Method and means for determining malfunctioning of a thermostatic valve
First Claim
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1. A method for determining malfunctioning of a thermostatic valve, which determines the division of an amount of coolant exiting an internal combustion engine into a portion which moves through a coolant radiator, and a portion returning to the internal combustion engine while bypassing the coolant radiator, comprising:
- measuring the actual temperature of the internal combustion engine and the actual temperature at the outlet of the coolant radiator and combining said measurements with each other, comparing the combinations with stored combinations of these temperatures to determine a malfunction of the thermostatic valve, and generating a signal representing the malfunction.
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Abstract
To detect the capability to function of a thermostatic valve of a cooling system of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, the actual temperature of the internal combustion engine, the ambient temperature and the actual temperature at the outlet of a coolant radiator are measured and evaluated in such a way that a malfunction of the thermostatic valve can be detected thereby.
11 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method for determining malfunctioning of a thermostatic valve, which determines the division of an amount of coolant exiting an internal combustion engine into a portion which moves through a coolant radiator, and a portion returning to the internal combustion engine while bypassing the coolant radiator, comprising:
- measuring the actual temperature of the internal combustion engine and the actual temperature at the outlet of the coolant radiator and combining said measurements with each other, comparing the combinations with stored combinations of these temperatures to determine a malfunction of the thermostatic valve, and generating a signal representing the malfunction.
- View Dependent Claims (2)
- 3. A method for determining malfunctioning of a thermostatic valve, which determines the division of an amount of coolant exiting an internal combustion engine into a portion which moves through a coolant radiator, and a portion returning to the internal combustion engine while bypassing the coolant radiator, comprising measuring the actual temperature of the internal combustion engine and the actual temperature at the outlet of the coolant radiator to determine changes thereof and combining said measurements and changes of the detected temperatures with each other, comparing the combinations to determine a malfunction of the thermostatic valve from this, and generating a signal representing the malfunction.
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6. Means for determining malfunctioning of a thermostatic valve, which determines the division of an amount of coolant exiting an internal combustion engine into a portion which moves through a coolant radiator, and a portion returning to the internal combustion engine while bypassing the coolant radiator, said means comprising:
- means for measuring the actual temperature of the internal combustion engine, means for measuring the actual temperature of the coolant at the outlet of the coolant radiator, means for forming the combinations of the measured temperatures, means for comparing stored combinations with the combinations of the measured temperatures to determine malfunction of the thermostatic valve based on said comparing, and means responsive to said comparing means for producing a signal representing a malfunction of the thermostatic valve.
- View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. Means for determining malfunctioning of a thermostatic valve, which determines the division of an amount of coolant exiting an internal combustion engine into a portion which moves through a coolant radiator, and a portion returning to the internal combustion engine while bypassing the coolant radiator, said means comprising:
- means for measuring the actual temperature of the internal combustion engine, means for measuring the actual temperature of the coolant at the outlet of the coolant radiator, a logic circuit connected to said engine and coolant measuring means for generating as a function of the states and changes in the states of the measured temperatures a signal representing a possible malfunction of the thermostatic valve.
- View Dependent Claims (9)
Specification