INTEGRATED FLOW CONTROL VALVE AND ENGINE SYSTEM INCLUDING THE SAME

• US 20200131977A1
• Filed: 06/03/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: Lee, Hyo-Jo
• Granted Patent: US 10,890,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2007/146 using valves
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/04 Lubricant cooler
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/16 Outlet manifold
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/18 Heater
• 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 7/14 the coolant being liquid
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/44 Details of seats or valve members of double-seat valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/165 with the rotating spindles parallel to the closure members
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/52416 comprising a multiple-way lift valve
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 27/00 Control arrangements or safety devices specially adapted for heat-exchange or heat-transfer apparatus control arrangements in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 27/02 for controlling the distribution of heat-exchange media between different channels static flow control means in header boxes F28F9/026; arrangements of guide plates or guide vanes F28F9/22, F28F25/12
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

The integrated flow control valve according to the present disclosure is a cam-lift type integrated flow control valve, and an additional valve is integrally formed with at least one of a plurality of valves, this additional valve is configured to be moved upward and downward in response to vertical movement of the corresponding valve to open and close an additional outlet except for a plurality of outlets which are opened and closed by the plurality of valves. In an engine system according to the present disclosure, a flow of coolant flowing into a heater, an oil cooler, a radiator and an exhaust gas heat exchanger in the engine system is integratedly controlled through control of the above described integrated control valve, so that it is possible to effectively control a flow rate of coolant as well as a temperature of coolant.

Claims

1. An integrated flow control valve comprising:

a valve housing having an inlet into which fluid flows and a plurality of outlets from which fluid is discharged;

a cam part provided in the valve housing and configured to be rotated by receiving rotational force generated by a driving means;

a plurality of pivot arm portions disposed below the cam part, each of the plurality of pivot arm portions being configured to allow one end portion of thereof to be moved in a vertical direction by rotation of the cam part; and

a plurality of valves provided at the one end portions of the plurality of pivot arm portions, respectively, the valves being configured to be moved together according to movement of the pivot arm portions,

wherein the plurality of outlets are selectively opened and closed, respectively, according to vertical movements of each of the plurality of valves caused by rotation of the cam part, and

wherein an additional valve is integrally formed with at least one of the plurality of valves, and the additional valve is configured to be moved upward and downward in response to vertical movement of the corresponding valve to open and close an additional outlet except for the plurality of the outlets which are opened and closed by the plurality of valves.

2. The integrated flow control valve of claim 1, wherein the pivot arm portion extends downward from a lower end of at least one of the plurality of valves, and the additional valve is provided at one end portion of the extended pivot arm portion.

3. The integrated flow control valve of claim 2, wherein the valve housing is provided with an inflow chamber formed therein and configured to allow fluid to flow thereinto through the inlet, and the plurality of outlets are arranged to penetrate one side of the inflow chamber, and the additional outlet is arranged to penetrate the other side of the inflow chamber, whereby as the valve, on which the additional valve is formed, of the plurality of valves is moved downward by rotation of the cam part, the additional outlet is closed by the additional valve while any one of the plurality of outlets is opened.

4. The integrated flow control valve of claim 3, wherein a valve spring holder portion is provided above the additional outlet, and an additional valve return spring is provided in a state where both end portions in a vertical direction are in contact with the additional valve and the valve spring holder portion, respectively.

5. An engine system comprising;

an engine for driving a vehicle;

an integrated flow control valve formed according to claim 1, the integrated flow control valve being configured to selectively circulate coolant, which has passed through the engine and is supplied through the inlet, into at least one of an oil cooler and a heater through the plurality of outlets;

an exhaust gas heat exchanger configured to heat-exchange exhaust gas generated by combustion of fuel in the engine with coolant discharged from the additional outlet of the integrated flow control valve, and to supply coolant, which has been heat-exchanged with exhaust gas, to the oil cooler or the heater; and

a controller configured to control rotation of the cam part for controlling an open and close state of the integrated flow control valve,

wherein the additional valve of the integrated flow control valve opens and closes the additional outlet through which coolant is discharged to the exhaust gas heat exchanger.

6. The engine system of claim 5, wherein the integrated flow control valve further comprises an outlet through which coolant flowed thereinto is discharged to at least one of an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler and a radiator, and the outlets are opened and closed by the plurality of valves to control a circulation of coolant into at least one of the EGR cooler and the radiator.

7. The engine system of claim 5, wherein when coolant is in a cold state in which a temperature of coolant is below a first temperature, the controller controls the integrated flow control valve so that all of the valves of the integrated flow control valve including the additional valve are closed to halt discharge of coolant which has flowed into the integrated flow control valve.

8. The engine system of claim 5, wherein the additional valve is integrally formed with the valve that opens and closes an outlet through which coolant is discharged to the heater, and the controller controls the integrated flow control valve so that, when coolant is in a warm state in which a temperature of coolant exceeds the first temperature, and the heater is in an operation state, the additional outlet is opened while the outlet through which coolant is discharged to the heater is closed.

9. The engine system of claim 5, wherein the additional valve is integrally formed with the valve that opens and closes an outlet through which coolant is discharged to the oil cooler, and the controller controls the integrated flow control valve so that, when coolant is in a warm state in which a temperature of coolant exceeds the first temperature, and a temperature of oil passing through the oil cooler is below a predetermined temperature, the additional outlet is opened while the outlet through which coolant is discharged to the oil cooler is closed.

10. The engine system of claim 5, wherein the controller controls the integrated flow control valve so that, when coolant is in a hot state in which a temperature of coolant exceeds a second temperature, all of a plurality of valves except for the additional valve are in an opened state.

11. The engine system of claim 5, wherein a valve housing of the integrated flow control valve and the exhaust gas heat exchanger are integrally formed with each other.

12. The engine system of claim 5, wherein a separate preheating device is provided on a coolant flow passage in a valve housing of the integrated flow control valve.