Enhanced split cooling system

• US 6,098,576 A
• Filed: 02/12/1999
• Issued: 08/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Rhodes, Wayne Arthur, Nowak, Theodore John Jr., Smith, Geoffrey Daniel, Marsh, Gregory Alan, Aggarwal, Mahesh Chand, Valentine, Peter Loring
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwon, John
• Application Number:
  US09/249,516
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 123/41.29, 123/41.33, 123/196 AB
• US Class Current: 123/41.33
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/029 Expansion reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2003/187 arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2007/146 using valves
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/02 Intercooler
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/04 Lubricant cooler
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/12 Turbo charger
• 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: F02B 29/0493 Controlling the air charge temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

An enhanced split cooling system for a turbocharger and an engine includes an oil cooler, a three-way valve assembly and a four-way valve assembly for controlling the flow of coolant, and radiators and subcoolers, for controlling coolant temperature. The valve assemblies are independently controllable to direct coolant through an oil cooler and a turbocharger intercooler either directly from the engine if the oil cooler and intercooler require heating or from the radiators and subcoolers if the oil cooler and intercooler require cooling. Depending upon the engine operating temperature, the valve assemblies can be configured to establish at least three different coolant processing modes.

Claims

1. An enhanced split cooling system for a turbocharged internal combustion engine including a liquid cooled turbocharger and an engine liquid coolant jacket, comprising:

a coolant pump for pumping coolant from a coolant storage tank into heat exchange relationship with the engine jacket and turbocharger;

an oil cooler;

a first valve assembly including a blocking valve and a pair of flow directing valves;

a first coolant output line for conveying coolant from the engine to the first valve assembly and a second coolant output line for selectively flowing coolant from the engine to the oil cooler;

a second valve assembly including a blocking valve and a flow directing valve, said first coolant output line being connected to an input of said second valve assembly;

a radiator connected via a third coolant line for receiving coolant from the second valve assembly and having a coolant outflow line to return coolant to the coolant tank;

an intercooler operatively associated with the turbocharger for passing the coolant in heat exchange relationship with compressed air in the turbocharger;

a lube oil subcooler coupled by a fourth coolant flow line to receive coolant from the radiator and having a coolant outflow line selectively couplable through the first valve assembly to the oil cooler and the coolant tank; and

an intercooler subcooler coupled by a fifth coolant flow line to receive coolant from the first subcooler and having a coolant outflow line selectively couplable through the first valve assembly to the coolant tank and the intercooler;

each of the first and the second valve assemblies being independently operable for selectively directing coolant flow through the radiator and subcoolers and the oil cooler and intercooler as a function of engine operating temperature.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second valve assemblies are operable in a mode to pass all the coolant outflow from the engine through the radiator prior to passing the coolant in heat exchange relationship with the lube oil cooler and the intercooler.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second valve assemblies are operable in a mode to pass a portion of the heated coolant outflow from the engine to the intercooler to heat the turbocharger compressed air in the intercooler and to pass another portion to the lube oil cooler to heat the engine lube oil in the lube oil cooler.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second valve assemblies are operable in a mode to pass a first portion of the heated coolant outflow from the engine to the intercooler to heat the turbocharger compressed air in the intercooler, to pass another portion to the lube oil cooler to heat the engine lube oil in the lube oil cooler, and to return still another portion directly to the coolant tank.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second valve assemblies are selectively operable in three modes including:

(a) a first mode wherein all the coolant outflow from the engine is directed to pass through the radiator and is then divided into a first portion for return to the coolant tank and a second portion for passage to the lube oil subcooler, and wherein a portion of the lube oil subcooler outflow is directed to pass to the lube oil cooler while another portion is directed to pass to the intercooler subcooler and thence to the intercooler;

(b) a second mode wherein some heated coolant outflow from the engine is directed to pass to the intercooler to heat the turbocharger compressed air in the intercooler and some heated coolant outflow from the engine is directed to pass to the lube oil cooler to heat the engine lube oil in the lube oil cooler; and

(c) a third mode wherein some heated coolant outflow from the engine is directed to pass to the intercooler to heat the turbocharger compressed air in the intercooler while some outflow is directed to pass to the lube oil cooler to heat the engine lube oil in the lube oil cooler and the remainder of the outflow is directed to return to the coolant tank.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the oil cooler comprises a plate type heat exchanger.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the radiator, lube oil subcooler and intercooler subcooler are horizontally disposed in parallel relationship.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the oil cooler comprises a plate type heat exchanger and wherein the radiator, first subcooler and second subcooler are horizontally disposed in parallel relationship.

9. The system of claim 5 wherein the oil cooler comprises a plate type heat exchanger and wherein the radiator, first subcooler and second subcooler are horizontally disposed in parallel relationship.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the flow directing valves of the first valve assembly comprise four-way flow directing valves and the flow directing valve of the second valve assembly comprises a three-way flow directing valve.

11. An enhanced split cooling system for a turbocharged internal combustion engine including a liquid cooled turbocharger and a liquid coolant engine jacket, a coolant pump for pumping coolant from a coolant storage tank into heat exchange relationship with the engine and turbocharger and for circulating the coolant back to the tank, the system further including a lube oil cooler and a turbocharged air intercooler coupled in a coolant circulation path, a primary radiator selectively connectable for passing the coolant in heat exchange relationship therethrough, a pair of subcoolers positioned downstream of the primary radiator for providing additional cooling of coolant passing therethrough, a first valve assembly connected in said coolant circulation path for directing heated coolant exiting said engine jacket into said oil cooler and said intercooler when engine operating temperature is below a first threshold value, and a second valve assembly for directing all of the circulating coolant through the radiator and subcoolers for reducing coolant temperature and then passing the cooled coolant in heat exchange relationship through the oil cooler and the intercooler when the engine operating temperature is above a second threshold value, each of said first and second valve assemblies being opened when engine temperature is between the first and second threshold values for splitting the circulating coolant into a first path through said radiator and subcoolers to said storage tank and into a second path through the oil cooler and intercooler to said storage tank.