US 8,944,017 B2Granted

Powertrain cooling system with cooling and heating modes for heat exchangers

AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC

InventorDaniel B. Glassford

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A cooling system has an engine heat exchanger in thermal communication with engine oil in an engine. A transmission heat exchanger is in thermal communication with transmission oil in a transmission. A pump has a pump inlet and a pump outlet. A valve assembly is in fluid communication with the pump outlet and has a first and a second position that at least partially establish different coolant flow modes through a plurality of coolant flow passages. The valve assembly has a first inlet that receives coolant that flows from the pump outlet, to an engine inlet, then through the engine to an engine outlet. The valve assembly has a second inlet that receives coolant that flows from the pump outlet and bypasses the engine. The valve assembly has a single outlet that directs coolant flow to at least one of the engine heat exchanger and the transmission heat exchanger.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A cooling system for a powertrain;

wherein the powertrain has an engine and a transmission driven by the engine, the cooling system comprising:
an engine heat exchanger in thermal communication with engine oil in the engine;
a transmission heat exchanger in thermal communication with transmission fluid in the transmission;
a pump having a pump inlet and a pump outlet;
a plurality of coolant flow passages through which coolant is pumped by the pump;
a valve assembly in fluid communication with the pump outlet and having a first and a second position that at least partially establish different coolant flow modes through the coolant flow passages;
wherein the valve assembly has:
a first inlet that receives coolant that flows from the pump outlet, to an engine inlet, then through the engine to an engine outlet;
a second inlet that receives coolant that flows from the pump outlet and bypasses the engine;
and
a single outlet that directs coolant flow to at least one of the engine heat exchanger and the transmission heat exchanger, and then back to the pump inlet;
and
wherein the first position of the valve assembly fluidly connects the first inlet to the single outlet and blocks flow from the second inlet to establish a first of said coolant flow modes;
wherein the second position of the valve assembly fluidly connects the second inlet to the single outlet and blocks flow from the first inlet to establish a second of said coolant flow modes;
and
wherein the valve assembly is operable to move from the first position to the second position in response to a first predetermined operating condition.

13 more elements

A powertrain comprising:

an engine;
an engine heat exchanger in thermal communication with engine oil in the engine;
a transmission driven by the engine;
a transmission heat exchanger in thermal communication with transmission oil in the transmission;
a pump having a pump inlet and a pump outlet;
a plurality of coolant flow passages that operatively connect the pump, the engine, the engine heat exchanger, and the transmission heat exchanger and through which coolant flows via the pump;
a valve assembly configured to permit coolant flow through the coolant flow passages from the pump outlet to at least one of the transmission heat exchanger and the engine heat exchanger via a first route when the valve assembly is in a first position, and via a second route when the valve assembly is in a second position;
wherein the first route is from the pump outlet, to an engine inlet, then through the engine to an engine outlet, and the second route bypasses the engine.

5 more elements

A powertrain comprising:

an engine with an engine heat exchanger in thermal communication with engine oil in the engine;
a transmission driven by the engine with a transmission heat exchanger in thermal communication with transmission fluid in the transmission;
a pump having a pump inlet and a pump outlet;
a plurality of coolant flow passages that operatively connect the pump, the engine, the engine heat exchanger, and the transmission heat exchanger and through which coolant flows via the pump;
a first valve assembly having a first position and a second position configured to selectively permit coolant flow to the engine heat exchanger by a first route from the pump outlet through the engine to the first valve assembly when the first valve assembly is in the first position, and by a second route from the pump outlet to the first valve assembly bypassing the engine when the first valve assembly is in the second position;
a second valve assembly having a first position and a second position;
and
wherein the second valve assembly is configured to selectively permit coolant flow to the transmission heat exchanger by a third route from the pump outlet through the engine to the second valve assembly when the second valve assembly is in the first position, and by a fourth route from the pump outlet to the second valve assembly bypassing the engine when the second valve assembly is in the second position.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.