Motor-vehicle with an auxiliary cooling system including one or more radiators constituted by vehicle body components

• US 8,534,402 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2010
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile Per Azioni
• Original Assignee: G. D. Societa Per Azioni
• Inventors: Seccardini, Riccardo, Mattiello, Fabrizio, Malvicino, Carloandrea, Re Fiorentin, Stefano
• Primary Examiner(s): Ebner, Katy M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frick, Emma K
• Application Number:
  US12/953,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20110198070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.4, 180/68.1, 180/69.2, 180/69.24, 165/41, 165/42, 165/43, 165/287, 165/296, 165/297, 165/300, 165/51, 165/52, 237/12.3 R, 237/5, 237/12.4, 237/28, 237/43, 123/41.31, 123/41.44
• US Class Current: 180/68.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/04 Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds B60K11/085 takes precedence

Abstract

A motor-vehicle is provided with an auxiliary cooling system, having a low temperature cooling liquid, entirely independent from the cooling circuit of the engine and including a radiator located at the front part of the motor-vehicle facing the radiator of the cooling circuit of the engine. The auxiliary cooling circuit comprises one or more auxiliary radiators which are connected parallel to the radiator of the auxiliary circuit and which are constituted by motor-vehicle body components.

Claims

1. A motor-vehicle, comprising:

a main cooling system, including an engine cooling circuit passed through by a liquid having a relatively high temperature, and including a first front radiator for cooling the liquid coming from the engine, arranged at the front part of the motor-vehicle, and first valve means for enabling the passage of the liquid through said first front radiator only when the temperature of the liquid exceeds a first threshold value,

said main cooling circuit comprising one of more auxiliary radiators, for cooling the liquids of the main circuit,

each of said auxiliary radiators of the main circuit interposed in a main line of said main cooling circuit, parallel to the first front radiator,

said first valve means enabling the passage of the liquid of the main circuit through said first front radiator only when the temperature of the liquid of the main circuit exceeds a third threshold value exceeding said first threshold value,

an auxiliary cooling system, including an auxiliary cooling circuit independent from the engine cooling circuit and entirely outside the engine, said auxiliary cooling circuit being passed through by a liquid having a relatively low temperature and including one or more heat exchangers, for cooling one or more auxiliary systems of the motor-vehicle,

said auxiliary circuit further including a second front radiator also arranged at the front part of the motor-vehicle, for cooling the liquid of the auxiliary circuit,

said auxiliary cooling circuit comprising one or more auxiliary radiators, for cooling the liquid of the auxiliary circuit,

each of said auxiliary radiators comprising a body component of an exterior structure of the motor-vehicle,

each of said auxiliary radiators interposed in a main line of said auxiliary cooling circuit, parallel to the abovementioned second front radiator of the auxiliary circuit, and

said auxiliary circuit comprising second valve means that enable the passage of the liquid of the auxiliary circuit through said second front radiator only when the temperature of the liquid of the auxiliary circuit exceeds a second threshold value.

2. The motor-vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said body component comprises a front hood of the motor-vehicle.

3. The motor-vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said component is configured and arranged in such a manner to heat the airflow that flows beneath the vehicle when moving and thus cause the reduction of pressure therein thus increasing the vehicle'"'"'s road grip.

4. The motor-vehicle according to claim 1, wherein each of the motor-vehicle body components forming an auxiliary radiator comprises an outer metal sheet panel and by an inner metal sheet panel juxtaposed and welded along a perimeter edge with interposition of sealing material and defining therebetween a chamber which communicates with inlet and outlet connections for the cooling liquid of the auxiliary circuit.

5. The motor-vehicle according to claim 4, wherein said inner metal sheet panel has a plurality of portions deformed towards the inner chamber of the component, in such a manner to define a distribution of reliefs facing said chamber.

6. The motor-vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said reliefs of the inner panel are at contact with the outer panel, in such a manner to serve as spacers, as well as perturbators of the flow and stiffening elements.

7. The motor-vehicle according to claim 6, wherein said inner metal sheet panel has a perimeter edge further inwards with respect to a peripheral edge thereof, said perimeter edge delimits a central area which defines the abovementioned inner chamber alongside the abovementioned outer metal sheet panel, said central area being provided with the abovementioned reliefs and two openings for the inlet and outlet of the liquid of the auxiliary circuit.

8. The motor-vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the one or more heat exchangers comprises an intercooler device for cooling engine supercharger air.

9. The motor-vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the one or more heat exchangers comprises an air conditioning system condenser.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more heat exchangers comprises a component instrument for cooling at least one of an electronic exchange unit and an electric battery.