Cooling system and operation method of electric oil pump in cooling system

• US 10,180,100 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2014
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Shinjiro
• Primary Examiner(s): STIMPERT, PHILIP EARL
• Application Number:
  US14/573,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20150184577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,490 Days
• Field of Search: 701 337, 701 338, 701 339, 417 32, 417 42
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/16 by thermostatic control
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/02 Stopping, starting, unloading or idling control
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0077 Safety measures F04D15/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0088 Testing machines

Abstract

A cooling system 100 includes an electric oil pump 18, an outside air temperature sensor 22, an oil temperature sensor 21, and a controller 30. The controller 30 permits the actuation of the electric oil pump 18 in one of a first case where an oil temperature To is equal to or greater than a first threshold (A) and where an outside air temperature Ta is equal to or greater than a second threshold (B), a second case where the outside air temperature Ta is less than the second threshold (B) and where the oil temperature To is equal to or greater than a third threshold (C) higher than the first threshold (A), and a third case where the oil temperature To is less than the first threshold (A) and where the outside air temperature Ta is equal to or greater than a fourth threshold (D) higher than the second threshold (B).

Claims

1. A cooling system comprising:

an electric oil pump which is disposed outside a case of a vehicle driving motor and which circulates cooling oil through the motor;

an outside air temperature sensor which detects an outside air temperature;

an oil temperature sensor which detects an oil temperature of the cooling oil in the case; and

a controller which determines permission for the actuation of the electric oil pump and which activates the electric oil pump and determines whether there is an abnormality in the electric oil pump,

wherein the electric oil pump and the case are connected by an external pipe outside the case,

wherein the controller actuates the electric oil pump only in one of;

a first case where the oil temperature detected by the oil temperature sensor is equal to or greater than a first threshold and where the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor is equal to or greater than a second threshold,

a second case where the outside air temperature is less than the second threshold and where the oil temperature is equal to or greater than a third threshold higher than the first threshold, and

a third case where the oil temperature is less than the first threshold and where the outside air temperature is equal to or greater than a fourth threshold higher than the second threshold, and wherein;

the controller determines whether a rotation speed of the electric oil pump is equal to or greater than a predetermined rotation speed, and

when the rotation speed of the electric oil pump is not equal to or greater than the predetermined rotation speed in the second and third cases, the controller continues an activation instruction of the electric oil pump without determining that there is an abnormality in the electric oil pump.

2. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein, when the rotation speed of the electric oil pump is not equal to or greater than the predetermined rotation speed in the first case, the controller deactivates the electric oil pump and determines that there is an abnormality in the electric oil pump.

3. An operation method of an electric oil pump in a cooling system, the cooling system comprising an electric oil pump which is disposed outside a case of a vehicle driving motor and which circulates cooling oil in the case through the motor, an outside air temperature sensor which detects an outside air temperature, and an oil temperature sensor which detects an oil temperature of the cooling oil in the case, the electric oil pump and the case being connected by an external pipe outside the case,

the method comprising actuating the electric oil pump only in one of:

a first case where the oil temperature detected by the oil temperature sensor is equal to or greater than a first threshold and where the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor is equal to or greater than a second threshold,

a second case where the outside air temperature is less than the second threshold and where the oil temperature is equal to or greater than a third threshold higher than the first threshold, and

a third case where the oil temperature is less than the first threshold and where the outside air temperature is equal to or greater than a fourth threshold higher than the second threshold,

determining whether a rotation speed of the electric oil pump is equal to or greater than a predetermined rotation speed, and

when the rotation speed of the electric oil pump is not equal to or greater than the predetermined rotation speed in the second and third cases, continuing an activation instruction of the electric oil pump without determining that there is an abnormality in the electric oil pump.

4. The operation method according to claim 3, further comprising, when the rotation speed of the electric oil pump is not equal to or greater than the predetermined rotation speed in the first case, deactivating the electric oil pump and determining that there is an abnormality in the electric oil pump.