DE102014217314B4 - Charge air cooler for an internal combustion engine and arrangement of a charge air cooler on a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine - Google Patents

Abstract

Intercooler (10) with a housing (12) for an internal combustion engine, the housing (12) having a first contact surface (20) for planar contact and attachment of the intercooler (10) to a cylinder head (30) of the internal combustion engine, wherein for attachment of the housing (12), at least one opening (24) is formed in the housing (12) which extends along a connection axis (26) and which penetrates the first contact surface (20) and the connection axis being at an angle deviating from 90° to the first contact surface (20), characterized in that at least one supporting projection (28) is formed on the housing (12), which extends opposite the first contact surface (20) in the direction of a cylinder head (30) to be connected and is formed in such a way that a The surface (32) formed on the supporting projection (28) serves as a second contact surface (34) when the charge air cooler (10) is fastened to a cylinder head (30).

Description

The invention relates to a charge air cooler for an internal combustion engine according to the preamble of claim 1 and an arrangement of a charge air cooler on a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine. In particular, the invention relates to the attachment of a housing of a so-called intake manifold-integrated charge air cooler. This includes, in particular, intercoolers in which a - in particular liquid-based - heat exchanger is integrated into the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine in order to extract heat from air that is to be supplied to the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine immediately before it flows into the combustion chamber and thus the introduction of a to allow a larger air mass into the combustion chamber. To dissipate the heat, so-called cooling cassettes are sometimes used as separate components in such heat exchangers.

the end DE 10 2013 202 448 A1 a charge air cooler is known which is arranged in a housing of a fresh air system in such a way that a fresh air path leads through the charge air cooler within the fresh air system. The charge air cooler is provided upstream of the internal combustion engine as an integral part of the fresh air system. An arrangement of this intercooler directly on a cylinder head of the internal combustion engine is not disclosed.

the end WO 2008/061692 A1 is a charge air cooler designed as a compact module and integrated in the intake manifold for an internal combustion engine.

the end DE 10 2010 002 233 A1 and from WO 2012/ 130 514 A1 devices with an intercooler are known, which are attached via a flange to a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine. The connection between the cylinder head and the respective device takes place via openings which at least partially have an angle deviating from 90° to the flange plane and end in the flange plane.
In addition, charge air coolers according to the preamble of claim 1 are known from practice, with the housing of the charge air cooler having a first contact surface for surface contact and attachment of the charge air cooler to a cylinder head of the internal combustion engine, and for attachment of the housing at least one opening extending along a connecting axis in the housing is formed, which penetrates the first contact surface and wherein the connection axis runs at an angle deviating from 90° to the first contact surface.

In the charge air coolers known from practice according to the preamble of claim 1, due to the design, transverse forces arise due to the connection axis not running perpendicular to the first contact surface, which lead to at least regional bending of the first contact surface.

It is known from practice to use a so-called intermediate flange to avoid or reduce the above-mentioned bending of the first contact surface. This is an adapter manufactured as a separate component, which enables a screw connection perpendicular to the first contact surface. This solution not only increases the weight of the intercooler with cylinder head and adapter, but also increases the effort involved in installing an intercooler.

It is also known from practice to use so-called terminal strips for fastening an intercooler. When using clamping strips, the intercooler is fixed on one side with a clamp and otherwise screwed. The clamping strips are designed in such a way that the clamping force in the area of the clamping strip increases as the screwing force increases. The disadvantage of this solution is that the clamping force in the area of the terminal block is highly dependent on compliance with small manufacturing tolerances.

The invention is based on the object of providing a charge air cooler for an internal combustion engine according to the preamble of claim 1 and an arrangement of such a charge air cooler on a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine, which allow simple, safe and cost-effective assembly. In particular, the known negative effect of unwanted lateral forces should be counteracted.

The object is achieved according to the invention with the features of the independent claims. Further practical embodiments are described in the subclaims.

A charge air cooler according to the invention for an internal combustion engine comprises a housing, the housing having a first contact surface for surface contact and attachment of the charge air cooler to a cylinder head of the internal combustion engine, with at least one opening extending along a connecting axis being formed in the housing for attaching the housing, which penetrates the first contact surface and wherein the connecting axis runs at an angle deviating from 90° to the first contact surface. In this case, at least one support projection is formed on the housing, which is opposite the first contact surface in the direction of a cylinder head to be connected and is designed such that a surface formed on the support projection serves as a second contact surface when the charge air cooler is fastened to a cylinder head. In other words, a second contact surface is formed on a housing of a charge air cooler according to the invention in addition to a first contact surface, which enables a secure attachment with a simple and cost-effective mounting option for a charge air cooler on a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine. Because with an intercooler according to the invention, transverse forces caused by an oblique screw connection or other attachment can be introduced directly from the housing of the intercooler into the cylinder head and thus supported. This is done by a suitable design and arrangement of the supporting projection.

In a practical embodiment of a charge air cooler according to the invention, the first contact surface and the second contact surface are arranged or formed at an angle of between 45° and 135° to one another. Areas between 80° and 100° are particularly preferred, and arrangements with an angle of 90° are particularly preferred. Such angles are common angles provided on a cylinder head between a side wall and a top or bottom wall. The use of a charge air cooler according to the invention with existing cylinder head configurations is particularly preferred, since changing the design of a cylinder head is associated with significantly higher costs than changing a charge air cooler or its housing.

In a further practical embodiment of a charge air cooler according to the invention, the first contact surface and the second contact surface are designed to be at least partially adjacent to one another. This embodiment is advantageous in that a full-area support extending over an edge, as is the case in this case, ensures a particularly high level of functional reliability.

In a further practical embodiment of a charge air cooler according to the invention, the at least one supporting projection is arranged directly adjacent to the at least one opening and/or between two openings. If several openings are provided in the housing, this applies to all openings whose connecting axis runs at an angle deviating from 90° to the first contact surface. In this case, transverse forces that occur as a result of the connecting axis running at an angle can be transmitted directly in the region of their origin by the supporting projection from the intercooler to the cylinder head and can thus be compensated for. The formation of a bend in the area of the first contact surface is thus efficiently counteracted.

Only for the sake of completeness is it pointed out that a supporting projection can also extend over the entire length of that housing wall of the housing of an intercooler which adjoins the cylinder head. This is even associated with a particularly high level of stability and is therefore advantageous. For reasons of weight, on the other hand, a partial formation of supporting projections directly in the area of the openings and/or in the middle between openings is preferred.

The housing of a charge air cooler according to the invention is preferably made of a metallic material, in particular aluminum. Aluminum has the advantage that it has a relatively low density and therefore the component has a low mass. Furthermore, aluminum is very temperature-resistant, especially when air or exhaust gases flow through the housing at a temperature well above 200 °C. The housing of a charge air cooler according to the invention can also be made of plastic. In conjunction with a plastic housing, the use of metal inserts is particularly suitable for absorbing screwing forces in the area of screw connections between the intercooler and a cylinder head.

The invention also relates to the arrangement of a charge air cooler, in particular a charge air cooler as described above, on a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine, the charge air cooler having a housing on which a first contact surface is designed for surface contact and attachment of the charge air cooler to a side wall of the cylinder head, wherein for fastening the housing, at least one opening is formed in the housing that extends along a connection axis, which opening penetrates the first contact surface and wherein the connection axis runs at an angle deviating from 90° to the first contact surface, and wherein at least one supporting projection is also formed on the housing is, which extends opposite the first contact surface in the direction of the cylinder head in such a way that a surface formed on the support projection when the charge air cooler is fastened simultaneously as a second contact surface for contact with a top wall or Bo the wall of the cylinder head. Reference is hereby once again made to the advantages already described above in connection with the intercooler. In particular, a deflection of the contact surface of the housing of the charge air cooler is counteracted with an arrangement according to the invention, since the supporting projection on the Cylinder head is supported at the point at which the lateral force arises.

The invention relates in particular to arrangements in which a plurality of openings are provided and the charge air cooler is bolted to the cylinder head via bolts inserted into the openings.

If, in a practical embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention, the at least one opening in the housing of the intercooler in the cylinder head continues through an edge running between a side wall and a top wall of the cylinder head or between a side wall and a bottom wall of the cylinder head, the result in the housing of the intercooler according to the invention a particularly large overall height for a heat sink, while at the same time the geometry of a cylinder head according to the invention, which usually has a side wall and a top wall or bottom wall, does not have to be changed. In a further practical embodiment of a charge air cooler according to the invention, a plurality of openings as above are formed in the charge air cooler and in the cylinder head in such a way that they are suitable for screwing the cylinder head to the charge air cooler. This makes it possible to connect the intercooler to the cylinder head safely and in a space-saving manner. The openings are preferably arranged at a regular spacing around the at least one outflow opening, more preferably arranged in the shape of a rectangle. It should be noted that not all openings have to have connecting axes that run at an angle other than 90° to the first contact surface. Normally, openings arranged only in the area of the upper side of a cylinder head are arranged at an angle deviating from 90° in order to increase the installation space for cooling bodies to be inserted into the housing in this area.

In a further practical embodiment, the housing of the intercooler rests directly on a side wall and/or on a top wall or bottom wall of the cylinder head. The intercooler thus forms an intake manifold of the internal combustion engine. Such intercoolers are also referred to as intake manifold-based intercoolers.

• 1 eine dreidimensionale Darstellung einer Ausführungsform eines Gehäuses eines erfindungsgemäßen Ladeluftkühlers,
• 2 eine Schnittdarstellung durch das in 1 dargestellte Gehäuse gemäß Querschnittlinie II-II und
• 3 eine vergrößerte Schnittdarstellung durch eine Ausführungsform einer Schraubverbindung eines erfindungsgemäßen Gehäuses mit einem Zylinderkopf im Bereich einer der beiden äußeren oberen Öffnungen.

Further practical embodiments and advantages of the invention are described below in connection with the drawings. Show it:

• 1 a three-dimensional representation of an embodiment of a housing of an intercooler according to the invention,
• 2 a sectional view through the in 1 housing shown according to cross-section line II-II and
• 3 an enlarged sectional view through an embodiment of a screw connection of a housing according to the invention with a cylinder head in the region of one of the two outer upper openings.

A charge air cooler 10 according to the invention comprises a housing 12 in which inflow openings 14 are formed for introducing charge air to be cooled. Furthermore, outflow openings 16 are formed in the housing in order to discharge charge air cooled inside the housing via a cylinder head 30 directly adjoining the charge air cooler 10 (see 2 ) to a combustion chamber (not shown). In the embodiment shown, air which flows into the housing 12 through the inflow openings 14 is cooled as it flows through a cooling cartridge (not shown) inserted into a cooling opening 18 and is then fed via the outflow openings 16 to a combustion chamber of a cylinder of an internal combustion engine. The charge air cooler 10 thus forms the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine and is therefore also referred to as a charge air cooler integrated in the intake manifold. The cooling cassette to be used in the embodiment shown comprises channels for fluid (here: water) and a multiplicity of fins for the air to flow through from the inflow openings 14 to the outflow openings 16 in order to extract heat from the air flowing through the cooling cassette. It is therefore a liquid-based intercooler 10.

Air flowing in via the inflow openings 14 usually has temperatures between −30° C. and 250° C. in the embodiment shown, which is provided for a biturbo internal combustion engine. Air flowing out via the outflow openings usually has temperatures between 30.degree. C. and 60.degree.

How out 1 can be seen, in the area of the outflow openings 16 of the housing 12 there is a (here: flat) designed, first contact surface 20 for the surface contact of the housing on a cylinder head (in 2 shown schematically) formed. The contact surface surrounds the outflow openings 16 in the form of a frame. The cylinder head has a side wall 36 pointing towards the housing 12 of the intercooler 10 and a top wall 38 adjoining the side wall 36 in the upper region.

Openings 22 are formed in the lower area of the housing 12 and in the central area of the housing 12 and extend through the first contact surface 20 and their axes of extension run perpendicular to the contact surface 20. They are used to screw the housing 12 to a cylinder head, as in 2 shown arrangement shown. In the embodiment shown, the screwing takes place from the side of the intercooler 10.

Five further openings 24 are formed in the upper area of the housing 12, which extend through the first contact surface 20 along connecting axes 26, the connecting axes 26 running at an angle of approximately 60°. These openings 24 are also used to screw the housing 12 to the cylinder head 30, as described above.

Openings 40 with corresponding threads 42 (internal threads) are formed in the cylinder head 30 for screwing with the aid of screws 44 (cf. 3 ).

In the 1-3 It can also be seen that support projections 28 are formed on the housing 12 immediately above the openings 24 and extend in the direction of the cylinder head 30 to be connected in relation to the first contact surface 20 (ie the projections protrude in the direction of the cylinder head 30 in relation to the first contact surface 20) and are designed in such a way that surfaces 32 formed on the supporting projection serve as a second contact surface 34 when the charge air cooler 10 is fastened to the cylinder head 30 . This is particularly in 3 clearly visible.

in the in 2 In the section plane reproduced, the second contact surface 34 is relatively small, since the supporting projection 28 does not protrude very far in the direction of the cylinder head 30 . How out 1 can be seen, the support projections 28 extend - in a view according to the arrow P in 1 - At least partially also in the areas to the right and left of the upper openings 24. In other words, the support projections 28 are formed in the embodiment shown above the support projections 28 in such a way that they extend laterally across the width of the openings.

This results in a larger second contact surface 34 to the right and left of the openings, which extends to the first contact surface 20 and also directly adjoins the side surface 36 of the cylinder head in the area next to the openings 24, i.e. the housing 12 L is located in these areas -shaped to the cylinder head 30 on. Longitudinal forces arising as a result of the obliquely running screw connection can thus be absorbed directly via the side wall 36 and transverse forces via the top wall 38 of the cylinder head 38 .

The in the 1-3 The embodiment shown, in which the bore in the cylinder head 30 leads into the edge formed between the side wall 36 and the top wall 38, has the advantage that existing cylinder heads 30 can be used and do not have to be changed, and yet a safe and simple assembly using the existing ones Geometry of the shown cylinder head 30 and maximizing the area available for the charge air cooler for arranging a cooling cassette is possible.

In the embodiment shown of an intercooler 10 according to the invention and in the 2 and 3 illustrated arrangement of the charge air cooler 10 on a cylinder head 30, both the housing 12 and the cylinder head 30 are made of aluminum. All openings 22, 24 serve to guide screws which are used via a thread (not shown) formed in the cylinder head to fix the intercooler to the cylinder head.

In 3 It can also be seen from the example of a supporting projection 28 that these include a material thickening 46 in the region of their free ends 50 in the embodiment shown. It can also be seen that the material thickness m (viewed perpendicularly to the connection axis 26) of the external screw flange 48 increases continuously in the screwing-in direction.

The features of the invention disclosed in the present description, in the drawings and in the claims can be essential both individually and in any combination for the realization of the invention in its various embodiments. The invention is not limited to the embodiments described. It can be varied within the scope of the claims and taking into account the knowledge of the person skilled in the art. In this regard, reference is made in particular to the fact that the above-mentioned geometric features are not mandatory and, in particular, an increasing material thickness m or material thickenings 46 and further details can be dispensed with.

Reference List

10

intercooler

12

housing

14

inflow openings

16

outflow openings

18

cooling opening

20

first contact surface

22

openings

24

upper openings

26

connecting axes

28

support projections

30

cylinder head

32

surface

34

second contact surface

36

left side wall

38

top wall

40

opening (in the cylinder head)

42

inner thread

44

screw

46

material thickening

48

screw flange

50

free end

Claims (10)

Intercooler (10) with a housing (12) for an internal combustion engine, the housing (12) having a first contact surface (20) for planar contact and attachment of the intercooler (10) to a cylinder head (30) of the internal combustion engine, wherein for attachment of the housing (12), at least one opening (24) is formed in the housing (12) which extends along a connection axis (26) and which penetrates the first contact surface (20) and the connection axis being at an angle deviating from 90° to the first contact surface (20), characterized in that at least one support projection (28) is formed on the housing (12), which extends opposite the first contact surface (20) in the direction of a cylinder head (30) to be connected and is formed in such a way that a The surface (32) formed on the supporting projection (28) serves as a second contact surface (34) when the charge air cooler (10) is fastened to a cylinder head (30). Charge air cooler (10) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the first contact surface (20) and the second contact surface (34) are arranged or formed at an angle of between 45° and 135° to one another. Charge air cooler (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first contact surface (20) and the second contact surface (34) are formed at least partially adjacent to one another. Charge air cooler (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a plurality of openings (24) are arranged around at least one outflow opening (16) for cooled charge air. Intercooler (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one supporting projection (28) is directly adjacent to the at least one opening (24) in the region of the first contact surface (20) and/or between two openings (24) is arranged. Charge air cooler (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing (12) is made of a metallic material and/or plastic. Arrangement of a charge air cooler (10) on a cylinder head (30) of an internal combustion engine, the charge air cooler (10) having a housing (12) on which a first contact surface (20) for surface contact and fastening of the charge air cooler (10) on a side wall ( 36) of the cylinder head (30), with at least one opening (24) extending along a connecting axis (26) being formed in the housing (12) for fastening the housing (12), which opening penetrates the first contact surface (20) and wherein the connecting axis (26) runs at an angle deviating from 90° to the first contact surface (20), and wherein at least one supporting projection (28) is also formed on the housing (12) and is opposite the first contact surface (20) in Direction of the cylinder head (30) extends such that on the support projection (28) formed surface (32) when attaching the intercooler (10) as a second contact surface (34) for contact with a Top wall (38) or bottom wall of the cylinder head (30) is used. Arrangement according to the preceding claim, characterized in that several openings (24) are provided and the charge air cooler (10) is screwed to the cylinder head (30) via screws inserted into the openings (24). Arrangement according to one or more of the Claims 7 and 8th , characterized in that the at least one opening (24) in the housing (12) in the cylinder head (30) through a between a side wall (36) and the top wall (38) of the cylinder head or between a side wall (36) and a Bottom wall of the cylinder head (30) running edge continues. Arrangement according to one or more of the Claims 8 or 9 , characterized in that the housing of the intercooler rests directly on a side wall (36) and/or on a top wall (38) or bottom wall of the cylinder head (30).

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