Positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) device and engine assembly employing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9945334-B2
Application number	US-201615156930-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2016
Priority date	Jun 30, 2015
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

An engine assembly is provided with an intake manifold having a manifold body downstream of a fresh air intake port. The manifold body has a wall defining first and second apertures spaced apart from one another. A positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) device is provided with a PCV pipe having a first end in fluid communication with a crankcase and a second end connected to first and second PCV branches. The first and second PCV branches are in fluid communication with the first and second apertures. A method is provided and directs a first portion of gases from the crankcase to the first aperture via the PCV pipe and the first PCV branch, and directs a second portion of gases from the crankcase to the second aperture via the PCV pipe and the second PCV branch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An engine assembly, comprising:
an intake manifold including a manifold body downstream of a fresh air intake port, a plenum of the manifold body having a wall defining first and second apertures in fluid communication respectively with first and second positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) branches, the first and second apertures spaced apart from one another and offset from runners extending from the manifold body.

2. The engine assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a crankcase and a PCV pipe, the PCV pipe in fluid communication with and connecting the crankcase to the first and second PCV branches.

3. The engine assembly of claim 2 , further comprising a PCV valve;
wherein the PCV pipe has a first end and a second opposed end, the first end connected to the PCV valve, the second end connected to the first and second PCV branches; and
wherein the crankcase is in fluid communication with the plenum of the intake manifold via the PCV valve, PCV pipe, and first and second PCV branches.

4. The engine assembly of claim 3 wherein the first PCV branch directs a first portion of blow-by gases from the crankcase to the first aperture; and
wherein the second PCV branch directs a second portion of blow-by gases from the crankcase to the second aperture.

5. The engine assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first and second PCV branches are integrally formed with the PCV pipe.

6. The engine assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first and second apertures are positioned to face the crankcase.

7. The engine assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first and second apertures are positioned to face away from the crankcase.

8. The engine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the intake port and the first and second apertures are longitudinally spaced apart such that the first aperture is positioned between the intake port and the second aperture.

9. The engine assembly of claim 8 , wherein the first aperture has a larger cross-sectional area than the second aperture to provide a non-uniform distribution of blow-by gases through the first and second apertures.

10. The engine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the runners include first, second, third and fourth runners sequentially extending from the manifold body, wherein the first aperture is positioned between the first and second runners and the second aperture is positioned between the third and fourth runners.

11. The engine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the runners include first, second, and third runners sequentially extending from the manifold body, wherein the first aperture is positioned between the first and second runners and the second aperture is positioned between the second and third runners.

12. A positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) device for an engine, comprising:
a PCV pipe having a first end for fluid communication with a crankcase and a second end; and
first and second PCV branches connected to and extending from the second end of the PCV pipe for fluid communication with first and second apertures defined by a plenum wall of an intake manifold, the first PCV branch having a larger cross-sectional area than the second PCV branch to provide a non-uniform distribution of blow-by gases through the first and second PCV branches.

13. The PCV device of claim 12 , wherein the first and second PCV branches are integrally formed with the PCV pipe.

14. The PCV device of claim 12 further comprising a PCV valve connected to the first end of the PCV pipe.

15. A method of operating an engine, comprising:
directing a first portion of gases from a crankcase to a first aperture in a plenum wall of an intake manifold via a positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) pipe and a first PCV branch; and
directing a second portion of gases from the crankcase to a second aperture in the plenum wall via the PCV pipe and a second PCV branch.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first and second apertures and an air intake port defined by the intake manifold are longitudinally spaced from one another, the first aperture positioned between the second aperture and the air intake port.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the first portion of gases is larger than the second portion of gases based on a larger cross-sectional area of the first PCV branch compared to the second PCV branch such that a non-uniform distribution of flow is provided through the first and second apertures and into the plenum.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the first portion of gases is larger than the second portion of gases based on a larger cross-sectional area of the first aperture compared to the second aperture such that a non-uniform distribution of flow is provided through the first and second apertures and into the plenum.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
mixing the first portion of gases with fresh air in the plenum adjacent to the first aperture, the first aperture positioned between first and second runners of the manifold; and
mixing the second portion of gases with fresh air in the plenum adjacent to the second aperture, the second aperture positioned between third and fourth runners of the manifold.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the first and second portions of gases are mixed with fresh air in the plenum upstream of a series of runners of the manifold; and
wherein the non-uniform distribution of flow of the gases through the first and second apertures corresponds with a non-uniform distribution of fresh air in the plenum.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Sun Baocheng
• Li Li
• Sun Dallis
• Yin Bin
• Xu Xihu

Classifications

• F02M25/06

  adding lubricant vapours · CPC title

• F02M35/104

  Intake manifolds · CPC title

• F01M13/023

  Control valves in suction conduit · CPC title

• Y02T10/121

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F02M35/10222 Primary

  Exhaust gas recirculation [EGR]; Positive crankcase ventilation [PCV]; Additional air admission, lubricant or fuel vapour admission · CPC title