U.S. patent application number 13/509638 was filed with the patent office on 2012-12-20 for turbocharger housing.
This patent application is currently assigned to CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH. Invention is credited to Ralf Boening, Holger Faeth, Ralph Maurice Koempel.
Application Number | 20120321455 13/509638 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43902784 |
Filed Date | 2012-12-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120321455 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Boening; Ralf ; et
al. |
December 20, 2012 |
TURBOCHARGER HOUSING
Abstract
A turbocharger housing is split lengthwise and has two housing
halves, which in the assembled state sectionally form a bearing
housing, a turbine housing, and a compressor housing. The
turbocharger housing contains at least one fluid chamber, which is
arranged in the bearing housing and/or in the turbine housing
and/or in the compressor housing of at least one of the two housing
halves. The fluid chamber contains a plurality of raised webs,
which are disposed to influence the fluid flow.
Inventors: |
Boening; Ralf; (Reiffelbach,
DE) ; Faeth; Holger; (Fussgoenheim, DE) ;
Koempel; Ralph Maurice; (Mannheim, DE) |
Assignee: |
CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
HANNOVER
DE
|
Family ID: |
43902784 |
Appl. No.: |
13/509638 |
Filed: |
November 11, 2010 |
PCT Filed: |
November 11, 2010 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP10/67295 |
371 Date: |
May 14, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
415/208.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04D 29/584 20130101;
F04D 25/024 20130101; F05D 2220/40 20130101; F02C 6/12 20130101;
F04D 29/4206 20130101; F01D 25/14 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
415/208.1 |
International
Class: |
F01D 25/14 20060101
F01D025/14 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 13, 2009 |
DE |
102009053106.8 |
Apr 1, 2010 |
DE |
102010015113.0 |
Claims
1-6. (canceled)
7. A turbocharger housing, comprising: at least one portion being
divided in a longitudinal direction into two housing halves, said
two housing halves in an assembled state in portions form a bearing
housing, a turbine housing and a compressor housing; and at least
one fluid chamber for receiving a cooling medium and disposed in at
least one of said bearing housing, said turbine housing or said
compressor housing of at least one of said two housing halves, said
fluid chamber having a plurality of raised webs, for forming flows
of the cooling medium running in various directions.
8. The turbocharger housing according to claim 7, wherein at least
one of said raised webs has a height being equal to a height of
said fluid chamber at a point where said one raised web is
situated.
9. The turbocharger housing according to claim 7, wherein at least
one of said raised webs has a height being less than a height of
said fluid chamber at a point where said one raised web is
situated.
10. The turbocharger housing according to claim 7, further
comprising connections, via said connections the cooling medium can
be delivered to and led off from said fluid chamber.
11. The turbocharger housing according to claim 7, further
comprising a gasket disposed between said two housing halves, said
gasket in an area where said fluid chamber extends over both of
said two housing halves has at least one cutout formed therein, via
which the cooling medium is able to flow from a first of said two
housing halves into a second of said two housing halves.
12. The turbocharger housing according to claim 11, wherein said
cutout is one of a plurality of cutouts formed in said gasket.
13. The turbocharger housing according to claim 12, wherein said
cutouts have are selected from the group consisting of bore holes
and punched holes.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a turbocharger housing,
wherein the turbocharger housing comprises a compressor housing and
a turbine housing, together with a bearing housing.
[0002] Turbochargers generally serve to improve the efficiency of
an internal combustion engine and thereby to boost its power
output. For this purpose the turbocharger comprises a turbine with
a turbine rotor and a compressor with a compressor wheel, the two
rotors being arranged on a common rotor shaft. Here the turbine
rotor is driven via an exhaust gas mass flow of a connected
internal combustion engine and in turn drives the compressor wheel.
Here the compressor compresses the aspirated air and delivers this
to the internal combustion engine. The rotor shaft is supported
here in a bearing housing of the turbocharger. The turbine rotor of
the turbine is furthermore arranged in a turbine housing and the
compressor wheel of the compressor is arranged in a compressor
housing. The bearing housing, the turbine housing and the
compressor housing together form the turbocharger housing. The
turbine rotor, the compressor wheel and the rotor shaft together
form the rotor runner.
[0003] In operation on the internal combustion engine or a
connected engine, such a turbocharger has to fulfill diverse
requirements. One of these requirements is to absorb the high
temperatures occurring, which can be generated in the turbocharger
housing due to the hot exhaust gas mass flow.
[0004] The usual design of the turbocharger here provides for
individual housings, each of a material matched to the temperature
prevailing there.
[0005] Here the compressor housing is usually made of aluminum,
whilst the bearing housing is made of grey cast iron and may
additionally be of water-cooled construction. The turbine housing
is in turn generally made from materials having a high nickel
content, owing to the high temperatures that prevail in this area.
Because of the various materials matched to the individual
housings, these housings are formed as separate parts, which have
to be connected together and at the same time sealed off from one
another. Such a turbocharger is therefore costly to manufacture and
assemble.
[0006] A turbocharger housing which avoids the aforementioned
disadvantages is disclosed, for example, in German patent
application 10 2009 053 106.8. In this case the turbocharger
housing is designed at least partially or completely divided into
at least two parts in a longitudinal direction, that is to say in
the longitudinal direction of the rotor shaft, the portion of the
turbocharger housing divided in a longitudinal direction in each
case comprising a part of the compressor housing, a part of the
bearing housing and/or a part of the turbine housing. Here the
turbocharger housing may be manufactured from aluminum, for
example, or an aluminum alloy or another metal or metal alloy, or
another suitable material.
[0007] The division in a longitudinal direction, in the present
example referred to as a horizontal or substantially horizontal
division, firstly affords direct advantages. For example an
automated pre-assembly of the rotor runner, including the two
rotors, such as the compressor wheel and the turbine rotor, and the
rotor shaft, is possible. This also clearly facilitates subsequent
fitting in the turbocharger.
[0008] In addition, provision is made for an additional temperature
control, for example cooling and/or heating, of at least a part of
the turbocharger housing, for example the turbine housing, the
bearing housing and/or the compressor housing. For this purpose a
fluid or temperature control jacket having a fluid core is
provided. As shown in FIG. 1, for example, this fluid jacket spans
the bearing housing portion and the turbine housing portion of the
turbocharger housing. A cooling medium flows through the fluid or
temperature control jacket having a fluid core, also referred to as
a fluid chamber. This additionally affords cooling of the turbine
housing and the bearing housing.
[0009] The turbocharger housing here has the advantage that the
rotor runner, that is to say the rotors on the rotor shaft and the
bearing arrangement of the rotor shaft, can be pre-assembled and
then inserted complete into the housing halves. In addition, the
rotor runner can be subjected to operational balancing beforehand,
without previously having to fit it in the turbocharger
housing.
[0010] The fluid chambers incorporated into a turbocharger housing
are often very flat, however, in order to save weight and overall
space. The flow behavior of the cooling medium thereby certainly
often suffers, resulting in irregular flows through the fluid
chamber and hence uneven cooling. In extreme cases it can happen
that a part of the turbocharger housing to be cooled is poorly
cooled, if at all, during operation of the turbocharger.
[0011] The object of the present invention is to provide an
improved turbocharger housing, which does not have the
aforementioned disadvantages.
[0012] This object is achieved in a turbocharger housing of generic
type having the characterizing features of claim 1.
[0013] In this turbocharger housing at least one portion, formed
from a turbine housing, a bearing housing and/or a compressor
housing, is divided in a longitudinal direction into two housing
halves, which in the assembled state in portions form a bearing
housing, a turbine housing and a compressor housing. Here at least
one fluid chamber, which in operation is charged with a cooling
medium, is arranged in the bearing housing and/or in the turbine
housing and/or in the compressor housing of at least one of the two
housing halves. The fluid chamber here is characterized in that it
comprises a plurality of raised webs, which act as restrictions for
the cooling medium, so that the cooling medium forms flows, which
run in various directions. This serves to prevent isolated areas of
the turbocharger being insufficiently cooled or even not cooled at
all.
[0014] Advantageous embodiments and developments of the invention
are characterized in the dependent claims and the subsequent
description of the figures.
[0015] The invention is explained in more detail below with
reference to the drawing, in which:
[0016] FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of a housing half of a
turbocharger housing, augmented by the raised webs provided
according to the invention;
[0017] FIG. 2 shows a top view of a housing half (detail FIG. 2A),
in lateral section (detail FIG. 2B) and in cross section (detail
FIG. 2C);
[0018] FIG. 3 shows an outer part of a turbine housing as part of a
turbocharger housing;
[0019] FIG. 4 shows a side view of the outer part according to FIG.
3;
[0020] FIG. 5 shows a gasket for assembly of the two housing halves
of the turbocharger housing according to the invention.
[0021] Unless otherwise stated, the same or functionally equivalent
elements and devices have been provided with the same reference
numerals in all figures. The representation of the turbocharger
shown in the following figures is moreover purely schematic, not to
scale and highly simplified.
[0022] FIG. 1 is a sectional view through a housing half 10 of a
turbocharger housing 12 according to a first embodiment of the
invention, the housing half 10 here being shown from the gasket
side. In FIG. 1 a recess 50 or groove for receiving a sealing
device is shown as an example.
[0023] In this example the turbocharger housing 12 here comprises a
bearing housing 14, a turbine housing 16 and a compressor housing
18, all three housings being united to form one housing 12. In the
case shown, a part of the invention resides in the initial notion
of uniting all three housings, 14, 16, 18, for example, and
producing these as one part, for example from an integral casting.
For assembling the rotor runner and for machining the inner working
faces, a division is furthermore defined, through which the
interior of the housing 12 can be opened up. According to the
invention this division is made in a longitudinal direction, that
is to say in the direction of the axis of the rotor shaft, the
plane of division lying in one or more planes in which the rotor
shaft 26 lies, or which are arranged substantially parallel to the
rotor shaft 26. Here the rotational position of the plane of
division about the axis of the rotor shaft may be selected, as
required, at an angle of between 0.degree. and 360.degree.. In
principle the entire turbocharger housing 12, comprising the
compressor housing 18, the turbine housing 16 and the bearing
housing 14, may be of longitudinally divided design. It is also
possible, however, to design just one portion of the turbocharger
housing 12 with a longitudinal division, the portion comprising a
rotor housing 16, 18 and/or the bearing housing 14.
[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, the turbine housing 16, the bearing
housing 14 and the compressor housing 18 may be formed from two
housing halves 10 each in one piece. In this case in FIG. 1 the
turbocharger housing 12 is divided into two housing halves 10 in a
continuous plane, in which the axis of the rotor shaft 26 lies.
Here a first housing half 10, comprising the turbine housing 16,
the bearing housing 14 and the compressor housing 18, for example,
forms the so-called upper part, and a second housing half,
comprising the turbine housing 16, the bearing housing 14 and the
compressor housing 18, forms the so-called lower part. FIG. 1 here
shows a housing half 10 from the gasket side. Here this housing
half 10 is fastened, for example bolted, to the other housing half
(not shown). For this purpose, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1,
multiple bores 20, in this case six bores, for example, are
provided for bolting the two housing halves together. In principle,
however, any other form of fastening the housing halves may also be
provided.
[0025] The division in a longitudinal direction firstly affords
direct advantages. For example, an automated pre-assembly of the
rotor runner, including the two rotors, such as the compressor
wheel 22 and the turbine rotor 24, and the shaft 26, is possible.
This also clearly facilitates subsequent fitting in the
turbocharger. In addition, if provision is made for an additional
temperature control, for example cooling and/or heating, of at
least a part of the turbocharger housing 12, for example the
turbine housing 16, the bearing housing 14 and/or the compressor
housing 12, a fluid or temperature control jacket 28 having a fluid
core may be provided. In the example in FIG. 1 this fluid jacket
28, for example, spans the bearing housing portion 14 and the
turbine housing portion 16 of the turbocharger housing 12 without
any back taper, since in this example the turbine housing 16 and
the bearing housing 14 are to be additionally cooled, for example.
This means, for example, that a sand core for producing the fluid
jacket 28 does not have to be assembled and bonded together from
several pieces.
[0026] A further advantage is that at least one half or the overall
turbocharger housing 12 can be integrated into the engine block
and/or the cylinder head of a connected engine. In this case, for
example, the lower part of the turbocharger housing 12 can be
integrated into the engine block and the upper part into the
cylinder head, or vice versa.
[0027] In FIG. 1 the shaft 26, on which the turbine rotor 24 and
the compressor wheel 22 are provided, is supported in the bearing
housing portion 14 of the turbocharger housing 12. The turbine
rotor 24 here is arranged in the turbine housing portion 16 and the
compressor wheel 22 in the compressor housing portion 18. The shaft
26 furthermore comprises a radial bearing arrangement 30 and
optionally also an axial bearing arrangement 32.
[0028] In the turbocharger according to the invention, which
through the division forms two bore halves, for example, the
bearing arrangement 30 is fitted, axially braced, for example by
way of sprung collar portions 34.
[0029] In FIG. 1 the shaft 26 is supported via the radial bearing
arrangement 30 and the axial bearing arrangement 32. The radial
bearing arrangement 30 here comprises a through-sleeve 36, which at
each of its two ends forms a slide bearing portion 38 for
supporting the shaft 26 in a radial direction. Here the sleeve 36
is pushed on to the shaft 36, the shaft 26 forming a step with a
stop for the sleeve 36. At the other end of the sleeve 36 an axial
bearing arrangement 32 is provided, the axial bearing arrangement
32 comprising at least one axial bearing in the form of an axial
bearing disk 40. In addition an oil baffle plate 42 is arranged on
the axial bearing disk 40 here. Furthermore a layer 44 composed of
at least one or more coatings of heat-resistant or
temperature-resistant, elastic material, such as a polymer, an
elastomer and/or a hard rubber, for example, is additionally
arranged on the outside of the sleeve 36.
[0030] A sleeve element 46 is also provided on the outside of the
layer 44 of the elastic, temperature-resistant material. The sleeve
element 46 here is made, for example, of metal, for example steel.
Alternatively the elastic, temperature-resistant material may also
be dispensed with and instead the sleeve element 46 may be provided
directly on the outside of the sleeve 36 (not shown), or the sleeve
36 may optionally be designed so that it functions not only as a
radial bearing arrangement 30 but also as a sleeve element 46 (not
shown).
[0031] In the example shown in FIG. 1 the sleeve element 46
comprises a collar portion 34 at each of its two ends. Here at
least one or both of the collar portions 34 of the sleeve element
46 is of sprung design, allowing it to be clamped between two stops
or mounts 48 of the turbocharger housing 12. On or both collar
portions 34 may equally well be unsprung, that is to say of rigid
design and inserted between the two mounts 48, or alternatively
they may also be screw-fastened to the mounts 48 on one or both
sides. Alternatively at least one of the sprung collar portions 34
may likewise be additionally fastened to the respective mount 48,
for example by bolting. Here one or both collar portions 34 may be
integrally connected to the sleeve element 46 or fastened thereto
as a separate part (not shown). The bearing arrangement 30, in this
case the radial bearing arrangement 30, comprising the sleeve 36
and the elastic layer 44, is axially fixed or braced in the
turbocharger housing 12, that is to say the two housing halves 10
of the turbocharger housing 12 via the two collar portions 34 of
the sleeve element 46.
[0032] Here at least one collar portion 34 may also additionally be
led out of the oil chamber, as in FIG. 1 on the turbine side, and
may assume further functions as a heat shield. One or both collar
portions 34, however, may also remain inside the oil chamber, such
as the collar portion 34 of the sleeve element 46 on the compressor
side. In addition such a bearing arrangement 30 has the advantage
that it can be preassembled in its entirety and can therefore be
operationally balanced without the enclosing housing, for
example.
[0033] The radial bearing arrangement 30 and the axial bearing
arrangement 32 in FIG. 1 are merely one example of a bearing of the
shaft 26 in a radial and an axial direction. In principle the shaft
26 in the turbocharger housing 12 according to the invention may
comprise any other radial bearing arrangement and/or axial bearing
arrangement. Thus the sleeve 36, for example, may also be replaced
by two radial slide bearings (not shown), the two slide bearings,
for example, alternatively in addition comprising a spacer sleeve,
or the sleeve element 46 on its inner side comprising a mount for
one or each of the two slide bearings (not shown). Besides slide
bearings, non-contact bearings such as magnetic bearings and
rolling bearings, for example, may also be provided for radial
and/or axial support. The invention is not confined to the examples
of bearing arrangements shown and described.
[0034] In the fluid chamber 28 represented in FIG. 1, two raised
webs 6, provided according to the invention, are drawn in, which
have a longitudinal extent in the axial direction of the rotor
shaft. The raised webs 6 drawn in FIG. 1 have a height H, which
extends from one edge of the fluid chamber 28 to the edge of the
fluid chamber 28 situated opposite this edge and which therefore
corresponds to the height of the fluid chamber 28 at this
point.
[0035] FIG. 2 in its first detail drawing 2A shows a top view of
one of the housing parts 10 and 11 with a fluid chamber 28 and a
plurality of raised webs 6 arranged therein. When the fluid chamber
28 is being charged with a cooling medium (in the operation of a
ready fitted turbocharger having the turbocharger housing according
to the invention), the raised webs 6 act as restrictions for the
cooling medium; accordingly turbulences and flows running in
various directions form in the cooling medium. This is precisely
what is intended according to the invention, since it serves to
prevent isolated areas of the turbocharger being insufficiently
cooled or even not cooled at all. Such deficiencies would in fact
result in premature damage to the turbocharger, or they would at
least adversely affect its service life in the long term.
[0036] The detail FIG. 2B shows the housing half in detail FIG. 2A
in a lateral section along the section line A-A in detail FIG. 2A.
Here too, the raised webs 6 can again be seen. The detail FIG. 2C
shows the housing half represented in the detail FIG. 2A in cross
section along the section line B-B in FIG. 2A. It is also shown
here that the raised webs 6 need not necessarily have the height H
previously described, which extends from one edge of the fluid
chamber 28 to the edge situated opposite this edge, but that the
raised webs 6 may also be of a lesser height. This is clearly
indicated by the reference symbol H' in the detail FIG. 2C. The
detail FIG. 2A also shows two connection points A, via which in
operation the cooling medium can be delivered to and led off from
the turbocharger again.
[0037] FIG. 3 representing an outer part of the turbine housing 16
of a turbocharger with the two housing parts 10 and 11 (at least
partially represented) shows a possible positioning of the raised
webs 6 and the resulting flow behavior of the cooling medium
illustrated by arrows. Also shown is one of the connections A
already mentioned.
[0038] FIG. 4 in a side view shows the outer part represented in
FIG. 3 together with some of the raised webs 6 and the connections
A.
[0039] FIG. 5 shows a gasket 4 of the type that may be used in
assembling the two housing halves 10 and 11 of an inventive
turbocharger housing of a turbocharger. Besides various other
openings of no interest here, the gasket 4 has a number of cutouts
4a, for example in the form of bores or punched holes, in the area
in which it separates the fluid chambers 28 of the two housing
halves 10 and 11 from one another. As the cooling medium is thereby
allowed to pass from one housing part 10 or 11 into the other
housing part 11 or 10, turbulences of the cooling medium occur at
the cutouts 4a, which then also, as already described with regard
to the raised webs 6, promote a uniform cooling of the components
to be cooled.
* * * * *