Air intake duct ice ingestion features

• US 9,316,183 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Rollins, Scott M., Bishop, Christopher B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwon, John
• Application Number:
  US13/968,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20150047615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 123572-574, 123/585, 123/184.21
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 13/00 Crankcase ventilating or breathing
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 13/022 using engine inlet suction
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2013/0038 Layout of crankcase breathing systems
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2013/027 with a turbo charger or compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/00 Engines characterised by provision of pumps driven at least for part of the time by exhaust
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 39/16 Other safety measures for, or other control of, pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/06 adding lubricant vapours
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0836 Arrangement of valves controlling the admission of fuel vapour to an engine, e.g. valve being disposed between fuel tank or absorption canister and intake manifold
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/0216 arranged in series, e.g. pre- and main filter in series
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/046 Inline cleaners, i.e. the cleaner being arranged along the length of a wall of a pipe or manifold
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/088 Water, snow or ice proofing; Separation or drainage of water, snow or ice
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10019 Means upstream of the fuel injection system, carburettor or plenum chamber F02M35/10013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10118 with variable cross-sections of intake ducts along their length; Venturis; Diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10157 Supercharged engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10222 Exhaust gas recirculation [EGR]; Positive crankcase ventilation [PCV]; Additional air admission, lubricant or fuel vapour admission
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10262 Flow guides, obstructions, deflectors or the like for generating a charge motion in the cylinder F02B31/00; for re-atomising condensed fuel or homogenising fuel-air mixture F02M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

An engine system including an air intake duct positioned upstream of an engine cylinder may include an ice ingestion feature for retaining condensation. An ice ingestion feature may include indents formed in the bottom of an air intake duct wall. As such, the ice ingestion feature may include compartments and/or grooves of varying depths, widths, and/or angles such that the ice retention rate may be based on the surface area of the compartment or grooves.

Claims

1. An engine air intake duct, comprising:

an air intake duct wall including an ice ingestion feature positioned at a bottom of the engine air intake duct wall, wherein the ice ingestion feature is formed by a plurality of indents, at least two of which contain a different volume; and

a positive crankcase ventilation outlet coupled to the air intake duct wall upstream from the ice ingestion feature.

2. The engine air intake duct of claim 1, wherein the air intake duct wall includes an inner surface, and wherein the plurality of indents extend away from the inner surface vertically downward, a top of the indents flush with the inner surface.

3. The engine air intake duct of claim 1, wherein the ice ingestion feature is positioned vertically below a PCV port.

4. The engine air intake duct of claim 3, wherein the plurality of indents are formed by a plurality of compartments, some of which are angled against a flow direction and some of which are angled with a flow direction of an engine air path.

5. The engine air intake duct of claim 2, wherein the plurality of indents include an aperture positioned in the intake duct wall.

6. The engine air intake duct of claim 3, wherein the plurality of indents each include an aperture positioned in the intake duct wall, with at least one aperture having a larger area than at least one other aperture.

7. The engine air intake duct of claim 4, wherein at least some compartments narrow as they extend vertically downward, and wherein the compartments each have closed ends such that the air intake duct is not open to atmosphere via any of the compartments.

8. The engine air intake duct of claim 2 wherein the plurality of indents include one or more grooves along an inner surface of the engine air intake duct wall substantially aligned with a flow direction through the duct.

9. The engine air intake duct of claim 8, wherein at least some of the grooves are irregularly formed with respect to other grooves.

10. The engine air intake duct of claim 8, wherein at least one groove has a larger area than at least one other groove.

11. The engine air intake duct of claim 8, wherein at least some grooves narrow as they extend vertically downward.

12. The engine air intake duct of claim 8, wherein at least some grooves widen as they extend vertically downward.

13. A system, comprising:

an engine intake air duct with a bottom including a plurality of compartments formed with an ice-tray structure, at least some compartments irregularly formed with respect to other compartments.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the ice-tray structure is formed by the plurality of compartments extending away from the bottom vertically downward, wherein the irregularly formed compartments allow condensation to melt in relatively small pieces as compared to a size of the compartment in which it forms such that the condensation is ingested by an engine based on an ice retention rate over time, and not all at once.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein at least two of the compartments contain a different volume.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein at least some of the compartments narrow as they extend vertically downward.

17. A method for retaining ice in an air intake duct, comprising:

flowing crankcase gas from a PCV port to an air intake duct upstream of an engine cylinder; and

collecting condensate in a plurality of indents positioned in a bottom wall of the air intake duct, wherein at least two of the plurality of indents contain a different volume.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising flowing intake air through the air intake duct, and flowing intake air and crankcase gas from the air intake duct to a compressor, wherein the intake air intake duct is positioned upstream of a throttle and the compressor.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising collecting condensate in the plurality of indents, thawing them during engine operation at different rates and ingesting water from the plurality of indents at different engine cycles.