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US 12,044,196 B2Granted
Condensation management for internal combustion engines
AssigneeCummins Inc.
InventorsPallav Pathak, Robert J. Thomas, Andrew Guy Kitchen, Balaji Sampathnarayanan, Jisang Sun
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Control of an internal combustion engine system in response to a condensation condition associated with a charge air cooler is disclosed. One or more operating parameters of the internal combustion engine are monitored to the control charge air cooler coolant inlet temperature to keep the charge temperature above the estimated dew point to reduce or prevent condensation upstream of the intake manifold.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- determining a condensation condition for a charge air cooler in response to a humidity condition and a pressure associated with an intake system of an internal combustion engine, the intake system further including a compressor having a compressor inlet and a compressor outlet, and a charge air cooler downstream of the compressor;
- in response to the condensation condition, determining a lower temperature limit for a coolant circulated through the charge air cooler;
- determining an upper temperature limit for the coolant in response to one or more engine protection conditions;
- and
- adjusting a coolant control valve to maintain a target temperature of the coolant between the lower limit based on the condensation condition and the upper limit based on the one or more engine protection conditions.
2 more elements
A system, comprising:
- an internal combustion engine including an intake system with an intake manifold, a compressor, and a charge air cooler upstream of the intake manifold and downstream of the compressor;
- a coolant circuit connected to the charge air cooler for supplying a coolant to the charge air cooler, the coolant circuit including a coolant control valve for controlling a flow of the coolant in the coolant circuit;
- an electronic controller connected to the internal combustion engine and the coolant control valve, wherein the electronic controller is configured to:
- determine a condensation condition for the charge air cooler in response to a humidity condition in the intake system upstream of the compressor and a pressure in the intake system downstream of the compressor;
- determine a lower limit for a target temperature of the coolant in response to the condensation condition and an upper limit for the target temperature in response to one or more engine protection conditions;
- and
- adjust the coolant control valve in response to the condensation condition to maintain a temperature of the coolant between the lower limit and the upper limit.
4 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- an electronic controller operatively connected with an internal combustion engine including an intake system that includes a compressor and a charge air cooler, the electronic controller being configured to determine a condensation condition for a charge flow through the charge air cooler in response to a humidity condition upstream of the compressor and a pressure downstream of the compressor and, in response to determining the condensation condition, adjust a coolant control valve in response to a target temperature for a coolant circulating through the charge air cooler that is between a lower limit associated with a dew point of the condensation condition and an upper limit associated with engine protection limits.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.