Cooling water heating via generator power losses

• US 7,055,481 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2002
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Reutlinger, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): KAMEN, NOAH P
• Application Number:
  US10/472,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20040154573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 123/142.5 R, 123/142.5 E, 123/192.1
• US Class Current: 123/142.50E
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00314 Arrangements permitting a rapid heating of the heating liquid B60H1/00492, B60H1/03 take precedence; aiding engine start by heating of engine coolants F02N19/10
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/185 for alternators or generators
• 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: H02P 29/62 for raising the temperature of the motor

Abstract

A method and a device for rapidly warming up a liquid-cooled internal combustion engine, in particular of a motor vehicle engine, by warming up the cooling liquid. The cooling liquid is warmed in a simple manner without additional provision of heating elements in that the cooling liquid is warmed using a generator that is operated during a heating phase at an operating point having high power loss and at the operating temperature of the engine at an operating point having low power loss.

Claims

1. A method of quickly warming up a liquid-cooled internal combustion engine, comprising:

warming up the cooling liquid using a permanent magnet synchronous generator, the generator being operated during a heating phase at an operating point having a maximum power loss, and the generator being operated at an operating point having low power loss when an operating temperature of the engine has been achieved, the setting of the operating point being performed by determining a phase relation between a generator current and a generator voltage.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the engine is a motor vehicle engine.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the generator is operated, with the engine being cold, at an operating point having maximum power loss and, when the engine is at operating temperature, at an operating point having minimal power loss.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting an efficiency of the generator using threshold values or characteristic curves as a function of a temperature of the engine or a temperature of the cooling liquid.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operating temperature of the engine is an operating temperature of a motor vehicle engine.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the generator is a crankshaft starter generator.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting an efficiency of the generator by a pulse-controlled inverter.