WO2016062381A1 - Headlight assembly as well as hood assembly for a commercial vehicle - Google Patents

Headlight assembly as well as hood assembly for a commercial vehicle Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2016062381A1
WO2016062381A1 PCT/EP2015/002025 EP2015002025W WO2016062381A1 WO 2016062381 A1 WO2016062381 A1 WO 2016062381A1 EP 2015002025 W EP2015002025 W EP 2015002025W WO 2016062381 A1 WO2016062381 A1 WO 2016062381A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
assembly
hood
engine
air
commercial vehicle
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/EP2015/002025
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Ray Ayala
Dinesh Madugundi
Donald Vena
Rafael Dos Santos
Michael Gatza
Michael Norlin
Georgeanna Alemany
Original Assignee
Daimler Ag
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Daimler Ag filed Critical Daimler Ag
Publication of WO2016062381A1 publication Critical patent/WO2016062381A1/en

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
    • B60Q1/0017—Devices integrating an element dedicated to another function
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
    • B60Q1/02—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead or to illuminate other areas of way or environments
    • B60Q1/04—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead or to illuminate other areas of way or environments the devices being headlights
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
    • B60K11/00—Arrangement in connection with cooling of propulsion units
    • B60K11/06—Arrangement in connection with cooling of propulsion units with air cooling
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
    • B60K11/00—Arrangement in connection with cooling of propulsion units
    • B60K11/08—Air inlets for cooling; Shutters or blinds therefor
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
    • B60K13/00—Arrangement in connection with combustion air intake or gas exhaust of propulsion units
    • B60K13/02—Arrangement in connection with combustion air intake or gas exhaust of propulsion units concerning intake
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
    • B60K13/00—Arrangement in connection with combustion air intake or gas exhaust of propulsion units
    • B60K13/06—Arrangement in connection with combustion air intake or gas exhaust of propulsion units using structural parts of the vehicle as ducts, e.g. frame parts
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
    • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
    • B62D25/00—Superstructure or monocoque structure sub-units; Parts or details thereof not otherwise provided for
    • B62D25/08—Front or rear portions
    • B62D25/10—Bonnets or lids, e.g. for trucks, tractors, busses, work vehicles
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
    • F02M35/00—Combustion-air cleaners, air intakes, intake silencers, or induction systems specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines
    • F02M35/10—Air intakes; Induction systems
    • F02M35/10006—Air intakes; Induction systems characterised by the position of elements of the air intake system in direction of the air intake flow, i.e. between ambient air inlet and supply to the combustion chamber
    • F02M35/10013—Means upstream of the air filter; Connection to the ambient air
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
    • F02M35/00—Combustion-air cleaners, air intakes, intake silencers, or induction systems specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines
    • F02M35/16—Combustion-air cleaners, air intakes, intake silencers, or induction systems specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines characterised by use in vehicles
    • F02M35/161—Arrangement of the air intake system in the engine compartment, e.g. with respect to the bonnet or the vehicle front face
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
    • F02M35/00—Combustion-air cleaners, air intakes, intake silencers, or induction systems specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines
    • F02M35/16—Combustion-air cleaners, air intakes, intake silencers, or induction systems specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines characterised by use in vehicles
    • F02M35/164—Heavy duty vehicles, e.g. trucks, trains, agricultural or construction machines

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a headlight assembly as well as a hood assembly for a
  • DE 10 2009 034 954 A1 shows a glass cover for a headlight of a vehicle.
  • the glass cover comprises a radiator grille that is integrated in an extension of the glass cover, wherein the glass cover extends beyond a housing of the headlight.
  • the aerodynamics of a commercial vehicle plays an important role in realizing a particularly efficient operation of a commercial vehicle.
  • a first aspect of the present invention relates to a headlight assembly for a commercial vehicle, in particular a truck.
  • the headlight assembly comprises at least one light source configured to illuminate an area in front of the commercial vehicle.
  • the headlight assembly further frames two sides of the opening of at least one inlet duct aperture configured to provide airflow to an intake system for guiding air into at least one combustion chamber of an engine of the commercial vehicle. Since the at least one air inlet duct aperture is completed with the headlight assembly, air can be guided into the combustion chamber particularly advantageously with respect to the aerodynamics of the commercial vehicle.
  • a second aspect of the present invention relates to a hood assembly for a commercial vehicle, in particular a truck, the hood assembly comprising an engine hood configured to cover at least a portion of an engine compartment of the commercial vehicle.
  • the hood assembly further comprises at least one headlight assembly according to the first aspect of the invention.
  • the engine hood has at least one receptacle in which the headlight assembly is arranged at least partially.
  • Advantageous embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention are to be regarded as advantageous embodiments of the second aspect of the invention and vice versa.
  • the advantages offered by the present invention are increased aerodynamic efficiency, and, thus, subsequent improvements in fuel economy, and operating costs. Additional improvements include reduced wind noise, reduced engine pumping losses and improved soiling.
  • Fig. 1 a schematic perspective view of a headlight assembly for a commercial vehicle, the headlight assembly comprising at least one light source configured to illuminate an area in front of the commercial vehicle, and at least one air inlet duct aperture configured to provide airflow to an intake system for guiding air into at least one combustion chamber of an engine of the commercial vehicle;
  • Fig. 2 a schematic top view of the headlight assembly
  • Fig. 3 a schematic bottom view of the headlight assembly
  • Fig. 4 a schematic front view of the headlight assembly
  • Fig. 5 a schematic perspective view of an engine hood for the commercial vehicle, the engine hood comprising a front surface having a plurality of air inlets, internal ducts for guiding air, and receptacles configured to house headlight assemblies.
  • Fig. 1 shows a headlight assembly 10 for a commercial vehicle in the form of a truck.
  • the truck comprises a driver's cab and an engine compartment arranged in front of the driver's cab with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. At least a portion of the engine compartment is covered by an engine hood 12 shown in Fig. 5.
  • the truck further comprises an engine arranged in the engine compartment, the engine serving to drive the truck.
  • the engine is an internal combustion engine which comprises at least one combustion chamber.
  • the engine comprises a plurality of combustion chambers.
  • the hood 12 is engineered such that, as one assembly, it is responsible for performing multiple functions integral to the trucks operation.
  • the engine hood 12 comprises highly engineered external surfaces 14 and interior surfaces which cannot be seen in the Figs., the external surfaces 14 and the interior surfaces being assembled together in order to form one integrated hood assembly.
  • the engine hood 12 can be assembled into one piece or alternatively formed in one piece.
  • the engine hood 12 is engineered to manage both internal and external airflows around and within the truck's exterior surface to optimize aerodynamic and cooling system performance, as well as engine air intake efficiency.
  • the exterior of the engine hood 12 is engineered with a priority placed on aerodynamic as well as cooling and air intake system airflow optimization.
  • the external surfaces 14 are engineered to aerodynamically guide external airflow over and around the external surfaces 14 through the use of optimal radii and continuous surfaces where traditional facets of an engine hood come together, i.e.: front of hood, to upper hood, to side fender surfaces, to cowl, to rain tray area.
  • the result is a continuous external surface with little to no surface transitions that may disturb the airflow.
  • the engine intake openings 32 and 34 benefit from being located in a stagnation pressure zone around the grille 24 and under the head light assembly 10, which results in the feeding of high pressure air flow into the air inlet duct aperture 42.
  • the lateral width of the engine intake openings 32 and 34 under the headlight are optimized to scoop this high pressure flow while minimizing the flow separation at the outboard edge of 32 and 34.
  • the outboard edge of the openings 32 and 34 terminate at an optimum point to allow just enough flow to feed into the inlet duct aperture 42 to meet engine demand, while keeping the external flow attached to the engine hood 12 surface.
  • the engine hood 12 comprises a forward facing front-most surface which is referred to as a "front surface 16" or a “leading surface”.
  • the leading surface of the engine hood 12 guides oncoming airflow both up and over its surface onto an upper surface 18 of the engine hood 12 as well as around and to side surfaces 20 of the engine hood 12.
  • leading surface guides oncoming airflow into the engine hood's 12 system of airflow inlets as will be described in the following.
  • the front surface 16 has a first inlet 22 centrally located in the front surface 16.
  • a grille 24 is arranged in the first air inlet 22, the grille 24 comprising a plurality of grille bars 26 extending at least substantially in the transverse direction of the vehicle.
  • the first air inlet 22 is configured to provide airflow to at least one heat exchanger or to a plurality of first heat exchangers.
  • the first air inlet 22 is also referred to as a "primary cooling air inlet”.
  • the primary cooling air inlet positively mates with a ducting which feeds air to the first heat exchanger or to the first heat exchangers.
  • Said first heat exchanger or said first heat exchangers is or are also referred to as a "primary heat exchanger" or "primary heat exchangers”.
  • the engine hood 12 further comprises two lateral second air inlets 28 and 30 arranged adjacent to and outboard of the first air inlet 22 with respect to the transverse direction of the vehicle, the second air inlets 28 and 30 being configured to provide airflow to at least one second heat exchanger of the truck.
  • the second air inlet 28 is arranged on a first side of the first air inlet 22 and the second air inlet 30 is arranged on a second side of the first air inlet 22, the second side being opposite of the first side with respect to the transverse direction of the truck.
  • the first side is the right side and the second side is the left side of the first air inlet 22.
  • the engine hood 12 is engineered with two air inlets 28 and 30 located outboard of the primary cooling air inlet (first air inlet 22) on its forward, leading surface (front surface 16).
  • the second air inlets 28 and 30 are also referred to as "auxiliary cooling air inlets”.
  • These auxiliary cooling air inlets positively mate with ducts configured to feed air to at least one second heat exchanger or second heat exchangers.
  • Said second heat exchanger or said second heat exchangers is or are also referred to as an "auxiliary heat exchanger” or “auxiliary heat exchangers”.
  • Said ducts and auxiliary heat exchangers are not part of the hood assembly, but directly interface with it.
  • the front surface 16 further comprises at least two lateral receptacles 32 and 34 arranged adjacent to and outboard of the first air inlet 22 with respect to the transverse direction of the truck.
  • the receptacle 32 is arranged on the right side of the first inlet 22, wherein the receptacle 34 is arranged on the left side of the first air inlet 22.
  • the receptacles 32 and 34 are arranged above the second air inlets 28 and 30 with respect to the vertical direction of the vehicle.
  • the receptacles 32 and 34 are configured to house headlight assemblies of the truck.
  • the receptacle 32 is configured to house a first headlight assembly, wherein the receptacle 34 is configured to house a second headlight assembly in the form of a headlight assembly 10 shown in Figs. 1 to 4.
  • This means the headlight assembly 10 is a left headlight assembly, wherein the first headlight assembly is a right headlight assembly of the truck.
  • the aforementioned and following features, embodiments, and advantages of the headlight assembly 10 can also be regarded as features, embodiments and advantages of the right headlight assembly.
  • the receptacles 32 and 34 have integral third air inlets which are configured to provide airflow to an intake system for guiding air into the at least one combustion chamber of the engine.
  • Said third air inlets are also referred to as "engine air inlets”.
  • an air inlet duct aperture of the headlight assemblies is arranged at least partially.
  • the headlight assembly 10 comprises a housing 36 in which light sources 38 and 40 of the headlight assembly 10 are arranged at least partially.
  • the light sources 38 and 40 are configured to illuminate an area in front of the truck.
  • the headlight assembly 10 completes an air inlet duct aperture 42 configured to provide airflow to said intake system.
  • the air inlet duct aperture 42 is arranged beneath the light sources 38 and 40.
  • the headlight assembly 10 has a transparent cover 44 by means of which the light sources 38 and 40 are covered in the longitudinal direction of the truck towards the front.
  • the air inlet duct aperture 42 can be arranged for the engine air duct of the receptacle 34 so that oncoming air can flow through the engine air inlet of the receptacle 34 and the air inlet duct aperture 42.
  • the air inlet duct apertures are framed with the respective headlight assemblies and are - with respect to an assembled state of a hood assembly comprising the engine hood 12 and the headlight assemblies - located outboard of the primary cooling air inlet and above the auxiliary cooling air inlets.
  • the interior surfaces of the engine hood 12 are engineered with an emphasis placed on interfacing with the primary and auxiliary cooling heat exchangers ducting, underhood air flow optimization, as well as an emphasis on an internal ducting of engine intake air within a reinforcement structure of the engine hood 12.
  • the engine hood 12 comprises at least one internal air duct mating with the headlight assembly 10 creating air inlet duct aperture 42.
  • the engine hood 12 has a reinforcement structure, the internal air duct extending in said
  • the engine hood 12 is engineered to contain the engine air intake system's ducting integrally within its reinforcement structure. This allows the airflow that flows through the engine air inlet aperture (42) framed by headlight assembly 10 to flow past the headlight assembly 10 (which completes air inlet duct aperture 42) to an engine air cleaner uninterrupted with little to no aerodynamic disturbance.
  • the duct or ducting extending through the reinforcement structure of the engine hood 12 can mate with the headlight assemblies' ducting at a forward portion of the engine hood 12.
  • the engine hood's 12 internal ducting then traverses rearward along the inside of the engine hood 12, where it expands gradually, allowing the air and water ingested via the engine air inlet in the headlight assemblies to separate with little to no loss of momentum.
  • the internal ducting then follows the internal surfaces of the engine hood 12 upwards and towards the centre of the upper surface 18. The internal ducting then mates with the engine intake system's air cleaner.
  • the headlight assembly 10 forms the upper and outboard surfaces of the air inlet aperture 42 by providing precise surfaces to capture the high pressure and relatively low velocity air mass flow available in the region while also providing smooth transitions to the higher velocity low pressure attached flow surfaces further aft on the hood.
  • the headlight assembly 10 can be both installed and removed from the engine hood 12 as a complete unit.
  • the headlight assembly 10 framing the air inlet duct aperture 42 functions as an integral part of the engine hood's 12 external and internal air flow management systems.
  • the air inlet duct aperture 42 created by the installation of headlight assembly 10 is engineered such that air flow flowing along the surface of the engine hood 12 flows into the air inlet duct aperture 42 with minimal aerodynamic disturbance.
  • the location of headlight assembly 10 with air inlet aperture 42 is critical to the overall system energy efficiency.
  • the headlight assembly 10 with inlet air aperture 42 is positioned in an area of high pressure, ambient temperature air. The position also provides smooth and precisely contoured surfaces upon which the adjacent air flow streams can attach and follow downstream on the hood.
  • headlight assembly 10 with air inlet aperture 42 as far away from the air cleaner filter element as possible provides the air intake system length needed to smoothly and gradually transition from a relatively small inlet opening area to a large expansion, lower velocity, moisture collection area (in hood 12 not shown). Once the air reaches a moisture collection area the air then travels vertically to a central duct volume prior to entering the air cleaner assembly (not shown). Lowering the flow stream velocity and changing the direction to vertical reduces the kinetic energy of the moisture droplets entrained in the air flow stream forcing them to contact the walls of the plenum within the hood (not shown).
  • the moisture droplets then attach and follow gravity down to a plenum drain without the need for baffles or any other obstructive device to separate out the moisture from the air.
  • This allows the maximum air mass flow volume and pressure to be delivered to the air cleaner assembly.
  • the increased volume and pressure of air delivered to the air cleaner assembly minimizes the energy required by the turbocharger to deliver compressed air by reducing the vacuum required of the turbocharger, increasing the engine's air pumping efficiency and thus its overall efficiency.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Non-Portable Lighting Devices Or Systems Thereof (AREA)

Abstract

The invention relates to a headlight assembly (10) for a commercial vehicle, the headlight assembly (10) comprising: - at least one light source (38) configured to illuminate an area in front of the commercial vehicle; and - at least one air inlet duct aperture (42) configured to provide airflow to an intake system for guiding air into at least one combustion chamber of an engine of the commercial vehicle.

Description

Headlight Assembly as well as Hood Assembly
for a Commercial Vehicle
The invention relates to a headlight assembly as well as a hood assembly for a
commercial vehicle.
DE 10 2009 034 954 A1 shows a glass cover for a headlight of a vehicle. The glass cover comprises a radiator grille that is integrated in an extension of the glass cover, wherein the glass cover extends beyond a housing of the headlight.
The aerodynamics of a commercial vehicle plays an important role in realizing a particularly efficient operation of a commercial vehicle.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a headlight assembly as well as a hood assembly, by means of which particularly advantageous aerodynamics of the commercial vehicle can be realized.
This object is solved by a headlight assembly having the features of patent claim 1 as well as a hood assembly having the features of patent claim 3. Advantageous embodiments with expedient and non-trivial developments of the invention are indicated in the other patent claims.
A first aspect of the present invention relates to a headlight assembly for a commercial vehicle, in particular a truck. The headlight assembly comprises at least one light source configured to illuminate an area in front of the commercial vehicle. The headlight assembly further frames two sides of the opening of at least one inlet duct aperture configured to provide airflow to an intake system for guiding air into at least one combustion chamber of an engine of the commercial vehicle. Since the at least one air inlet duct aperture is completed with the headlight assembly, air can be guided into the combustion chamber particularly advantageously with respect to the aerodynamics of the commercial vehicle. A second aspect of the present invention relates to a hood assembly for a commercial vehicle, in particular a truck, the hood assembly comprising an engine hood configured to cover at least a portion of an engine compartment of the commercial vehicle. The hood assembly further comprises at least one headlight assembly according to the first aspect of the invention. The engine hood has at least one receptacle in which the headlight assembly is arranged at least partially. Advantageous embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention are to be regarded as advantageous embodiments of the second aspect of the invention and vice versa. The advantages offered by the present invention are increased aerodynamic efficiency, and, thus, subsequent improvements in fuel economy, and operating costs. Additional improvements include reduced wind noise, reduced engine pumping losses and improved soiling.
Further advantages, features, and details of the invention derive from the following description of a preferred embodiment as well as from the drawings. The features and feature combinations previously mentioned in the description as well as the features and feature combinations mentioned in the following description of the figures and/or shown in the figures alone can be employed not only in the respective indicated combination but also in any other combination or taken alone without leaving the scope of the invention.
The drawings show in:
Fig. 1 a schematic perspective view of a headlight assembly for a commercial vehicle, the headlight assembly comprising at least one light source configured to illuminate an area in front of the commercial vehicle, and at least one air inlet duct aperture configured to provide airflow to an intake system for guiding air into at least one combustion chamber of an engine of the commercial vehicle;
Fig. 2 a schematic top view of the headlight assembly;
Fig. 3 a schematic bottom view of the headlight assembly;
Fig. 4 a schematic front view of the headlight assembly; and Fig. 5 a schematic perspective view of an engine hood for the commercial vehicle, the engine hood comprising a front surface having a plurality of air inlets, internal ducts for guiding air, and receptacles configured to house headlight assemblies.
Fig. 1 shows a headlight assembly 10 for a commercial vehicle in the form of a truck. The truck comprises a driver's cab and an engine compartment arranged in front of the driver's cab with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. At least a portion of the engine compartment is covered by an engine hood 12 shown in Fig. 5. The truck further comprises an engine arranged in the engine compartment, the engine serving to drive the truck. The engine is an internal combustion engine which comprises at least one combustion chamber. For example, the engine comprises a plurality of combustion chambers.
The hood 12 is engineered such that, as one assembly, it is responsible for performing multiple functions integral to the trucks operation. The engine hood 12 comprises highly engineered external surfaces 14 and interior surfaces which cannot be seen in the Figs., the external surfaces 14 and the interior surfaces being assembled together in order to form one integrated hood assembly. For example, the engine hood 12 can be assembled into one piece or alternatively formed in one piece. The engine hood 12 is engineered to manage both internal and external airflows around and within the truck's exterior surface to optimize aerodynamic and cooling system performance, as well as engine air intake efficiency.
The exterior of the engine hood 12 is engineered with a priority placed on aerodynamic as well as cooling and air intake system airflow optimization. The external surfaces 14 are engineered to aerodynamically guide external airflow over and around the external surfaces 14 through the use of optimal radii and continuous surfaces where traditional facets of an engine hood come together, i.e.: front of hood, to upper hood, to side fender surfaces, to cowl, to rain tray area. The result is a continuous external surface with little to no surface transitions that may disturb the airflow. The engine intake openings 32 and 34 benefit from being located in a stagnation pressure zone around the grille 24 and under the head light assembly 10, which results in the feeding of high pressure air flow into the air inlet duct aperture 42. The lateral width of the engine intake openings 32 and 34 under the headlight are optimized to scoop this high pressure flow while minimizing the flow separation at the outboard edge of 32 and 34. The outboard edge of the openings 32 and 34 terminate at an optimum point to allow just enough flow to feed into the inlet duct aperture 42 to meet engine demand, while keeping the external flow attached to the engine hood 12 surface.
The engine hood 12 comprises a forward facing front-most surface which is referred to as a "front surface 16" or a "leading surface". The leading surface of the engine hood 12 guides oncoming airflow both up and over its surface onto an upper surface 18 of the engine hood 12 as well as around and to side surfaces 20 of the engine hood 12.
Additionally, the leading surface guides oncoming airflow into the engine hood's 12 system of airflow inlets as will be described in the following.
The front surface 16 has a first inlet 22 centrally located in the front surface 16. A grille 24 is arranged in the first air inlet 22, the grille 24 comprising a plurality of grille bars 26 extending at least substantially in the transverse direction of the vehicle. The first air inlet 22 is configured to provide airflow to at least one heat exchanger or to a plurality of first heat exchangers. The first air inlet 22 is also referred to as a "primary cooling air inlet". The primary cooling air inlet positively mates with a ducting which feeds air to the first heat exchanger or to the first heat exchangers. Said first heat exchanger or said first heat exchangers is or are also referred to as a "primary heat exchanger" or "primary heat exchangers".
Said ducting and first heat exchanger or heat exchangers are not part of said hood assembly (engine hood 12), but directly interface with it. The engine hood 12 further comprises two lateral second air inlets 28 and 30 arranged adjacent to and outboard of the first air inlet 22 with respect to the transverse direction of the vehicle, the second air inlets 28 and 30 being configured to provide airflow to at least one second heat exchanger of the truck. In other words, the second air inlet 28 is arranged on a first side of the first air inlet 22 and the second air inlet 30 is arranged on a second side of the first air inlet 22, the second side being opposite of the first side with respect to the transverse direction of the truck. With respect to the direction of forward motion of the truck, the first side is the right side and the second side is the left side of the first air inlet 22.
In other words, the engine hood 12 is engineered with two air inlets 28 and 30 located outboard of the primary cooling air inlet (first air inlet 22) on its forward, leading surface (front surface 16). The second air inlets 28 and 30 are also referred to as "auxiliary cooling air inlets". These auxiliary cooling air inlets positively mate with ducts configured to feed air to at least one second heat exchanger or second heat exchangers. Said second heat exchanger or said second heat exchangers is or are also referred to as an "auxiliary heat exchanger" or "auxiliary heat exchangers". Said ducts and auxiliary heat exchangers are not part of the hood assembly, but directly interface with it.
The front surface 16 further comprises at least two lateral receptacles 32 and 34 arranged adjacent to and outboard of the first air inlet 22 with respect to the transverse direction of the truck. As can be seen in Fig. 5, the receptacle 32 is arranged on the right side of the first inlet 22, wherein the receptacle 34 is arranged on the left side of the first air inlet 22. Moreover, the receptacles 32 and 34 are arranged above the second air inlets 28 and 30 with respect to the vertical direction of the vehicle. The receptacles 32 and 34 are configured to house headlight assemblies of the truck. The receptacle 32 is configured to house a first headlight assembly, wherein the receptacle 34 is configured to house a second headlight assembly in the form of a headlight assembly 10 shown in Figs. 1 to 4. This means the headlight assembly 10 is a left headlight assembly, wherein the first headlight assembly is a right headlight assembly of the truck. The aforementioned and following features, embodiments, and advantages of the headlight assembly 10 can also be regarded as features, embodiments and advantages of the right headlight assembly.
The receptacles 32 and 34 have integral third air inlets which are configured to provide airflow to an intake system for guiding air into the at least one combustion chamber of the engine. Said third air inlets are also referred to as "engine air inlets". In each of the engine air inlets, an air inlet duct aperture of the headlight assemblies is arranged at least partially.
As can be seen from Figs. 1 to 4, the headlight assembly 10 comprises a housing 36 in which light sources 38 and 40 of the headlight assembly 10 are arranged at least partially. The light sources 38 and 40 are configured to illuminate an area in front of the truck. Moreover, the headlight assembly 10 completes an air inlet duct aperture 42 configured to provide airflow to said intake system. As can be seen from Figs. 1 and 4, the air inlet duct aperture 42 is arranged beneath the light sources 38 and 40. Moreover, the headlight assembly 10 has a transparent cover 44 by means of which the light sources 38 and 40 are covered in the longitudinal direction of the truck towards the front.
The air inlet duct aperture 42 can be arranged for the engine air duct of the receptacle 34 so that oncoming air can flow through the engine air inlet of the receptacle 34 and the air inlet duct aperture 42. In other words, the air inlet duct apertures are framed with the respective headlight assemblies and are - with respect to an assembled state of a hood assembly comprising the engine hood 12 and the headlight assemblies - located outboard of the primary cooling air inlet and above the auxiliary cooling air inlets.
The interior surfaces of the engine hood 12 are engineered with an emphasis placed on interfacing with the primary and auxiliary cooling heat exchangers ducting, underhood air flow optimization, as well as an emphasis on an internal ducting of engine intake air within a reinforcement structure of the engine hood 12.
In other words, the engine hood 12 comprises at least one internal air duct mating with the headlight assembly 10 creating air inlet duct aperture 42. For example, the engine hood 12 has a reinforcement structure, the internal air duct extending in said
reinforcement structure. This means the engine hood 12 is engineered to contain the engine air intake system's ducting integrally within its reinforcement structure. This allows the airflow that flows through the engine air inlet aperture (42) framed by headlight assembly 10 to flow past the headlight assembly 10 (which completes air inlet duct aperture 42) to an engine air cleaner uninterrupted with little to no aerodynamic disturbance. The duct or ducting extending through the reinforcement structure of the engine hood 12 can mate with the headlight assemblies' ducting at a forward portion of the engine hood 12. The engine hood's 12 internal ducting then traverses rearward along the inside of the engine hood 12, where it expands gradually, allowing the air and water ingested via the engine air inlet in the headlight assemblies to separate with little to no loss of momentum. The internal ducting then follows the internal surfaces of the engine hood 12 upwards and towards the centre of the upper surface 18. The internal ducting then mates with the engine intake system's air cleaner.
The headlight assembly 10 forms the upper and outboard surfaces of the air inlet aperture 42 by providing precise surfaces to capture the high pressure and relatively low velocity air mass flow available in the region while also providing smooth transitions to the higher velocity low pressure attached flow surfaces further aft on the hood. The headlight assembly 10 can be both installed and removed from the engine hood 12 as a complete unit.
When installed, the headlight assembly 10 framing the air inlet duct aperture 42 functions as an integral part of the engine hood's 12 external and internal air flow management systems. The air inlet duct aperture 42 created by the installation of headlight assembly 10 is engineered such that air flow flowing along the surface of the engine hood 12 flows into the air inlet duct aperture 42 with minimal aerodynamic disturbance. The location of headlight assembly 10 with air inlet aperture 42 is critical to the overall system energy efficiency. The headlight assembly 10 with inlet air aperture 42 is positioned in an area of high pressure, ambient temperature air. The position also provides smooth and precisely contoured surfaces upon which the adjacent air flow streams can attach and follow downstream on the hood. Having the location of headlight assembly 10 with air inlet aperture 42 as far away from the air cleaner filter element as possible provides the air intake system length needed to smoothly and gradually transition from a relatively small inlet opening area to a large expansion, lower velocity, moisture collection area (in hood 12 not shown). Once the air reaches a moisture collection area the air then travels vertically to a central duct volume prior to entering the air cleaner assembly (not shown). Lowering the flow stream velocity and changing the direction to vertical reduces the kinetic energy of the moisture droplets entrained in the air flow stream forcing them to contact the walls of the plenum within the hood (not shown). The moisture droplets then attach and follow gravity down to a plenum drain without the need for baffles or any other obstructive device to separate out the moisture from the air. This allows the maximum air mass flow volume and pressure to be delivered to the air cleaner assembly. The increased volume and pressure of air delivered to the air cleaner assembly minimizes the energy required by the turbocharger to deliver compressed air by reducing the vacuum required of the turbocharger, increasing the engine's air pumping efficiency and thus its overall efficiency.

Claims

Claims
1. A headlight assembly (10) for a commercial vehicle, the headlight assembly (10) comprising:
- at least one light source (38) configured to illuminate an area in front of the commercial vehicle; and
- at least one air inlet duct aperture (42) configured to provide airflow to an intake system for guiding air into at least one combustion chamber of an engine of the commercial vehicle.
2. The headlight assembly (10) according to claim 1 ,
characterized in that
the air inlet duct aperture (42) is arranged beneath at least a portion of the light source (38).
3. The headlight assembly (10) according to claim 1 ,
characterized in that
the air inlet duct aperture (42) is arranged inboard of at least a portion of the light source (38).
4. A hood assembly for a commercial vehicle, the hood assembly comprising:
- an engine hood (12) configured to cover at least a portion of an engine
compartment of the commercial vehicle; and
- at least one headlight assembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the engine hood (12) has at least one receptacle (34) in which the headlight assembly (10) is arranged at least partially.
5. The hood assembly according to claim 4,
characterized in that the engine hood (12) comprises at least one internal air duct mating with the air inlet duct aperture (42) of the headlight assembly (10).
6. The hood assembly according to claim 5,
characterized in that
the internal air duct extends in a reinforcement structure of the engine hood (12).
PCT/EP2015/002025 2014-10-21 2015-10-14 Headlight assembly as well as hood assembly for a commercial vehicle WO2016062381A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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GB1418704.1A GB2531545A (en) 2014-10-21 2014-10-21 Headlight assembly as well as hood assembly for a commercial vehicle
GB1418704.1 2014-10-21

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WO2016062381A1 true WO2016062381A1 (en) 2016-04-28

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US10160375B2 (en) * 2016-04-28 2018-12-25 Fca Us Llc Illuminated air catcher passage
DE102018214112A1 (en) * 2018-08-21 2020-02-27 Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft Arrangement of a fluid line on an air guide element, method for arranging a ventilation bell on an air guide element and air guide element

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GB2531545A (en) 2016-04-27

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