Condensed water discharge apparatus

A condensed water discharge apparatus in an engine of a vehicle provided with a water cooling type intercooler installed integrally with an intake manifold includes a body provided on the intake manifold and having a designated receipt space formed therein to store condensed water generated by the intercooler and a discharge hole formed in the receipt space to discharge the condensed water stored in the receipt space to the outside through the discharge hole; a discharge valve configured to open and close the discharge hole; and an operating unit connected to the discharge valve to operate the discharge valve.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2015-0129688, filed on Sep. 14, 2015 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a condensed water discharge apparatus which prevents condensed water generated by a water cooling type intercooler from being introduced into a combustion chamber of an engine provided with the water cooling type intercooler installed integrally with an intake manifold.

BACKGROUND

In a vehicle provided with a turbocharger, and particularly in the case of an engine in which a water cooling type intercooler is installed integrally with an intake manifold to cool air supercharged by a turbocharger, condensed water is formed on the surface of a fin of the intercooler due to a temperature difference between air before the intercooler and air after the intercooler. If such condensed water is introduced into a combustion chamber of the engine along an intake line, the condensed water is diluted with engine oil within the combustion chamber, boiled to a high temperature within the oil and then vaporized, and vapor is included within the oil, and circulated together with the oil and thus influences respective parts of the engine.

In this case, parts of the engine may be damaged or engine performance may be lowered, fuel efficiency may be deteriorated, noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) may be increased and, thus, durability and reliability of the engine may be lowered.

The above description has been provided to aid in understanding of the background of the present disclosure and should not be interpreted as conventional technology known to those skilled in the art.

SUMMARY

Therefore, the present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a condensed water discharge apparatus which prevents condensed water generated by a water cooling type intercooler from being introduced into a combustion chamber of an engine provided with the water cooling type intercooler installed integrally with an intake manifold.

In accordance with the present disclosure, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a condensed water discharge apparatus in an engine of a vehicle provided with a water cooling type intercooler installed integrally with an intake manifold, the condensed water discharge apparatus, the condensed water discharge apparatus including a body provided on the intake manifold and having a designated receipt space formed therein to store condensed water generated by the intercooler and a discharge hole formed in the receipt space to discharge the condensed water stored in the receipt space to the outside through the discharge hole, a discharge valve configured to open and close the discharge hole, and an operating unit connected to the discharge valve to operate the discharge valve.

The body may be inclined such that the inclination angle thereof is gradually increased in the backward direction of the vehicle and, thus, when the discharge valve is opened, the condensed water stored in the receipt space may be discharged to the outside by gravity.

The body may be inclined such that the inclination angle thereof is gradually decreased in the backward direction of the vehicle and, thus, when the discharge valve is opened, the condensed water stored in the receipt space may be discharged to the outside by gravity.

The body may be inclined in the forward and backward directions and the leftward and rightward directions of the vehicle and the discharge hole is formed on the lowermost surface of the inclined body.

One side of the operating unit may be connected to the discharge valve and the other side of the operating unit may be connected to an intake line of the engine such that the operating unit may be operated using air pressure formed in the intake line and the discharge valve may be opened and closed.

The operating unit may be connected to the discharge valve by a rotational link using a pin such that the discharge valve may be operated when the rotational link is rotated about the pin by operation of the operating unit.

The operating unit may include a pressure part and an operating link operated by the pressure part, the pressure part may be connected to an intake line of the engine, the operating link may be connected to the discharge valve such that the discharge valve is operated when a change in the pressure of the intake line operates the pressure part and the pressure part then operates the operating link.

One side of the operating unit may be connected to the discharge valve and the other side of the operating unit may be connected to an intake line of the engine such that the discharge valve may maintain the closed state by pressure formed in the intake line when the engine of the vehicle is turned on.

One side of the operating unit may be connected to the discharge valve and the other side of the operating unit may be connected to an intake line of the engine such that pressure formed in the intake line may be released and the discharge valve may be opened to discharge condensed water to the outside when the engine of the vehicle is turned off.

The body may communicate with the intake manifold.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments in the disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

Hereinafter, a condensed water discharge apparatus in accordance with one embodiment in the disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1is a perspective view illustrating a condensed water discharge apparatus in accordance with one embodiment in the disclosure.FIG. 2is a view illustrating an operating unit700ofFIG. 1during operation, andFIG. 3is a view illustrating the operating unit700ofFIG. 1during release of operation. Further,FIGS. 4 and 5are views illustrating operation of a discharge valve600in accordance with one embodiment in the disclosure.

The condensed water discharge apparatus in accordance with one embodiment in the disclosure, in an engine100in which a water cooling type intercooler200is installed integrally with an intake manifold300, includes a body500provided on the intake manifold300and having a designated receipt space510formed therein to store condensed water generated by the intercooler200and a discharge hole530formed in the receipt space510to discharge the condensed water stored in the receipt space510to the outside through the discharge hole530. A discharge valve600is provided to open and close the discharge hole530, and an operating unit700connected to the discharge valve600is provided to operate the discharge valve600. Further, the body500may communicate with the intake manifold300so that the inside of the body500may maintain the same pressure as that of the intake side of the intake manifold300when the engine100is turned on.

The body500may be provided at the lower part of the intake manifold300or the side surface of the intake manifold300. AlthoughFIG. 1illustrates the body500as being provided at the lower part of the intake manifold300, the position of the body500may be variously modified by those skilled in the art. The designated receipt space510is formed within the body500and the discharge hole530is formed in the receipt space510. Therefore, condensed water generated by the intercooler200may be stored in the receipt space510and discharged to the outside through the discharge hole530.

The body500may be inclined such that the inclination angle thereof is gradually increased in the backward direction of the vehicle. Alternatively, the body500may be inclined such that the inclination angle thereof is gradually decreased in the backward direction of the vehicle, or inclined such that the inclined height thereof is gradually decreased or increased, thus discharging condensed water stored in the receipt space510to the outside by gravity when the discharge valve600is opened. In particular, the body500may be inclined in the forward and backward directions and the leftward and backward directions of the vehicle such that the discharge hole530is formed on the lowermost surface of the inclined body500.

Further, the discharge valve600is provided at the discharge hole530, thus opening and closing the discharge hole530. The discharge valve600is connected to the operating unit700and is operated when the operating unit700is operated. Therefore, the discharge hole530is not opened at all times but may be opened and closed, as needed. Therefore, during driving of the engine100, condensed water is stored in the receipt space510of the body500so as not to disturb driving of the engine100. After driving of the engine100has ended, the condensed water stored in the receipt space510is discharged to the outside by opening the discharge valve600.

One side of the operating unit700is connected to the discharge valve600and the other side of the operating unit700is connected to an intake line400of the engine100. Therefore, the operating unit700is operated using air pressure formed in the intake line400and, thus, the discharge valve600may be opened and closed without a separate power unit or control unit.

In more detail, the discharge valve600is connected to the body500so as to be rotatable about a connection boss550and the operating unit700is connected to the discharge valve600by a rotational link800using a pin810. The operating unit700is connected to the intake line400by an air pipe750and may thus be operated using air pressure formed in the intake line400. Therefore, when the operating unit700is operated by the pressure of the intake line400, the rotational link800is rotated about the pin810and the discharge valve600is operated so as to open or close the discharge hole530.

The operating unit700may include a pressure part710and an operating link730operated by the pressure part710. The pressure part710is connected to the intake line400by the air pipe750and the operating link730is connected to the discharge valve600connected to the connection boss550of the body500by the rotational link800. Therefore, when the pressure part710is operated by a change of the pressure of the intake line400and then operates the operating link730, the discharge valve600is operated to open or close the discharge hole530and condensed water is stored in the receipt space510of the body500or the condensed water stored in the receipt space510is discharged to the outside.

In more detail,FIG. 2is a view illustrating the operating unit700during operation and, when the engine100of the vehicle is turned on, air flows sequentially along the intake line400, the intercooler200and the intake manifold300. Therefore, constant pressure is formed at the intake side.

One side of the operating unit700is connected to the discharge valve600and the other side of the operating unit700is connected to the intake line400. Therefore, when the engine100of the vehicle is turned on, the pressure part710maintains a state of pulling the operating link730by constant pressure formed in the intake line400and the discharge valve600maintains the closed state, thus allowing condensed water to be stored in the receipt space510of the body500.

FIG. 3is a view illustrating the operating unit700during release of operation and, when the engine100of the vehicle is turned off, air flow is cut off and constant pressure formed at the intake side is released. Therefore, the pressure part710pushes the operating link730and the rotational link800is rotated about the pin810by the force of the pushing of the operating link730. Thereby, the discharge valve600is operated to open the discharge hole530, and the condensed water stored in the receipt space510of the body500is discharged to the outside through the discharge hole530. Therefore, introduction of condensed water generated by the intercooler200into the combustion chamber of the engine100is prevented.

FIGS. 4 and 5are views illustrating operation of a discharge valve600in accordance with one embodiment in the disclosure, i.e., illustrating storage and discharge of condensed water in the receipt space510along the inclined surface of the body500. Further,FIGS. 6 and 7are views illustrating operation of a discharge valve600in accordance with another embodiment in the disclosure, i.e., illustrating storage and discharge of condensed water in the receipt space510along the inclined surface of the body500. The positions and shapes of the body500, the discharge hole530and the discharge valve600are not limited to the above two embodiments and may be variously changed according to designs and environments.

As is apparent from the above description, a condensed water discharge apparatus in accordance with the present inventive concept prevents condensed water generated by a water cooling type intercooler from being introduced into a combustion chamber of an engine provided with the water cooling type intercooler installed integrally with an intake manifold. This improves performance, durability and reliability of the engine, enhancing fuel efficiency and lowering noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). Furthermore, the condensed water discharge apparatus in accordance with the present inventive concept may prevent damage to parts within a combustion chamber caused by introduction of moisture into the combustion chamber, into which only fuel and air need to be introduced.