Integrated vehicle cooling system

• US 7,669,558 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2007
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Claypole, George M., Nemesh, Mark D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh; Hai H
• Application Number:
  US11/778,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20090020081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 123/41.1, 123/41.14, 123/41.29, 123/41.31, 123/41.43, 123/41.51, 123/41.54, 165/130, 165/132, 165/135, 165/41
• US Class Current: 123/41.51
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/02 with liquid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/029 Expansion reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2050/24 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/165 characterised by systems with two or more loops

Abstract

An integrated high and moderate temperature cooling system both for an internal combustion engine and for auxiliary vehicle components requiring cooling. The integrated cooling system shares a coolant, yet the shared coolant is stratified to retain thermal identity between the portion of the coolant used for engine cooling and the portion of the coolant used for auxiliary vehicle components cooling. A shared coolant reservoir is used; preferably a shared heat exchanger, and optionally a common coolant pump may also be used.

Claims

1. An integrated cooling system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a shared heat exchanger comprising;

an engine heat exchanger comprising a first inlet, a first outlet and a plurality of engine coolant passages communicating between said first inlet and said first outlet; and

an auxiliary heat exchanger comprising a second inlet, a second outlet and a plurality of auxiliary coolant passages communicating between said second inlet and said second outlet;

a high temperature cooling subsystem;

a moderate temperature cooling subsystem;

a shared coolant comprising an engine coolant portion and an auxiliary coolant portion;

an inlet tank connected to said first and second inlets, said inlet tank having a baffle separating said first inlet with respect to said second inlet such that all of said engine coolant portion flows through said engine coolant passages and all of said auxiliary coolant portion flows through said auxiliary coolant passages;

an outlet tank connected to said first and second outlets, wherein said first and second outlets freely fluidically communicate with each other;

a shared coolant reservoir;

piping fluidically connecting said shared coolant with each of said at least shared coolant reservoir, said high temperature cooling subsystem, said moderate temperature cooling subsystem, and said at least one heat exchanger, wherein said plurality of engine coolant passages are connected by said piping to said high temperature cooling subsystem, and wherein said plurality of auxiliary coolant passages are connected by said piping to said moderate temperature cooling subsystem; and

an air separator connected with said piping at said moderate temperature cooling subsystem;

wherein said piping further connects said shared coolant reservoir to said air separator;

wherein said shared coolant is stratified by said baffle at said inlet tank and by coolant flow through said outlet tank so as to thereby substantially retain thermal identity as between the engine coolant portion and the auxiliary coolant portion thereof; and

wherein the engine coolant portion of said shared coolant is utilized in said hot temperature cooling subsystem, and wherein the auxiliary coolant portion of said shared coolant is utilized in said moderate temperature cooling subsystem.

2. An integrated cooling system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a shared heat exchanger comprising;

an engine heat exchanger comprising a first inlet, a first outlet and a plurality of engine coolant passages communicating between said first inlet and said first outlet; and

an auxiliary heat exchanger comprising a second inlet, a second outlet and a plurality of auxiliary coolant passages communicating between said second inlet and said second outlet;

a high temperature cooling subsystem;

a moderate temperature cooling subsystem;

a shared coolant comprising an engine coolant portion and an auxiliary coolant portion;

an inlet tank connected to said first and second inlets, said inlet tank having a baffle separating said first inlet with respect to said second inlet such that all of said engine coolant portion flows through said engine coolant passages and all of said auxiliary coolant portion flows through said auxiliary coolant passages;

an outlet tank connected to said first and second outlets, wherein said first and second outlets freely fluidically communicate with each other;

a shared coolant reservoir; and

piping fluidically connecting said shared coolant with each of said at least shared coolant reservoir, said high temperature cooling subsystem, said moderate temperature cooling subsystem, and said at least one heat exchanger, wherein said plurality of engine coolant passages are connected by said piping to said high temperature cooling subsystem, wherein said plurality of auxiliary coolant passages are connected by said piping to said moderate temperature cooling subsystem, and wherein said piping connects said shared coolant reservoir to said shared heat exchanger at said outlet tank;

wherein said shared coolant is stratified by said baffle at said inlet tank and by coolant flow through said outlet tank so as to thereby substantially retain thermal identity as between the engine coolant portion and the auxiliary coolant portion thereof; and

wherein the engine coolant portion of said shared coolant is utilized in said hot temperature cooling subsystem, and wherein the auxiliary coolant portion of said shared coolant is utilized in said moderate temperature cooling subsystem.

3. The integrated cooling system of claim 2, further comprising an air separator connected with said piping at said moderate temperature cooling subsystem;

wherein said piping further connects said shared coolant reservoir to said air separator.

4. The integrated cooling system of claim 2, wherein said high and moderate temperature cooling subsystems further comprise:

a shared coolant pump connected with said piping so as to circulate both said engine coolant portion and said auxiliary coolant portion; and

a flow regulator connected to said moderate temperature cooling subsystem.

5. An integrated cooling system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

an engine heat exchanger comprising a first inlet, a first outlet and a plurality of engine coolant passages communicating between said first inlet and said first outlet;

an auxiliary heat exchanger comprising a second inlet, a second outlet and a plurality of auxiliary coolant passages communicating between said second inlet and said second outlet;

a high temperature cooling subsystem;

an internal combustion engine connected with said high temperature cooling system so as to provide cooling thereof;

a moderate temperature cooling subsystem;

at least one auxiliary vehicle component connected with said moderate temperature cooling system so as to provide cooling thereof;

a shared coolant comprising an engine coolant portion and an auxiliary coolant portion;

an air separator;

a shared coolant reservoir; and

piping fluidically connecting said shared coolant with each of said shared coolant reservoir, said high temperature cooling subsystem, said moderate temperature cooling subsystem, and said engine and auxiliary heat exchangers, wherein;

said air separator is connected by said piping to said moderate temperature cooling subsystem between said second outlet of said auxiliary heat exchanger and said at least one auxiliary vehicle component;

said piping connects said shared coolant reservoir to said air separator and connects said shared coolant reservoir to said first outlet of said engine heat exchanger; and

said piping shares the shared coolant through said air separator and said coolant reservoir;

wherein said shared coolant is stratified by said at least one heat exchanger so as to thereby retain thermal identity as between the engine coolant portion and the auxiliary coolant portion thereof; and

wherein the engine coolant portion of said shared coolant is utilized in said hot temperature cooling subsystem to cool said internal combustion engine, and wherein the auxiliary coolant portion of said shared coolant is utilized in said moderate temperature cooling subsystem to cool said at least one auxiliary vehicle component.