COOLING CIRCUIT FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

• US 20080308049A1
• Filed: 05/25/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mark Iv Systemes Moteurs
• Original Assignee: Mark Iv Systemes Moteurs
• Inventors: PEUCH, Julien, KOMURIAN, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,726,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/41.08
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2007/146 using valves
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2031/32 Deblocking of damaged thermostat
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/165 characterised by systems with two or more loops
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/0856 having all the connecting conduits situated in more than one plane perpendicular to the axis of the plug
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86863 Rotary valve unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86871 Plug

Abstract

Cooling circuit for an internal combustion engine including a cylinder block and a cylinder head block, these blocks each including cooling means in the form of integrated portions of circuit, the cooling circuit also including at least a first, a second and a third separate external loops for external recirculation or reinjection mounted in parallel and looped on the said integrated cooling means and a circulating pump connected fluidically to the integrated cooling means and to the three recirculation loops, causing the fluid to circulate in the said integrated cooling means and in the said three recirculation loops; the at least three recirculation loops offer at least one common fluid node and are at least partially overlapping, a single actuator controlling the flow of liquid circulating in the at least three recirculation loops.

Claims

1. Cooling circuit for an internal combustion engine including essentially a cylinder block (1) and a cylinder head block (2), these blocks each including cooling means in the form of integrated portions of circuit, the said cooling circuit also including, on the one hand, at least a first (3), a second (4) and a third (5) separate external loops for external recirculation or reinjection mounted in parallel and looped on the said integrated cooling means and, on the other hand, a circulating pump (11) connected fluidically to the integrated cooling means and to the three recirculation loops (3, 4 and 5), causing the liquid to circulate in the said integrated cooling means and in the said three recirculation loops (3, 4 and 5),

the circuit characterised in that the said at least three recirculation loops (3, 4 and 5) offer at least one common fluid node (35) and are at least partially overlapping and in that a single actuator (12) controls the flow of liquid circulating in the said at least three recirculation loops (3, 4 and 5).

2. Cooling circuit according to claim 1, characterised in that the first loop (3) incorporates a first component (6) regulating the flow of liquid circulating in this first loop (3), in that the second loop (4) incorporates a second regulating component (8) regulating the flow of liquid circulating in this second loop (4), in that the third loop (5) incorporates a third component (9) regulating the flow of liquid circulating in this third loop (5), and in that the single actuator (12) controls the three components (6, 8 and 9) regulating the flow of liquid circulating in the said at least three recirculation loops (3, 4 and 5).

3. Cooling circuit according to claim 1, characterised in that the first loop (3) and the second loop (4) incorporate a common component regulating the flow of liquid circulating in each of the said first loop (3) and second loop (4), in that the third loop (5) incorporates a second component regulating the flow of liquid circulating in this third loop (5), and in that the single actuator (12) controls the common component and the second component regulating the flow of liquid circulating in the said at least three recirculation loops (3, 4 and 5).

4. Cooling circuit according to claim 1, characterised in that the simultaneous, multi-channel and at least partially interdependent regulation provided by the single actuator (12) gives rise, over the whole range of control of the latter, to three distinct phases of associated regulation and circulation in the said loops (4, 5 and 6), namely, respectively:

a first phase (P1) in which the value of the flow rate of the liquid in the first loop (3) is progressively increased from a nil value to a maximum value, and the flow rate of liquid in the second (4) and third (5) loops is nil,

a second phase (P2) in which the value of the flow rate of liquid in the first loop (3) is, and remains, maximum, the value of the flow rate of liquid in the second loop (4) is increased progressively from a nil value to a maximum vale and the flow rate of liquid in the third loop (5) is nil,

and a third phase (P3) in which the value of the flow rate of liquid in the first loop (3) always remains maximum, the value of the flow rate of liquid in the second loop (4) is progressively decreased to a nil value and the value of the flow rate of liquid in the third loop (9) goes progressively from a nil value to a maximum value,

the starts of the second (P2) and third (P3) phases corresponding respectively to a maximum value being reached, in the first circulation loop (3) and in the second circulation loop (4), for the flow rate of the liquid.

5. Cooling circuit according to claim 2, characterised in that the single actuator (12) controls the rotation of an actuating shaft (13) to which are connected functionally or operationally the three regulating components (6, 8 and 9).

6. Cooling circuit according to claim 5, characterised in that the first (6) and second (8) regulating components are mounted directly on the said actuating shaft (13) and in that the third component (9) is actuated by an intermediate actuating means connected kinematically to the said actuating shaft (13).

7. Cooling circuit according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one fan convector (7) or a similar heat exchanger is mounted in series in the first recirculation loop (3), in that the second recirculation loop (4) consists of a branch loop, and in that at least one secondary fan convector (10), different from the fan convector (7) in the first loop (3), for example a radiator, is mounted in series in the third recirculation loop (5).

8. Cooling circuit according to claim 1, provided that the latter relate to claim 2, characterised in that the three regulating components (6, 8 and 9) are incorporated into the same structural unit (41) to which are connected fluidically pipelines (15, 19 and 22) forming portions at least of the recirculation loops (3, 4 and 5), the said structural unit (41) also incorporating the said at least one common fluid node (35), and in that the first regulating component (6) is placed between the said at least one common fluid node (35) and the pipeline (15) forming the first recirculation loop (3), in that the second regulating component (8) is placed between the said at least one common fluid node (35) and the pipeline (19) forming the second recirculation loop (4), in that the third regulating component (9) is placed between the said at least one common fluid node (35) and the pipeline (22) forming the third recirculation loop (5) and in that the first (6) and second (8) regulating components are also connected to each other by a portion of pipeline (34).

9. Cooling circuit according to claim 8, characterised in that the first regulating component (6) is made in the form of a portion of cylindrical wall (14) mounted firmly so that it rotates on the actuating shaft (13), in a hollow housing (17), the said hollow housing (17) forming a port (18) taking the liquid to the pipeline (15) of equal section to the section of the pipeline (15), and aligned with the latter,

the said portion of cylindrical wall (14) being mounted transversely in the said port (18), and able to rotate, and its dimension being at least sufficient to block off the port (18) in a closed position, and

the walls of the hollow housing (17) located on either side of the actuating shaft (13), perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the port (18), offering a recess (20) receiving the portion of cylindrical wall (14) in the retracted position in which the said portion of cylindrical wall (14) is located outside the section of passage of the port (18),

so that the portion of cylindrical wall (14) goes from a closed position to an open position during the first phase (P1) then remains in the latter position during the second (P2) and third (P3) phases, the open position corresponding to the retracted position.

10. Cooling circuit according to claim 8, characterised in that the second regulating component (8) is made in the form of a portion of cylindrical wall (16) mounted firmly so that it rotates on the actuating shaft (13), in a hollow housing (17), the said hollow housing (17′

) forming a port (18′

) taking the liquid to the pipeline (19) of equal section to the section of the pipeline (19), and aligned with the latter,

the said portion of cylindrical wall (16) being mounted transversely in the said port (18′

) and able to rotate, and its dimensions being at least sufficient to block off the port (18′

) in a closed position, and

the walls of the hollow housing (17′

) located on either side of the actuating shaft (13), perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the port (18′

), offering a recess (20′

) receiving the portion of cylindrical wall (16) in the retracted position in which the said portion of cylindrical wall (16) is located outside the flow section of the port (18′

),

so that the portion of cylindrical wall (16) is in a closed position during the first phase (P1) then moves from this closed position to an open position during the second phase (P2) and returns to the closed position during the third phase (P3), the open position corresponding to the retracted position.

11. Cooling circuit according to claim 8, characterised in that the third regulating component (9) is made in the form of a valve (21) mounted so that it pivots around an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pipeline (22) and in that it is connected to the actuating shaft (13) by means of a device for transmission and transformation (23) of the rotating movement of the said actuating shaft (13).

12. Cooling circuit according to claim 11, characterised in that the device for transmission and transformation (23) of the rotating movement of the actuating shaft (13) is composed of a cam (24) mounted firmly so that it rotates on the actuating shaft (13) and made in the form of a portion of disk offering a running surface (25) for a roller (26) fixed so that it rotates on a first extremity of a rod (27) forming a cam follower the other end of which offers a receiving groove (38), perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pipeline (22), to receive a first extremity of a bar (28) the other end of which is connected to the swivel pin of the valve (21), the said rod (27) being guided parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pipeline (22) in a corresponding groove (29) made in a projecting part (30) of the structural unit (41) so that rotation of the cam (24) causes movement of the roller (26) along the running surface (25) of the said cam (24), movement of the rod (27) parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pipeline (22), movement of the extremity of the bar (28) in the receiving groove (38), perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pipeline (22), and pivoting of the valve (21) around its axis (21′

) to open or close the passage of the pipeline (22).

13. Cooling circuit according to claim 12, characterised in that it offers a safety means (32) directly influenced by the temperature of the liquid circulating in the structural unit (41) and forcing the opening of the component (9) regulating the liquid circulating in the third recirculation loop (5).

14. Cooling circuit according to claim 13, characterised in that the safety means (32) is a compression spring placed between a stop (36) made on the rod (27) on the side of the receiving groove (38) and the portion of wall corresponding to the projecting part (30), cooperating with a second compression spring (31) placed between a stop (37) made on the rod (27) on the side opposite the stop (36) in relation to the projecting part (30) and the portion of wall corresponding to the projecting part (30), and in the said compression spring (32) forming safety means in made of a shape memory material of which the elasticity constant increases according to temperature.

15. Cooling circuit according to claim 13, characterised in that the compression spring forming safety means (32) is composed of two metals.

16. Cooling circuit according to claim 1, characterised in that the intake of the recirculating pump (11) is connected to the outlets of the at least three recirculation loops (3, 4 and 5), in that its outlet is connected to the inlet or inlets of the integrated recirculation means, and in that the common fluid node (35) is located close to, and connected to, the outlet or outlets of the integrated recirculation means.