COOLANT CONTROL SYSTEM AND CONTROL METHOD FOR THE SAME

• US 20200040804A1
• Filed: 11/30/2018
• Published: 02/06/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Nam, Kihoon
• Granted Patent: US 10,641,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2003/027 Cooling cylinders and cylinder heads in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2003/028 Cooling cylinders and cylinder heads in series
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2003/187 arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2007/146 using valves
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2025/13 Ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2025/42 Intake manifold temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/02 Intercooler
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 3/02 Arrangements for cooling cylinders or cylinder heads
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 3/18 Arrangements or mounting of liquid-to-air heat-exchangers such arrangements on cylinders or cylinder heads F01P3/04; relative to vehicles B60K11/04
• 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 5/12 Pump-driving arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/16 by thermostatic control
• 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: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A coolant control system includes: a high temperature radiator communicating with an engine through a high temperature coolant line, a high temperature coolant pump, a coolant temperature sensor, a low temperature radiator, a low temperature coolant pump, a water-cooled intercooler, an intake air temperature sensor, bypass valves provided upstream and downstream of the water-cooled intercooler for selectively controlling the high temperature coolant or the low temperature coolant to flow through the water-cooled intercooler, an ambient temperature sensor, a radiator bypass line connected to the high temperature coolant line and bypassing the high temperature radiator, a thermostat to selectively flow the high temperature coolant to the radiator bypass line, and a controller for controlling the operations of the low temperature coolant pump, the bypass valve and the thermostat in accordance with a vehicle operation state.

Claims

1. A coolant control system, comprising

a high temperature radiator configured to communicate with an engine through a high temperature coolant line;

a high temperature coolant pump provided on the high temperature coolant line;

a coolant temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of a high temperature coolant flowing through the engine and the high temperature radiator, and configured to output a corresponding signal;

a low temperature radiator configured to communicate with an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler for cooling EGR gas flowing into the engine through a low temperature coolant line;

a low temperature coolant pump provided on the low temperature coolant line;

a water-cooled intercooler connected to the low temperature coolant line and the high temperature coolant line;

an intake air temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of an intake air flowing into the engine and configured to output a corresponding signal;

bypass valves provided upstream and downstream of the water-cooled intercooler and configured to selectively control the high temperature coolant or a low temperature coolant to flow through the water-cooled intercooler;

an ambient temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of an outdoor temperature and configured to output a corresponding signal;

a radiator bypass line connected to the high temperature coolant line and configured to bypass the high temperature radiator;

a thermostat configured for the high temperature coolant to selectively flow to the radiator bypass line bypassing the high temperature radiator; and

a controller configured to control operations of the low temperature coolant pump, the bypass valves and the thermostat based on vehicle operation state received from the coolant temperature sensor, the intake air temperature sensor and the ambient temperature sensor.

2. The coolant control system of claim 1, wherein the thermostat is an electric thermostat.

3. The coolant control system of claim 1, wherein the low temperature coolant pump is an electric pump.

4. The coolant control system of claim 1, wherein:

the engine comprises a block water jacket configured to cool an engine block, and a head water jacket configured to cool a cylinder head; and

the high temperature coolant discharged from the high temperature coolant pump flows from the block water jacket to the head water jacket.

5. The coolant control system of claim 4, wherein the head water jacket comprises a lower water jacket configured to cool a lower part of the cylinder head, and an upper water jacket configured to cool an upper part of the cylinder head.

6. A control method for the coolant control system of claim 1, the control method comprising:

receiving, by the controller, the vehicle operation state;

determining, by the controller, whether the vehicle operation state meets a predetermined cold driving condition;

controlling, by the controller, the low temperature coolant pump so as to stop the low temperature coolant flow, and controlling the thermostat so that the high temperature coolant does not flow to the high temperature radiator; and

controlling, by the controller, the bypass valves based on an output signal of the intake air temperature sensor when the vehicle operation state meets the predetermined cold driving condition.

7. The control method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining, by the controller, whether the vehicle operation state meets a predetermined first ambient temperature condition;

controlling, by the controller, the bypass valves so that the low temperature coolant flows to the water-cooled intercooler; and

controlling, by the controller, the low temperature coolant pump to operate when the vehicle operation state meets the predetermined first ambient temperature condition.

8. The control method of claim 7, further comprising:

controlling, by the controller, the thermostat based on the output signal of the coolant temperature sensor.

9. The control method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining, by the controller, whether the vehicle operation state meets a predetermined second ambient temperature condition;

controlling, by the controller, the bypass valves so that the low temperature coolant flows to the water-cooled intercooler; and

controlling, by the controller, the low temperature coolant pump based on the output signal of the intake air temperature sensor when the vehicle operation state meets the predetermined second ambient temperature condition.

10. The control method of claim 9, further comprising:

controlling, by the controller, the thermostat based on the output signal of the coolant temperature sensor.

11. The control method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining, by the controller, whether the vehicle operation state meets a predetermined third ambient temperature condition;

controlling, by the controller, the bypass valves so that the high temperature coolant flows to the water-cooled intercooler, and

controlling, by the controller, the low temperature coolant pump based on the output signal of the intake air temperature sensor when the vehicle operation state meets the predetermined third ambient temperature condition.

12. The control method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling, by the controller, the thermostat based on the output signal of the coolant temperature sensor.