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US 11,655,752 B2Granted
Water separator to slow water ingestion
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsShawn Michael Spannbauer, Shuya Shark Yamada, Stephen George Russ
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An engine system includes a charge-air cooler, a separator for separating water from an airflow, and an engine. The separator causes an airflow from the charge-air cooler to strike one or more partitions and change directions via a serpentine path such that water is separated out of the airflow before the airflow reaches the engine.
Claims20
An engine system comprising:
- a charge-air cooler;
- an engine;
- and
- a separator arranged in fluid communication with the charge-air cooler and the engine, the separator defining (i) a first chamber including an inlet, an outlet, and at least two partitions disposed therein, the at least two partitions and configured to obstruct and direct air from the charge-air cooler to the engine via a serpentine path such that water in the air collects at a base of the first chamber, and (ii) a second chamber adjacent to and in gravity-fed fluid communication with the base such that the water drains from the first chamber into the second chamber, wherein the at least two partitions include a first partition and a second partition that overlap such that air cannot travel directly from the charge-air cooler to the engine without being directed around the first and second partitions and along the serpentine path.
1 more element
A vehicle system comprising:
- an air intake system;
- an engine downstream from the air intake system;
- and
- a separator between the air intake system and the engine, the separator including a first chamber defining an inlet, an outlet, and an S-shaped fluid pathway with at least a first bend and a second bend, and a second chamber adjacent to and in fluid communication with the first chamber such that an airflow from the air intake system travels through the inlet into and around a first partition and a second partition within the first chamber, thereby separating water from the airflow such that the water drains into the second chamber and the airflow exits through the outlet and towards the engine, wherein the first partition and the second partition overlap such that air cannot travel directly from the air intake system to the engine without being directed around the first and second partitions and along the S-shaped fluid pathway.
1 more element
A vehicle comprising:
- a heat exchanger for cooling air;
- a cuboid-shaped separator downstream from and in fluid communication with the heat exchanger, the cuboid-shaped separator having a peripheral wall and a dividing wall defining first and second chambers in fluid communication with one another, the first chamber defining an inlet, an outlet, and a fluid channel configured to change a direction of an airflow from the inlet to the outlet a plurality of times via a first partition and a second partition disposed in the first chamber, such that water is separated from the airflow and drained into the second chamber;
- and
- an engine downstream from and in fluid communication with the outlet for receiving the airflow, wherein the first partition and the second partition overlap such that air cannot travel directly from the heat exchanger to the engine without being directed around the first and second partitions and along the fluid channel.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.