INTAKE AIR SYSTEM
Technical Field
The present invention relates to an intake air system of a car using a thermoelectric semiconductor, and more particularly, to an intake air system of a car in which intake air supplied to a combustion chamber passes through a cooling sink of a thermoelectric semiconductor where a plurality of cooling fins are formed so that the output power and gas mileage of a car are improved.
Background Art
In general, air sucked from the outside and fuel supplied from a fuel tank are mixed in a carburetor in an appropriate ratio and the mixed gas is supplied to a combustion chamber of an engine. The mixed gas is ignited and exploded at a compression stroke to produce an output power.
The amount of oxygen in the intake air works as a variable to an engine power. That is, when an air intake temperature is high, the density of the intake air is lowered so that the amount of oxygen and the output power are lowered. Also, when supply of fuel is increased to produce a high output power, gas mileage is lowered.
Korean Utility Model Application No. 1997-0039075 discloses an intake air cooling apparatus for cooling intake air by using a cooling apparatus of a car. Referring to FIG. 1 , an intake air cooling apparatus includes an air intake apparatus and a cooling apparatus.
The air intake apparatus includes an air cleaner 4 filtering air sucked through a snorkel 3, a throttle body 6 connected to the air cleaner 4 via an air intake hose 5 and having a throttle valve to control the amount of flow of air, and a surge tank 7 distributing the intake air to each of cylinders via an intake manifold.
The cooling apparatus includes a compressor 8 compressing coolant gas at high temperature and high pressure, a condenser 9 liquidizing the coolant passing through the compressor 8, an expansion valve 10 expanding the coolant in a high pressure liquid phase, and an evaporator 11 evaporating the coolant at low temperature and low pressure passing through the expansion valve 10.
In the above intake air cooling apparatus, a pipe 12 connects the expansion valve 10 and the evaporator 11 and a cooling pipe 1 connected to the compressor 8 via the snorkel 3 is branched from the pipe 12. The cooling pipe 1 is connected to a hose 13 connecting the evaporator 11 and the compressor 8.
In the intake air cooling apparatus of a car, the intake air is cooled by making the cooling pipe 1 through which a coolant circulates pass through the snorkel 3. However, the intake air apparatus has the following problems.
First, since the cooling apparatus such as the compressor, the condenser, and the evaporator are required, the structure of the apparatus is complicated.
Second, since some of the coolant of the cooling apparatus is used for cooling the intake air, performance of the cooling apparatus may be deteriorated.
Third, installation of the cooling pipe 1 for the intake air cooling is inconvenient for a cooling apparatus such as an air conditioner which is already installed.
Disclosure of the Invention
To solve the above and other problems, the present invention has the following objects.
First, an air intake apparatus of a car is provided so that the output power and gas mileage are improved by cooling the intake air;
Second, an air intake apparatus of a car by that the structure thereof is simplified and the apparatus can be conveniently installed at an intake air unit is provided.
Third, an air intake apparatus of a car which can cool the intake air without lowering the performance of equipments of the car such as an air conditioner is provided.
To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides an air intake apparatus including an air cleaner filtering foreign materials from sucked outside air and an air intake manifold supplying the filtered outside air passing through an air intake path to a combustion chamber, the air intake apparatus comprising: a thermoelectric device including an endothermic portion block provided in the air intake path, an exothermic portion block provided outside the air intake path, and a semiconductor device provided between the endothermic portion block and the exothermic portion block, wherein, as electric power is applied to the semiconductor device, heat is absorbed by the endothermic portion block and heat is exhausted from the exothermic portion block; and an electric power supply portion applying electric power to the thermoelectric device. A plurality of cooling fins through which the intake air passes are provided on an outer surface of the endothermic portion block. Thus, an efficiency in cooling the intake air is improved.
The exothermic portion block of the thermoelectric device comprises: a cooling water path formed in the exothermic portion block of the thermoelectric device and through which cooling water circulates; a circulation pump supplying the cooling water to the cooling water path; and a first radiator cooling the heated cooling water circulating in the exothermic portion block. Thus, an engine room is prevented from being heated by cooling a heat generating portion of the thermoelectric device.
An insulation member preventing contact by the outside air encompasses an outer circumferential surface of the air intake path where the thermoelectric device is installed.
The endothermic portion block of the thermoelectric device comprises: a cooling water path formed in the endothermic portion block of the thermoelectric device and along which the cooling water circulates; a second radiator connected to the cooling water path and provided on the intake air path; and a circulation pump circulating the cooling water.
In the air intake apparatus of a car according to the present invention, since the sucked outside air is provided to the combustion engine chamber of an engine in a cooled state, that is, the density of air is increased and the amount of oxygen is increased, the output power and gas mileage of the engine are improved.
Brief Description of the Drawings
FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a conventional intake air cooling apparatus;
FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a typical thermoelectric device;
FIG. 3 is a view illustrating an air intake apparatus according to the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a core portion of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a thermoelectric device adopted in the air intake apparatus of the present invention; and
FIG. 6 is a view illustrating another preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Best mode for carrying out the Invention
An air intake apparatus of a car according to the present invention supplies air sucked from the outside to a combustion chamber of an engine by cooling the air. The cooled air whose density is increased is
advantageous in increasing the amount of oxygen and improving the output power of an engine and gas mileage.
In the present invention, a thermoelectric device is installed in an air intake path to cool the outside air. The thermoelectric device utilizes a Peltier effect that a cooling and heating phenomenon is generated when a DC power is applied. As shown in FIG. 2, a thermoelectric device 20 has a structure in which P-type and N-type thermoelectric semiconductor devices 23 are electrically connected in series, and thermally connected in a parallel form, between an endothermic portion block 21 and an exothermic portion block. 22
In the thermoelectric device 20, a cooling phenomenon occurs at one side of a single chip, that is, in the endothermic portion block 21 , while a heating phenomenon is generated at the other side, that is, in the exothermic portion block 22. The intake air apparatus adopting the thermoelectric device 20 will now be described in detail.
Referring to FIGS. 3 through 5, an intake air unit of a car includes a suction pipe 31 that is an entrance for sucking the outside air, an air cleaner 40 removing foreign materials from the sucked outside air and reducing noise generated during the air intake, a cooling portion 50 cooling the sucked air passing through an air intake path 32, and an intake manifold 60 distributing fuel to be mixed with the cooled air to the respective combustion chambers.
The cooling portion 50 includes a thermoelectric device 80 having an endothermic portion block 81 provided on the air intake path 32, an exothermic portion block 82 provided outside the air intake path 32, and a semiconductor device 83 provided between the endothermic portion block 81 and the exothermic portion block 82.
In the thermoelectric device 80, when electric power is applied to the semiconductor device 83, heat is absorbed by the endothermic
portion block 81 and exhausted from the exothermic portion block 82. An electric power supply portion applying electric power to the thermoelectric device 80 may be a battery (not shown) of a car.
A plurality of cooling fins 84 through which the intake air pass are formed on an outer surface of the endothermic portion block 81. Accordingly, a contact surface with the intake air is increased so that an efficiency in cooling of the intake air is improved.
Also, a cooling water path (not shown) through which cooling water circulates is formed on the exothermic portion block 82 of the thermoelectric device 80. A circulation hose 91 and circulation pump 90 are provide to supply the cooling water to the cooling water path. A first radiator 95 is provided to cool the heated cooling water circulated the exothermic portion block 82. The first radiator 95 is disposed in front of a car so that heat exchange is performed by the outside air flowing in when the car runs.
In the cooling system of the exothermic portion block 82, a plurality of radiation fins (not shown) are formed on the outer surface of the exothermic portion block 82 so that the heated cooling water can be naturally cooled by the outside air when the car runs. Also, an insulation member 100 to prevent contact of the outside air is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the air intake path 32 where the thermoelectric device 80 is installed, encompassing the air intake path 32.
In the air intake apparatus of the present invention having the above structure, foreign materials included in the outside air sucked through the suction pipe 31 are removed as the outside air passes through the air cleaner 40 and the outside air is cooled while passing through the endothermic portion block 81 of the thermoelectric device 80.
In the thermoelectric device 80, cooling is performed in the endothermic portion block 81 and heat radiation is performed in the
exothermic portion block 82, by the electric power applied from a battery (not shown) of a car.
In particular, since the outside air is cooled while passing through the cooling fins 84 of the endothermic portion block 81 and the air intake path 32 where the thermoelectric device 80 is installed is encompassed by the insulation member 100, a cooling efficiency is improved. The cooled outside air is supplied to an engine 70 with fuel through the air intake manifold 60.
In the above cooled outside air, as the density of air increases, the amount of oxygen increases accordingly so that the output power and gas mileage are improved.
In the meantime, the heat of the exothermic portion block 82 is cooled by the cooling water circulated by the circulation pump 90. The cooling water heated while circulating the exothermic portion block 82 is cooled by air while passing through the first radiator 95.
FIG. 6 shows a cooling system according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. The cooling system has a structure to cool intake air by water. Since the elements having the same reference numerals as those in the previous preferred embodiment of FIG. 4 have the same functions, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.
In the cooling system of the present preferred embodiment, a cooling water path (not shown) through which cooling water circulates is formed on the endothermic portion block 81 of the thermoelectric device 80. A second radiator 120 connected to the cooling water path and through which the cooling water circulates is provided at the air intake path 32. A circulation pump (not shown) for circulating the cooling water is provided outside the air intake pipe 32 Reference numerals 121 and 122 denote cooling water circulation pipes connected to the circulation pump. The second radiator 120 is of a wound coil type to increase a
contact area to the intake air so that the intake air is cooled while passing through the second radiator 120.
While this invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Industrial Applicability As described above, in the air intake apparatus of a car according to the present invention, since the sucked outside air is provided to the combustion engine chamber of an engine in a cooled state, that is, the density of air is increased and the amount of oxygen is increased, the output power and gas mileage of the engine are improved. Also, since the thermoelectric device is adopted in the air intake path, the installation of the air intake apparatus is made easy. In particular, since a plurality of the radiation fins, the efficiency in cooling the outside air is improved.
Furthermore, unlike the conventional technology in which the outside air is cooled by making a cooling pipe of an air conditioner of a car pass through the air intake path, thus generating noise and lowering performance of the air conditioner, in the present invention, since the thermoelectric device which absorbs and generates heat according to the application of electric power can be installed on the air intake path, the installation of the air intake apparatus is made easy and noise is further reduced.