Selective engine block channeling for enhanced cavitation protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11028799-B2
Application number	US-201916556936-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2019
Priority date	Aug 30, 2019
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

An anti-cavitation engine block includes a first cylinder having a first cylinder centerline, a second cylinder having a second cylinder centerline, and a first inter-cylinder wall section located between the first cylinder and the second cylinder along an axis perpendicular to the first and second cylinder centerlines. A first plurality of anti-cavitation channels is formed in the first inter-cylinder wall section. A cylinder liner is inserted into the first cylinder and has an outer circumferential surface toward which the first plurality of anti-cavitation channels open. A water jacket extends at least partially around the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder liner. The first plurality of anti-cavitation channels increase local radial thicknesses of the water jacket to deter cavitation within the water jacket and adjacent the cylinder liner during engine operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An engine block assembly utilized within a liquid-cooled engine, the engine block assembly comprising:
an anti-cavitation engine block having an engine block body comprising:
a first cylinder having a first cylinder centerline;
a second cylinder having a second cylinder centerline;
a first inter-cylinder wall section located between the first cylinder and the second cylinder, as taken along a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the first cylinder centerline and to the second cylinder centerline; and

a first plurality of anti-cavitation channels formed as axially-elongated trenches cut into the case engine block body at the first inter-cylinder wall section;
a cylinder liner inserted into the first cylinder and having an outer circumferential surface toward which the first plurality of anti-cavitation channels opens; and
a water jacket extending at least partially around the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder liner, the first plurality of anti-cavitation channels increasing local radial thicknesses of the water jacket to deter cavitation within the water jacket and adjacent the cylinder liner during operation of the liquid-cooled engine.

2. The engine block assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of anti-cavitation channels comprises:
a first anti-cavitation channel formed in the first inter-cylinder wall section; and
a second anti-cavitation channel formed in the first inter-cylinder wall section and spaced from the first anti-cavitation channel by a non-channeled central region of the first inter-cylinder wall section.

3. The engine block assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first anti-cavitation channel and the second anti-cavitation channel are located on opposing sides of a connecting line extending from the first cylinder centerline to the second cylinder centerline, as taken in a section plane orthogonal to the first cylinder centerline.

4. The engine block assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first anti-cavitation channel is substantially bilaterally symmetrical with the second anti-cavitation channel about a plane of symmetry containing the connecting line and the first cylinder centerline.

5. The engine block assembly of claim 3 , wherein the water jacket has an area of maximum flow restriction in the section plane; and
wherein the area of maximum flow restriction is located between the first anti-cavitation channel and the second anti-cavitation channel in the section plane.

6. The engine block assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first inter-cylinder wall section has minimum wall thicknesses, as taken in the section plane, located substantially at:
a first juncture between the non-channeled central region and the first anti-cavitation channel; and
a second juncture between the non-channeled central region and the second anti-cavitation channel.

7. An engine block assembly utilized within a liquid-cooled engine, the engine block assembly comprising:
an anti-cavitation engine block comprising:
a first cylinder having a first cylinder centerline;
a second cylinder having a second cylinder centerline;
a first inter-cylinder wall section located between the first cylinder and the second cylinder, as taken along a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the first cylinder centerline and to the second cylinder centerline; and

a first plurality of anti-cavitation channels formed in the first inter-cylinder wall section;
a cylinder liner inserted into the first cylinder and having an outer circumferential surface toward which the first plurality of anti-cavitation channels opens; and
a water jacket extending at least partially around the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder liner, the first plurality of anti-cavitation channels increasing local radial thicknesses of the water jacket to deter cavitation within the water jacket and adjacent the cylinder liner during operation of the liquid-cooled engine;
wherein the first cylinder has a cylinder radius, as taken in a section plane orthogonal to the first cylinder centerline; and
wherein the first plurality of anti-cavitation channels each have a radius of curvature less than the cylinder radius, as taken in the section plane.

8. The engine block assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first inter-cylinder wall section has a minimum wall thickness, as taken in the section plane, less than the radius of curvature.

9. The engine block assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third cylinder;
a second inter-cylinder wall section located between the first cylinder and the third cylinder, as taken along the longitudinal axis; and
a second plurality of anti-cavitation channels formed in the second inter-cylinder wall section.

10. An engine block assembly utilized within a liquid-cooled engine, the engine block assembly comprising:
an anti-cavitation engine block comprising:
a first cylinder having a first cylinder centerline;
a second cylinder having a second cylinder centerline;
a third cylinder;
a first inter-cylinder wall section located between the first cylinder and the second cylinder, as taken along a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the first cylinder centerline and to the second cylinder centerline;
a second inter-cylinder wall section located between the first cylinder and the third cylinder, as taken along the longitudinal axis;
a first plurality of anti-cavitation channels formed in the first inter-cylinder wall section; and
a second plurality of anti-cavitation channels formed in the second inter-cylinder wall section;

a cylinder liner inserted into the first cylinder and having an outer circumferential surface toward which the first plurality of anti-cavitation channels opens; and
a water jacket extending at least partially around the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder liner, the first plurality of anti-cavitation channels increasing local radial thicknesses of the water jacket to deter cavitation within the water jacket and adjacent the cylinder liner during operation of the liquid-cooled engine;
wherein the first plurality of anti-cavitation channels comprises first and second anti-cavitation channels; and
wherein the second plurality of anti-cavitation channels comprise third and fourth anti-cavitation channels substantially aligned with the first and second anti-cavitation channels, respectively, along axes parallel to the longitudinal axis.

11. The engine block assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inter-cylinder wall section has a first side facing the first cylinder and has a second, opposing side facing the second cylinder;
wherein the first plurality of anti-cavitation channels is formed in the first side of the first inter-cylinder wall section; and
wherein the anti-cavitation engine block further comprises a second plurality of anti-cavitation channels formed in the second, opposing side of the first inter-cylinder wall section.

12. The engine block assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of anti-cavitation channels each have a maximum channel width, as taken in a section plane orthogonal to the first cylinder centerline; and
wherein the first plurality of anti-cavitation channels each have a maximum channel length measured along an axis parallel to the first cylinder centerline, the maximum channel length exceeding the maximum channel width.

13. The engine block assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of anti-cavitation channels each span a maximum thrust displacement region of the cylinder liner, as taken axially along the first cylinder centerline.

14. An engine block assembly utilized within a liquid-cooled engine, the engine block assembly compris

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Reding Robert J
• Brocco Douglas S
• Schwickerath Terry W
• Tol Umesh A
• Lohmann Craig W

Classifications

• F02F1/004

  Cylinder liners (F02F1/08, F02F1/16 take precedence) · CPC title

• F02F1/16 Primary

  Cylinder liners of wet type · CPC title

• F02F1/12 Primary

  Preventing corrosion of liquid-swept surfaces · CPC title