# US 8,739,757 B2 · Lubrication system of an internal combustion engine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,739,757 B2 - Document ID: US8739757B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/509,107 - Filed: 2009-11-13 - Published: 2012-09-06 - Granted: 2014-06-03 - Earliest claimed: 2009-11-13 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Yoshinori Futonagane; Yuichi Shimasaki; Takuya Hirai - Inventors: Yoshinori Futonagane; Yuichi Shimasaki; Takuya Hirai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8739757B2 ## CPC - F01M 5/001: {Heating} - F02D 29/06: peculiar to engines driving electric generators - F02D 2200/023: Temperature of lubricating oil or working fluid - F02D 2200/1006: Engine torque losses, e.g. friction or pumping losses or losses caused by external loads of accessories - H02K 7/1815: {structurally associated with reciprocating piston engines (general aspects of generating sets, e.g. housing, F02B63/04)} - F01M: LUBRICATING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; LUBRICATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES; CRANKCASE VENTILATING - F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W) - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) ## Abstract In a lubrication system of an internal combustion engine provided with a generator that generates electricity by making use of the power generated by the engine, and a heating mechanism that heats lubricating oil of the engine by making use of the energy generated when the generator carries out a power generation operation, a comparison is made between an amount of decrease of an engine load in cases where the heating mechanism heats the lubricating oil and an amount of increase of the engine load in cases where the generator carries out the power generation operation for the purpose of the operation of the heating mechanism, and permits the power generation operation of the generator in order to supply energy to the heating mechanism in cases where the amount of decrease of the engine load exceeds the amount of increase of the engine load. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A lubrication system of an internal combustion engine comprising: a generator configured to generate electricity by making use of the power generated by the internal combustion engine; a heating mechanism configured to heat lubricating oil of the internal combustion engine by making use of the energy generated when said generator carries out a power generation operation; a first detection unit configured to detect the temperature of the lubricating oil before the lubricating oil passes through said heating mechanism; a first calculation unit configured to calculate an amount of decrease of an engine load at a time of assuming that said heating mechanism has heated the lubricating oil by the use of a detected value of said first detection unit as a parameter before operation of said heating mechanism; a second calculation unit configured to calculate an amount of increase of the engine load at a time of assuming that said heating mechanism has heated the lubricating oil and that the power generation operation of said generator has been carried out in order to supply the energy to said heating mechanism before operation of said heating mechanism; and a control unit configured to permit said generator to carry out the power generation operation in order to supply energy to said heating mechanism in cases where a result of the calculation of said first calculation unit exceeds a result of the calculation of said second calculation unit, wherein said first calculation unit calculates a first engine load which is an engine load before operation of said heating mechanism by the use of a temperature of the lubricating oil detected by said first detection unit as a parameter, calculates a second engine load which is an engine load at the time of assuming that said heating mechanism has been operated by the use of, as a parameter, a temperature of the lubricating oil at the time of assuming that said heating mechanism has been operated, and calculates the amount of decrease of the engine load at the time of assuming that said heating mechanism has been operated by subtracting the first engine load from the second engine load. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The lubrication system of an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein: the energy generated when said generator carries out the power generation operation is heat energy; and said heating mechanism is a heat exchange mechanism configured to transmit to the lubricating oil the heat energy generated when said generator carries out the power generation operation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The lubrication system of an internal combustion engine according to claim 2, wherein: in cases where a result of the calculation of said first calculation unit is less than a result of the calculation of said second calculation unit, said control unit is further configured to cause said generator to carry out regenerative power generation under a condition in which said generator becomes able to carry out regenerative power generation, and at the same time, to cause said heat exchange mechanism to operate by the heat energy generated by said generator. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The lubrication system of an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein: the energy generated when said generator carries out the power generation operation is electrical energy; and said heating mechanism is an electric heater configured to convert the electrical energy generated by said generator into heat energy and to transmit the heat energy to the lubricating oil. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The lubrication system of an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein: the energy generated when said generator carries out the power generation operation is heat energy and electrical energy; and said heating mechanism includes a heat exchange mechanism configured to transmit to the lubricating oil the heat energy generated when said generator carries out the power generation operation, and an electric heater configured to convert the electrical energy generated by said generator into heat energy and to transmit the heat energy to the lubricating oil. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The lubrication system of an internal combustion engine according to claim 4, further comprising: a battery configured to store the electrical energy generated by said generator; wherein in cases where the result of the calculation of said first calculation unit is less than the result of the calculation of said second calculation unit, said control unit is further configured to cause said electric heater to operate by making use of the electrical energy of said battery. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The lubrication system of an internal combustion engine according to claim 6, wherein: in cases where an amount of charge stored in said battery is less than a preset specified amount, said control unit is further configured to cause said generator to carry out regenerative power generation under a condition in which said generator becomes able to perform regenerative power generation, and at the same time, to supply the energy generated by said generator to said heating mechanism. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The lubrication system of an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, further comprising: a second detection unit configured to detect the temperature of the lubricating oil after the lubricating oil has passed through said heating mechanism; wherein in cases where a detected value of said second detection unit exceeds a preset upper limit temperature, said control unit is further configured to stop said generator from carrying out the power generation operation in order to supply energy to said heating mechanism. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The lubrication system of an internal combustion engine according to claim 5, further comprising: a battery configured to store the electrical energy generated by said generator; wherein in cases where the result of the calculation of said first calculation unit is less than the result of the calculation of said second calculation unit, said control unit is further configured to cause said electric heater to operate by making use of the electrical energy of said battery. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The lubrication system of an internal combustion engine according to claim 9, wherein: in cases where an amount of charge stored in said battery is less than a preset specified amount, said control unit is further configured to cause said generator to carry out regenerative power generation under a condition in which said generator becomes able to perform regenerative power generation, and at the same time, to supply the energy generated by said generator to said heating mechanism. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The lubrication system of an internal combustion engine according to claim 2, further comprising: a second detection unit configured to detect the temperature of the lubricating oil after the lubricating oil has passed through said heating mechanism; wherein in cases where a detected value of said second detection unit exceeds a preset upper limit temperature, said control unit is further configured to stop said generator from carrying out the power generation operation in order to supply energy to said heating mechanism. ### Claim 12 (depends on 4) The lubrication system of an internal combustion engine according to claim 4, further comprising: a second detection unit configured to detect the temperature of the lubricating oil after the lubricating oil has passed through said heating mechanism; wherein in cases where a detected value of said second detection unit exceeds a preset upper limit temperature, said control unit is further configured to stop said generator from carrying out the power generation operation in order to supply energy to said heating mechanism. ### Claim 13 (depends on 5) The lubrication system of an internal combustion engine according to claim 5, further comprising: a second detection unit configured to detect the temperature of the lubricating oil after the lubricating oil has passed through said heating mechanism; wherein in cases where a detected value of said second detection unit exceeds a preset upper limit temperature, said control unit is further configured to stop said generator from carrying out the power generation operation in order to supply energy to said heating mechanism.