US7469689B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fluid cooled supercharger
Assignee: Accessible Technologies Inc
•
Filing: 2005-09-09
•
Granted: 2008-12-30
•
Expires: 2025-09-09
Abstract
Abstract A forced air induction system for use with a powered vehicle is disclosed as including a centrifugal supercharger supported by the vehicle's engine and a recirculating induction coolant system that cools the supercharger and the compressed induction fluid provided by the supercharger. The induction coolant system operates by providing coolant to the supercharger and to an intercooler of the forced air induction system. The supercharger case includes internal passageways for cooling the transmission and compressor. The forced air induction system further includes spacers and radiant heat shields for rejecting heat transferred conductively and radiantly from the engine.
Inventors
- 👤 Daniel W. Jones
- 👤 Michael A. Carlson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 10:53
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02B; F02B39/00; F02B39/02; F02B39/04; F02B33/00; F02B33/32; F02B33/34; F02B33/40; F04; F04D; F04D13/00; F04D13/12; F04D25/00; F04D25/16; F04D29/00; F04D29/40; F04D29/42; F04D29/4206; F04D29/52; F04D29/54; F04D29/541; F04D29/545; F04D29/58; F04D29/582; F04D29/5826; F04D29/5833; F04D29/584; F02B29/00; F02B29/04; F02B39/16; F05; F05B; F05B2220/00; F05B2220/40
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
219 words
An air induction system for delivering compressed induction fluid to an engine, wherein the engine is cooled by a closed-loop engine coolant system, the air induction system comprising: a centrifugal supercharger configured to be mechanically driven by the engine, said supercharger including a case that presents a compressor chamber, said case including a wall that defines a volute section of the compressor chamber, said supercharger including a rotatable impeller within the compressor chamber and operable to compress induction fluid when powered by the engine, said case presenting a compressor coolant passageway that is defined at least partly by the wall, said compressor passageway extending along at least part of the volute section of the compressor chamber; and a recirculating induction coolant system fluidly connected to the compressor passageway and operable to recirculate coolant through the compressor passageway, said case including a plurality of ridges projecting from the wall into said at least part of the volute section and thereby being configured to improve the transfer of heat from the compressed induction fluid to the coolant, said volute section presenting a generally circular cross-sectional shape to present an outer circumference, said ridges being spaced about the outer circumference of the volute section, said ridges each having a helical shape to facilitate flow of compressed induction fluid along the volute section.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
219 words
An air induction system for delivering compressed induction fluid to an engine, wherein the engine is cooled by a closed-loop engine coolant system, the air induction system comprising: a centrifugal supercharger configured to be mechanically driven by the engine, said supercharger including a case that presents a compressor chamber, said case including a wall that defines a volute section of the compressor chamber, said supercharger including a rotatable impeller within the compressor chamber and operable to compress induction fluid when powered by the engine, said case presenting a compressor coolant passageway that is defined at least partly by the wall, said compressor passageway extending along at least part of the volute section of the compressor chamber; and a recirculating induction coolant system fluidly connected to the compressor passageway and operable to recirculate coolant through the compressor passageway, said case including a plurality of ridges projecting from the wall into said at least part of the volute section and thereby being configured to improve the transfer of heat from the compressed induction fluid to the coolant, said volute section presenting a generally circular cross-sectional shape to present an outer circumference, said ridges being spaced about the outer circumference of the volute section, said ridges each having a helical shape to facilitate flow of compressed induction fluid along the volute section.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The air induction system as claimed in claim 1 , said ridges being shorter in length than the volute section, with the ridges being spaced lengthwise along the volute section.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The air induction system as claimed in claim 2 , said ridges each presenting a rectangular cross-sectional shape that projects lengthwise radially inward from the wall.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
The air induction system as claimed in claim 1 , said recirculating induction coolant system being configured to provide supercharger coolant separate from the engine coolant system, said recirculating induction coolant system being configured to provide coolant at a temperature below that of the engine coolant system.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
The air induction system as claimed in claim 4 , said recirculating induction coolant system including a coolant reservoir for containing coolant, a pump for pumping coolant between the reservoir and the supercharger, and a heat exchanger for removing heat from the coolant.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
52 words
The air induction system as claimed in claim 1 ; a supercharger support connected to the case and configured to rigidly support the supercharger on the engine, said support including a non-metal thermal-insulating portion, said thermal-insulating portion configured to thermally insulate the supercharger from conductive heating of the case by the engine.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The air induction system as claimed in claim 1 , said recirculating induction coolant system being configured to provide supercharger coolant separate from the engine coolant system.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
243 words
An air induction system for delivering compressed induction fluid to an engine, wherein the engine is cooled by a closed-loop engine coolant system, the air induction system comprising: a centrifugal supercharger configured to be mechanically driven by the engine, said supercharger including a case that presents a compressor chamber, said case including a wall that defines a volute section of the compressor chamber, said supercharger including a rotatable impeller within the compressor chamber and operable to compress induction fluid when powered by the engine, said case presenting a compressor coolant passageway that is defined at least partly by the wall, said compressor passageway extending along at least part of the volute section of the compressor chamber; and a recirculating induction coolant system fluidly connected to the compressor passageway and operable to recirculate coolant through the compressor passageway, said case including a plurality of ridges projecting from the wall into said at least part of the volute section and thereby being configured to improve the transfer of heat from the compressed induction fluid to the coolant, said case presenting a transmission chamber, said supercharger including a transmission drivingly connectable to the engine and operable to supply power to the impeller, with the transmission being located at least substantially within the transmission chamber, said case presenting a transmission coolant passageway adjacent the transmission chamber, said recirculating induction coolant system being fluidly connected to the transmission passageway and operable to recirculate coolant through the transmission passageway.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
243 words
An air induction system for delivering compressed induction fluid to an engine, wherein the engine is cooled by a closed-loop engine coolant system, the air induction system comprising: a centrifugal supercharger configured to be mechanically driven by the engine, said supercharger including a case that presents a compressor chamber, said case including a wall that defines a volute section of the compressor chamber, said supercharger including a rotatable impeller within the compressor chamber and operable to compress induction fluid when powered by the engine, said case presenting a compressor coolant passageway that is defined at least partly by the wall, said compressor passageway extending along at least part of the volute section of the compressor chamber; and a recirculating induction coolant system fluidly connected to the compressor passageway and operable to recirculate coolant through the compressor passageway, said case including a plurality of ridges projecting from the wall into said at least part of the volute section and thereby being configured to improve the transfer of heat from the compressed induction fluid to the coolant, said case presenting a transmission chamber, said supercharger including a transmission drivingly connectable to the engine and operable to supply power to the impeller, with the transmission being located at least substantially within the transmission chamber, said case presenting a transmission coolant passageway adjacent the transmission chamber, said recirculating induction coolant system being fluidly connected to the transmission passageway and operable to recirculate coolant through the transmission passageway.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
68 words
The air induction system as claimed in claim 8 , said impeller presenting an exducer, said case including a vaned diffuser ring fluidly interposed between the impeller exducer and the volute section, said case presenting a diffuser coolant passageway in an abutting relationship to the diffuser ring, said recirculating induction coolant system being fluidly connected to the diffuser passageway and operable to recirculate coolant through the diffuser passageway.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The air induction system as claimed in claim 9 , said compressor, transmission, and diffuser coolant passageways being fluidly isolated from one another within the case.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
47 words
The air induction system as claimed in claim 8 , said recirculating induction coolant system being configured to provide supercharger coolant separate from the engine coolant system, said recirculating induction coolant system being configured to provide coolant at a temperature below that of the engine coolant system.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
The air induction system as claimed in claim 11 , said recirculating induction coolant system including a coolant reservoir for containing coolant, a pump for pumping coolant between the reservoir and the supercharger, and a heat exchanger for removing heat from the coolant.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
52 words
The air induction system as claimed in claim 8 ; a supercharger support connected to the case and configured to rigidly support the supercharger on the engine, said support including a non-metal thermal-insulating portion, said thermal-insulating portion configured to thermally insulate the supercharger from conductive heating of the case by the engine.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
The improved air induction system as claimed in claim 13 , said non-metal thermal-insulating portion including material with a thermal conductivity of less than about 1 Btu/hr-ft-° F.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
The improved air induction system as claimed in claim 14 , said material being a ceramic material.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
27 words
The improved air induction system as claimed in claim 15 , said ceramic material being selected from the group consisting of glass mica, alumina, and combinations thereof.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
27 words
The air induction system as claimed in claim 8 , said recirculating induction coolant system being configured to provide supercharger coolant separate from the engine coolant system.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2011-12-30 | 2012-06-30 | 2012-12-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2015-12-30 | 2016-06-30 | 2016-12-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2019-12-30 | 2020-06-30 | 2020-12-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |