JP2021004591A - Blow-by gas treatment device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a blow-by gas treatment device capable of suppressing pollution due to oil released to the atmosphere.SOLUTION: A blow-by gas treatment device 100 comprises an oil separator 30 provided at an outlet part 22b of a blow-by gas passage 20 that releases blow-by gas of an internal combustion engine 10 to the atmosphere. The oil separator 30 comprises: a container 40 with a lower end 40a closed; a gas outlet 50 provided at a position higher than the lower end 40a in the container 40, and opened to the atmosphere; and an oil collecting member 60 provided inside the container 40, and covering an inlet 50in of the gas outlet 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for processing blow-by gas of an internal combustion engine.

In an internal combustion engine, a blow-by gas treatment device is known in which blow-by gas leaking into a crankcase through a gap between a cylinder and a piston is allowed to flow through a blow-by gas passage and then released to the atmosphere from the outlet.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-18364

With such a configuration in which the blow-by gas is released to the atmosphere, the oil contained in the blow-by gas is also released to the atmosphere together with the blow-by gas. As a result, there is a problem that the oil released to the atmosphere pollutes the area around the outlet.

Therefore, the present disclosure was devised in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a blow-by gas treatment device capable of suppressing pollution by oil released to the atmosphere.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the oil separator is provided at the outlet of the blow-by gas passage that opens the blow-by gas of the internal combustion engine to the atmosphere, and the blow-by gas is introduced into the oil separator and the lower end is closed. The container is provided with a gas outlet provided at a position higher than the lower end of the container and open to the atmosphere, and an oil collecting member provided inside the container and covering the inlet of the gas outlet. A blow-by gas processing apparatus characterized by the above is provided.

Preferably, the oil collecting member is formed in a mesh shape.

Preferably, the gas outlet is formed in a tubular shape and the collecting member extends inside the gas outlet.

Preferably, the gas outlet is formed in a tubular shape, and the oil separator further includes a rectifying member provided inside the gas outlet.

Preferably, the internal combustion engine is mounted on the vehicle and the gas outlet is directed to the rear of the vehicle.

Preferably, the oil separator further comprises an oil outlet provided at the lower end of the container and an opening / closing member that opens and closes the oil outlet.

According to the present disclosure, pollution caused by oil released to the atmosphere can be suppressed.

It is a schematic block diagram of an internal combustion engine including a blow-by gas processing apparatus. It is an enlarged perspective view which shows the part II of FIG. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the modification.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an internal combustion engine 10 including a blow-by gas processing device 100. In the figure, the white arrow G indicates the flow of blow-by gas, and the black-painted arrow O indicates the flow of oil separated from the blow-by gas. The directions of up, down, front, back, left, and right shown in the figure are merely defined for convenience of explanation, but coincide with each direction of the vehicle (not shown) equipped with the internal combustion engine 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the internal combustion engine 10 is a multi-cylinder compression ignition type internal combustion engine, that is, a diesel engine mounted on a vehicle. The vehicle is a large vehicle such as a truck. However, the type, type, application, etc. of the vehicle and the internal combustion engine 10 are not particularly limited. For example, the vehicle may be a small vehicle such as a passenger car, and the internal combustion engine 10 is a spark-ignition internal combustion engine, that is, a gasoline engine. There may be. The internal combustion engine 10 may be mounted on a moving body other than a vehicle, for example, a ship, a construction machine, or an industrial machine. Further, the internal combustion engine 10 does not have to be mounted on a moving body, and may be a stationary type.

The internal combustion engine 10 includes an engine main body 11 and an intake passage (not shown) and an exhaust passage (not shown) connected to the engine main body 11.

The engine body 11 includes a cylinder block 12, a crankcase 13 integrally formed in the lower part of the cylinder block 12, an oil pan 14 connected to the lower part of the crankcase 13, and a cylinder head connected to the upper part of the cylinder block 12. 15 and a head cover 16 connected to the upper part of the cylinder head 15.

A plurality of cylinders 12a are provided in the cylinder block 12, and a piston 12b is housed in each cylinder 12a. A crankshaft (not shown) is housed in the crankcase 13, and engine oil is stored in the oil pan 14. A valve operating mechanism (not shown) is attached to the cylinder head 15, and the valve operating mechanism is covered from above by the head cover 16.

The blow-by gas processing device 100 includes a blow-by gas passage 20 for flowing blow-by gas and finally opening it to the atmosphere. As is well known, blow-by gas is gas that leaks into the crankcase 13 from the gap between the cylinder 12a and the piston 12b in the engine body 11.

The blow-by gas passage 20 includes an in-engine passage 21 that passes through the inside of the engine body 11 in order from the upstream side in the blow-by gas flow direction, and a blow-by gas pipe 22 that is exposed to the outside of the engine body 11. Further, the blow-by gas passage 20 is provided with first to third oil separators 23, 24, 30 in order to separate the oil from the blow-by gas.

The in-engine passage 21 passes through the inside of the cylinder block 12 and the cylinder head 15 from the inside of the crankcase 13 and communicates with the inside of the head cover 16.

For the blow-by gas pipe 22, for example, a resin hose member is used. The inlet portion 22a of the blow-by gas pipe 22 is connected to the upper surface portion of the head cover 16. On the other hand, the outlet portion 22b of the blow-by gas pipe 22 is directed downward at a height position near the lower end of the engine body 11.

The first oil separator 23 is an oil separation chamber provided in the upper part of the head cover 16 and communicates with the passage 21 in the engine and the blow-by gas pipe 22. Although not shown, a plurality of baffle plates are provided inside the first oil separator 23.

The first oil separator 23 is configured to collide the blow-by gas introduced from the passage 21 in the engine with the baffle plate to separate the oil from the blow-by gas. Further, the oil O separated from the blow-by gas is returned from the first oil separator 23 into the crankcase 13 through the passage 21 in the engine.

The second oil separator 24 is provided outside the engine body 11 and in the middle of the blow-by gas pipe 22. A filter element 24a is provided inside the second oil separator 24.

The second oil separator 24 is configured to collect the oil that could not be completely separated from the blow-by gas by the first oil separator 23 by the filter element 24a and separate the oil from the blow-by gas. Further, a return pipe 24b for returning the oil O separated from the blow-by gas into the crankcase 13 is connected to the second oil separator 24. The second oil separator 24 may be of any type, and may be, for example, a centrifugal oil separator having no filter element 24a.

The third oil separator 30 is an oil separator as defined in the claims, and is provided at the outlet portion 22b of the blow-by gas pipe 22. The third oil separator 30 is configured to separate the oil that could not be completely separated by the first and second oil separators 23 and 24 from the blow-by gas immediately before the blow-by gas is released to the atmosphere. That is, in the present embodiment, the first and second oil separators 23 and 24 are the main oil separators, and the third oil separator 30 is an auxiliary oil separator. However, if possible, at least one of the first and second oil separators 23 and 24 may be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the third oil separator 30 has a container 40 in which the lower end 40a is closed, a gas outlet 50 opened to the atmosphere, and an oil collecting member provided inside the container 40. The mesh member 60 of the above is provided. Further, the third oil separator 30 further includes an oil outlet 70 provided at the lower end 40a of the container 40, and a bolt member 71 as an opening / closing member for opening / closing the oil outlet 70.

The container 40 is formed in a bottomed tubular shape, and blow-by gas is introduced from above. That is, the container 40 includes a tubular side wall portion 41 extending in the vertical direction and a bottom portion 42 that closes the lower end 40a. In FIG. 3, the alternate long and short dash line C1 represents the central axis of the side wall portion 41 and the bottom portion 42.

The side wall portion 41 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The upper end portion of the side wall portion 41 is inserted into the outlet portion 22b of the blow-by gas pipe 22 from below and fitted. The fitting portion is detachably fastened by a fastening member 43 such as a metal band.

The bottom portion 42 has an oil outlet 70 at a central portion in the radial direction. The oil outlet 70 is a screw hole that penetrates the bottom portion 42 in the vertical direction. A bolt member 71 is screwed into the oil outlet 70 from below and tightened. As a result, the oil outlet 70 is closed and the lower end 40a of the container 40 is closed.

The gas outlet 50 is provided at a position higher than the lower end 40a in the container 40. Although details will be described later, as shown in FIG. 3, the distance h in the height direction from the lower end 40a to the gas outlet 50 is set to a distance at which a predetermined amount of oil is stored in the bottom portion 42.

Further, the gas outlet 50 of the present embodiment is formed in a tubular shape. That is, the gas outlet 50 is formed in a tubular shape that projects rearward from the side wall portion 41 of the container 40. The alternate long and short dash line C2 represents the central axis of the gas outlet 50. Further, in the present embodiment, the parts of the internal combustion engine 10 as described later are arranged close to the outside in the radial direction (left direction in the illustrated example) of the gas outlet 50, but behind the gas outlet 50. It shall not be placed.

The mesh member 60 is configured to collect the oil contained in the blow-by gas and rectify the blow-by gas. Steel wool is used for the mesh member 60. However, the mesh member 60 may be made of any material as long as it is formed in a mesh shape, and may be made of, for example, a resin material.

Further, the mesh member 60 covers the inlet 50in of the gas outlet 50 inside the container 40. In the present embodiment, the mesh member 60 is filled inside the container 40 without a gap from the position of the upper surface of the bottom portion 42 of the container 40 to the vicinity position higher than the gas outlet 50.

Further, the mesh member 60 of the present embodiment extends inside the gas outlet 50. That is, the mesh member 60 extends a distance x extending from the position of the inlet 50in of the gas outlet 50 to the position in the vicinity thereof in the axial direction of the gas outlet 50.

According to the third oil separator 30, the blow-by gas discharged from the outlet portion 22b of the blow-by gas pipe 22 is introduced downward into the container 40, passes through the mesh member 60, and then heads rearward from the gas outlet 50. Is released to the atmosphere.

By the way, although not shown, a general blow-by gas treatment apparatus does not include a third oil separator as in the present embodiment. Therefore, the blow-by gas is directly released to the atmosphere from the outlet of the blow-by gas pipe.

However, in this case, the oil that cannot be completely separated by the first and second oil separators may be released to the atmosphere together with the blow-by gas. As a result, there is a risk that the area around the outlet of the blow-by gas pipe will be soiled.

In particular, in an internal combustion engine, oil released to the atmosphere may contaminate parts close to the outlet of a blow-by gas pipe, for example, a connection portion between a crankcase and an oil pan. In this case, there is a possibility that the cause of the contamination is, for example, oil leaking from the inside of the crankcase, which may lead to erroneous maintenance.

In addition, oil dripping from the outlet of the blow-by gas pipe may contaminate the road surface.

On the other hand, according to the blow-by gas processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, in the third oil separator 30, when the blow-by gas passes through the mesh member 60, the oil contained in the blow-by gas is captured by the mesh member 60. You can collect. As a result, the oil that could not be completely separated by the first and second oil separators 23 and 24 can be separated from the blow-by gas immediately before the blow-by gas is released to the atmosphere. As a result, it is possible to prevent the blow-by gas pipe 22 from being contaminated with oil around the outlet.

In particular, in the internal combustion engine 10 of the present embodiment, the oil released to the atmosphere together with the blow-by gas contaminates the proximity parts around the outlet of the blow-by gas pipe 22, for example, the connection portion between the crankcase 13 and the oil pan 14. Can be suppressed. As a result, if the nearby parts around the outlet are contaminated with oil, the cause of the contamination can be identified by focusing on the causes other than the oil released from the blow-by gas pipe to the atmosphere, so maintenance can be performed correctly. it can.

Further, in the present embodiment, the lower end 40a of the container 40 is closed, and the gas outlet 50 is provided at a position higher than the lower end 40a in the container 40. Therefore, the oil collected by the mesh member 60 can be stored in the bottom 42 of the container 40 below the gas outlet 50. As a result, it is possible to prevent the oil collected by the mesh member 60 from flowing into the blow-by gas and being discharged from the gas outlet 50.

Therefore, according to the blow-by gas treatment device 100 of the present embodiment, pollution by oil released to the atmosphere can be suppressed.

Further, according to the mesh member 60 of the present embodiment, the blow-by gas can be rectified before entering the gas outlet 50. As a result, the turbulent flow of blow-by gas generated in the container 40 is discharged from the gas outlet 50 without being suppressed, and the oil can be suppressed from splashing to the outside in the radial direction of the gas outlet 50.

Further, in the present embodiment, the gas outlet 50 is formed in a tubular shape. As a result, the directivity of the blow-by gas discharged from the gas outlet 50 can be improved.

Further, the mesh member 60 extends inside the gas outlet 50. As a result, the blow-by gas can be rectified even inside the gas outlet 50.

Further, since the gas outlet 50 of the present embodiment is directed to the rear of the vehicle, blow-by gas can be discharged in the same direction as the traveling wind of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling. In the present embodiment, the proximity parts around the outlet as described above are arranged radially outside the gas outlet 50 (to the left in the illustrated example), but are not arranged behind the gas outlet 50. .. Then, the oil discharged from the gas outlet 50 flows only backward on the running wind. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the nearby parts around the outlet from being contaminated with oil.

Further, in the present embodiment, the oil stored in the bottom portion 42 of the container 40 can be easily discharged from the oil outlet 70 simply by loosening the bolt member 71 and removing it from the oil outlet 70.

On the other hand, the above-described embodiment can be a modification or a combination thereof as follows. In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as those in the above embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

(First modification)
As shown in FIG. 4, the third oil separator 30 of the first modification further includes a honeycomb member 80 as a rectifying member provided inside the gas outlet 50.

The honeycomb member 80 has a honeycomb-like cross-sectional shape, and is configured to rectify and flow blow-by gas in the axial direction of the gas outlet 50. Further, in the first modification, the honeycomb member 80 is arranged from the rear end position of the mesh member 60 to the position immediately before the rear end of the gas outlet 50 in the axial direction of the gas outlet 50.

According to the first modification, the blow-by gas can be rectified in the axial direction of the gas outlet 50 as compared with the above-mentioned basic embodiment in which only the mesh member 60 is provided, and the directivity of the blow-by gas can be further improved. As a result, it is advantageous to suppress pollution caused by oil released to the atmosphere.

(Second modification)
The mesh member 60 does not have to be filled in the container 40. Further, the mesh member 60 does not have to extend inside the gas outlet 50. Although not shown, for example, the mesh member of the second modification is provided inside the container 40 so as to cover only the inlet 50in of the gas outlet 50.

(Third modification example)
The container 40 is not limited to a tubular shape, and may have any shape. For example, the container of the third modification is formed in a quadrangular box shape, and the outlet portion of the blow-by gas pipe is connected to the ceiling portion.

(Fourth modification)
Blow-by gas may be introduced into the container 40 from a direction other than above, for example, from the front. For example, in the fourth modification, the upper end and the lower end of the container are closed, and the outlet portion of the blow-by gas pipe is connected at a position higher than the oil outlet on the side wall portion on the front side of the container.

(Fifth modification)
The gas outlet 50 is not limited to a tubular shape, and may have any shape. For example, the gas outlet of the fifth modification is a simple through hole formed in the side wall portion of the container.

(6th modification)
The gas outlet 50 may be directed in a direction other than the rear direction. For example, if the internal combustion engine components are not located close to the left side of the gas outlet, the gas outlet may be directed to the left.

(7th modification)
The oil collecting member and the rectifying member may be of any type, shape and the like. For example, the oil collecting member is not limited to the mesh member, and may be a filter element formed of a porous body. Further, the rectifying member is not limited to the honeycomb member, and may be a plurality of fin members extending in the axial direction of the gas outlet.

(8th modification)
The oil outlet and the opening / closing member may be of any type, position, etc., and may be omitted if possible.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and all modifications and applications included in the idea of the present disclosure defined by the scope of claims. Examples, equivalents are included in this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure should not be construed in a limited way and can be applied to any other technique that belongs within the scope of the ideas of this disclosure.

10 Internal combustion engine 20 Blow-by gas passage 22 Blow-by gas pipe 22b Outlet 30 Third oil separator (oil separator)
40 Container 40a Lower end 50 Gas outlet 50in Inlet 60 Mesh member (oil collecting member)
70 Oil outlet 71 Bolt member (opening and closing member)
100 Blow-by gas treatment device G Blow-by gas O Oil separated from blow-by gas

Claims (6)

Equipped with an oil separator provided at the outlet of the blow-by gas passage that releases the blow-by gas of the internal combustion engine to the atmosphere.
The oil separator
A container in which blow-by gas is introduced and the lower end is closed,
In the container, a gas outlet provided at a position higher than the lower end and open to the atmosphere,
A blow-by gas treatment apparatus provided inside the container and comprising an oil collecting member that covers the inlet of the gas outlet. The blow-by gas treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the oil collecting member is formed in a mesh shape. The gas outlet is formed in a tubular shape.
The blow-by gas treatment device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the collecting member extends inside the gas outlet. The gas outlet is formed in a tubular shape.
The blow-by gas treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the oil separator further includes a rectifying member provided inside the gas outlet. The internal combustion engine is mounted on a vehicle and
The blow-by gas treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the gas outlet is directed to the rear of the vehicle. The oil separator
An oil outlet provided at the lower end of the container and
The blow-by gas treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an opening / closing member for opening / closing the oil outlet.

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