Patent Application
20200217240
The present invention relates to cooling air compressed by a supercharger and in particular to an intercooler structure including anti-reversion plenums controlling reversion.
Supercharging can greatly increase engine power, but even the most efficient supercharger increases the temperature of the air passing through the supercharger. A supercharger producing ten pounds of boost can easily increase temperature by over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This increase in temperature may lead to detonation and damage or destruction of an engine.
Modern supercharged engines include intercoolers between the supercharger and engine to reduce the temperature of the air entering the engine. Such intercoolers can be a single simple structure residing in an intake manifold which the air passes through or multiple heat exchangers in the air flow. When multiple air to coolant heat exchangers are present, the sequence of coolant through the heat exchangers can affect the effectiveness of the heat exchangers.
An additional issue is reversion in the intake path. Often, the intake valve opens before the exhaust valve closes. If the pressure in the cylinder is greater then in the intake path, a pulse of exhaust gasses enters the intake path and disrupts air flow into the engine. Uncontrolled reversion reduces air flow into the engine reducing power, especially at wide open throttle, creates turbulence in the air flow, creates pulsations in the air flow, caused uneven distribution of air into the engine reducing fuel economy, throttle response and driveability, and increases emissions. Common carbureted engines often include plenum under the carburetors to reduce the effect of reversion. Known intercooler structures fail to address reversion issues.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,664,152 discloses a supercharger intercooler having a single center heat exchanger directly above the supercharger, and an intercooler housing ceiling just above the single center heat exchanger. The spacing of the single center heat exchanger and housing ceiling is limited by hood clearance of target vehicles. The shallow spacing between the single center heat exchanger and housing ceiling requires an air flow out of the single center heat exchanger to sharply turn to the right and left, restricting air flow. The housing further fails to substantially reduce reversion because only single Anti-Reversion Plenums (ARPs) are provided in the paths between the engine and supercharger.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,683,481 discloses a single center multi-path heat exchanger above the supercharger. As with the '152 patent, due to hood clearance issues, very little space in provided between the single center heat exchanger resulting in a restrictive air flow, which is further restricted by the multi-pass air flow through the single center multi-path heat exchanger. The flow passes through the same heat exchanger multiple times before entering the engine, with no means to tailor the heat exchanger characteristics for each pass through the single heat exchanger. Further, the design disclosed in the '481 patent fails to provide significant anti-reversion.
The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a supercharger intercooler which includes three sequential Anti-Reversion Plenums (ARPs) separated by heat exchangers, in right and left air paths between the supercharger and intake ports. The intercooler resides above and beside the supercharger and has paths for each bank of a V8 engine. An air flow from the supercharger is up and into a first ARP, is split into right and left flows into right and left first heat exchangers, passes into second ARPs and turns down, flows though right and left second heat exchangers into third ARPs and then into the engine. Reversion pulses from the engine are reduced by each ARP, increasing air flow into the engine, and reducing pulsations in the air flow, thereby increasing power, improving fuel economy, throttle response, driveability, and reducing emissions.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an intercooler with three sequential ARPs separated by heat exchangers. Each ARP reduces reversion and the three sequential ARPs provide a combined reduction in reversion before the pulses can reach the engine.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided an intercooler with a smooth flow path between right and left first heat exchangers above the supercharger and right and left second heat exchangers on sides of the supercharger. The smooth path minimized turbulence to maximize air flow to the engine.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided an intercooler suitable for use with twin screw superchargers, roots type superchargers, centrifugal superchargers, turbochargers, and both front inlet and rear inlet superchargers.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided an intercooler having four air to liquid heat exchangers. The heat exchangers may be plumbed for parallel or sequential liquid flow.
In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, there is provided an intercooler which is separable from a supercharger. An intercooler housing fits over the supercharger and is attached to engine heads. The intercooler may thus be removed without disturbing the supercharger. An upper intercooler housing is removable from a lower intercooler housing to gain access to all four heat exchangers without removing the lower intercooler housing from the engine.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided an intercooler having a continuous air path. Heat exchangers residing in the air paths fill the air paths.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided an intercooler having four individual heat exchangers providing an ability to adjust air flow, boost, and temperatures. The sizes, fin densities, and coolant flow through each heat exchanger may be tailored for each application. For example, the fin density and/or size may be selected to optimize cooling or pressure drop across each heat exchanger depending on whether the engine banks are hot or cold, lean or rich. Balancing or compensating for each engine bank variables control is provided over the universally recognized variables (temp and pressure/boost) which create harmful engine detonation and therefore limit the ability to use higher boost to increase horse power levels. Boost creates both higher air temps (about 10 degrees per pound of boost) and increases cylinder pressure. By balancing temperatures and air flow for boost or lean or rich conditions, boost may be increased to each engine bank, detonation may be controlled, and horsepower increased. Air-fuel ratio sensors may be applied to each of the cylinders to collect data to adjust the intercooler.
In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, there is provided an intercooler having adjustable coolant flows to four individual heat exchangers. The coolant flow to each heat exchanger may be adjusted and directed (either in parallel or serial flows) to tune the effect of each heat exchanger in flows to the right and left engine banks.
The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings.
The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims.
Where the terms “about” or “generally” are associated with an element of the invention, it is intended to describe a feature's appearance to the human eye or human perception, and not a precise measurement.
A front and right side quartering view of a supercharger and intercooler assembly 10 according to the present invention is shown in
The lower intercooler housing 14b covers and supports the supercharger 22 and the supercharger 22 bolts to the lower intercooler housing 14b. The assembled supercharger 22 and lower intercooler housing 14b are preferably bolted to engine heads, then the upper intercooler housing 14a is bolted on top of the lower intercooler housing 14b. The heat exchangers 18a and 18b (see
A right side view of the supercharger and intercooler assembly 10 is shown in
A cross-sectional view of the supercharger and intercooler assembly 10 taken along line 5-5 of
The upward and outward air flow 20a splits into right and left airflows and enter first right and left heat exchangers 18a and first intercooler airflows 19a pass through the first right and left heat exchangers 18a into two second anti-reversion plenums 16b creating outward and downward second airflows 20b into the second heat exchangers 18b. The outward and downward second airflows 20b create second intercooler airflows 19b through the second heat exchangers 18b. The second intercooler airflows 19b create downward third airflows 20 from the second heat exchangers 18b and into and engine.
The first anti-reversion plenum 16a, first heat exchangers 18a, second anti-reversion plenums 16b, second heat exchangers 18b, and third anti-reversion plenums 16c create right and left air paths inside the intercooler housings 14a and 14b starting above the supercharger 22, splitting to the right and left, and turning down on right and left sides of the supercharger 22. The right and left air paths are preferably continuous air paths having no steps and no recesses to impede air flow. Each anti-reversion plenum starting with the third anti-reversion plenums 16c sequentially reduce reversion, providing increased power, improving fuel economy, better throttle response, driveability, and reducing emissions.
The arrangement of the first and second heat exchangers 18a and 18b is shown in
The first and second heat exchangers 18a and 18b having a parallel coolant 42 flows and intercooler assembly 10 are shown in
The heat exchangers 18a and 18b are shown connected in series in
In either parallel or serial arrangement, the coolant 42 flow to each heat exchanger 18a and 18b may be adjusted and directed to tune the effect of each heat exchanger 18a and 18b on the air flows 20c to the right and left engine banks. The use of parallel or series connections may be chosen based on characteristics of individual installations.
While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.
