COOLING SYSTEM

Abstract

Provided are a cooling system and a method for controlling the same, with which it is possible to bleed air in a coolant flow path, quickly raise a coolant temperature to quickly heat air during air-heating, and quickly lower the coolant temperature to minimize knocking early when knocking occurs. A cooling system 1 comprises a main passage L1 through which a coolant is circulated between an internal combustion engine 2 and a radiator 3, an auxiliary passage 12 through which the coolant is circulated between the internal combustion engine and heat exchangers 4, 5, 6, a thermostat 7 that opens and closes the main passage L1 in response to the coolant temperature, a thermostat bypass path L3 that bypasses the thermostat 7 to allow communication between the internal combustion engine and the radiator, and a motor-operated valve 8 that opens and closes the auxiliary passage and the thermostat bypass path.

Claims

1. A cooling system, comprising: an internal combustion engine; a radiator for radiating heat from coolant for cooling the internal combustion engine; one or more heat exchangers other than the radiator; a main passage through which coolant circulates between the internal combustion engine and the radiator; a thermostat that includes a temperature sensing unit to sense the temperature of the coolant and opens and closes the main passage depending on the temperature of the coolant; an auxiliary passage through which the coolant circulates between the internal combustion engine and the heat exchangers via a room in which the temperature sensing unit is disposed; a thermostat-bypass passage that communicates the internal combustion engine and the radiator by bypassing the thermostat; and a motor-operated valve that opens and closes the auxiliary passage and the thermostat-bypass passage.

2. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the thermostat includes a heater to heat the temperature sensing unit.

3. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the motor-operated valve opens the thermostat-bypass passage with an ignition switch for starting the internal combustion engine being in a turn-off state.

4. The cooling system according to claim 1, further comprising: a control device for controlling the opening and closing of the motor-operated valve, wherein the control device closes the auxiliary passage and the thermostat-bypass passage with the motor-operated valve when determining that the internal combustion engine is in a warming-up operation; the control device, with the motor-operated valve, closes the thermostat-bypass passage and opens the auxiliary passage when determining that the warming-up operation is completed; and the control device opens the thermostat-bypass passage with the motor-operated valve even if determining that the warming-up operation is completed, when determining that knocking is occurring.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0035] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a cooling system of a first embodiment according to the present invention;

[0036] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a thermostat to be used in the cooling system of FIG. 1;

[0037] FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of a cooling system of a second embodiment according to the present invention;

[0038] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a conventional cooling system; and

[0039] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a motor-operated valve used in the cooling system of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0040] A cooling system and a control method thereof of a first embodiment according to the present invention will be described on the basis of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

[0041] Outline of the Cooling System

[0042] In the cooling system 1 according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, for example, the coolant cools an internal combustion engine 2, and the coolant that is circulated between a water jacket 2a of the internal combustion engine 2 and a radiator 3 is also circulated through heat exchangers, such as an air-heating heat exchanger 4, an automatic transmission fluid ATF warmer 5 (or a continuously variable transmission CVT oil warmer), and an exhaust gas recirculation EGR 6, and utilized individually at each device. The above-described heat exchangers are examples and the system is also usable in a throttle body.

[0043] The cooling system 1 is provided with a thermostat 7 that opens and closes a main passage L1 through which the coolant is circulated between a water jacket 2a of the internal combustion engine 2 and a radiator 3, an auxiliary passage L2 that communicates with a chamber (a second chamber 7b) where a temperature sensing unit 7B8 of the thermostat 7 is housed and through which the coolant circulates between the water jacket 2a and the heat exchangers of the air-heating heat exchanger 4, the automatic transmission fluid warmer ATF warmer 5 (or the continuously variable transmission CVT oil warmer), and the exhaust gas recirculation EGR 6 except for the radiator 3, and a motor-operated valve 8 for changing the distribution of the coolant provided to each heat exchanger by opening and closing the auxiliary passage L2.

[0044] The motor-operated valve 8 opens and closes a thermostat-bypass passage L3 bypassing the thermostat 7, while motor-operated valve 8 is opening the thermostat-bypass passage L3, the internal combustion engine 2 communicates with the radiator 3.

[0045] With this, the coolant cooling the internal combustion engine 2 can circulate between the internal combustion engine 2 and the radiator 3 without passing through the thermostat 7.

[0046] The cooling system 1 will be described below in detail.

[0047] Passage of the Cooling System

[0048] The cooling system 1 is provided with the main passage L1 through which the coolant circulates between the internal combustion engine 2 and the radiator 3, as shown in FIG. 1. In the present embodiment, the main passage includes a first main passage L1a, a second main passage Lib, and a third main passage L1c.

[0049] The first main passage L1a connects an outlet of the coolant of a water jacket 2a of the internal combustion engine 2 to a coolant inlet of the radiator 3, the second main passage Lib connects a coolant outlet of the radiator 3 to the thermostat 7, and the third main passage L1c connects the thermostat 7 to a suction port of a water pump 9.

[0050] The coolant sucked from the third main passage L1c and discharged from the water pump 9 is delivered to the water jacket 2a. Thus, the coolant flows via the internal combustion engine 2 and the radiator 3 through the main passage L1. The thermostat 7 opens and closes the connecting portion of the second auxiliary passage Lib to the third auxiliary passage L1c in the main passage L1 depending on the temperature of the coolant.

[0051] Further, the coolant system 1 is provided with an auxiliary passage L2 through which coolant circulates between the internal combustion engine 2 and the air-heating heat exchanger 4, the automatic transmission fluid ATF warmer 5 (or the continuously variable transmission CVT oil warmer), or the exhaust gas recirculation EGR 6. The auxiliary passage L2, in the present embodiment, is provided with a first auxiliary passage L2a, a second auxiliary passage L2b, a third auxiliary passage L2C, and a fourth auxiliary passage L2d.

[0052] The first auxiliary passage L2a connects a coolant outlet of the water jacket 2a to each of the heat exchangers such as the air-heating heat exchanger 4, the automatic transmission fluid ATF warmer 5 (or the continuously variable transmission CVT oil warmer), and the exhaust gas recirculation EGR 6.

[0053] The second auxiliary passage L2b connects each of the heat exchangers to the motor-operated valve 8, and the third auxiliary passage L2c connects the motor-operated valve 8 to the chamber (the second chamber 7b to be described later) in which the temperature sensing unit 7B8 of the thermostat 7 is provided.

[0054] The fourth auxiliary passage L2d connects the second chamber 7b to the suction port of the water pump 9.

[0055] The fourth auxiliary passage L2d and the third main passage L1c share a coolant pipeline. That is, the third main passage L1c is also connected to the second chamber 7b in which the temperature sensing unit 7B8 of the thermostat 7 is provided. The thermostat 7 allows or shuts the communication between the second main passage Lib and the third main passage L1c by sensing the surrounding temperature of the temperature sensing unit 7B8 in the second chamber 7b.

[0056] The motor-operated valve 8 opens and closes the second auxiliary passage L2b which leads to each of the heat exchangers such as the air-heating heat exchanger 4, the automatic transmission fluid ATF warmer 5 (or the continuously variable transmission CVT oil warmer), and the exhaust gas recirculation EGR 6, whereby the distribution of the coolant supplied to each heat exchanger is varied.

[0057] The cooling system 1 is provided with a thermostat-bypass passage L3 through which the coolant circulates between the internal combustion engine 2 and the radiator 3 with bypassing the thermostat 7.

[0058] The thermostat-bypass passage L3 is provided with an upper-stream side passage L3a connecting the midway of the second main passage Llb to the motor-operated valve 8 and a lower-stream side passage L3b connecting the motor-operated valve 8 to the midway of the third main passage L1c, in the present embodiment.

[0059] As described above, the second main passage Lib is connected to the radiator 3, and the third main passage L1c is connected to the water pump 9. Because of this configuration, even in a state where the thermostat 7 closes the main passage L1, when the motor-operated valve 8 opens the thermostat-bypass passage L3, the coolant flowing from the water jacket 2a goes toward the water pump 9 by passing through the first main passage L1a, radiator 3, the second main passage Lib, the thermostat-bypass passage L3, and the third main passage L1c.

Thermostat

[0060] The thermostat 7 is housed in a housing 7a, as shown in FIG. 1. The interior of the housing 7a is partitioned into two chambers 7a and 7b by a valve body 7B1 of the thermostat 7, which will be described later. If one of the two chambers is designated as a first chamber 7a and the other as a second chamber 7b, the second main passage Lib is connected to the first chamber 7a, and the third main passage L1c is connected to the second chamber 7b. [0030]

[0061] As shown in FIG. 2, the thermostat 7 is provided with a thermo-element 7B2 as a temperature-sensitive actuator, a valve body 7B1 driven by the thermo-element 7B2 to unseat from or to seat on a valve seat 7B3 to open or close the main passage L1, a spring 7B4 as a biasing member to bias the valve body 7B1 in a direction to normally close (a direction to seat the valve body on the valve seat 7B3), and a cylindrical holder 7B9 to which the coolant from the third auxiliary passage L2c flows in.

[0062] The thermo-element 7B2 is provided with a piston guide 7B5, a piston 7B7 whose tip end is engaged with a piston receiver 7B6, advancing and retracting while guided by the piston guide 7B5, and a temperature sensing unit (temperature-sensitive unit) 7B8 which incorporates wax as a thermal expander that makes the piston 7B7 advance and retract by expanding and contracting depending on the temperature variation of the coolant.

[0063] The holder 7B9 is disposed on the outer circumference of the temperature sensing unit 7B8, and the coolant coming from the third auxiliary passage L2c toward the fourth auxiliary passage L2d passes through the inside of the holder 7B9 and an opening 7B10 of the holder 7B9.

[0064] When the temperature of the coolant around the temperature sensing unit 7B8 rises to exceed a predetermined temperature and the wax in the temperature sensing unit 7B8 expands, the piston 7B7 is caused to push out and the valve body 7B1 unseats from the valve seat 7B3 to open the main passage L1.

[0065] Namely, when the valve body 7B1 leaves from the valve seat 7B3, the chambers 7a and 7b are communicated through the gap formed therebetween, and the second main passage Lib and the third main passage L1c communicate with each other. With this communication, the coolant cooled by passing via the radiator 3 is supplied to the internal combustion engine 2 through the main passage L1.

[0066] When the temperature of the coolant around the temperature sensing unit 7B8 falls down below a predetermined temperature, the wax incorporated in the temperature sensing unit 7B8 contracts. The piston 7B7 is pushed back by the biasing force of the spring 7B4 via the valve body 7B1, and the valve body 7B1 seats on the valve seat 7B3 and closes the main passage L1.

[0067] Thus, when thermostat 7 closes, the communication between the two chambers 7a and 7b is shut off, thereby shutting off the communication between the second main passage Lib and the third main passage L1c.

[0068] Although an example of a thermostat is described here, the configuration of the thermostat can be appropriately changed.

[0069] For example, in case the holder 7B9 is provided at the outer circumference of the temperature sensing unit, as described above, the temperature sensitivity of the thermostat 7 can be improved if the thermostat 7 is provided on the coolant inlet side of the internal combustion engine 2, but the holder 7B9 may be omitted. The thermostat 7 may also be equipped with an auxiliary valve to open and close the auxiliary passage L2 in addition to the valve element 7B1.

[0070] The valve seat 7B3 is formed on the frame 7C including the piston receiver 7B6 of the thermostat 7 in the present embodiment. The housing 7A, however, functions as a frame 7C and the valve seat 7B3 may be formed on the housing 7A. Further, the holder 7B9 may integrally be formed with the housing 7A.

Motor-Operated Valve 8

[0071] As the motor-operated valve 8, a typically-used one can be adopted. For example, the motor-operated valve recited in PTL 1 from which the thermo valve as a fail-safe mechanism is removed may be used. An example of the motor-operated valve 8 will be described below.

[0072] The motor-operated valve 8 is provided with a reduction gear housed in a reduction gear housing, a valve body housed in a valve body housing, and an electric motor housed in a motor housing. The motor-operated valve 8 is configured such that the valve body thereof is rotated (operated) by a rotation shaft connected to a reduction gear that reduces the rotation of the electric motor. A controller (ECU) mounted on a vehicle controls the electric motor and controls the rotation of the valve body through the reduction gear, according to the vehicle state.

[0073] The second auxiliary passage L2b connected to each of the heat exchangers such as the heat exchanger 4 for heating, the automatic transmission fluid ATF warmer 5 (or continuously variable transmission CVT oil warmer), and the exhaust gas recirculation EGR 5 is opened and closed by driving the rotation of the valve body, so that the distribution of the coolant to the heat exchangers is changed.

[0074] The valve body of the motor-operated valve 8 is not limited to a rotary type and may be a spool type valve body linearly movable. Further, direct opening and closing of a valve using a solenoid valve may be possible.

Operation and Action of the Cooling System

[0075] The second auxiliary passage L2b is opened or closed by the motor-operated valve 8 through electronic control based on information from various sensors provided in the vehicle, or by the driver's selection. This allows the air-heating heat exchanger 4, the automatic transmission fluid ATF 5 (or continuously variable transmission CVT) oil warmer, and the exhaust gas recirculation EGR 6 to be supplied or not supplied with the coolant.

[0076] The thermostat-bypass passage L3 is opened or closed by the motor-operated valve 8, by electronic control based on information from various sensors provided in the vehicle, depending on the status of the internal combustion engine and the temperature of the coolant. When the ignition to start the internal combustion engine 2 is turned off and the internal combustion engine is stopped, the motor-operated valve 8 is in a de-energized state. In such a de-energized state, the motor-operated valve 8 is set to open the thermostat-bypass passage L3. With this setting, the air in the coolant passage can be bled through the thermostat-bypass passage L3, even when the temperature of the coolant is low and the thermostat 7 is closed.

[0077] For this reason, it is needless to provide a jiggle pin for air bleeding in thermostat 7, and then the jiggle pin is omitted in thermostat 7. Namely, the air in the coolant passage can be bled even when a thermostat 7 without a jiggle valve for air bleeding is used.

[0078] Successively, an example of an electric control will be described. When the ignition is turned on, the control unit, after determining that the various electrical devices such as the electric valve 8 are operating normally, starts the internal combustion engine 2, and then starts warm-up operation. Further, when the control unit determines the warming-up operation is in process, the control unit outputs a command that the motor-operated valve 8 close the auxiliary passage L2 and close the thermostat-bypass passage L3. The determination of whether the warm-up operation is in the process may be performed using the temperature of the coolant detected by the temperature sensor or using the time elapsed from the start of the internal combustion engine 2.

[0079] Accordingly, during the warming-up operation, the communication of the auxiliary passage L2 and of the thermostat-bypass passage L3 is cut off by the motor-operated valve 8.

[0080] During the warming-up operation, the temperature of the coolant is low, and the thermostat 7 is closed to cut off the communication of the main passage L1. In this case, because no jiggle pin is provided in the thermoval 7 and the cold coolant passing through the radiator 3 does not leak 0042rapidly, and the warming-up operation is quickly achieved.

[0081] Next, when the control unit determines that the warming-up operation of the internal combustion engine is completed, the control unit sends a command to the motor-operated valve 8 to close the thermostat-bypass passage L3 and to selectively open the second auxiliary passage L2b which is connected to each of the heat exchangers of the air-heating heat exchanger 4, the automatic transmission fluid ATF 5 (or continuously variable transmission CVT) oil warmer, and the exhaust gas recirculation EGR 6, depending on the temperature of the coolant.

[0082] This enables the coolant that is warmed by the internal combustion engine 2 to reach the temperature sensing unit 7B8 of the thermostat 7 through the auxiliary passage L2 and enables the thermostat 7 to sense the temperature of the warmed coolant.

[0083] In this case, if the temperature of the coolant reaches the valve-opening temperature of the thermostat 7, the thermostat 7 opens the main passage L1, and the coolant cooled by passing through the radiator 3 is supplied to the internal combustion engine 2 through the main passage L1.

[0084] Though in a warming-up operation, when the control unit determines that heating is necessary, for example, the control unit may send a command to the motor-operated valve to open the second auxiliary passage L2b that leads to the air-heating heat exchanger 4.

[0085] When the control unit determines that knocking occurs, even with the determination that the warming-up operation has been completed, the control unit sends a command that the motor-operated valve 8 should open the thermostat-bypass passage L3. The determination as to whether knocking is occurring may be made based on information from the knocking sensor or may be based on information detected by other sensors.

[0086] Knocking occurs when the coolant temperature becomes high. This temperature rise of the coolant causes thermostat 7 to open the main passage L1, and further, by opening the thermostat-bypass passage L3 with the motor-operated valve 8, knocking can be suppressed at an early stage by lowering the coolant temperature quickly.

[0087] When the control unit determines that knocking is occurring, the control unit may send a command to the motor-operated valve 8 to open the thermostat-bypass passage L3 and to bind the auxiliary passage L2. Since this increases the flow rate of coolant flowing to the radiator 3, knocking can be suppressed at an earlier stage.

Operation and Action of the Cooling System Using an Electronically-controlled Thermo Valve

[0088] An electronically-controlled thermostat incorporating a heater in the thermo-element 7B2 for heating the temperature sensing unit 7B8 may be used as a thermostat.

[0089] In a case where a non-electronically-controlled thermostat 7 without incorporating a heater is used, when cooled coolant flows into the second chamber 7b in which the temperature sensing unit 7B8 is disposed on opening of the thermostat 7, the valve body 7B1 of the thermostat 7 moves in the closing direction, then the flow rate of the coolant passing through the main passage L1 decreases.

[0090] In contrast, when an electronically-controlled thermostat is employed, the valve-opened state of the electronically-controlled thermostat can be maintained by heating the temperature sensing unit 7B8 with a heater.

[0091] With this, the temperature of the coolant can be maintained at a low temperature even in a traveling mode continuously highly loaded such as hill-climbing traveling.

Second Embodiment

[0092] The thermostat 7, described in the first embodiment, is installed on the coolant inlet side of the internal combustion engine 2, but it may be installed on the coolant outlet side of the internal combustion engine 2, as shown in FIG. 3. Members identical or equivalent to those in the first embodiment have the same reference numbers, and the detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0093] In the cooling system 10 of the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the main passage L11, through which the coolant circulates between the internal combustion engine 2 and the radiator 3, is provided with a first main passage L11a, a second main passage L11b, and a third main passage L11c.

[0094] The first main passage L11a connects the coolant outlet of the water jacket 2a of the internal combustion engine 2 to the thermostat 7, the second main passage L11b connects the thermostat 7 to the coolant inlet of the radiator 3, and the third main passage L11c connects the coolant outlet of the radiator 3 to the suction inlet of the water pump 9.

[0095] The coolant sucked from the third main passage L11c and projected from the water pump 9 is delivered to the water jacket 2a. As stated above, the coolant flows via the internal combustion engine 2 and the radiator 3 through the main passage L11. The thermostat 7 opens and closes the connecting portion of the first main passage L11a and the second main passage L11b in the main passage L11 depending on the temperature of the coolant.

[0096] The cooling system 10 is provided with an auxiliary passage L12 through which the coolant circulates between the internal combustion engine 2 and the air-heating heat exchanger 4, the automatic transmission fluid ATF 5 (or continuously variable transmission CVT) oil warmer, and the exhaust gas recirculation EGR 6. In the present embodiment, the auxiliary passage L12 is provided with a first auxiliary passage L12a, a second auxiliary passage L12b, a third auxiliary passage L12c, and a fourth auxiliary passage L12d.

[0097] The first auxiliary passage L12a connects the coolant outlet of the water jacket 2a to the second chamber 7b where the temperature sensing unit 7B8 of the thermostat 7 is disposed. The second auxiliary passage L12b connects the second chamber 7b, where the temperature sensing unit 7B8 of the thermostat 7 is disposed, to the motor-operated valve 8.

[0098] The third auxiliary passage L12c connects the motor-operated valve 8 to each of the heat exchangers such as the air-heating heat exchanger 4, the automatic transmission fluid ATF 5 (or continuously variable transmission CVT) oil warmer, and the exhaust gas recirculation EGR 6.

[0099] The fourth auxiliary passage L12d connects each of the heat exchangers to the suction inlet of the water pump 9.

[0100] The first auxiliary passage L12a shares piping with the first main passage L11a. In other words, the first main passage L11a is also connected to the second chamber 7b where the temperature sensing unit 7B8 of the thermostat 7 is located. The thermostat 7 senses the temperature around the temperature sensing unit 7B8 in the second chamber 7b and allows or shuts the communication between the first main passage L11a and the second main passage Lllb.

[0101] The motor-operated valve 8 opens and closes the third auxiliary passage L12c leading to each of the heat exchangers such as the air-heating heat exchanger 4, the automatic transmission fluid ATF 5 (or continuously variable transmission CVT) oil warmer, and the exhaust gas recirculation EGR 6, whereby the distribution of coolant being supplied to each of the heat exchangers changes.

[0102] Further, the cooling system 10 is provided with a thermostat-bypass passage L13 through which the coolant circulates between the internal combustion engine 2 and the radiator 3 with bypassing the thermostat 7.

[0103] In the present embodiment, the thermostat-bypass passage L13 connects the motor-operated valve 8 to a midway of the second main passage L11b.

[0104] Even in a state where the thermostat 7 closes the main passage L11, when the motor-operated valve 8 opens the thermostat-bypass passage L3, the coolant flowing from the water jacket 2a goes to the water pump 9, passing through the first main passage L11a, the second auxiliary passage L12b, the thermostat-bypass passage L13, the second main passage L11b, the radiator 3, and the third main passage L11c.

[0105] Since the second embodiment thus configured, similar to the first embodiment, is provided with the thermostat 7 and the motor-operated valve 8, the coolant cooling the internal combustion engine 2 is switched between cases of going through and bypassing the thermostat 7.

[0106] As a result, also in the second embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, the air in the coolant flow passage can be bled, the quick air-heating can be achieved by rapidly raising the coolant temperature during air-heating, and knocking can be suppressed at an early stage by lowering the coolant temperature rapidly when knocking occurs, whereby effects similar to those of the first embodiment are obtainable.

REFERENCE SIGN LIST

[0107] 1, 10 Cooling system [0108] 2 Internal combustion engine [0109] 3 Radiator [0110] 4 Air-heating heat exchanger (heat exchanger) [0111] 5 Automatic transmission fluid ATF warmer or continuously variable transmission oil warmer (heat exchanger) [0112] 6 Exhaust gas recirculation EGR (heat exchanger) [0113] 7 Thermostat [0114] 7A Housing [0115] 7a First chamber [0116] 7b Second chamber (room) [0117] 8 Motor-operated valve [0118] 9 Water pump [0119] L1, L11 Main passage [0120] L2, L12 Auxiliary passage [0121] L3, L13 Thermostat-bypass passage