COOLING IN A LIQUID-TO-AIR HEAT EXCHANGER
First Claim
1. A cooling system for an automotive engine, comprising:
- a radiator coupled to an engine cooling circuit including a pump;
a radiator fan; and
an electronic control unit configured to adjust fan speed or pump speed in response to a difference between a first gradient relating heat transfer rate to fan power input associated with adjusting fan speed and a second gradient relating heat transfer rate to pump power input associated with adjusting pump speed.
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Abstract
An engine cooling system includes a liquid-to-air heat exchanger having an associated fan and a pump forcing convection and a controller communicating with the fan and the pump, the controller increasing fan speed in response to a first gradient in heat transfer rate to power exceeding a second gradient in heat transfer rate to power for increasing pump speed, and increasing pump speed when the second gradient is greater than the first gradient. The controller may increase the pump speed in response to a desired increase in heat transfer rate. The first gradient may be based on a gradient in heat transfer rate to air flow from a map of heat exchanger performance. The second gradient may be based on a gradient in heat transfer rate to coolant from a map of heat exchanger performance.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A cooling system for an automotive engine, comprising:
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a radiator coupled to an engine cooling circuit including a pump; a radiator fan; and an electronic control unit configured to adjust fan speed or pump speed in response to a difference between a first gradient relating heat transfer rate to fan power input associated with adjusting fan speed and a second gradient relating heat transfer rate to pump power input associated with adjusting pump speed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A cooling system for an automotive engine having a radiator fan associated with a radiator coupled to an engine cooling circuit including a pump, comprising:
a controller configured to increase fan speed when a first gradient is greater than a second gradient, the first gradient associating heat transfer rate to power for increasing fan speed and the second gradient associating heat transfer rate to power for increasing pump speed. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An engine cooling system, comprising:
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a liquid-to-air heat exchanger having an associated fan and a pump forcing convection; and a controller communicating with the fan and the pump, the controller increasing fan speed in response to a first gradient in heat transfer rate to power exceeding a second gradient in heat transfer rate to power for increasing pump speed, and increasing pump speed when the second gradient is greater than the first gradient. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification