Power diffusing assembly for a fluid and method for manufacturing the power diffusing assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11211186-B2
Application number	US-201916721008-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2019
Priority date	Nov 16, 2018
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A power diffusing assembly includes a power diffusing body disposed along a flow path of a compressible fluid. The power diffusing body includes passages extending through the power diffusing body and through which at least part of the fluid flows through the power diffusing body. The power diffusing body receives an incoming flow profile of the fluid on an inlet side of the power diffusing body, directs the fluid through the passages in the power diffusing body, and outputs an outgoing flow profile of the fluid out of an outlet side of the power diffusing body. Arrangements of the passages in the power diffusing body are based on the incoming flow profile of the fluid that are received by the power diffusing body and are based on a desired profile of the outgoing flow profile of the fluid exiting out of the power diffusing body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly comprising:
a power diffusing body disposed along a flow path of a compressible fluid, the power diffusing body including passages extending through the power diffusing body and through which at least part of the fluid flows through the power diffusing body,
wherein the power diffusing body receives an incoming flow profile of the fluid on an inlet side of the power diffusing body, directs the fluid through the passages in the power diffusing body, and outputs an outgoing flow profile of the fluid out of an outlet side of the power diffusing body, wherein the power diffusing body is a single, seamless body that continuously extends from the inlet side to the outlet side, and the passages change the incoming flow profile of the fluid into the outgoing flow profile of the fluid that is different from the incoming flow profile,
wherein arrangements of the passages in the power diffusing body are based on the incoming flow profile of the fluid that are received by the power diffusing body and are based on a desired profile of the outgoing flow profile of the fluid exiting out of the power diffusing body.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the power diffusing body is formed as a matrix of a repeating pattern of elongated members connected with each other at nodes, the matrix forming several parallel resistive paths via the members from the inlet side to the outlet side such that interruption along one or more, but less than all, of the resistive paths does not prevent conduction of electric current through at least one other path of the resistive paths.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the matrix of the power diffusing body has a surface area that is at least twenty times larger than a surface area of a solid, continuous body made from a same material as the power diffusing body and having equivalent outer dimensions of the power diffusing body.

4. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the elongated members of a first portion of the power diffusing body are one or more of thicker or closer together than the elongated members of a second portion of the power diffusing body.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the passages are oriented through the power diffusing body such that a variance of one or both of velocity or mass flow rate of the fluid is less in the outgoing flow profile than in the incoming flow profile.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inlet side of the power diffusing body receives the fluid from one or more of an axial fan, a centrifugal fan, or a mixed flow fan that produces a non-uniform flow profile as the incoming flow profile, and
wherein the arrangement of the passages in the power diffusing body are positioned to change flow of the fluid within the power diffusing body and create a more uniform flow profile of the fluid that differs from the non-uniform flow profile as the outgoing flow profile exits from the power diffusing body.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more electrically resistive grids disposed between the inlet side and the outlet side of the power diffusing body, the one or more electrically resistive grids configured to receive conduction of electric current and to dissipate at least part of the electric current as thermal energy,
wherein the power diffusing body is configured to dissipate the thermal energy from the one or more electrically resistive grids by controlling flow of the fluid one or more of over or through the one or more electrically resistive grids.

8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the power diffusing body is formed from an electrically resistive material that at least partially conducts electric current, and wherein the power diffusing body is configured to receive conduction of electric current and to dissipate at least part of the electric current as thermal energy,
wherein flow of the fluid through the passages in the power diffusing body dissipates the thermal energy from the power diffusing body.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the arrangement of the passages in the power diffusing body forms a tapered channel through which the fluid flows through the power diffusing body.

10. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the power diffusing body is a monolithic, additively manufactured body.

11. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the power diffusing body is formed from a ductile stainless steel alloy having high electrical resistivity and high oxidation resistance.

12. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the power diffusing body is cylinder-shaped and elongated along a center axis of the power diffusing body.

13. A method comprising:
successively applying layers of material on each other, each of the layers forming at least part of a cross-sectional shape of a three-dimensional power diffusing body; and
fusing adjacent layers of the layers that are successively applied with each other to form the power diffusing body,
wherein the adjacent layers are fused together to form the power diffusing body that is shaped to have passages extending through the power diffusing body through which at least part of a compressible fluid in a vehicle flows through the power diffusing body along a flow path of the fluid, the adjacent layers fused together such that the power diffusing body is shaped to receive an incoming flow profile of the fluid on an inlet side of the power diffusing body, to direct the fluid through the passages in the power diffusing body, and to output an outgoing flow profile of the fluid out of an outlet side of the power diffusing body,
wherein the adjacent layers are fused together such that the passages are arranged in the power diffusing body based on the incoming flow profile of the fluid that is received by the power diffusing body and based on a desired profile of the outgoing flow profile of the fluid exiting out of the power diffusing body, and
wherein the adjacent layers are fused together to form the power diffusing body as a single, seamless body that continuously extends from the inlet side to the outlet side, and the passages change the incoming flow profile of the fluid into the outgoing flow profile of the fluid that is different from the incoming flow profile.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the layers are successively applied and fused together to form a matrix of a repeating pattern of elongated members connected with each other at nodes, the matrix forming several parallel resistive paths via the members from the inlet side to the outlet side such that interruption along one or more, but less than all, of the resistive paths does not prevent conduction of electric current through at least one other path of the resistive paths.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the layers are successively applied and fused together to form the matrix of the power diffusing body with a surface area that is at least twenty times larger than a surface area of a solid, continuous body made from a same material as the power diffusing body and having equivalent outer dimensions of the power diffusing body.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the adjacent layers are fused together to form the passages to be oriented through the power diffusing body such that a variance of one or both of velocity or mass flow rate of the fluid is less in the outgoing flow profile than in the incoming flow profile.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the layers of material that are applied and fused are formed from a ductile stainless steel alloy having high electrical resistivity and high oxidation resistance.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the

Assignees

• Transp Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Rao Sudeep Pradhan Sadananda
• Garcia Jaime
• Hosur Mahantesh
• Wolff Jeffrey John
• Cooper Laura

Classifications

• B60L7/10

  Dynamic electric regenerative braking (B60L7/22 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01C3/10

  the resistive element having zig-zag or sinusoidal configuration · CPC title

• H01C3/12

  lying in one plane · CPC title

• H01C1/082 Primary

  using forced fluid flow · CPC title

• H01C1/16

  Resistor networks not otherwise provided for · CPC title