Cooler having liquid separator for use with an internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9404447-B2
Application number	US-201414773317-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2014
Priority date	Mar 8, 2013
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

A cooler for an internal combustion engine may include a cooler block including a gas path for communicating a gas flow along a gas flow direction and a coolant path for communicating a coolant flow. The gas path and the coolant path may be thermally coupled to each other and may be fluidly separated from each other. The cooler may include a liquid separator for separating a liquid from the gas flow. The liquid separator may be arranged on the cooler block at an outlet side of the gas path. The liquid separator may include a reservoir for the separated liquid and an evaporator for evaporating the separated liquid.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cooler for an internal combustion engine, said cooler comprising:
a cooler block including a gas path for communicating a gas flow along a gas flow direction and a coolant path for communicating a coolant flow, wherein the gas path and the coolant path are thermally coupled to each other and are fluidly separated from each other, and
a liquid separator for separating liquid from the gas flow, the liquid separator arranged on the cooler block at an outlet side of the gas path,
wherein the liquid separator includes a reservoir for the separated liquid and an evaporator for evaporating the separated liquid.

2. The cooler according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid separator further includes a gas duct defining a duct cross-section being flowable through by the gas flow, wherein the duct cross-section of the gas duct is at least partially blocked by at least one separation structure configured to be flowed through by the gas flow.

3. The cooler according to claim 2 , further comprising a collecting duct fluidly connected to the duct cross-section of the gas duct in a gravitational direction, wherein the collecting duct extends transversely to the gas duct and the collecting duct is fluidly open with respect to the gas duct, and wherein the collecting duct is arranged to engage a drip edge of the at least one separation structure in the gravitational direction.

4. The cooler according to claim 3 , further comprising a discharge line fluidly connected to the collecting duct.

5. The cooler according to claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of separation structures arranged in series in the gas duct.

6. The cooler according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one separation structure is composed of a hydrophobic fabric.

7. The cooler according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one separation structure is arranged on a carrier, and wherein the carrier extends transversely through the duct cross-section of the gas duct.

8. The cooler according to claim 2 , wherein the liquid separator has a housing mounted onto the cooler block, the housing including the gas duct.

9. The cooler according to claim 1 , wherein:
the gas path defines at least one wall surfaces disposed in the cooler block, the at least one wall surface configured to receive a liquid film, and
the liquid separator couples directly onto a face side of the cooler block on the outlet side of the gas path and discharges the liquid film.

10. The cooler according to claim 9 , wherein the liquid separator further includes at least one web engaging directly onto the face side of the cooler block on the outlet side of the gas path, and wherein the at least one web directs the liquid film to a collecting structure of the liquid separator.

11. The cooler according to claim 10 , wherein the liquid separator has a plate body extending transversely to the gas flow direction of the gas path, the plate body including a through-opening aligned with a gas-side outlet openings of the cooler block, and wherein the at least one web projects from the plate body.

12. The cooler according to claim 11 , wherein the plate body further includes a hydrophilic fibre structure for receiving the liquid film.

13. The cooler according to claim 9 , wherein the liquid separator has a discharge gap disposed at a gas-side outlet end of the at least one wall surface and extending transversely to the gas flow direction, wherein the discharge gap receives the liquid film from the at least one wall surface to discharged the liquid film.

14. The cooler according to claim 13 , wherein the discharge gap is dimensioned so that capillary forces draw in the liquid film into the discharge gap.

15. The cooler according to claim 13 , wherein the liquid separator further includes a hydrophilic fibre structure at least one of fluidly connected to discharge gap and arranged in the discharge gap.

16. The cooler according to claim 13 , wherein the liquid separator has a plate body extending transversely to the gas flow, the plate body including a through-opening aligned with a gas-side outlet opening on a gas outlet side of the cooler block and a web structure projecting therefrom, wherein the web structure directly engages onto the face side of the cooler block, and wherein the discharge gap is delimited by the face side of the cooler block and an inner side of the plate body facing the face side of the cooler block.

17. The cooler according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid separator further includes a hydrophilic fibre structure extending completely over a face side of the cooler block at a gas outlet side, wherein the fibre structure is flowable through by the gas flow and receives and discharges the separated liquid emerging from the gas path.

18. The cooler according to claim 17 , wherein the fibre structure is arranged spaced apart from the cooler block in the gas flow direction.

19. The cooler according to claim 17 , wherein the evaporator communicates the separated liquid for evaporation to the fibre structure.

20. The cooler according to claim 1 , wherein the evaporator is temperature-controlled n response to a temperature of the gas flow downstream of the cooler block.

Assignees

• Mahle Int Gmbh

Inventors

• Rieger Harald
• Sauter Hartmut
• Sohla Hartmut

Classifications

• F02M26/30 Primary

  Connections of coolers to other devices, e.g. to valves, heaters, compressors or filters; Coolers characterised by their location on the engine · CPC title

• F02M26/35

  with means for cleaning or treating the recirculated gases, e.g. catalysts, condensate traps, particle filters or heaters · CPC title

• F28F2265/22

  for draining · CPC title

• F28F2245/02

  hydrophilic · CPC title

• F28F17/005 Primary

  Means for draining condensates from heat exchangers, e.g. from evaporators (F28B9/08 takes precedence) · CPC title