Motor vehicle engine cooling system and method

• US 9,581,072 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2013
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Hutchins, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Long T
• Application Number:
  US14/404,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20150144078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 123/41.1, 123/41.02, 123/41.08, 123/41.09
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2003/027 Cooling cylinders and cylinder heads in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2005/125 Driving auxiliary pumps electrically
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2007/146 using valves
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 3/02 Arrangements for cooling cylinders or cylinder heads
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/16 by thermostatic control
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/165 characterised by systems with two or more loops

Abstract

A motor vehicle engine cooling system includes a fluid flow control device having first and second fluid inlets and first and second fluid outlets. The first fluid inlet is arranged to be connected to a cylinder head coolant outlet of the engine and the second fluid inlet is arranged to be coupled to a cylinder block coolant outlet of the engine. The first fluid outlet is coupled to a radiator bypass conduit of the cooling system and the second fluid outlet is coupled to a radiator conduit of the cooling system and arranged to direct to flow through a radiator of the system. The device comprises a radiator outlet valve operable to control a flow of fluid out from the device through the second outlet, the valve having a closure member operable between an open position and a closed position responsive to a temperature of coolant flowing through the device, wherein when the closure member transitions from the closed position to the open position the closure member is arranged to be displaced in a direction downstream of a direction of flow of coolant through the second outlet.

Claims

1. A cooling system for a motor vehicle engine, the cooling system comprising a fluid flow control device having first and second fluid inlets and first and second fluid outlets,

the first fluid inlet being arranged to be connected to a cylinder head coolant outlet of the engine and the second fluid inlet being arranged to be coupled to a cylinder block coolant outlet of the engine, the first fluid outlet being coupled to a radiator bypass conduit of the cooling system and the second fluid outlet being coupled to a radiator conduit of the cooling system and arranged to direct to flow through a radiator of the system,

the device comprising a radiator outlet valve operable to control a flow of fluid out from the device through the second outlet, the valve having a closure member operable between an open position and a closed position responsive to a temperature of coolant flowing through the device, wherein when the closure member transitions from the closed position to the open position the closure member is arranged to be displaced in a direction downstream of a direction of flow of coolant through the second outlet,

wherein the closure member of the value of the fluid flow control device is arranged automatically to assume the open position when a pressure differentily across the value exceeds a prescribed value.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 comprising a coolant pump operable to pump coolant in the system using at least first and second respective different non-zero pumping rates responsive to a control signal from control means.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2 wherein when the coolant pump is controlled to pump coolant at the second pumping rate the closure member is arranged automatically to assume the open position.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3 wherein a value of the second pumping rate is selected so as to cause the pressure differential across the closure member to be sufficiently high that the closure member assumes the open position.

5. A system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the control means is configured to control the coolant pump to operate at one of the at least first and second respective different pumping rates responsive to a value of at least one vehicle operating parameter.

6. A system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the at least one vehicle operating parameter is selected from amongst a coolant temperature of the cooling system, an engine oil temperature, a transmission oil temperature, an engine cylinder head temperature, an engine cylinder block temperature, an inverter temperature and an engine speed.

7. A system according to claim 1 wherein the first inlet of the fluid flow control device is connected to the cylinder head coolant outlet of the engine and the second inlet of the fluid flow control device is coupled to the cylinder block coolant outlet of the engine.

8. A method of cooling a motor of a motor vehicle comprising pumping fluid through a motor cooling system via a fluid flow control device, the cooling system comprising a fluid flow control device, a first inlet of the fluid flow control device being coupled to a cylinder head coolant outlet of the engine and a second inlet of the fluid flow control device being coupled to a cylinder block coolant outlet of the engine, a first outlet of the fluid flow control device being coupled to a radiator bypass conduit of the cooling system and a second outlet being coupled to a radiator conduit of the cooling system whereby coolant may be directed to flow through a radiator of the system for cooling the coolant,

the method comprising causing coolant to flow into the device through one or both of the first and second inlets,

the method further comprising actuating a closure member of a radiator outlet valve of the device between a closed position and an open position responsive to a temperature of coolant flowing through the device, whereby actuating the closure member from the closed position to the open position comprises displacing the closure member in a direction downstream of a direction of flow of coolant through the second outlet, and

controlling the closure member of the valve automatically to assume the open position when a pressure differential across the valve exceeds a prescribed value.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 comprising the step of controlling a coolant pump to pump coolant at one of at least a first or second respective different non-zero pumping rate responsive to a control signal from control means.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the step of controlling the coolant pump to pump coolant at the second pumping rate further comprises the step of opening automatically the closure member.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 whereby the second pumping rate is selected to be a rate such that the pressure differential across the valve is sufficiently high that the closure member assumes the open position.

12. A method as claimed in claim 9 comprising the step of controlling by means of the control means the coolant pump to operate at one of the at least first and second respective different pumping rates responsive to a value of at least one vehicle operating parameter.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 whereby the at least one vehicle operating parameter is selected from amongst a coolant temperature of the cooling system, an engine oil temperature, a transmission oil temperature, an engine cylinder head temperature, an engine cylinder block temperature, an inverter temperature and an engine speed.

14. A fluid flow control device comprising a valve having a closure member operable between an open position and a closed position responsive to a temperature of coolant flowing through the device, and is arranged automatically to assume the open position when a pressure differential across the valve exceeds a prescribed value, wherein when the closure member transitions from the closed position to the open position the closure member is arranged to be displaced in a direction downstream of a direction of flow of coolant through the device.