Fluid pipe arrangement

Abstract

The invention relates to a fluid pipe arrangement (100), in particular for a charged air duct of an internal combustion engine, comprising a housing (10) having a longitudinal extension (L). The housing (10) includes a first fluid duct (20) having a first fluid inlet (22) and a first fluid outlet (24) for a first fluid and at least one second fluid duct (30) having a second fluid inlet (32) and a second fluid outlet (34) for a second fluid. Thermal insulation means (40) are provided between at least a portion (38) of the second fluid duct (30) and at least a portion (28) the first fluid duct (20).

Claims

1. A fluid pipe arrangement for a charged air duct of an internal combustion engine, comprising: a housing having a longitudinal extension, the housing including: a first fluid duct having a first fluid inlet and a first fluid outlet for a first fluid; and at least one second fluid duct having a second fluid inlet and a second fluid outlet for a second fluid, wherein a thermal insulation means are provided between at least a portion of the second fluid duct and at least a portion of the first fluid duct.

2. The fluid pipe arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the thermal insulation means comprises a secondary pipe which at least partially encloses the second fluid duct.

3. The fluid pipe arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the thermal insulation means comprises a gap region between the portion of second fluid duct and a portion of the secondary pipe.

4. The fluid pipe arrangement according to claim 3, wherein a thermally insulating medium is arranged in the gap region, the thermally insulating medium selected from the set of: a vacuum, air or a thermally insulating material.

5. The fluid pipe arrangement according to claim 3, wherein one or more openings are provided in an outer wall of the housing, the one or more openings establishing a fluid connection between an ambiance and the gap region.

6. The fluid pipe arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the one or more openings are arranged at a front face of the housing and the one or more openings are arranged about the first fluid outlet.

7. The fluid pipe arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the one or more openings are arranged on opposite front faces of the housing, the one or more openings being arranged about the first fluid outlet.

8. The fluid pipe arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first fluid duct and the second fluid duct are at least partially arranged in a counterflow arrangement with opposite flow directions.

9. The fluid pipe arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the housing is at least comprising a first housing part; and a second housing part arranged along the longitudinal extension of the housing, wherein the first housing part and the second housing part are connected along a circumferential flange of the housing.

10. The fluid pipe arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the first fluid inlet and the second fluid outlet are members of the same one of the first or second housing parts; and wherein the first fluid outlet and the second fluid inlet are members of the other one of the second or first housing parts.

11. The fluid pipe arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first fluid inlet is arranged at a side wall of the housing; and wherein the first fluid outlet and the second fluid inlet are arranged at the front face of the second housing part; and wherein the second fluid outlet is arranged at the front face of the first housing part opposite to the front face of the second housing part.

12. The fluid pipe arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises: an integrated resonance chamber for acoustic dampening circumferencing the second fluid duct; wherein the secondary pipe is configured as an acoustic damping means.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The present invention together with the above-mentioned and other objects and advantages may best be understood from the following detailed description of the embodiments, but not restricted to the embodiments, wherein is shown in:

[0029] FIG. 1 an isometric view of an air pipe arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0030] FIG. 2 a sectional view of the air pipe arrangement according to FIG. 1; and

[0031] FIG. 3 an isometric view of an air pipe arrangement according to a further embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] In the drawings, like elements are referred to with equal reference numerals. The drawings are merely schematic representations, not intended to portray specific parameters of the invention. Moreover, the drawings are intended to depict only typical embodiments of the invention and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0033] FIG. 1 depicts an isometric view of an air pipe arrangement 100 according to an embodiment of the invention, whereas in FIG. 2 a sectional view of the air pipe 100 arrangement according to FIG. 1 is shown.

[0034] The fluid pipe arrangement 100, which may serve in particular for a charged air duct of an internal combustion engine, comprises a compact housing 10 having a longitudinal extension L. The housing 10 includes a first fluid duct 20 having a first fluid inlet 22 and a first fluid outlet 24 for a first fluid and at second fluid duct 30 having a second fluid inlet 32 and a second fluid outlet 34 for a second fluid. The first fluid duct 20 may serve as cold air duct and the second fluid duct 30 may serve as a hot air duct. Flow directions of the first fluid flow and the second fluid flow are marked with arrows 50 and 52, respectively. As may be seen from the fluid flow directions 50, 52, the first fluid duct 20 and the second fluid duct 30 are at least partially arranged in a counterflow arrangement with opposite flow directions 50, 52.

[0035] The housing 10 comprises a first housing part 12 and a second housing part 14 arranged along the longitudinal extension L of the housing 10. In particular the first housing part 12 and the second housing part 14 are connected along a circumferential flange 18 of the housing 10. The circumferential flange 18 may be tightly connected by a welding process. As the housing parts 12, 14 may be advantageously manufactured from plastics material, a standard plastics welding process may be used for closing the flange 18.

[0036] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first fluid inlet 22 and the second fluid outlet 34 are members of the same first housing part 12, and the first fluid outlet 24 and the second fluid inlet 32 are members of the other second housing part 14. Alternatively the first fluid inlet 22 and the second fluid outlet 34 may be members of the same second housing part 14, and the first fluid outlet 24 and the second fluid inlet 32 may be members of the other first housing part 12

[0037] The first fluid inlet 22 is arranged at a side wall 16 of the housing 10. The first fluid outlet 24 and the second fluid inlet 32 are arranged at the front face 15 of the second housing part 14. The second fluid outlet 34 is arranged at the front face 13 of the first housing part 12 opposite to the front face 15 of the second housing part 14.

[0038] As can be seen in FIG. 2 thermal insulation means 40 are provided between at least a portion 38 of the second fluid duct 30 and at least a portion 28 the first fluid duct 20. The thermal insulation means 40 comprises a secondary pipe 42 which at least partially encloses the second fluid duct 30. In the embodiment shown the secondary pipe 42 encloses the second fluid duct 30 along the whole extension inside the housing 10.

[0039] The thermal insulation means 40 comprises a gap region 44 between the portion 38 of second fluid duct 30 and a portion 48 of the secondary pipe 42. This gap region 44 thus forms a closed volume around the second fluid duct 30 and encloses the second fluid duct 30 along the whole extension inside the housing 10. A thermally insulating medium may be advantageously arranged in the gap region 44, in particular one of vacuum, air, or a thermally insulating material, such as glass fibre. Thus a very efficient thermal insulation between the first fluid duct 20 and the second fluid duct 30 may be achieved.

[0040] Advantageously, the housing 10 may also comprise acoustic damping means, in particular an integrated resonance chamber, in particular circumferencing the second fluid duct 30. In particular, the secondary pipe 42 may be configured as an acoustic damping means.

[0041] Thus acoustic damping means may be integrated, in particular around the second fluid duct, which may conduct the compressed air from a turbo charger or compressor to the engine block. Thus efficient acoustic damping may also be integrated in a very compact design manner to the inventive fluid pipe arrangement.

[0042] FIG. 3 depicts an isometric view of an air pipe arrangement according to a further embodiment of the invention.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 3, openings 46 are provided in an outer wall 11 of the housing 10, the one or more openings 46 establishing a fluid connection between an ambiance 58 and the gap region 44. The openings 46 are arranged at a front face 13 of the housing 10, in particular the one or more openings 46 being arranged about the first fluid outlet 24.

[0044] Thus the openings 46 may be in fluid connection with the gap region 44 circumferencing the second fluid duct 30 and serve for efficient exchange of ambient air 58 and air filled in the gap region 44 between the second fluid duct 30 and the secondary pipe 42.

[0045] In a further embodiment, the openings 46 may be arranged on opposite front faces 13, 15 of the housing 10, the one or more openings 46 being arranged about the first fluid outlet 24. By arranging the openings 46 on opposite front faces 13, 15, a more efficient exchange of the air between ambience 58 and the gap region 44 may be achievable.