Heating systems – Heat and power plants – Vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-23
2001-08-07
Joyce, Harold (Department: 3744)
Heating systems
Heat and power plants
Vehicle
C062S003200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06270015
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radiator assembly of the vehicle, particularly of a vehicle using the cooling water of a water cooled engine as a heat source for heating.
In a water cooled engine driven vehicle a radiator assembly is provided for heating purposes by supplying cooling water from the engine to a heat exchanger and heating passing air in the heat exchanger, and supplying the heated air into the compartment of the vehicle. The engine cooling water is used for heating because normally the heat capacity of the cooling water is very large and it normally is possible to obtain the needed and sufficient quantity of heat when the engine is operating. However, as the cooling water temperature remains low for a while particularly after starting the engine in a cold season, it then is not effective to use the cooling water of the engine for heating. In addition, in recently developed engines having high combustion efficiency the quantity of available heat outside the engine generally is relatively small. With such engines the temperature of the cooling water is hard to rise particularly after the engine start. It then is not suitable to use cooling water as a sole heat source for heating for a while after engine start. Conventionally the ability of heating in the warm-up phase after an engine start can be achieved by heating the cool cooling water in order to intentionally accelerate the temperature rise. This is carried out with the help of auxiliary heating equipment.
FIG. 11
illustrates a cooling water circuit of a conventional radiator assembly of a vehicle.
FIG. 12
shows the variations of the temperature of the conventional radiator assembly. An engine
101
having circulating pump
102
is connected with an inlet port of a thermal changeover valve
103
. Said valve
103
has two outlet ports, one connected to an inlet of an engine radiator
104
, another connected to a by-pass duct
105
by-passing the engine radiator
104
. A junction part between the outlet of the engine radiator
104
and by-pass duct
105
is connected to an inlet port of the engine
101
. Circulating pump
102
further is connected with an inlet of a three-ways
106
, one outlet port of said valve
106
is connected via a by-pass duct
107
with the inlet port of engine
101
. Another outlet port of valve
106
is connected to an inlet port of an auxiliary heat exchanger
108
which is provided with an auxiliary heater
109
. The outlet of auxiliary heat exchanger
108
is connected to an inlet of a compartment heat exchanger
110
, the outlet of which is connected to the inlet port of the engine
101
. An example of such an auxiliary heating equipment having the auxiliary heat exchanger
108
and the auxiliary heater
109
is disclosed in JP patent application Hei 6-92134 (application number Hei 04-246294). The auxiliary heater used is a so-called shear exothermic equipment in which in shear forces act on a viscosity fluid by using the rotating power of the engine. The cooling water is heated by heat thus generated. Cooling water absorbs heat in engine
101
and is discharged by circulating pump
102
into thermal changeover valve
103
. The respective passage is switched by said valve
103
according to water temperature. If the temperature is lower than a fixed temperature, valve
103
directs the flow into by-pass duct
105
and directly back into the engine
101
. If the temperature is higher than said fixed temperature, valve
103
directs the flow into radiator
104
, where the cooling water radiates heat and from where it returns into the engine
101
. Another part of the cooling water from engine
101
reaches three-ways valve
106
operating according to the quantity of the heat needed by the compartment heat exchanger
101
and stabilising said quantity for the auxiliary heat exchanger
108
by directing the flow to the auxiliary heat exchanger
108
in case of high heating demand or by directing it to by-pass duct
107
in case of low heat demand. In auxiliary heat exchanger
108
the cooling water exchanges heat with air introduced from the outside of the vehicle or with air circulating in the vehicle via said compartment heat exchanger
110
. The temperature then drops and the cooling water returns into the engine
101
. When heating is needed and the temperature of the cooling water reaching compartment heat exchanger
110
is low, said auxiliary heater
109
is operated to heat the cooling water flowing into auxiliary heat exchanger
108
. From there heated cooling water is supplied into said compartment heat exchanger
110
. The temperature of the cooling water leaving engine
101
and entering auxiliary heat exchanger
108
is T
1
. The temperature of cooling water leaving auxiliary heat exchanger
108
towards compartment heat exchanger
110
is T
2
. The temperature downstream compartment heat exchanger
110
and in the return duct to engine
101
is T
3
. In the
FIG. 12
the horizontal axis indicates the time after the engine start. The vertical axis indicates the temperature variations. During cruising with heating without operating auxiliary heater
109
the temperature of cooling water from engine
101
through auxiliary heat exchanger
108
into compartment heat exchanger
110
varies with curve
121
; it rises gradually. The temperature T
1
at the inlet of auxiliary heat exchanger
108
corresponds to temperature T
2
(OFF) at the inlet of compartment heat exchanger
110
. The outlet temperature T
3
(OFF) after heat exchanging compartment heat exchanger
110
varies with curve
122
. The difference between curves
121
and
122
represents the ability of heating available by compartment heat exchanger
110
without the assistance of auxiliary heater
109
. The ability of heating is poor after engine start. By using auxiliary heater
109
the cooling water is heated in auxiliary heat exchanger
108
. The temperature rises from T
1
to T
2
(ON) and varies with curve
123
. Even though heating cooling water with temperature T
2
(ON) exchanges heat in compartment heat exchanger
110
, temperature T
3
(ON) at the outlet will vary with curve
124
. Therefore, the difference between curves
123
and
124
represent the heating ability of compartment heat exchanger
110
when the auxiliary heater
109
is operating. A shortage in the heating ability after engine start is supplemented. Further, the significant difference between curves
121
and
123
is effected by the operation of auxiliary heater
109
. However, the efficiency of the auxiliary heater is poor.
Another example of an auxiliary heating equipment is discloses in DE-A-19752613. The auxiliary heating equipment of an automobile air conditioning system comprises an electric heater. Said electric heater consists of a NiCr-wire element provided within a section of the cooling water circuit. The efficiency of the electric heater is poor.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a highly efficient radiator assembly of a vehicle equipped with an auxiliary heating equipment.
Said object is achieved, according to the present invention, by a radiator assembly using cooling water of a water cooled engine with a heat source. Said radiator assembly is characterised by a heat exchanging means for heating purposes in the vehicle carrying out a heat exchange between cooling water and air, and by providing at least one exothermic means heating cooling water by heat generated by Peltier effect.
In the radiator assembly the heat exchanging means for heating is not able to heat sufficiently when the temperature of the cooling water is too low shortly after engine start. To compensate for this shortage the cooled cooling water is heated by said exothermic means. The heated cooling water then is supplied to the heat exchanging means for heating. The exothermic means generates heat for heating by the Peltier effect. It thus is possible to obtain the needed quantity of heat generated by the Peltier effect by adding a quantity
Boles Derek S.
Joyce Harold
Nilles & Nilles SC
TGK Co. Ltd.
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