System for managing the heat energy produced by a motor vehicle heat engine

• US 20050000473A1
• Filed: 11/08/2002
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Thermique Moteur SAS (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Thermique Moteur SAS (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Jouanny, Philippe, Guerrero, Pascal, Ap, Ngy Srun
• Granted Patent: US 7,168,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/41.100
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2003/185 arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2003/187 arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2005/105 Using two or more pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2005/125 Driving auxiliary pumps electrically
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2007/146 using valves
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/02 Intercooler
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/04 Lubricant cooler
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/08 Cabin heater
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/14 Condenser
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/16 Outlet manifold
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/165 characterised by systems with two or more loops
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 29/0443 Layout of the coolant or refrigerant circuit
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 29/0475 the intake air cooler being combined with another device, e.g. heater, valve, compressor, filter or EGR cooler, or being assembled on a special engine location
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

The system for managing the heat energy developed by a heat engine (10) of a motor vehicle comprises a main system (2) equipped with a main pump (12), a heat engine (10) and a main cooling radiator (18). The main system (2) furthermore comprises a short-circuit pipeline (20) and a heating pipeline (22) comprising an air heater (24), and a secondary loop (4) including a secondary radiator (60) and a secondary pump (58). The main system and the secondary loop can comprise equipments heated or cooled by equipment exchangers (34, 36, 38, 64, 66) included in the main system (2) and/or the secondary loop (4). The maim system (2) and the secondary loop (4) are connected by interconnecting means which make it possible to cause a same coolant fluid to circulate in a controlled manner between the main system and the secondary loop or to prohibit this circulation depending on the load state of the engine (10).

Claims

1. A system for managing the heat energy developed by a heat engine of a motor vehicle comprising a main system (2) equipped with a main pump (12) to make a coolant fluid circulate between the heat engine (10) and a main cooling radiator (18) having an exchange area and exchanging heat with the external atmospheric air, the main system (2) furthermore comprising a short-circuit pipeline (20) and a heating pipeline (22) comprising an air heater (24), and a secondary loop (4) including a secondary radiator (60) having an exchange area and a secondary pump (58), characterized in that the main system (2) and the secondary loop (4) are connected by interconnecting means (6) which make it possible to cause the coolant fluid to circulate in a controlled manner between the main system (2) and the secondary loop (4) or to prohibit this circulation depending on the load state of the heat engine (10).

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the interconnecting means (6) are capable of forming configurations of the main system (2) and of the secondary loop (4) such that a part or the totality of the heat exchange area of the main radiator (18) and/or of the heat exchange area of the secondary radiator (60) are included selectively, either exclusively in the main system (2), or exclusively in the secondary loop (4), or simultaneously in the main system (2) and in the secondary loop (4), depending on at least one control parameter of the load state of the engine (10) of the motor vehicle.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the control parameter is chosen from the group comprising the temperature of the engine cooling coolant fluid, the engine load, the engine speed, the power expelled by the heat engine (10) into the cooling coolant fluid, or a combination of the values of these various parameters.

4. The system as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the change from one configuration to another is carried out by a continuous variation of the heat exchange area.

5. The system as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the main radiator (18) and/or the secondary radiator (60) are divided into at least two separate heat exchange sections (144, 146), the change from one configuration to the other being carried out in increments, by the switching of a heat exchange section from one circuit to the other.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the heat exchange areas of the main exchanger (18) included in the main system (2) and/or the heat exchange areas of the secondary exchanger (60) included in the secondary loop (4) are connected in parallel with each other.

7. The system as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the heat exchange areas of the main exchanger (18) included in the main system (2) and/or the heat exchange areas of the secondary exchanger (60) included in the secondary loop (4) are connected in series with each other.

8. The system as claimed in one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the main system (4) comprises a three-way (30-1, 30-2, 30-3) thermostatic valve (30), a first way (30-1) being connected to the engine pipeline (8), a second way (30-2) being connected to a short-circuit pipeline (20), a third way (30-3) being connected to a main cooling radiator pipeline.

9. The system as claimed in one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the main system (4) comprises a four-way (30-1, 30-2, 30-3, 30-4) thermostatic valve (30), a first way (30-1) being connected on engine pipeline (8), a second way (30-2) being connected to a short-circuit pipeline (20), a third way (30-3) being connected to a main radiator pipeline (16) and a fourth way (30-4) being connected to a heating pipeline (22).

10. The system as claimed in one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the motor vehicle comprises one or more equipments exchanging heat with the environment which is outside them by the intermediary of an equipment heat exchanger (34, 36, 38, 64, 66), the equipment heat exchanger or exchangers being included in the primary system (2) and/or in the secondary loop (4), each heat exchanger exchanging heat with the coolant cycle fluid.

11. The system as claimed in one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the main radiator (18) and/or the secondary radiator (60) are part of a heat exchange module comprising a first heat exchanger (18) and a second heat exchanger (60) each one having an inlet collector box and an outlet collector box, the first heat exchanger (18) and the second heat exchanger (60) being superimposed in such a way as to be traversed by the same flow of air, the outlet collector box of the first heat exchanger (18) being connected with the inlet collector box of the second heat exchanger (60) by a connecting orifice, valve means making it possible to open or to close the connecting orifice.

12. The system as claimed in one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the interconnecting means (6) are capable of forming a cold start configuration comprising a main cold start loop and a secondary cold start loop that are isolated from each other, the main radiator (18) and the secondary radiator (60) being included in the secondary cold start loop;

and a normal operating configuration in which the circulation of the coolant fluid is carried out intermittently between the main cold start loop and the secondary cold start loop depending on the load state of the heat engine.

13. The system as claimed in one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that it comprises a thermostatic valve (30) disposed in the main cold start loop, a circulation of coolant fluid taking place between the main cold start loop and the secondary cold start loop depending on the open or closed state of the thermostatic valve (30).

14. The system as claimed in one of claims 12 and 13, characterized in that the interconnecting means (6) are additionally capable of forming a heavy load configuration in which the main system (2) and the secondary loop (4) are isolated from each other, the main radiator (18) being used exclusively for cooling the main system (2) and the secondary radiator (60) being used exclusively for cooling the secondary loop (4).

15. The system as claimed in one of claims 12 or 13, characterized in that the interconnecting means are additionally capable of forming a very heavy load configuration in which a circulation of coolant fluid takes place between the main system (2) and the secondary loop (4), the cooling capability of the secondary radiator (60) being used to cool the secondary loop (4) and the heat engine (10) simultaneously.

16. The system as claimed in one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the interconnecting means comprise a four-way valve (70), a first three-way valve (72) and a second three-way valve (74), the four-way valve (70) and the first three-way valve (72) being included in the main system (2) the second three-way valve (74) being included in the secondary loop (4).

18. The system as claimed in one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the main exchanger (18) is divided into a high temperature heat exchange section (144) permanently and exclusively included in the main system (2) and an assignable heat exchange section (146) which can be included either in the main system (2) or in the secondary loop (4), the secondary heat exchanger being itself included permanently in the secondary loop (2).

19. The system as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the interconnecting means (6) comprise two four-way valves (150)

20. The system as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the interconnecting means (6) comprise a single valve having at least five ways (160, 210, 240, 250).

21. The system as claimed in one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that the five-way valve comprises a body (162) comprising a cylindrical side wall delimiting a cylindrical housing, at least two pipes (168) for the inlet or the outlet of the fluid in the body (162), a rotary adjustment device (174) mounted in a rotary manner about an axis (XX) in the cylindrical housing of the body (162), this rotary device being able to assume different angular positions for controlling the circulation of the fluid between the pipes.

22. The system as claimed in one of claims 20 or 21, characterized in that the pipes of the valve are distributed on a single level.

23. The system as claimed in one of claims 20 or 21, characterized in that the pipes of the valve are distributed over several levels.

24. The system as claimed in one of claims 21 to (174) comprises pockets (186) capable of connecting two or more than two pipes with each other.

25. The system as claimed in one of claims 18 to 24, characterized in that the interconnecting means (6) are capable of forming at least one cold start and/or moderate load operating configuration in which the assignable heat exchange section (146) is included in the secondary loop (2) and a heavy load configuration in which the assignable heat exchange section (146) is included in the main system (2).

26. The system as claimed in one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it comprises a main radiator (18) and a secondary radiator (60), each one comprising a unique heat exchange section, the interconnecting means (300) making it possible to form either a light and medium load configuration in which the main radiator (18) is included exclusively in the main system (2) and the secondary radiator (60) is included exclusively in the secondary loop (60), or a heavy load configuration in which the main radiator (18) and the secondary radiator (60) are connected in parallel and are simultaneously part of the main system (2) and of the secondary loop (4).

27. The system as claimed in claim 26, characterized in that the interconnecting means are constituted by two-way valves (300).

28. The system as claimed in one of claims 26 or 27, characterized in that the interconnecting means are constituted by connecting orifices (316) provided between the collector box of the main exchanger (18) and the collector box of the secondary exchanger (60) and by valves (318) which make it possible to open or to close these orifices selectively.

29. The system as claimed in claim 28, characterized in that the valve (218) is controlled by a thermal jack (324) composed of a wax expansion element activated by a thermistor (326).

30. The system as claimed in one of claims 28 or incorporated into the pipes (332, 334) of the water box.

31. The system as claimed in one of claims 1 to 16 and 18 to 30, characterized in that the main system (2) and the secondary loop (4) each comprise an expansion vessel.

32. The system as claimed in one of claims 1 to 16 and 18 to 30, characterized in that the main system (2) and the secondary loop (4) comprise a common expansion vessel.

33. The system as claimed in one of claims 1 to 16 and 18 to 32, characterized in that the main system (2) comprises an engine pipeline (8) in which the main pump (12) and the heat engine (10) are fitted, a heating pipeline (22) in which the air heater (24) is fitted, a main radiator pipeline (16) in which the main radiator (18) is fitted and a short-circuit pipeline (20), the engine pipeline (8), the heating pipeline (22), the main radiator pipeline (16) and the short-circuit pipeline being connected in parallel.

34. The system as claimed in claim 33, characterized in that the engine pipeline (8), the heating pipeline (22), the main radiator pipeline (16) and the short-circuit pipeline are connected in parallel between one pipe (26) and another pipe (28).

35. The system as claimed in one of claims 1 to 16 and 18 to 34, characterized in that the secondary loop (4) comprises a secondary radiator pipeline (56) in which are connected the secondary radiator (60) and a secondary circulation pump (58), and a pipeline (62).

17. A valves system for producing the interconnection of a main system (2) equipped with a main pump (12) for causing a coolant cycle fluid to circulate between the heat engine (10) and a main cooling radiator (18) exchanging heat with the external atmospheric air, and a secondary loop (2) including a secondary radiator (60) and a secondary pump (58), characterized in that it comprises a four-way valve way valve (74), the four-way valve (70) and the first three way valve (72) being included in the main system (2), the second three-way valve (74) being included in the secondary loop.