Cooling device for engine, and failure determination method thereof

A cooling device for an engine provided with a water pump to be driven to rotate by the engine, the cooling device comprising:

• a cooling water passage for circulating cooling water discharged from the water pump via an engine body;
• a flow rate control valve capable of opening and closing the cooling water passage;
• a pressure sensor for detecting a pressure of cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage;
• and
• a controller configured to execute functions of a failure determination device for determining whether the flow rate control valve has failed and a valve control device for controlling the flow rate control valve by outputting a valve opening/closing instruction to the flow rate control valve, wherein
• the valve control device inhibits the flow rate control valve from opening when a temperature of cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage is lower than a predetermined set temperature, and allows the flow rate control valve to open when a temperature of the cooling water is equal to or higher than the set temperature,
• when an engine rotation speed is lower than a predetermined reference rotation speed and when a valve closing instruction to switch the flow rate control valve from an opened state to a closed state is output from the valve control device, the failure determination device executes a first failure determination in which failure of the flow rate control valve is determined based on a pressure change of cooling water detected by the pressure sensor,
• when the engine rotation speed is equal to or higher than the reference rotation speed and when a valve opening instruction to switch the flow rate control valve from the closed state to the opened state is output from the valve control device, the failure determination device executes a second failure determination in which failure of the flow rate control valve is determined based on the pressure change of cooling water detected by the pressure sensor, and
• the failure determination device inhibits execution of the first failure determination and the second failure determination when the temperature of cooling water is lower than the set temperature, and allows execution of the first failure determination and the second failure determination when the temperature of cooling water is equal to or higher than the set temperature.

A failure determination method of a cooling device for an engine provided with a water pump to be driven to rotate by the engine, a cooling water passage for circulating cooling water discharged from the water pump via an engine body, a flow rate control valve capable of opening and closing the cooling water passage, a pressure sensor for detecting a pressure of cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage, and a valve control device for controlling the flow rate control valve, the valve control device being executable by a controller to output a valve opening/closing instruction to the flow rate control valve, the method comprising:

• when an engine rotation speed is lower than a predetermined reference rotation speed and when a valve closing instruction to switch the flow rate control valve from an opened state to a closed state is output from the valve control device, executing a first failure determination in which failure of the flow rate control valve is determined based on a pressure change of cooling water detected by the pressure sensor;
• when the engine rotation speed is equal to or higher than the reference rotation speed and when a valve opening instruction to switch the flow rate control valve from the closed state to the opened state is output from the valve control device, executing a second failure determination in which failure of the flow rate control valve is determined based on the pressure change of cooling water detected by the pressure sensor;
• when the first failure determination is executed and when a pressure increase amount of the cooling water is equal to or smaller than a predetermined first determination increase amount, determining that the flow rate control valve has failed;
• and
• when the second failure determination is executed and when a pressure decrease amount of the cooling water is equal to or smaller than a predetermined second determination decrease amount, determining that the flow rate control valve has failed.