Internal-combustion engines – Cooling – Interrelated coolant flow and throttle control
Patent
1990-03-26
1991-08-06
Kamen, Noah P.
Internal-combustion engines
Cooling
Interrelated coolant flow and throttle control
123 4105, 123 4115, 123 4144, F01P 714
Patent
active
050368036
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention is related to a device and a method for engine cooling of the general type of the main claim. A vehicle engine cooling system developed for a test vehicle is known from automnobiltechnische Zeitschrift 87 (1985), volume 12, pp. 638-639. An electrically driven water pump is provided, with the aid of which the cooling water throughflow is matched to the requirement, e.g. the increased requirements at higher speeds or upon switching off the engine after higher speeds.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device and method for engine cooling which provides increased operational reliability beyond the devices of the prior art as well as an increased economy.
This object and others which will be made more apparent hereinafter is attained in a device for engine cooling which has a coolant circuit containing a heat exchanger, which can act as a radiator, a bypass for the radiator and an electric coolant pump whose pumping capacity can be altered.
According to the present invention the device for engine cooling is described in claim 1 and also has a mechanical coolant pump driven by the engine whose conveying capacity is set to a predetermined part of the required cooling capacity and an electronic switching device connected to at least one coolant temperature sensor, which controls the electric pump depending on coolant temperature. Advantageously other engine operating variable may also be used to control the electric pump.
In contrast, the device according to the invention for engine cooling has the advantage that a mechanical coolant pump driven by the engine to be cooled and an electrically driven coolant pump is provided, the conveying capacity of which is controlled as a function of measured values. The mechanical pump takes on a base load while the conveying capacity of the electric pump can be matched to the required cooling capacity. In addition to an economical mode of operation of the engine, the operating temperature of which can be held in an optimum range by means of the coolant, the device according to the invention increases the operational reliability of the engine cooling system. If a pump fails, a restricted engine operation or at least an emergency operation is guaranteed.
Advantageous further developments and improvements of the device given in the main claim are possible by virtue of the measures listed in the subclaims.
In addition to the coolant temperature, the electronic switching device controlling the electric pump and the other components, blind, fans and mixing valves, receives further information such as, for example, the engine operating temperature, the engine compartment temperature, temperatures of engine parts, ambient temperature, engine speed, travelling speed and a pressure signal of the coolant. With this information, a precise matching of the conveying capacity of the electric pump to the required cooling capacity is possible.
In an advantageous embodiment of the device according to the invention, a second coolant circuit having a heat exchanger is provided. If the engine to be cooled is arranged as driving motor in a motor vehicle, the waste heat of the exchanger is used for heating the vehicle interior. According to the invention, it is provided that this circuit is likewise controlled by the electronic switching device, the heating circuit also contributing in known manner to the cooling of the engine in summer by the shutting off of the heating ducts leading into the interior and the simultaneous opening of air ducts leading to the open air. The circuit deals, for example, with cooling capacity peaks.
In a further embodiment of the device according to the invention, the second coolant circuit is designed as an independent cooling circuit having its own coolant pump. Using this embodiment, a further improvement of the control of cooling capacity is made possible.
The method according to the invention for operating the device has the advantage that the conveying capacity of the electri
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Nolting Peter
Scheidel Wolfgang
Kamen Noah P.
Robert & Bosch GmbH
Striker Michael J.
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