Water jacket diverter with low flow restriction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11261822-B1
Application number	US-202017011733-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 3, 2020
Priority date	Sep 3, 2020
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for a water jacket diverter. In one example, the water jacket diverter has a continuous upper rail with a profile including curved and linear portions where the profile of the upper rail is optimized to moderate coolant flow through the water jacket. The water jacket diverter further includes at least one protrusion extending outwards from an outer face of the diverter, the at least one protrusion positioned in front of a coolant inlet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A diverter for a water jacket, comprising:
a continuous upper rail arranged around a top periphery of the diverter, above and perpendicular to an inner face and an opposing outer face of the diverter, the upper rail having a profile including both linear portions and portions curving along a cylinder axis of the diverter; and
at least one protrusion extending away from the outer face of the diverter, the at least one protrusion positioned proximate to a coolant inlet flowing coolant into the water jacket,
wherein the profile of the upper rail includes an uneven and non-uniform arrangement of peaks and wherein the peaks are concave regions of increased height extending above linear portions of the upper rail.

2. The diverter of claim 1 , wherein a lower rail of the diverter, positioned opposite form the upper rail, is flat and linear around a bottom periphery of the diverter and wherein a distance between the upper rail and the lower rail varies around a perimeter of the diverter.

3. The diverter of claim 1 , wherein the diverter includes a plurality of circular sections, the plurality of circular sections continuous with one another and each having a similar diameter and wall thickness and wherein the plurality of circular sections forms a wall of the diverter.

4. The diverter of claim 3 , wherein the at least one protrusion extends from the outer face of the diverter at a first circular section of the plurality of circular sections, the first circular section proximate to the coolant inlet and wherein the at least one protrusion includes at least one region of increased wall thickness.

5. The diverter of claim 3 , wherein the at least one protrusion includes sloped portions configured to guide coolant flow upwards and above the upper rail of the diverter.

6. A diverter for a water jacket of a cylinder block, comprising:
a continuous upper rail forming a top surface of the diverter, the top surface having portions curving along a cylinder axis of the cylinder block, and one or more protrusions extending from an outer face of the diverter, the one or more protrusions having at least one sloped surface, wherein the diverter is configured to be seated within a lower portion of the water jacket to divert coolant to an upper portion of the water jacket above the diverter, wherein a profile of the upper rail varies in shape and a height of the wall of the diverter for each of the plurality of circular sections.

7. The diverter of claim 6 , wherein a wall of the diverter is formed of a plurality of circular sections continuous with one another.

8. The diverter of claim 7 , wherein a variation in the height of the wall of the diverter within a first circular section of the plurality of circular sections, the first circular section farthest from a coolant inlet, is greater than a variation in the height of the wall at remaining circular sections of the plurality of circular sections.

9. The diverter of claim 8 , wherein an average height of the wall of the diverter within the first circular section is lower along a first side of the diverter than along a rear side of the diverter and wherein the coolant inlet is coupled to the water jacket in front of the first side of the diverter.

10. The diverter of claim 9 , wherein the outer face at the first side of the diverter along a second circular section of the plurality of circular sections, the second circular section closest to the coolant inlet, has a first ramp sloping upwards from a lower rail of the diverter, the lower rail opposite of the upper rail, at a first angle relative to the bottom edge and a second ramp sloping upwards from the lower rail at a second angle relative to the bottom edge, the first and second ramps spaced apart from one another and sloping in opposite directions.

11. The diverter of claim 10 , wherein the first and second ramps each continue around the diverter in opposite directions and merge with the upper rail.

12. The diverter of claim 10 , wherein the second ramp includes a ledge extending a distance around the outer face of the diverter and wherein a thickness of the wall of the diverter is increased between the ledge and a lower rail of the diverter.

13. The diverter of claim 7 , wherein the wall of the diverter at a first side of the diverter, the first side proximate to a coolant inlet flowing coolant into the water jacket, is less variable in height than at a second side of the diverter, opposite of the first side.

14. The diverter of claim 13 , wherein a first circular section of the plurality of circular sections, the first circular section closest to the coolant inlet, includes more peaks than any remaining circular sections of the plurality of circular sections, and wherein the peaks are regions where the upper rail curves above linear portions of the upper rail.

15. The diverter of claim 14 , wherein the first circular section has a bracket protruding outwards from the outer face of the diverter, along the first side of the diverter and wherein the bracket protrudes from the outer face at a mid-point along a height of the wall of the diverter.

16. The diverter of claim 15 , wherein the bracket has a central portion that is parallel with a lower rail of the diverter and side portions that slope upwards and away from the central portion along opposite directions at opposite ends of the central portion.

17. The diverter of claim 16 , wherein the diverter includes a sill protruding outwards from the outer face of the diverter and continuous around a perimeter of the diverter and wherein the sill becomes the upper rail of the diverter when the sill rises higher than the linear portions of the upper rail.

18. An engine block, comprising:
a cylinder block with a plurality of cylinders;
a water jacket disposed in the cylinder block, surrounding the plurality of cylinders and configured to flow coolant through the cylinder block; and
a water jacket diverter seated within a lower portion of the water jacket, the diverter arranged around the plurality of cylinders and having a variable height arising from an upper rail of the diverter, the upper rail having both curved and linear portions, wherein a profile of the upper rail varies in shape and a height of the wall of the diverter for each of the plurality of cylinders.

19. The engine block of claim 18 , wherein the upper rail of the diverter is configured to increase coolant flow from a first end of the water jacket, the first end proximate to a coolant inlet, to a second end of the water jacket, the second end distal to the coolant inlet, while reducing friction between surfaces of the diverter and the coolant.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Craft Justin T
• Cierpial Phil
• Shoemaker Paul
• Hintzen Mathew
• Schepak Antony

Classifications

• F02F1/14 Primary

  Cylinders with means for directing, guiding or distributing liquid stream · CPC title

• F02F1/40

  cylinder heads with means for directing, guiding, or distributing liquid stream · CPC title

• F02F1/166

  Spacer decks · CPC title

• F01P2003/021

  Cooling cylinders · CPC title

• F01P3/02 Primary

  Arrangements for cooling cylinders or cylinder heads · CPC title