Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation cooler (EGR cooler) provided in an exhaust gas recirculation line departing from an exhaust system and opening into an intake system of an internal combustion engine is configured as a heat pipe heat exchanger including at least one enclosed and evacuated heat pipe filled with a working medium, the first end of the heat pipe being subject to exhaust gas from the exhaust gas recirculation line and the second end being in contact with a heat sink. In order to provide a compact design which will permit simple and effective cooling of the recycled exhaust gas, the longitudinal axis of the EGR cooler is aligned in parallel with the axis of the at least one heat pipe, so that an essentially axial flow of exhaust gas is obtained in the EGR cooler.

Abstract: The invention relates to a variable swirl generating intake manifold with at least one longitudinally oriented partition wall that forms at least one swirl generating first manifold section and one swirl stopping second manifold section, said manifold sections only meeting again in the valve area, at least the second manifold section being, for the purpose of increasing the swirl, at least partially closable in the entrance area by means of a control flap that is pivotal about an axis, said axis being substantially arranged in the plane of the partition wall, said control flap having two arms and said two manifold sections being at least partially closable in a first rotational end position and open in a second rotational end position.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an exhaust gas recirculation cooler (9), which is provided in an exhaust gas recirculation line (4) departing from an exhaust system (3) and opening into an intake system (2) of an internal combustion engine (1), and is configured as a heat pipe heat exchanger including at least one enclosed and evacuated heat pipe (11) filled with a working medium, the first end (15) of said heat pipe (11) being subject to exhaust gas from the exhaust gas recirculation line (4) and the second end (16) being in contact with a heat sink. In order to provide a compact design which will permit simple and effective cooling of the recycled exhaust gas, the longitudinal axis (9′) of the EGR cooler (9) is aligned in parallel with the axis (11′) of the at least one heat pipe (11), so that an essentially axial flow of exhaust gas will be obtained in the EGR cooler (9).

Abstract: The invention relates to a variable swirl generating intake manifold with at least one longitudinally oriented partition wall that forms at least one swirl generating first manifold section and one swirl stopping second manifold section, said manifold sections only meeting again in the valve area, at least the second manifold section being, for the purpose of increasing the swirl, at least partially closable in the entrance area by means of a control flap that is pivotal about an axis, said axis being substantially arranged in the plane of the partition wall, said control flap having two arms and said two manifold sections being at least partially closable in a first rotational end position and open in a second rotational end position.