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AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsBrad J. Heckman, Alan W. Hayman
Estimating the term…
Provided are oil reservoirs and engine oil circulation systems including an upper sump capable of receiving oil from an engine, a lower sump disposed vertically below the upper sump, a valve-controlled orifice (VCO) penetrating the upper sum bottom, an oil chimney capable of receiving oil and communicating oil to the lower sump, and an oil conduit capable of extracting oil from the lower sump. Methods for operating systems include maintaining the VCO in an open position for a draw down duration temporally proximate an engine cold start, subsequently circulating oil between the engine and the oil reservoir, actuating the VCO to a closed position subsequent to the draw down duration for a warmup duration, and actuating the VCO to an open position subsequent to the warmup duration. Methods can further include actuating the VCO to an open position during the warmup duration in response to an increased oil demand event.
An oil reservoir comprising:
An internal combustion engine (ICE) oil circulation system, comprising:
A method for operating an internal combustion engine (ICE) oil circulation system, wherein the system includes an ICE capable of receiving and discharging oil, and an oil reservoir including an upper sump defined by a sump bottom and one or more side walls and including an at least partially open top end capable of receiving oil from the ICE, a lower sump disposed vertically below the upper sump including a top end contiguous with at least a portion of the upper sump bottom, a valve-controlled orifice penetrating the upper sump bottom and including an actuatable wastegate capable of communicating oil collected in the upper sump to the lower sump by actuating to and/or between one or more of an open position and a closed position, an oil chimney having an inlet end capable of receiving oil and a discharge end in fluid communication with the lower sump and capable of providing oil thereto, a drip tray disposed above the upper sump and configured to receive oil and communicate at least a portion of the collected oil to the inlet end of the oil chimney, and an oil pump conduit having an inlet end disposed within the lower sump and configured to extract oil from the lower sump and communicate the same to the ICE, wherein the actuatable wastegate is actuated to communicate oil collected in the upper sump to the lower sump in response to an increased oil demand event, an end of an ICE oil circulation system warmup duration, and/or the temperature of oil in the lower sump exceeding a minimum temperature threshold, the method comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.