Method and tool for detecting air trapped in engine cooling system

• US 5,460,030 A
• Filed: 02/09/1994
• Issued: 10/24/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Boden, Anthony H., Bloxsom, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brock, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US08/193,973
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 73/19.05, 73/19.1, 73/37, 73/37.5, 73/39, 73/49.7, 73/118.1, 73/149
• US Class Current: 73/19.05
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 17/00 Methods or apparatus for determining the capacity of containers or cavities, or the volume of solid bodies measuring linear dimensions to determine volume G01B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 7/00 Analysing materials by measuring the pressure or volume of a gas or vapour

Abstract

A method for detecting trapped air in an engine cooling system includes the steps of delivering a volume of test air pressure under pressure to the radiator of the cooling system, measuring the volume of test air delivered, measuring the pressure of test air delivered, and calculating the volume of trapped air in the cooling system using Boyle'"'"'s law and the measured volume and pressure of test air. A device for carrying out the method comprises a pump for delivering test air to the radiator, a motor for driving the pump, a pressure gauge or pressure switch for sensing the pressure of test air delivered, and means for determining the volume of test air delivered.

Claims

1. A method for determining the volume of trapped air in an internal combustion engine cooling system including the steps of:

delivering a volume of test air under pressure to said cooling system using a piston operated pump;

measuring said volume of test air delivered to said cooling system by reading the number of cycles of a piston in said pump recorded by a counter connected to said pump and multiplying said number of cycles by the working volume of said pump;

measuring the pressure of said test air in said cooling system; and

calculating the volume of said trapped air in said cooling system using the measured volume and pressure of said test air in Boyle'"'"'s law.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said pressure of said test air is determined using a pressure gauge.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said pressure of said test air is determined using a pressure switch attached to said cooling system wherein said pressure switch turns off said positive displacement pump when the pressure of said test air reaches a pre-set pressure.

4. A device for detecting trapped air in an automotive cooling system, the device comprising:

a positive displacement pump for delivering a volume of test air under pressure to said cooling system;

a counter attached to said positive displacement pump for counting the number of cycles of a piston within said positive displacement pump so that the volume of said test air can be measured by multiplying the number of cycles recorded by said counter by the working volume of said positive displacement pump as calculated by the bore and stroke size of said pump; and

means for sensing the pressure of said test air delivered to said cooling system.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein said means for determining said pressure of said test air is a pressure gauge.

6. A device according to claim 4, wherein said means for determining said pressure of said test air is a pressure switch which turns off said means for delivering said test air when the pressure of said test air reaches a pre-set pressure.