OIL DRAIN SYSTEM BYPASS

• US 20110253092A1
• Filed: 10/05/2010
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Mehring, Jan, Quix, Hans Guenter, Springer, Moritz Klaus
• Granted Patent: US 8,746,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/196.R
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 1/16 Controlling lubricant pressure or quantity rendering machines or engines inoperative or idling on lubricant pressure failure F01M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2250/60 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2250/64 Number of revolutions
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 9/10 Lubrication of valve gear or auxiliaries

Abstract

A system and method are provided for increasing heating of engine oil during a cold start. In one example, engine oil is returned directly to the oil pump inlet, thus bypassing the sump. In this way, a smaller volume of oil receives more heat and is used for lubricating engine components during a cold start, thus providing reduced friction earlier than otherwise possible.

Claims

1. A method for an engine, comprising:

supplying engine oil from a higher pressure oil pump side to reciprocating engine components;

at a first condition, diverting at least some engine oil downstream of the reciprocating engine components around an oil sump to a lower pressure oil pump side via a bypass line; and

at a second condition, routing engine oil downstream of the reciprocating engine components to the oil sump.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first condition is a lower temperature condition and wherein the second condition is a higher temperature condition.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the lower temperature condition is a lower engine temperature condition and wherein the higher temperature condition is a higher engine temperature condition.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising, at the higher temperature condition, routing engine oil downstream of the components to the oil sump via a return line separate from the bypass line.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first condition is a lower engine speed condition and wherein the second condition is a higher engine speed condition.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein during the first condition both the oil sump and the bypass line deliver oil to the lower pressure oil pump side and wherein during the second condition, only the oil sump delivers oil to the lower pressure oil pump side.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first condition is a lower load condition and wherein the second condition is a higher load condition.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, during the first condition, heating a portion of the engine oil supplied to the components with heat from an engine coolant.

9. A method for an engine, comprising:

supplying engine oil from a higher pressure side of an oil pump to reciprocating engine components;

at a first condition;

circulating engine oil from the reciprocating engine components around an oil sump to a lower pressure side of the oil pump via a bypass line, and

concurrently circulating engine oil from the reciprocating engine components via the oil sump to the lower pressure side of the oil pump; and

at a second condition;

circulating engine oil downstream of the reciprocating engine components via the oil sump to the lower pressure side of the oil pump so that only the oil sump delivers engine oil to the lower pressure side of the oil pump.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first condition is a lower engine temperature condition and wherein the second condition is a higher engine temperature condition.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first condition is a lower engine speed condition and wherein the second condition is a higher engine speed condition.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first condition is a lower load condition and wherein the second condition is a higher load condition.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising, during the first condition, heating a portion of the engine oil supplied to the components with heat from an engine coolant.

14. A system for heating engine oil, the system comprising:

an engine comprising reciprocating engine components;

an oil pump supplying engine oil from a higher pressure side of the oil pump to the reciprocating engine components;

a bypass line bypassing an oil sump, the bypass line including;

a bypass line inlet fluidly coupled to the engine downstream of the reciprocating engine components,

a bypass line outlet fluidly coupled to a lower pressure side of the oil pump, and

a valve; and

an engine controller, the engine controller comprising instructions stored in memory and executed on a processor to;

at a first condition, open the valve to divert a portion of the engine oil from the bypass line inlet to the bypass line outlet, and

at a second condition, close the valve.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first condition is one of a lower temperature condition, a lower speed condition, or a lower load condition, and wherein the second condition is one of a higher temperature condition, a higher speed condition, or a higher load condition.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising an oil cooler that receives engine oil from the higher pressure side of the oil pump and supplies engine oil to the reciprocating engine components.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the oil cooler supplies heat from an engine coolant to the engine oil during the first condition.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a recycle loop, the recycle loop comprising:

a recycle loop inlet coupled to the higher pressure side of the oil pump upstream of the oil cooler;

a recycle loop outlet coupled to the lower pressure side of the oil pump; and

an overpressure valve.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein engine oil from the higher pressure side of the oil pump is supplied to a cylinder block of the engine before being supplied to a cylinder head of the engine, and wherein the bypass line inlet is coupled to the cylinder head of the engine.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein engine oil from the higher pressure side of the oil pump is supplied to a cylinder head of the engine before being supplied to a cylinder block of the engine, and wherein the bypass line inlet is coupled to the cylinder block of the engine.