INTEGRATED COOLING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENGINE-POWERED UNIT

• US 20140124170A1
• Filed: 11/05/2012
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Young, Henry Todd, Kuttenkuler, Jason Daniel, Cillessen, Sean
• Granted Patent: US 9,546,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/104.14
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 17/04 Arrangement or disposition of driving cabins, footplates or engine rooms; Ventilation thereof driving cabins and accessories B61D
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 7/04 Locomotives or motor railcars with two or more different kinds or types of engines, e.g. steam and IC engines
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2050/30 Circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 3/20 Cooling circuits not specific to a single part of engine or machine F01P3/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/165 characterised by systems with two or more loops
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 29/0443 Layout of the coolant or refrigerant circuit
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/06 peculiar to engines driving electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 30/00 Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance

Abstract

The present invention relates to an integrated cooling system for a vehicle. The system includes an engine cooling loop having a first fluid configured for circulation through an engine of the vehicle and a power electronics cooling loop having a second fluid configured for circulation through at least one power electronics component of the vehicle. The engine cooling loop is fluidly isolated from, and in thermal communication with, the power electronics cooling loop.

Claims

1. A cooling system for an engine-powered unit, comprising:

an engine cooling loop having a first fluid configured for circulation through an engine of the engine-powered unit; and

a power electronics cooling loop having a second fluid configured for circulation through at least one power electronics component of the engine-powered unit;

wherein the engine cooling loop is fluidly isolated from, and in thermal communication with, the power electronics cooling loop.

2. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein:

the engine cooling loop includes a sub-cooler.

3. The cooling system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first pump configured to circulate the first fluid throughout the engine cooling loop; and

a second pump configured to circulate the second fluid throughout the power electronics cooling loop.

4. The cooling system of claim 1, further comprising:

an auxiliary heater configured to heat the second fluid in the power electronics loop.

5. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein:

the engine cooling loop includes a radiator and cooling fan configured to dissipate heat from the first fluid.

6. The cooling system of claim 5, wherein:

the engine cooling loop includes an intercooler configured to cool compressed combustion air from a turbocharger associated with the engine of the engine-powered unit.

7. The cooling system of claim 5, wherein:

the engine cooling loop and the power electronics cooling loop are in thermal communication with one another via a heat exchanger.

8. The cooling system of claim 7, wherein:

the heat exchanger is a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, through which heat is transferred from one of the first fluid and the second fluid to the other of the first fluid and the second fluid.

9. The cooling system of claim 7, further comprising:

a first valve in the engine cooling loop between the radiator and the heat exchanger, the first valve being configured to control a flow of the first fluid from the engine to the heat exchanger after passing through the radiator.

10. The cooling system of claim 9, further comprising:

a second valve in the engine cooling loop, the second valve being configured to control a flow of the first fluid from the engine directly to the heat exchanger.

11. A method for cooling an engine and power electronics of an engine-powered unit, the method comprising the steps of:

circulating a first fluid through an engine cooling loop to remove heat from the engine;

circulating a second fluid through a power electronics cooling loop to remove heat from the power electronics; and

cooling the second fluid by transferring heat from the second fluid to the first fluid.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

utilizing heat dissipated from the power electronics to heat engine liquids including at least one of fuel, oil or water.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

sensing a temperature of at least one of a component of the power electronics or the second fluid; and

activating an auxiliary heater to heat the second fluid when the temperature of the component or the second fluid drops below a predetermined lower threshold.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

the engine cooling loop and the power electronics cooling loop are fluidly isolated from one another.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

the engine cooling loop and the power electronics cooling loop are in fluid communication with one another.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

the step of cooling the second fluid includes passing the first fluid and the second fluid through a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

when a temperature of a component of the power electronics reaches a predetermined lower threshold, controlling a flow of the first fluid directly from the engine to the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger; and

transferring heat from the first fluid to the second fluid.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of:

controlling the temperature of the second fluid in the power electronics cooling loop by selectively controlling the flow of the first fluid to the heat exchanger through one or more control valves.

19. A cooling system, comprising:

a first loop having a first fluid configured for circulation through a first component;

a second loop having a second fluid configured for circulation through a second component, the second fluid being fluidly isolated from the first fluid; and

a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from one of the first fluid and the second fluid to the other of the first fluid and the second fluid.

20. The cooling system of claim 19, wherein:

the first component is an engine of a vehicle; and

the second component is a power electronics component of the vehicle.

21. A cooling system, comprising:

an engine having a plurality of first cooling passages;

at least one power electronics component having a plurality of second cooling passages;

a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the engine and the at least one power electronics component; and

a pump configured to circulate a cooling fluid through the engine, the at least one power electronics component, and the heat exchanger to remove heat from the engine and the at least one power electronics component.

22. The cooling system of claim 21, wherein:

the heat exchanger is positioned along a cooling fluid flow path between the engine and the at least one power electronics component.