segmentation allows the gutter to handle water droplet drainage independently while the air passage maintains its primary function, providing a clearer functional division than ribs integrated into the diverter wall
Solution Approach 2:
The gutter extends into the air passage from the diverter wall, utilizing the third dimension (depth into the passage) to create an effective drainage channel. This dimensional approach provides water droplet management without adding complex surface features like ribs to the diverter wall
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
Effectively reduces water content in the air stream, minimizing moisture introduction into the passenger compartment, and enhancing the overall performance of the water separator by preventing water droplets from reentering the air stream, even at higher air velocities.
Implementation Method 1
The water droplets on the diverter wall flow along the diverter wall under gravitational forces toward the terminal end of the diverter wall
Implementation Method 2
The gutter defines a drainage channel configured to receive the water droplets that form on the diverter wall for preventing the water droplets from reentering the air stream flowing through the air stream passage
Data Source
AI summary
A water separator reduces a water content of an air stream, which is used in an HVAC unit for a vehicle. The water separator includes a diverter wall and an adjacent wall spaced from the diverter wall to define an air passage. The diverter wall has a terminal end extending into the air passage for changing a direction of the air stream flowing through the air passage to separate water droplets from the air stream to reduce the water content of the air stream. A gutter is coupled to the terminal end of the diverter wall and extends into the air passage. The gutter defines a drainage channel configured to receive the water droplets that form on the diverter wall for preventing the water droplets from reentering the air stream flowing through the air stream passage.