System and methods for a high temperature radiator heat absorber
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsSunil Katragadda, Cary Cole, Michael Levin, Danrich Henry Demitroff, Mathew John Fast, Furqan Zafar Shaikh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for a phase change material (PCM) integrated radiator. In one example, a method may include adjusting a radiator control valve into a first position to flow coolant only through a first zone of a radiator containing phase change material (PCM) and not through a second zone of the radiator not containing phase change material. The method may further include adjusting the radiator control valve into a second position to flow coolant only through the second zone of the radiator and not the first zone.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- adjusting a control valve of a radiator of a vehicle cooling system into a first position to flow coolant only through a first zone of the radiator containing phase change material (PCM) and not through a second zone of the radiator not containing PCM;
- and
- adjusting the control valve into a second position to flow coolant only through the second zone of the radiator and not the first zone.
A radiator, comprising:
- a first set of coolant tubes, each tube of the first set encased with a phase change material (PCM);
- a second set of coolant tubes, each tube of the second set not encased with the PCM;
- and
- a valve disposed within an inlet tank of the radiator and in fluid communication with a coolant inlet of the radiator, the valve fluidly separating the first and second sets of coolant tubes, the radiator part of a vehicle cooling system.
A cooling system comprising:
- an engine;
- a pump for circulating coolant in the cooling system;
- a radiator comprising two zones, a first zone containing a phase change material (PCM) and a second zone not containing PCM, the radiator further comprising a radiator control valve for selectively controlling coolant flow to each of the first and second zones;
- and
- a controller with computer readable instructions for:
- adjusting a position of the radiator control valve to a first position and flowing coolant only to the first zone and not the second zone, in response to one or more of a temperature of the coolant increasing above a first threshold and decreasing below a second threshold, the second threshold being less than the first threshold;
- and
- adjusting the position of the radiator control valve to a second position and flowing coolant only to the second zone and not the first zone, in response to one or more of the temperature of the coolant increasing above a third threshold, the third threshold being greater than the second threshold but less than the first threshold, and decreasing below the first threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.