Temperature sensing system for an internal combustion engine
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorDarrell C. Drouillard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A temperature sensing system for an internal combustion engine includes a heat transfer element communicating with both the engine coolant passage in the cylinder head and the cylinder head itself. A temperature sensor is used to sense the temperature of the heat transfer element. During normal engine operating conditions, the system records engine coolant temperature. During a loss of coolant, the system records cylinder head temperature.
Claims12
A temperature sensing system for sensing coolant temperature and fire deck temperature in an internal combustion engine, with the engine having a cylinder block having a piston reciprocally housed in a cylinder formed therein, and a cylinder head having a coolant passage and a fire deck, with said cylinder head being mounted to the cylinder block so as to close the outer end of the cylinder thereby defining a combustion chamber between the cylinder head fire deck and the top of the piston, with said system comprising:
- a heat pipe in operative contact with the cylinder head near the fire deck and with the coolant passage;
- and,
- a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of said heat pipe.
An internal combustion engine comprising:
- a cylinder block having a piston reciprocally housed in a cylinder formed therein;
- a cylinder head having a coolant passage with coolant circulating therein and a fire deck, with said cylinder head being mounted to said cylinder block so as to close the outer end of said cylinder thereby defining a combustion chamber between said cylinder head fire deck and the top of said piston;
- a heat pipe in operative contact with said cylinder head fire deck and with said coolant circulating through said coolant passage;
- and,
- a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of said heat pipe.
A method for determining cooling capacity degradation of a cooling system in an internal combustion engine, with the engine having a cylinder block having a piston reciprocally housed in a cylinder formed therein and a cylinder head having a coolant passage and a fire deck, with said cylinder head being mounted to the cylinder block so as to close the outer end of the cylinder thereby defining a combustion chamber between the cylinder head fire deck and the top of the piston, with said method comprising the steps of:
- placing a heat pipe in operative contact with the cylinder head near the fire deck and with the coolant passage;
- sensing the temperature of the heat pipe;
- comparing the sensed temperature to a stored optimum temperature;
- and,
- generating a signal representing the variation between the sensed temperature and the stored optimum temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.