CHARGE AIR COOLER FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A CHARGE AIR COOLER

Abstract

A charge air cooler for an internal combustion engine, includes a charge air inlet and a charge air outlet which are fluidly connected with each other via multiple charge air channels which are arranged parallel to each other and arranged parallel to each other and subjectable to a coolant flow; and at least one flow guide element arranged upstream of the charge air channels, wherein the flow guide element at least in one operating state of the internal combustion engine deflects charge air entering through the charge air inlet the direction of a condensate accumulation volume of the charge air cooler.

Claims

1. A charge air cooler for an internal combustion engine, comprising: a charge air inlet and a charge air outlet fluidly connected with each other via multiple charge air channels, said multiple charge air channels being arranged parallel to each other and subjectable to a coolant flow; and at least one flow guide element arranged upstream of the charge air channels, said flow guide element at least in one operating state of the internal combustion engine deflecting charge air entering through the charge air inlet the direction of a condensate accumulation volume of the charge air cooler.

2. The charge air cooler of claim 1, configured as a direct charge air cooler with the coolant being ambient air, or as indirect charge air cooler with the coolant being a cooling fluid.

3. The charge air cooler of claim 2, wherein the cooling fluid is a refrigerant.

4. The charge air cooler of claim 1, wherein the condensate accumulation volume is present in at least one geodetically lowermost ones of the charge air channels.

5. The charge air cooler of claim 1, further comprising a charge air distribution box arranged fluidly between the charge air inlet and the charge air channels, in said flow guide element being arranged in the charge air distribution box.

6. The charge air cooler of claim 5, wherein the charge air flows into the charge air distribution box through the charge air inlet with an inflow direction which is located in a flow plane which is perpendicular to a longitudinal center plane of the charge air channels, and wherein the flow guide element deflects the charge air so that the charge air flows away from the flow plane.

7. The charge air cooler of claim 1, wherein the flow guide element has a flow profile.

8. The charge air cooler of claim 1, wherein the flow guide element is adjustable.

9. A method for operating a charge air cooler for an internal combustion engine, in particular a charge air cooler, said method comprising: providing a charge air cooler comprising a charge air inlet and a charge air outlet which are fluidly connected with each other via multiple charge air channels, said multiple charge air channels being arranged parallel to each other and subjectable to a coolant flow; and with a flow guide element of the charge air cooler arranged upstream of the charge air channels, deflecting in at least one operating state of the internal combustion engine charge air entering through the charge air inlet in a direction of a condensate accumulation volume of the charge air cooler.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the flow guide element is adjustable, said method further comprising selecting and adjusting an angle of attack of the flow guide element in dependence on the operating state.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising adjusting the flow guide element so that the charge air is deflected the stronger the smaller a charge air mass flow flowing through the charge air cooler is, and/or so that the charge air is deflected the stronger the greater the charge air mass flow is.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0032] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent upon reading the following description of currently preferred exemplified embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a first embodiment of a charge air cooler for an internal combustion engine; and

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a second embodiment of the charge air cooler.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0035] Throughout all the Figures, same or corresponding elements may generally be indicated by same reference numerals. These depicted embodiments are to be understood as illustrative of the invention and not as limiting in any way. It should also be understood that the figures are not necessarily to scale and that the embodiments are sometimes illustrated by graphic symbols, phantom lines, diagrammatic representations and fragmentary views. In certain instances, details which are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention or which render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted.

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a region of a charge air cooler 1, which has a charge air distribution box 2 and charge air channels 3 extending therefrom (of which in this case only some are exemplarily indicated). Charge air is supplied to the charge air distribution box 2 via a charge air conduit 4, wherein the inflow direction of the charge air is indicated by the arrow 5. The charge air conduit 4 enters into the charge air distribution box 2 at an entry opening 6.

[0037] It can be seen that downstream of the entry opening 6 the flow cross section becomes wider because the charge air channels 3 in their totality have greater dimensions in at least one direction than the charge air conduit 4 or the entry opening 6. The charge air conduit 4 is assigned to a charge air inlet 7 of the charge air cooler 1. The charge air flowing into the charge air distribution box 2 enters the charge air channels 3 or at least a part of the charge air channels 3 and flows through the same. On the side of the charge air channel 3 that faces away from the charge air distribution box 2 the charge air channels 3 are preferably connected to a charge air accumulation box which is assigned to a (here not shown) charge air outlet of the charge air cooler 1.

[0038] In particular in the case of a small charge air mass flow it may occur that the charge air entering the charge air distribution box 2 is distributed preferably to the charge air channels 3 that are situated in flow direction, i.e., in the direction of the arrow 5, while distal charge air channels 3 are not impinged with charge air or only to a minor degree. Because the charge air is cooled in the charge air cooler 1 water can be condensed in the charge air cooler when cooling is performed below the dew point, and can be present in the form of condensate 8 in the charge air cooler 1.

[0039] Due to gravity the condensate 8 accumulates preferably in a geodetically lowermost one of the charge air channels 3, as indicated in the present case. At the same time this charge air channel, due to its distance to the entry opening 6, however charge air no longer flows through this charge air channel to a sufficient degree in order to remove the condensate. This is indicated by the arrows 9. Rather it is clear that even backflow regions may form which prevent the entry of charge air into the charge air channel 8 containing the condensate 8. The region in which the condensate 8 accumulates can be referred to as condensate accumulation volume 10.

[0040] In order to enable a uniform removal of condensate 8 from the charge air cooler 12 also at low charge air mass flows at least one flow guide element 11 is assigned to the second configuration of charge air cooler 1 as illustrated in FIG. 2. In the shown exemplary embodiment multiple flow guide elements 11 are provided which are arranged spaced apart form each other. The flow guide element is preferably present in the charge air distribution box 2. The flow guide element 11 is oriented so that the charge air flowing in through the charge air inlet 7 is deflected in the direction of the condensate accumulation volume 10 in at least one operating state of the internal combustion engine. As explained above the condensate accumulation volume is present in the at least one charge air channel which geodetically is situated lowermost.

[0041] The charge air is hereby deflected by the flow guide element 11 away from the here only schematically indicated flow plane 12, which encompasses the inflow direction indicated by the arrow 5 and is perpendicular to a longitudinal center plane of the charge air plane 3. In particular the flow guide element 11 deflects the charge air in the direction of the geodetically lowermost charge air channel 3. The arrows 9 indicate that by means of the flow guide element 11 an equalization of the charge air mass flow through the charge air channels 3 can be achieved or that even the predominant portion of the charge air flows to the lower most ones of the charge air channels.

[0042] In this way the condensate 8 is reliably removed from the condensate accumulation volume 10 and entrained in the direction of the internal combustion engine even at lower charge air mass flows. Also in the case of a sudden increase of the charge air mass flow no abrupt increase of the condensate amount entrained by the charge air can thus occur. Correspondingly a negative influence on the operation of the internal combustion engine is reliably prevented.

[0043] What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims and includes equivalents of the elements recited therein: