Deaerating Device

Abstract

A deaerating device is provided for a drive component in a motor vehicle. The deaerating device has an access line, a membrane deaerator, which includes a deaerating membrane, and an discharge air side. The deaerating device is designed to fluidically connect the interior of a drive component to the area surrounding the drive component. The deaerating membrane is arranged downstream of the access line and upstream of the discharge air side in a planned flow direction from the drive component into the area surrounding the drive component. The access line has an aerosol trap which has a labyrinth element for accumulating liquid on at least one wall of the labyrinth element, and the aerosol trap is designed as a separate component with respect to the access line and the membrane deaerator.

Claims

1-7. (canceled)

8. A deaerating device for a drive component in a motor vehicle, comprising: an access line; a membrane deaerator having a deaerating membrane; and a discharge air side, wherein the deaerating device is configured to connect in a fluid-conveying manner an internal space of the drive component to an environment which surrounds the drive component, the deaerating membrane is arranged downstream of the access line and upstream of the discharge air side in a planned flow direction from the drive component into the environment: an aerosol trap in the access line, the aerosol trap having a labyrinth for depositing liquid on at least one wall of the labyrinth, wherein the aerosol trap is in the form of a separate component with respect to the access line and with respect to the membrane deaerator.

9. The deaerating device according to claim 8, wherein the aerosol trap has an access region and a labyrinth region, and the labyrinth region is arranged downstream of the access region in the planned flow direction, the aerosol trap has an external wall which surrounds at least one throughflow region, at least one or more recesses in the external wall are provided in the access region, and the throughflow region connects the access region to the labyrinth region in a fluid-conveying manner.

10. The deaerating device according to claim 9, wherein at least two impact walls are arranged in the labyrinth region, and a labyrinth recess is directly arranged in the external wall downstream of at least one of the impact walls in the planned throughflow direction.

11. The deaerating device according to claim 9, wherein the labyrinth region has two or more impact walls, and at least two of the impact walls are spaced apart in the planned throughflow direction and are arranged parallel with each other.

12. The deaerating device according to claim 9, wherein the labyrinth region has two or more impact walls, and at least two of the impact walls are spaced apart in the planned throughflow direction and are arranged obliquely to each other.

13. The deaerating device according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the impact walls has a throughflow opening.

14. The deaerating device according to claim 9, wherein the throughflow region has at least partially a cross sectional surface-area which is flowable through and which has a maximum extent L, and in the planned flow direction, the labyrinth region is spaced apart from the access region by at least 1.5 times L.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a drive component with a deaerating apparatus;

[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective part-view of a drive component which is in the form of a motor vehicle gear mechanism with a membrane deaerator;

[0020] FIG. 3 is a partially transparent perspective view of a first embodiment of an aerosol trap;

[0021] FIG. 4 is a partially transparent perspective view of a second embodiment of an aerosol trap; and

[0022] FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section view of a first embodiment of an aerosol trap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a drive component 1 which is in the form of a motor vehicle gear mechanism, in a state illustrated with a deaerating apparatus. The deaerating apparatus has the access line 2, in which the aerosol trap 3 is arranged. During planned operation, aerosol flows from the internal space of the drive component 1 in the planned flow direction 8 through the access line 2 into the aerosol trap 3. In this aerosol trap 3, liquid is separated from the aerosol and guided back into the drive component 1 again. After the aerosol trap 3, the aerosol is at least substantially cleaned of the liquid by a so-called chimney-like labyrinth 4a of the membrane deaerator 4 before it flows out into the environment surrounding the drive components through the deaerating membrane 7 and the discharge air region 6. Particularly as a result of the proposed invention, it is possible to use the aerosol trap 3 in an existing access line 2, as a result of its “slim” configuration, in addition to a labyrinth which is configured in any manner on the membrane deaerator 4. By being guided repeatedly through different labyrinths (aerosol trap 3, chimney-like labyrinth 4a), the degree of separation in the aerosol is improved and the deaerating membrane 7 is acted on less with liquid from the drive component 1, whereby in particular the service-life and functionality thereof are improved.

[0024] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective illustration of a portion of a drive component 1 with a membrane deaerator 4. The membrane deaerator 4 has a discharge air region 6 for the planned discharge of “cleaned” aerosol, that is to say, substantially of air, into the environment which surrounds the drive component 1. The aerosol trap 3 cannot be seen in this Figure (FIG. 2) because it is completely integrated in the channel which connects the membrane deaerator 4 to the internal space of the drive component 1 in a fluid-conveying manner. This channel, which is not illustrated, is accordingly intended to be understood according to the invention to be an access line from the internal space of the drive component 1 to the membrane deaerator 4.

[0025] FIG. 3 illustrates a partially transparent perspective view of a first aerosol trap 3a, that is to say, an aerosol trap with impact walls 12 orientated in a mutually parallel manner. During planned operation, aerosol from the internal space of the drive component can be introduced via the access region 13 with the recesses 9 in the planned flow direction 8 into the aerosol trap 3a. From the access line 2 (not illustrated), the aerosol flows into this access region 13 and is guided out of this region through the throughflow region 5 which is in the form of a cylindrical pipe to the labyrinth region 10. In this embodiment of the aerosol trap, the labyrinth region 10 has a plurality of mutually parallel impact walls 12. Most of these impact walls 12 are directly adjacent to labyrinth recesses 14.

[0026] FIG. 4 illustrates a partially transparent, perspective view of a second aerosol trap 3b, that is to say, an aerosol trap with impact walls 12 which are orientated obliquely relative to each other. Via the access region 13 with the recesses 9, during planned operation aerosol from the internal space of the drive component can be introduced in the planned flow direction 8 into the aerosol trap 3a. From the access line 2 (not illustrated), the aerosol flows into this access region 13 and is guided out of this region through the throughflow region 5 which is in the form of a cylindrical pipe to the labyrinth region 10. In this embodiment of the aerosol trap 3b, the labyrinth region 10 has a plurality of mutually oblique impact walls 12. Most of these impact walls 12 are directly adjacent to labyrinth recesses 14.

[0027] FIG. 5 illustrates a sectional illustration of the first aerosol trap 3a. This first aerosol trap 3a can be flowed through in the planned direction of flow 8 with aerosol. In the access region 13, the first aerosol trap 3a has a series of recesses 9. The throughflow region 11 is in the form of a cylindrical-pipe-like portion with the external wall 5. In the planned flow direction 8, the labyrinth region 10 is adjacent to the throughflow region 11. In the labyrinth region 10, a series of impact walls 12 is arranged. The impact walls 12 have a series of through-openings 15. With such a through-opening, a first side of one of the impact walls is connected in a fluid-conveying manner to a second side of the impact walls 12. Most of the impact walls are each directly adjacent to a labyrinth recess 14.

[0028] The aerosol trap 3a extends along the cylinder axis 16 as a substantially cylindrical-pipe-like component. In the throughflow region 11, the cross sectional surface-area which can be flowed through by aerosol (orthogonally to the cylinder axis) has the maximum extent L which corresponds to the internal diameter of the cylindrical pipe. In this case, the spacing of the access region 13 from the labyrinth region 10 is greater by 1.5 times L or more so that the aerosol trap has an elongate “slim” shape.

[0029] Particularly in an operating situation in which the atmospheric pressure in the environment surrounding the drive component is greater than in the drive component, as a result of the deaerating apparatus a flow through it is also possible counter to the planned flow direction 8, in particular for pressure compensation.

TABLE-US-00001 List of reference numerals: 1 Drive component 2 Access line 3 Aerosol trap 3a Aerosol trap with parallel impact walls 3b Aerosol trap with oblique impact walls 4 Membrane deaerator 4a Chimney-like labyrinth 5 External wall 6 Discharge air side 7 Deaerating membrane 8 Planned flow direction 9 Recess in 13 10 Labyrinth region 11 Throughflow region 12 Impact wall 13 Access region 14 Labyrinth recess 15 Through-hole 16 Cylinder axis