INTERCOOLER HAVING A CONDENSATE COLLECTOR

Abstract

An intercooler may include a condensate collector configured to collect condensate precipitated in the intercooler. The condensate collector may be separate from the intercooler and disposed below the intercooler. The condensate collector may include at least one expansion chamber, the at least one expansion chamber arranged above an inlet and an outlet of the condensate collector during operation of the intercooler.

Claims

1. An intercooler comprising: a condensate collector configured to collect condensate precipitated in the intercooler; wherein the condensate collector is separate from the intercooler and disposed below the intercooler; and wherein the condensate collector includes at least one expansion chamber, the at least one expansion chamber arranged above an inlet and an outlet of the condensate collector during operation of the intercooler.

2. The intercooler according to claim 1, wherein a volume of the at least one expansion chamber comprises at least 10% of a volume of the condensate collector.

3. The intercooler according to claim 1, wherein the at least one expansion chamber defines an integral part of the condensate collector.

4. The intercooler according to claim 1, wherein at least one wall of the expansion chamber is elastic.

5. The intercooler according to claim 1, wherein a wall of the condensate collector is elastic.

6. The intercooler according to claim 1, wherein the at least one expansion chamber is arranged externally with respect to the condensate collector.

7. The intercooler according to claim 6, wherein the at least one expansion chamber is connected to the condensate collector via a hose connection.

8. The intercooler according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one expansion chamber and the condensate collector comprise plastic or aluminum.

9. The intercooler according to claim 1, wherein the condensate collector is secured to an air-outlet tank of the intercooler, or the condensate collector defines an integral part of the air-outlet tank.

10. A condensate collector of an intercooler, comprising: at least one expansion chamber, the at least one expansion chamber disposed above an inlet and an outlet.

11. The condensate collector according to claim 10, wherein a volume of the at least one expansion chamber comprises at least 10% of a volume of the condensate collector.

12. The condensate collector according to claim 10, wherein the at least one expansion chamber defines an integral part of the condensate collector, or the at least one expansion chamber is disposed externally with respect to the condensate collector.

13. The condensate collector according to claim 10, wherein at least one of: at least one of a wall of the condensate collector and the expansion chamber are elastic; and at least one of the expansion chamber and the condensate collector comprise at least one of plastic or aluminum.

14. An internal combustion engine comprising: a condensate collector configured to collect condensate precipitated in the intercooler; wherein the condensate collector is separate from the intercooler and disposed below the intercooler; and wherein the condensate collector includes at least one expansion chamber, the at least one expansion chamber arranged above an inlet and an outlet of the condensate collector during operation of the intercooler.

15. The intercooler according to claim 1, wherein a volume of the at least one expansion chamber comprises 10-15% of a volume of the condensate collector.

16. The intercooler according to claim 1, wherein the condensate collector is secured to an air-outlet tank of the intercooler.

17. The intercooler according to claim 16, wherein the condensate collector is secured to the air-outlet tank of the intercooler via at least one of a weld, solder, glue, a screw, or a clip.

18. The intercooler according to claim 1, wherein the condensate collector defines an integral part of an air-outlet tank.

19. The condensate collector according to claim 10, wherein the at least one expansion chamber defines an integral part of the condensate collector.

20. The condensate collector according to claim 10, wherein the at least one expansion chamber is disposed externally with respect to the condensate collector.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In the figures, in each case schematically:

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a sectional view through an intercooler according to the invention in the region of an air-outlet tank and a condensate collector,

[0025] FIGS. 2-6 show different possible embodiments of a condensate collector according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In correspondence with FIG. 1, an intercooler 1 according to the invention of an internal combustion engine 2, which is otherwise merely indicated, has a heat-exchanger block 3, an air-inlet tank, which is not shown but is located upstream of the heat-exchanger block as viewed in the flow direction 4, and an air-outlet tank 5. Also provided is a condensate collector 6 for collecting condensate 7 precipitated in the intercooler 1. The condensate 7 here runs via a discharge opening 8, which is arranged in the bottom of the air-outlet tank 5, into the condensate collector 6, which is arranged therebelow. In order for it to be possible to discharge the condensate 7 collected in the condensate collector 6, a condensate line 9 is provided, said condensate line being connected to the condensate collector 6 via an entrance 10. The condensate line 9 opens out into the air-outlet tank 5 via an exit, which is not shown, wherein a pressure difference p1>p2 prevails between the entrance 10 and the exit of the condensate line 9 during operation of the intercooler 1, which pressure difference effects a differential-pressure-induced discharge of condensate from the condensate collector 6 via the condensate line 9 into the air-outlet tank 5.

[0027] According to the invention, the condensate collector 6 now has an expansion chamber 11 which, in operation of the intercooler 1, is arranged above an inlet 12 and an outlet 13 of the condensate collector 6. Due to the at least one expansion chamber 11 and the position thereof above the inlet 12 for condensate as well as the outlet 13, this at least one expansion chamber 11 is not accessible for liquid condensate 7 during operation of the intercooler 1, but rather represents an air volume which, in the frozen state, i.e., with the condensate 7 being frozen, is capable of equalizing the accompanying volume increase thereof.

[0028] Preferably, a volume of the at least one expansion chamber 11 comprises here at least 10% of the volume of the condensate collector 6, so that the volume increase during the freezing of the condensate 7 can be absorbed without any problems. If, for example, the condensate 7 is water, the volume increase thereof during freezing is only 9%, so that with an additional volume of the at least one expansion chamber 11 of at least 10% of the volume of the entire condensate collector 6, a sufficient expansion volume is available.

[0029] In this connection, the at least one expansion chamber 11 can form an integral part of the condensate collector 6, as illustrated according to FIGS. 1 to 4, for example. As an alternative to this it is also conceivable that the at least one expansion chamber 11 is arranged externally with respect to the condensate collector 6, as is illustrated, for example, in the case of the embodiments of the condensate collector 6 according to FIGS. 5 and 6. In this case, the expansion chamber 11 is usually connected to the condensate collector 6 via a hose connection 14. The expansion chamber 11 and/or the condensate collector 6 can be made here from plastics or aluminum, wherein it can additionally be provided that at least one wall of the expansion chamber 11 and/or the condensate collector 6 is formed elastically thereby additionally allowing for a volume increase during freezing of the condensate 7.

[0030] Looking at the expansion chamber 11 according to FIG. 2, it can be seen that there is only one additional expansion chamber 11 on this condensate collector 6, while overall a plurality of expansion chambers 11 is provided in the case of the condensate collector 6 according to FIG. 1 as well as 3 and 4.

[0031] In an advantageous further development of the solution according to the invention, the condensate collector 6 is attached on the air-outlet tank 5 of the intercooler 1, for example welded, soldered, glued, screwed or clipped. As an alternative, it is also conceivable, of course, that the condensate collector 6 forms an integral part of the air-outlet tank 5 of the intercooler 1.

[0032] Irrespective of the selected embodiments of the condensate collector 6 according to the invention, the latter creates for the first time a possibility to provide a sufficient expansion volume when the condensate freezes, which makes it possible to reliably prevent damages caused by freezing.