Charge air management system for automotive engine
AssigneeFord Motor Company
InventorsBrent Edward Sealy, Jeff Feit, August Thomas Vaught, Wallace Elmer Beaber
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A charge air management system for an automotive engine provides air charge densification and cooling during periods of operation at higher load. Two air ducts are provided, with a first for furnishing uncooled and unboosted air, and with a second duct for furnishing chilled and boosted air, with the second duct being chilled during operation with air flowing through the first duct.
Claims17
A charge air management system for an automotive engine, comprising:
- an air intake plenum for furnishing air to the engine;
- a first duct for furnishing air to the intake plenum;
- a second duct for furnishing air to the intake plenum;
- a charge booster for increasing the quantity of air entering the plenum from the second duct;
- a liquid-cooled intercooler for removing heat from air flowing through at least the second duct, with the intercooler being provided with liquid coolant chilled by an air-to-liquid heat exchanger which is exposed to ambient air, and with liquid coolant being allowed to flow through the air-to-liquid heat exchanger only if the temperature of the liquid coolant leaving the intercooler exceeds the ambient temperature by an amount greater than a predetermined threshold;
- and
- a splitter valve for controlling the relative proportion of air flowing into the plenum from the first and second ducts.
An automotive engine having a charge air management system, comprising:
- an air intake plenum for furnishing air to the engine;
- a first duct for furnishing air to the intake plenum;
- a second duct for furnishing air to the intake plenum;
- a charge booster for increasing the quantity of air entering the plenum from the second duct, with said charge booster comprising a supercharger;
- an air-to-liquid intercooler for removing heat from air flowing through the supercharger and into the plenum, with said intercooler being mounted between the supercharger and the plenum;
- a splitter valve for controlling the relative proportion of air flowing into the plenum from the first and second ducts;
- a coolant system for furnishing liquid coolant to said intercooler, with said coolant system comprising:
- an air-to-liquid heat exchanger for rejecting heat from the liquid coolant to the ambient;
- a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger for rejecting heat from the liquid coolant to a refrigerated liquid chilled by mechanical means;
- a pump for circulating the liquid coolant through the intercooler, the air-to-liquid heat exchanger, and the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger;
- and
- a controller for operating said splitter valve and said pump, with said controller operating said coolant system such that at low engine load, heat will be rejected to the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger while said pump operates at a lower speed, with said coolant system rejecting heat to the ambient through the air-to-liquid heat exchanger at higher engine loads, with said pump operating at a higher speed.
A method for operating an automotive engine having a charge air management system for furnishing air to an air intake plenum associated with the engine, comprising the steps of:
- providing air to the plenum primarily through an uncooled duct during operation at lower power levels;
- providing coolant to a cooled duct during normal operation, so as to chill the cooled duct when air is being provided to the plenum primarily through the uncooled duct;
- and
- providing air to the plenum primarily through the cooled duct during operation of the engine at higher power levels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.