Abstract: A heat exchanger system is provided including a first and second heat exchanger each configured to pass air therethrough. The second heat exchanger is mounted upstream of the first heat exchanger. The second heat exchanger may be selectively movable between a first position and a second position such that an amount of the air is diverted from the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger when the second heat exchanger is in the first position. Alternately, the second heat exchanger may be spaced from the first heat exchanger, with at least one selectively openable shutter mounted adjacent to the first and second heat exchangers. The at least one shutter is movable between a first position and a second position such that an amount of the air is diverted from the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger when the at least one shutter is in the first position.

Abstract: An oil pump system is provided having a mechanism configured to receive oil, pressurize the oil, and output the pressurized oil. The oil pump system also includes an oil pump body configured to house the mechanism. A vent is defined by the body to purge air from the pump. Also, a device is arranged relative to the vent, and configured to close the vent when the pump body is subjected to g-forces up to a predetermined threshold magnitude. The device is additionally configured to open the vent when the pump body is subjected to g-forces exceeding the predetermined threshold magnitude, wherein air otherwise received by the pump mechanism with the oil, captured within the mechanism, and outputted with the pressurized oil is purged.

Abstract: An engine intake air tuning assembly may include a housing assembly and an air flow control member. The housing assembly may include an air inlet, an air outlet, and a body portion extending therebetween. The body portion may define an air flow passage and a tuning chamber. The air flow passage may provide fluid communication between the air inlet and outlet. The air flow control member may be located within the body portion and may be displaced between first and second positions relative to the air flow passage. The air flow control member may provide a first communication path from the air flow passage to the tuning chamber when in the first position and a second communication path from the air flow passage to the tuning chamber when in the second position. The second communication path may define a greater number of openings than the first communication path.

Abstract: An intake assembly, such as a supercharger assembly, is provided for an internal combustion engine. The intake assembly includes a housing having a wall defining an inlet passage through which intake air enters the intake assembly. A plurality of stiffening ribs is provided on the wall opposite the inlet passage and at least partially defines at least one cavity. A plate is mounted to the wall of the housing and further defines the at least one cavity. The wall defines at least one orifice configured to provide communication between the inlet passage and the at least one cavity. The at least one cavity and the at least one orifice cooperate to form at least one resonator. A method of forming the intake assembly having integral resonators is also provided.

Abstract: A housing for a supercharger assembly is provided having an inner wall at least partially defining a rotor cavity. A layer is formed from a sacrificial polymeric material and is provided on at least a portion of the inner wall. The layer is operable to provide approximately zero running clearance and improve scuff resistance between the first and second rotors and the inner wall. The sacrificial polymeric material is applied to the inner wall by insert molding to form the layer. A method of forming the housing is also provided.

Abstract: A starting system is provided for delivering pressurized fuel to an engine to start the engine without a starter. The starting system includes an accumulator for storing pressurized fuel during engine operation and engine shut-down. During engine start-up, the accumulator delivers the stored pressurized fuel to the engine to start the engine. The accumulator is in fluid communication with a low pressure fuel reservoir and the engine. The accumulator includes an accumulator housing defining an accumulator cavity and including an accumulator piston and spring assembly, which is moveable longitudinally within the accumulator cavity. An electronic control module (ECM) is in electronic control with the starting system and the engine. The ECM is operable to activate the accumulator, forcing pressurized fuel stored within the accumulator into a high-pressure fuel line for injection into the engine, to generate at least one starting combustion event to start the engine without a starter.

Abstract: A rotatable sound attenuation device is provided comprising a central portion rotatable about a first axis, a radial portion extending outwardly from the central portion and a chamber having a closed first end and a second end opening radially outwardly of the radial portion and defining a second axis therein having a radial component thereto. A piston is disposed within the chamber and is moveable to a location along the second axis in response to a centrifugal force imparted on the piston by rotation of the central portion and the radial portion about the first axis. A biasing member operates to limit movement of the piston along the second axis. A quarter wave chamber is defined by the second, open end of the chamber and the piston and has a sound attenuating length defined by the location of the piston along the second axis of the chamber.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine for an automotive vehicle includes a belt, alternator, supercharger (BASC) power system having a positive displacement supercharger with coacting rotors, a belt drive from the engine to the supercharger, an overrunning clutch allowing the supercharger to overrun the belt drive, and a motor-generator connected to charge a battery when the motor-generator is overrunning the belt drive. The system allows electric overrun of the supercharger to increase engine charge air and power at low engine speeds, to electrically offset some parasitic losses and increase power at high engine speeds, to use supercharger inertia to drive the motor-generator and charge the battery during engine decelerations, and to electrically reduce belt drive loads by supplementing supercharger drive power during transmission downshifts that increase engine speed, and thus minimize “chirping” sounds due to belt slipping.

Abstract: A gear drive assembly for a supercharger is provided. The gear drive assembly has at least one gear member rotatable about an axis of rotation and includes a cover member operable to substantially enclose the at least one gear member. A tube member extends though the cover member and is generally aligned along the axis of rotation. The tube member is operable to vent the gear drive assembly. A supercharger assembly incorporating the gear drive assembly is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention reduces the overheating of sealed oil gear cases and excessive charge air temperatures at high engine speeds in automotive supercharger use by providing liquid cooling of one or more of the housings of a supercharger. Cooling the front cover of the supercharger will reduce the gear case temperatures under boost. Cooling the bearing housing will also reduce gear case temperatures in the adjacent gear case. Cooling the rotor housing, in combination with cooling of the rotors by a separate system, will maintain more uniform clearances under continuous boost, as with racing and autobahn applications. Cooling may be by traditional liquid coolant or with oil, and with separate or combined systems. The invention discloses liquid coolant systems for controlling sealed gear case lubricant temperatures as well as supercharger charge air temperatures if desired. Combined coolant handling and flow systems and their advantages are also disclosed.

Abstract: In an exemplary embodiment, a dual rotor supercharger includes a pair of rotor housings. Each housing has an air inlet end and an air outlet adjacent a drive end. Each rotor housing contains a pair of coacting rotors with a pair of engaged timing gears operative to rotate the rotors on parallel axes in their housings to pump air from the inlet ends to the outlets of their respective housings. A drive housing encloses the two pairs of timing gears connected within the drive housing for simultaneously rotating the rotors in each rotor housing for delivering air through the outlets of their respective housings. At least one drive member is directly connected with one of the rotors and operative to rotate all of the rotors through the connected timing gears. Various alternative embodiments of the superchargers and operating mechanisms are disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a servo actuated operating mechanism for a lobed rotor positive displacement supercharger combining a low cost and capacity electromagnetic clutch with a small oil pump internal to the supercharger unit. The oil pump supplies on demand oil pressure from oil in a hydraulic clutch housing or the supercharger timing gear case and acts as a servomechanism to actuate an internal hydraulic clutch. The hydraulic clutch can be engaged over a much wider range of speeds and loads than is possible with an electromagnetic clutch alone. The addition of an accumulator enables even faster engagements. The electro-hydraulic servomechanism provides improved highway fuel economy relative to an electromagnetic clutch as the engagement speed could be moved to a higher rotational speed (rpm).

Abstract: A positive displacement supercharger includes a housing defining a rotor cavity with a pair of positive displacement rotors operative to carry air axially from an inlet end to an outlet in the cavity wall near an outlet end of the cavity. The outlet communicates with an outlet plenum partially defined by the cavity wall. The cavity wall includes a stiff portion defining a plurality of lightening recesses, such as a waffle pattern, limiting distortion of the wall by pulsations in the plenum. The recesses may be time and cost efficiently converted to Helmholtz tuners by covering the recesses with a cover plate, which may be perforated to include at least one tuning opening (perforation) into each tuning chamber (recess) and forming tuning volumes of the tuning chambers and their associated tuning openings effective to attenuate selected frequencies of pulsations in the plenum and thereby reduce undesired noise emanating from the air system of the supercharger.

Abstract: The invention is to reduce flutter and wear and improve the serviceability and wear life of tip seals for roots blower and screw type compressor superchargers where used for improved supercharger output and efficiency. As the seals travel over the outlet opening, the seals move outward in their slots, leading to flutter which may shorten their useful lives. As each seal reaches the center of the outlet opening, it is forced back into its groove by engaging a valley of the mating rotor with the likelihood of increased wear. The invention provides longitudinally spaced support bars extending laterally across the opening in the directions of rotation of the rotors. The support bars have inner surfaces machined with the associated rotor cavity bores and thus smoothly support the seals as they ride over the support surfaces. The support reduces the flexing of the seals and the resultant wear.

Abstract: An adjustable Helmholtz resonator assembly is provided having an active state and an inactive state. In the active state the Helmholtz resonator assembly is operable to attenuate pressure pulsations within air passing therethrough. In the inactive state the Helmholtz resonator assembly does not attenuate pressure pulsations within air passing therethrough. The Helmholtz resonator assembly is preferably configured to be mounted within an intake system of an internal combustion engine.

Abstract: A dry sump oil tank assembly for a vehicle is provided with a housing defining an internal cavity. The housing is configured with a laterally-extending portion to add lateral volume to the internal cavity and has at least one internal baffle attached to the housing within the internal cavity below the laterally-extending portion and configured to reduce sloshing of oil within the cavity. The dry sump oil tank assembly is particularly useful for high performance applications, such as racing vehicles, and may utilize components from standard vehicle applications, thus maximizing the economies of scale of producing such components and being suited for a vehicle that may be typically used in standard driving conditions, but occasionally subjected to high performance use.

Abstract: A fuel system may include an auxiliary fuel pump in communication with a fuel source, a fuel pressure amplifier in communication with the fuel pump, a first chamber defining a first fluid volume in communication with the auxiliary fuel pump, a second chamber defining a second fluid volume, and a fuel injector in communication with the second fluid volume. The fuel pressure amplifier may include a piston mechanism having a first side defining a first surface area and a second side defining a second surface area that is less than the first surface area. The first fluid volume may apply a force to the first side of the piston mechanism that is greater than a second force to the second side resulting in displacement of the piston mechanism. The fuel injector may provide a pressurized fuel supply to an engine based on the displacement of the piston mechanism.

Abstract: A starting system is provided for delivering pressurized fuel to an engine to start the engine without a starter. The starting system includes an accumulator for storing pressurized fuel during engine operation and engine shut-down. During engine start-up, the accumulator delivers the stored pressurized fuel to the engine to start the engine. The accumulator is in fluid communication with a low pressure fuel reservoir and the engine. The accumulator includes an accumulator housing defining an accumulator cavity and including an accumulator piston and spring assembly, which is moveable longitudinally within the accumulator cavity. An electronic control module (ECM) is in electronic control with the starting system and the engine. The ECM is operable to activate the accumulator, forcing pressurized fuel stored within the accumulator into a high-pressure fuel line for injection into the engine, to generate at least one starting combustion event to start the engine without a starter.

Abstract: An intake assembly operable to communicate intake air to an internal combustion engine is provided. The intake assembly includes an inlet adapter defining a flow conduit through which the intake air may pass and an intake manifold. The inlet adapter is removably mounted with respect to the intake manifold. At least one resonance chamber is defined by at least one of the inlet adapter and the intake manifold. A gasket member is operable to substantially seal the inlet adapter with respect to the intake manifold. The gasket member defines at least one tuner neck operable to provide communication between the at least one resonance chamber and the flow conduit to form at least one Helmholtz resonator.

Abstract: A rotor assembly for a supercharger assembly is provided. The rotor assembly includes at least one lobe defining at least one cavity. The at least one cavity is configured to contain a fluid operable to cool the at least one lobe. A supercharger incorporating the rotor assembly is also disclosed.