CAST TURBINE HOUSING WITH STAMPED VOLUTE

Abstract

A turbine housing includes a housing having a volute section. A volute insert is positioned within an interior portion of the volute section. The surface of the volute insert may be smoother than the interior surface of the volute to reduce turbulence and increase air flow within the volute.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims benefit from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/432,996 entitled “CAST TURBINE HOUSING WITH STAMPED VOLUTE,” filed on Jan. 14, 2011 which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to turbine housings, and more particularly, to a turbine housing having an insert member.

BACKGROUND

As is known in the art, turbochargers are often used with combustion engines to increase the power output of the engine. Turbochargers increase power by increasing the amount of air used to facilitate combustion in the engine. Increasing the amount to air provided to the cylinders of the engine allows for a proportional increase in the amount to fuel that may be burned in the engine. This increased fuel amount leads to increased power output.

Turbochargers often utilize the engine's exhaust to spin a turbine, which in turn spins an air pump to compress air. The compressed air is pumped into the cylinders during combustion. The turbine is typically positioned within a housing that includes an inlet for the engine's exhaust. Additionally, a turbine may be positioned on the compressor side to facilitate ambient air compression. The housing has a generally volute shape so that gasses channeled into the housing create rotational flow to spin the turbine located in the housing.

Traditional turbine housings suffer from several deficiencies. As explained in further detail below, turbine housings are traditionally composed of either cast metal, such as cast iron, or stamped metals, such as stamped stainless steel. Commonly, stamped housings are used in applications that require greater strength or durability. However, while stamped housing provide increased strength and durability, they also suffer from several drawbacks. For example, in some circumstances it may be difficult, if not impossible to achieve the desired housing configuration through the stamping process. In such cases, it may be desirable to cast the housing into the desired configuration.

Cast housings, however, also suffer from some drawbacks. For example, the interior surface of a cast housing often has a rough finish. This rough surface creates a turbulent flow for exhaust gasses traveling through the housing. Further, interior surfaces of cast housings are difficult if not impossible to finish given the small spaces and volute shape of the housing.

By contrast, stamped housings are ideal for maximizing the flow of gasses through the housing. Stamped housings are commonly cold rolled to provide a smooth interior surface that increases flow resulting in better efficiencies and improved miles per gallon ratings for the engine.

Therefore, an improved turbine housing with casting configurability and stamped flow characteristics is needed.

SUMMARY

A turbine housing is generally presented. The turbine housing includes a housing having a volute section. The volute section may include a volute insert positioned with an interior portion of the volute section. The surface of the volute insert may be smoother than the interior surface of the volute to reduce turbulence and increase air flow within the volute.

In an embodiment, the turbine housing may be comprised of cast iron. The volute insert may be comprised of stamped steel. The turbine housing may be positioned at the compressor side or the exhaust side of a turbocharger.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Objects and advantages together with the operation of the invention may be better understood by reference to the detailed description taken in connection with the following illustrations, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a cast housing;

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of a volute; and

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a cast housing having a stamped volute.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional changes may be made without departing from the respective scope of the present invention.

The efficiency of the power generated by a turbocharged engine may depend on the efficiency in which a turbine housing manages and channels the flow of gasses through the turbine housing. FIG. 1 illustrates a cast turbine housing 10, such as a cast iron turbine housing. The housing 10 may be any appropriate size and shape and may be cast out of any appropriate metal or material, as is known in the art.

The turbine housing 10 may include a generally volute-shaped portion (“volute”) 12. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the volute 12 may comprise a generally circular or spiral shaped shell. The volute 12 may be hollow to allow the flow of gasses therethrough. The volute 12 may include an atmospheric inlet or exhaust outlet at an opening 13 of the housing 10 and may house a turbine 15 therein. The shape of the volute 12 and the position of the opening 13 promote rotational flow within the housing 10 to spin the turbine 15 positioned generally in the center of the volute 12.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the volute 12 may have a generally rounded cross section to surround the hollow opening. The cross section may include a generally flat base portion 14, a side wall 16, and arced top wall 18. It will be appreciated, however, that the volute cross section may have any appropriate configuration.

The turbine housing 10 may include a volute insert 20, as best illustrated in FIG. 3. The volute insert 20 may be any appropriate size and shape, such as generally volute shaped and sized and shaped similarly to the volute 12 to be nested within at least a portion of the volute 12. For example, the volute insert 20 may comprise a generally flat bottom portion 22 to engage the interior of the base portion 14, an adjacent side wall 24 to engage the interior of the housing side wall 16, and an arced top wall 26 to engage the interior of the arced top wall 18 of the volute 12. It will be appreciated, however, that the volute insert 20 may be any cross sectional shape and may extend within any portion of the volute 12.

The volute insert 20 may be composed of any appropriate material. For example, the volute insert 20 may be comprised of stamped stainless steel, such as cold rolled stamped stainless steel. The cold rolling process may provide a smooth interior surface of the volute insert 20 to reduce turbulence and increase flow efficiency of gasses through the volute 12. While the volute insert 20 is described as comprising stainless steel, it will be appreciated that the insert 20 may comprise any material.

In an embodiment, the interior surface of the volute insert 20 may be smoother than the than the interior surface of the volute 12. For example, the housing 10 may be comprised of cast iron and the volute insert 20 may be comprised of stamped steel. The surface of the stamped steel volute insert 20 may be smoother than the interior surface of the volute 12. By providing a smoother interior surface, the volute insert 20 may reduce turbulence and increase flow within the housing 10.

The volute insert 20 may be configured to cover a specific portion of the interior surface of the housing volute 12. For example, the volute insert 20 may cover between 95% and 100% of the housing volute 12 interior. In an embodiment, the volute insert 20 may cover between 90% and 100% of the volute 12 interior. In another embodiment, the volute insert may cover between 80% and 90% of the volute 12 interior. It will be appreciate, however, that the volute insert may cover any specified portion of the interior surface of the volute 12.

The turbine housing 10 having a volute insert 20 may be manufactured using any methods known in the art. For example, the cast housing 12 may be cast to surround the volute insert 20. Alternatively, the volute insert 20 may be inserted into the volute 12 or a portion of the volute 12 after the volute is cast.

It will be appreciated that the turbine housing 10 as described herein may be located at either the compressor or exhaust side of a turbocharger. For example, a turbocharger may include a first turbine and turbine housing at the compressor side and a second turbine and turbine housing at the exhaust side. The turbine housing 10, volute insert 20 and other features described herein may be applied to the turbine housing at either the exhaust or compressor side of the turbocharger.

The invention has been described above and, obviously, modifications and alternations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification. The claims as follows are intended to include all modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the claims or the equivalent thereof.

Claims

1. A turbine housing comprising:

a housing including a volute section;

a volute insert positioned within an interior portion of said volute section; and

wherein the surface of said volute insert is smoother than the interior surface of said volute section.

2. The turbine housing of claim 1, wherein said housing is a cast housing.

3. The turbine housing of claim 2, wherein said cast housing is comprised of cast iron.

4. The turbine housing of claim 1, wherein said volute insert is stamped.

5. The turbine housing of claim 4, wherein said volute insert is comprised of stamped steel.

6. The turbine housing of claim 1 further comprising a turbine positioned within the housing.

7. The turbine housing of claim 1, wherein said housing is positioned on an exhaust side of a turbocharger.

8. The turbine housing of claim 1, wherein said housing is positioned on a compressor side of a turbocharger.

9. The turbine housing of claim 1, wherein the volute insert covers between 90% and 100% of the interior surface of the volute section.

10. The turbine housing of claim 1, wherein the volute insert covers between 80% and 90% of the interior surface of the volute section.

11. The turbine housing of claim 1, wherein the volute section is generally spiral shaped.