Method and apparatus for cooling and deaerating internal combustion engine coolant

In a coolant system for a liquid cooled internal combustion engine comprising a multipass radiator comprising a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet and a coolant pump for circulating coolant from said coolant outlet through coolant passages in said engine to said coolant inlet, said radiator comprising:

• a. a first heat transfer pass means comprising structure defining a header chamber communicating with said coolant inlet and a first plurality of core tubes opening into said header chamber and projecting therefrom;
• b. a second heat transfer pass means comprising structure defining a second header chamber and a second plurality of core tubes opening into said second header chamber and projecting therefrom generally parallel to the core tubes of said first plurality of core tubes;
• c. structure defining a third header chamber means into which projecting ends of said first and second pluralities of core tubes open, said first plurality of core tubes opening into a first section of said third header chamber means and said second plurality of core tubes opening into a second section of said third header chamber means, said third header chamber means communicating pumped coolant from said first plurality of core tubes to said second plurality of core tubes with said second plurality of core tubes fractioning off coolant from said chamber means along said second section thereof;
• d. said core tubes having cross sectional flow areas which provide for turbulent flow of coolant therethrough substantially throughout the operating speed range of the engine;
• e. said third header chamber means defining a chamber portion in one of said first or second sections having a larger cross sectional flow area than the maximum flow area in said other section to reduce the velocity of coolant in said chamber portion and produce a region of substantially quiescent coolant in said second section wherein gas detrained from the coolant settles over the coolant;
• and,
• f. deaeration conduit means opening into said chamber portion of said third header chamber means for exhausting gas therefrom.

In a cooling system for a liquid cooled internal combustion engine comprising a coolant pump for directing coolant through coolant passages in the engine and a radiator for transferring heat from coolant which has flowed through the engine, the radiator comprising:

• a. a first elongated coolant tank structure defining a coolant inlet opening through which coolant enters said first tank structure, a coolant outlet opening through which coolant exits from said first tank structure, and partition means in said first tank structure extending transversely of said tank structure for separating said tank structure into first and second header chambers, said inlet opening formed in one header chamber and said outlet opening formed in the other header chamber;
• b. a core structure comprising a first plurality of core tubes connected to said first tank structure and opening into said first header chamber and a second plurality of core tubes connected to said first tank structure and opening into said second header chamber, said first and second pluralities of core tubes projecting from said first tank structure generally parallel to each other;;
• and,
• c. a second elongated tank structure spaced from said first tank structure and extending generally parallel to said first tank structure, said first and second pluralities of core tubes connected to said second tank structure;
• d. said second tank structure defined at least in part by an elongated header chamber means extending therein and into which said first and second plurality of core tubes open, said header chamber means communicating said first and second plurality of core tubes so that coolant flows from said inlet opening to said outlet opening serially through said first and second pluralities of core tubes.

A radiator construction for an automotive internal combustion engine liquid cooling system comprising:

• a. a bottom tank structure defining a coolant inlet opening, a coolant outlet opening, and a partition means in said bottom tank structure for dividing said bottom tank structure into at least first and second header chambers, said coolant inlet opening formed in said first header chamber;
• b. a top tank structure spaced vertically from said bottom tank structure;
• c. a core assembly comprising:
• i. a first plurality of core tubes connected to said top and bottom tank structures and extending vertically therebetween, said first plurality of core tubes opening into said first header chamber and opening into said top tank structure;
• ii. a second plurality of core tubes connected to said top and bottom tank structures and extending vertically therebetween, said second plurality of core tubes opening into said second header chamber and opening into said top tank structure;
• d. said top tank structure comprising a coolant reservoir and means defining a third header chamber communicating said first and second pluralities of core tubes for directing coolant from said first plurality of core tubes to said second plurality of core tubes;
• e. said third header chamber means defined in part by upper wall portions which slope upwardly in upwardly converging directions to define a region in said third header chamber means where the coolant is substantially quiescent to enable detrained gas in the coolant to gravitate upwardly in the region, said upwardly sloping wall portions guiding detrained gas toward said region of quiescent coolant;
• and,
• f. vent means for directing detrained gas from said region into said reservoir.