Manifold

Abstract

A manifold system for an internal combustion engine, comprising a housing designed as a collecting manifold, which housing has two inlet openings and an outlet opening for connecting two outlets of an internal combustion engine to an exhaust gas system in regard to flow and at least one connection opening provided on the housing for connecting to an outer shell of a double-shell air-gap-insulated manifold, and comprising at least one air-gap-insulated manifold connected to the connection opening, which air-gap-insulated manifold has an inner shell having an inlet opening for connecting to an outlet of the internal combustion engine in regard to flow and having an outer shell, wherein all air-gap-insulated manifolds are completely formed from sheet metal and are structurally or geometrically identical and, on the housing, the size of a distance A2 between one of the two inlet openings and the outlet opening is between 30 mm and 300 mm or between 50 mm and 120 mm.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A manifold system for an internal combustion engine with
 a) a housing designed as a collecting manifold, with two inlet openings and an outlet opening for fluidically connecting two outlets of an internal combustion engine to an exhaust gas system,   b) and at least one connection opening provided on the housing for connecting to an outer shell of a double shell air gap insulated manifold, as well as   c) at least one air gap insulated manifold connected to the connection opening, having an inner shell with an inlet opening for the fluidic connection to one outlet of the internal combustion engine and with an outer shell,   wherein   d) all air gap insulated manifolds are completely formed from sheet metal and are structurally or geometrically identical and   e) a size of a distance (A2) on the housing between one of the two inlet openings and the outlet opening is between 30 mm and 300 mm.   
     
     
         2 . The manifold system according to  claim 1 , wherein the distance (A2) is dimensioned as a function of sound waves of the exhaust gas whose wavelength (L) of sound is calculated by n*A2 or 1/n*A2, n being an element of natural numbers, but not zero. 
     
     
         3 . The manifold system according to  claim 1 , wherein the two inlet openings within the housing stand in a fluidic and acoustic exchange with each other. 
     
     
         4 . The manifold system according to  claim 1 , wherein the two inlet openings are separated in the housing by a duct wall and two flow ducts are formed by the duct wall, wherein both flow ducts empty into the outlet opening at the end of the duct wall and the two flow ducts stand in fluidic and acoustic exchange via an opening or perforation provided upstream from the outlet opening in the duct wall. 
     
     
         5 . The manifold system according to  claim 4 , wherein the opening or the perforation has an overall cross section between 25 mm 2  and 50 mm 2 . 
     
     
         6 . The manifold system according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing is fashioned as a single-piece casting. 
     
     
         7 . The manifold system according to  claim 6 , wherein the housing is formed from a low-alloy gray cast iron with a carbon content of at least 1.00 wt. % and further alloy additions each with a mean content of not more than 50.00 wt. %. 
     
     
         8 . The manifold system according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing is formed entirely of sheet metal, as a multiple piece and double-walled part, and also air gap insulated with an outer housing and at least one inner housing, the connection opening being provided on the outer housing. 
     
     
         9 . The manifold system according to  claim 8 , wherein the air gap insulated manifold has a connection opening and an outlet opening, wherein the air gap insulated manifold is directly connected to the housing by its connection opening and is connected across its outlet opening to the connection opening of another air gap insulated manifold. 
     
     
         10 . The manifold system according to  claim 9 , wherein the outlet opening of the outermost air gap insulated manifold is closed by a lid. 
     
     
         11 . The manifold system according to  claim 1 , wherein the air gap insulated manifold is joined to the housing by a bonding technique. 
     
     
         12 . The manifold system according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing has only one connection opening by which two air gap insulated manifolds are connected directly or indirectly. 
     
     
         13 . The manifold system according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing connects the outlet openings to a housing of a turbocharger and for this purpose forms a load-bearing structural part arranged between an engine block and the turbocharger. 
     
     
         14 . A system consisting of a manifold system according to  claim 1  and an internal combustion engine. 
     
     
         15 . The manifold system according to  claim 2 , wherein the two inlet openings within the housing stand in a fluidic and acoustic exchange with each other. 
     
     
         16 . The manifold system according to  claim 1 , wherein the size of the distance (A2) on the housing between one of the two inlet openings and the outlet opening is between 50 mm and 120 mm. 
     
     
         17 . The manifold system according to  claim 11 , wherein the bonding technique is welding, soldering, or gluing. 
     
     
         18 . The manifold system according to  claim 2 , wherein the two inlet openings within the housing stand in a fluidic and acoustic exchange with each other; wherein the two inlet openings are separated in the housing by a duct wall and two flow ducts are formed by the duct wall, wherein both flow ducts empty into the outlet opening at the end of the duct wall and the two flow ducts stand in fluidic and acoustic exchange via an opening or perforation provided upstream from the outlet opening in the duct wall; and wherein the opening or the perforation has an overall cross section between 25 mm 2  and 50 mm 2 . 
     
     
         19 . The manifold system according to  claim 18 , wherein the housing is fashioned as a single-piece casting; wherein the housing is formed from a low-alloy gray cast iron with a carbon content of at least 1.00 wt. % and further alloy additions each with a mean content of not more than 50.00 wt. %. 
     
     
         20 . The manifold system according to  claim 19 , wherein the air gap insulated manifold is joined to the housing by a bonding technique; wherein the housing has only one connection opening by which two air gap insulated manifolds are connected directly or indirectly; and wherein the housing connects the outlet openings to a housing of a turbocharger and for this purpose forms a load-bearing structural part arranged between an engine block and the turbocharger.