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US 2003/0196612 A1Published application
Method and device for cooling a motor vehicle engine
AssigneePeugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
InventorsArmel Le Lievre, LUDOVIC TOMASSELI
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AssigneePeugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
InventorsArmel Le Lievre, LUDOVIC TOMASSELI
Estimating the term…
A method for cooling a motor vehicle engine consists in regulating the volume and the flow rate of a coolant fluid in a hydraulic circuit provided with a branch equipped with an electronically controlled actuator and means forming radiator. The method comprises a step of determining the temperature of the cooling liquid, a step of comparing the temperature of the cooling liquid with a specified threshold temperature from which the engine is said to be hot, and, when the temperature of the fluid is higher than the threshold temperature, the flow rate in the radiator branch is regulated so as to maintain the temperature of the cooling fluid around a specified setpoint value. The curve representing the opening of the thermostat valve based on the temperature of the cooling fluid exhibits an hysteresis around the setpoint temperature. The invention also concerns a device for cooling a motor vehicle engine.
Method for cooling a motor vehicle engine, consisting in regulating the volume and the flow rate of a cooling fluid in a hydraulic circuit (2) provided with a branch (4) equipped with an electronically controlled actuator (14) and provided with means (9) forming radiator, the method comprising a first step of determining the temperature (T) of the cooling fluid, a step of comparing this temperature with a specified threshold temperature (T2) from which the engine (1) is referred to as “hot”, and, when the temperature (T) of the fluid is higher than the threshold temperature (T2), the flow rate in the radiator branch (4) is regulated so as to maintain the temperature (T) of the cooling liquid around a specified setpoint value (Tc), characterized in that the curve representative of the opening (O) of the thermostatic valve (4) as a function of the temperature (T) of the cooling fluid exhibits an hysteresis (h1, h2) around the setpoint temperature (Tc1, Tc2), so as to regulate the temperature (T) of the cooling fluid at said setpoint temperature (Tc1, Tc2).
Device for cooling a motor vehicle engine, of the type comprising a hydraulic circuit (2) of a cooling fluid, associated with a pump (3) for circulating this fluid through the engine (1) of the vehicle and different branches (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 44) of the circuit, in which are arranged thermal equipment (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 140, 150, 160) of the vehicle, at least some of the branches (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 44) of the circuit (2) being equipped with electronically controlled actuators (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 29) to regulate the circulation of the fluid in these branches, the device comprising means (22) for collecting information relating to the operation conditions of the vehicle, connected to means (19) for controlling the operation of the actuators (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 29), in order to regulate the volume and the flow rate of fluid circulating in the hydraulic circuit (2) so as to optimize the operation of the engine (1), the circuit (2) comprising a branch (4) equipped with an electronically controlled actuator (14) and provided with means (9) forming radiator, the information collecting means (22) being adapted to determine the temperature (T) of the cooling fluid, so that, when the temperature (T) of the fluid is higher than a specified threshold temperature (T2) from which the engine (1) is referred to as “hot”, the control means (19) regulate the flow rate in the radiator branch (4) so as to maintain the temperature (T) of the cooling liquid around a specified setpoint value (Tc), characterized in that the actuator (14) of the radiator branch (4) is constituted by a thermostatic valve adapted to be electronically controlled, and in that the curve representative of the opening (O) of the thermostatic valve (4) as a function of the temperature (T) of the cooling fluid exhibits an hysteresis (h1, h2) around the setpoint temperature (Tc1, Tc2), so as to regulate the temperature (T) of the cooling liquid at said setpoint temperature (Tc1, Tc2).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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By thermostatic control: by adjusting the pre-set temperature according to engine parameters, e.g. engine load, engine speed
By varying pump speed, e.g. by changing pump-drive gear ratio: using electrical drives
By thermostatic control: by varying pump speed
The coolant being liquid: using restrictions
Term end not estimated
The invention concerns a method and a device for cooling a motor vehicle engine.
The invention concerns more particularly a cooling device comprising a hydraulic circuit of a cooling fluid, associated with a pump for circulating the cooling fluid through the engine of the vehicle and different branches of the circuit. Thermal equipment of the vehicle can be disposed in the different branches of the circuit.
Cooling systems are designed to ensure the resistance of engines to the thermo-mechanical stresses resulting from combustion. In addition, complementary functions are implemented, beyond the main cooling of the engine, in order to improve the overall efficiency or to provide and guarantee benefits to vehicle users, such as, for example, the heating of the passenger compartment.
Other characteristics and advantages will appear in reading the following description, made in reference to the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 shows schematically the structure and the operation of an example of embodiment of the cooling device according to the present invention,
FIG. 2 shows, on a same graph, an example of variation in the course of time t of the temperature T of the cooling liquid and of a first threshold temperature T1,
FIG. 1 shows a preferred example of embodiment of a cooling device according to the invention. The cooling device comprises a hydraulic circuit 2 containing a cooling fluid.
A hydraulic pump 3 is associated with the circuit 2 in order to ensure the circulation of the fluid through the engine 1 and different branches 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 44 of the circuit 2. Preferably, the pump 3 is a pump of the mechanical type, however, the use of an electric pump can also be envisioned.
The branches 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 44 of the circuit 2 are supplied with cooling liquid from a box 122, or “Water Outlet Box” (WOB). The box 122, which is affixed to the engine 1, and preferably to the engine block 1, ensures the collection of the cooling liquid having circulated in the engine 1. The cooling liquid that has circulated in the branches is itself recovered by a water input collector 23 before its recirculation in the engine 1.