Flapper valve device with functional testing

Abstract

A device for convective cooling of a functional assembly for a motor vehicle includes a fan, which in operation, is designed to move air along a flow axis defined by the design and placement of the fan. A flapper valve device is provided having an air transit opening and a flapper valve assembly disposed therein, with at least one flapper valve provided to change the open-flow cross section of the air transit opening and being adjustable between a closed position and an open position. A control unit is provided. The fan and the flapper valve device are arranged at a distance from each other such that air moved due to operation of the fan then flows through the air transit opening at least when the flapper valve device is in the open position. The control unit is designed to detect at least one operating parameter of the fan.

Claims

1. Device for convective cooling of a functional assembly, the device comprising: a fan which in an air moving operation is configured to move air along a flow axis defined by the design and placement of the fan; a flapper valve device including an air transit opening and a flapper valve assembly disposed therein, including at least one flapper valve provided to change the flow-through cross-section of the air transit opening along the flow axis between a closed position in which the flow-through cross section of the air transit opening is minimal during operation, and an open position in which the flow-through cross section of the air transit opening along the flow axis is maximal during operation; and a control unit; wherein the fan and the flapper valve device are disposed at a distance from each other such that air moved due to the air moving operation of the fan then flows through the air transit opening at least when the flapper valve device is in the open position; and wherein the control unit is configured to detect during the air moving operation of the fan at least one operating parameter of the fan and then, proceeding from the detected at least one operating parameter, to draw a conclusion about the actual operating state of the flapper valve device, the detected at least one operating parameter of the fan including an electrical quantity that changes with the electric power supplied to the fan during the air moving operation thereof.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the detected operating parameter is the current strength of the operating current supplied to the fan.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is designed so as to detect the operating parameter at a temporal interval after a start of operation, wherein the individual measurements occur at different times.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is designed to detect the operating parameter continuously over a period of time.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is designed to compare the detected operating parameter with at least one comparison value and to draw a conclusion about the actual operating state depending on the comparison.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the comparison value is a threshold value, wherein the control unit is designed to conclude that a first operating state is the actual operating state of the flapper valve device when the detected operating parameter is greater than the comparison value and/or to conclude that a second operating state is the actual operating state of the flapper valve device when the detected operating parameter is less than the comparison value.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is designed to check whether the detected operating parameter is located in at least one predetermined value range, and then, if the detected operating parameter is located in the predetermined value range, to conclude that the operating state assigned to this value range is the actual operating state of the flapper valve device.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the control unit is designed to check whether the detected operating parameter is located in one predetermined value range of a plurality of predetermined value ranges, wherein different value ranges are associated with different operating states of the flapper valve device, wherein the control unit is further designed so as, if the detected operating parameter is located in one value range of the plurality of predetermined value ranges, to conclude that the operating state associated with this value range is the actual operating state of the flapper valve device.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit concludes that an operating state of the plurality of predetermined operating states is the actual operating state of the flapper valve device, wherein the plurality of predetermined operating states comprises an error-free and an error-laden operating state of the flapper valve device.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit concludes that an operating state of a plurality of predetermined operating states is the actual operating state of the flapper valve device, wherein the plurality of predetermined operating states comprises the flapper valve assembly being in one of at least two operating positions of closed position, open position and an intermediate position located between the open position and closed position.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein the control unit is designed to compare the determined presence of an operating position with a target operating position, and depending on this comparison, to conclude the presence of an error-free or of an error-laden operating state of the flapper valve device.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the fan is directly adjacent to the flapper valve device in the direction of the flow axis.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is additionally designed to control the operation of the fan and/or to control an adjustment of the flapper valve assembly.

14. Motor vehicle including a device according to claim 1.

15. The device according to claim 1, wherein the open-flow cross section of the air transit opening along the flow axis is zero when the at least one flapper valve is in the closed position.

16. Method for determining the actual operating state of a flapper valve device which is disposed in an air stream generated in an air moving operation by a fan, comprising the following steps: detecting of at least one operating parameter of the fan during the air moving operation of the fan, the detected at least one operating parameter of the fan including an electrical quantity which changes with the electric power supplied to the fan; comparing the detected operating parameter with a characteristic map wherein values of the operating parameter are associated with operating states of the flapper valve device; determining of the operating state associated with the detected operating parameter as the actual operating state of the flapper valve device.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising a step of attaining of one or more predetermined operating positions of the flapper valve device, wherein after at least a part of the attained operating positions, at least the step of detecting of at least one operating parameter is executed, wherein the step of comparing with a characteristic map and the step of determining the actual operating state of the flapper valve device are carried out for a plurality of the detected operating parameters.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of comparing with a characteristic map and the step of determining the actual operating state of the flapper valve device are carried out for each detected operating parameter.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein, after each attained operating position, at least the step of detecting of at least one operating parameter is executed.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the at least one operating parameter is electronic current.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

(1) The present invention will be explained in greater detail below based on the accompanying drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 depicts a rough, schematic, longitudinal cross-section through a motor vehicle including a device according to the invention for convective cooling of cooling fluid of the internal combustion engine,

(3) FIG. 2 depicts a graph which shows the relationship between the operating current consumed by the fan of the device of FIG. 1, and the operating time when the flapper valve device of the device of FIG. 1 is located in the open position,

(4) FIG. 3 depicts a graph which shows the relationship between the operating current consumed by the fan of the device of FIG. 1, and the operating time when the flapper valve device of the device of FIG. 1 is in the closed position,

(5) FIG. 4 depicts a graph which shows the relationship between the operating current consumed by the fan of the device of FIG. 1, and the operating time when the flapper valve device of the device of FIG. 1 is in an intermediate position between the open position and closed position, and

(6) FIG. 5 depicts the graphs of FIGS. 2 to 4 in a common diagram with characteristic maps indicated therein which are assigned to different actual operating states of the flapper valve device.

(7) An outline of the front section of a motor vehicle (PKW) indicated roughly by dashed lines and which is denoted in general by reference number 10 is depicted in FIG. 1. A front wheel 12 is indicated, which likewise is depicted in outline only in a rough, schematic manner using dashed lines.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(8) In the front section 10 of the motor vehicle, an internal combustion engine 14 is indicated by dashed lines. As is generally commonplace, this engine is cooled by a liquid coolant. In order to remove the heat supplied to the coolant by the internal combustion engine 14, a heat exchanger 16 is provided to which the liquid coolant is supplied at an elevated temperature through a hose or tubing 18 and from which the liquid coolant is returned via a similar line at lower temperature back to the internal combustion engine 14. Thus the liquid coolant circulates between the internal combustion engine 14 and the heat exchanger 16.

(9) In the exemplary embodiment under discussion here, the liquid coolant is mentioned only as an example. Instead of the liquid coolant, a brake fluid, a lubricant such as motor oil, or another liquid heated by operation of the motor vehicle can be supplied to a heat exchanger 16 for convective cooling.

(10) The heat exchanger 16 during operation of the motor vehicle is convectively cooled by an air stream which moves essentially in the vehicle's longitudinal direction F and is symbolized in FIG. 1 by the arrows L. The arrows L extend along the flow axis S of the air stream.

(11) The air flow L can be generated either by the airstream during forward movement of the motor vehicle or by a fan 20, for example, when the motor vehicle is stopped.

(12) In a known manner the fan 20 comprises a fan shaft 22 including fan blades 24 fixedly attached thereon. A fan drive unit 26 connected to the fan shaft 22 provides the energy required to move the fan shaft 22 with fan blades 24 rotating in the same direction as the fan shaft to generate the air flow L.

(13) Here the fan 20 is disposed preferably directly adjacent to a flapper valve device 28 in the direction of flow of the air stream L. The flapper valve device 28 comprises a frame 30 which surrounds an air transit opening 32, and in which a flapper valve assembly 34, including a plurality of moveable flapper valves 36, is disposed. In the illustrated example, the flapper valves 36 are parallel to the flapper valve assembly 34 and are disposed essentially in the vehicle transverse direction Q; this corresponds to a direction orthogonal to the drawing plane of FIG. 1. The flapper valves 36 are pivotable for adjusting between an open position wherein the open cross-section of the air transit opening 32 is at an operating maximum, and a closed position wherein the open cross-section of the air transit opening 32 is at an operating minimum. In the illustrated example the flapper valves 36 can pivot about stationary axes of rotation D extending parallel to the vehicle's transverse direction.

(14) The term operating minimum or maximum is intended to indicate that the closed position and/or the open position of the flapper valve assembly 34 during intended operation provides the smallest or the largest flow-through cross-section of the air transit opening 32 for a volume change of the air stream L transiting the air transit opening 32. However, this does not preclude there being special operating modes outside of the intended operation stated above, such as a maintenance operating mode or the like, wherein by starting up to a special position of the flapper valve assembly 34 an even greater, or an even smaller open cross section of the air transit opening 32 can be attained.

(15) An actuator 38 is indicated only by a rough schematic in FIG. 1, which actuator forms the rotary drive unit of the flapper valve assembly 34 for adjusting the flapper valves 36 of the flapper valve assembly 34 between the stated operating positions: open position and closed position.

(16) The device depicted in FIG. 1 further comprises a control unit 40 which is preferably configured to control operation of both the fan actuator or fan drive unit 26 and also the flapper actuator 38. This means, for example, that the control unit 40 controls or even regulates the energy supply to the fan actuator or flapper drive 26 and the flapper actuator 38.

(17) In any event the control unit 40 is designed to detect an operating parameter of the fan 20; in the illustrated example, for instance, the operating current drawn by the fan 20 or by the fan drive unit 26.

(18) Depending on the operating setting of the flapper valve assembly 34 of the flapper valve device 28, the flow resistance to be overcome by the air stream L will increase or decrease. Since the fan 20 is disposed relative to the flapper valve device 28 such that an air stream L generated by it flows through the air transit opening 32, the flow resistance generated as a function of the operating setting of the flapper valve assembly 34 acts against the fan 20 if the air stream L flowing through the air transit opening 32 was generated by the fan 20.

(19) As is generally common in motor vehicles, the fan 20 is preferably mounted in an intake position with respect to the heat exchanger 16, that is, the heat exchanger 16 is located on the intake side (vacuum side) of the fan 20 and the flapper valve device 28 on its pressure side (high-pressure side). During operation of the fan, the fan 20 thus suctions air through the heat exchanger 16 and the air heats up during its passage through the heat exchanger 16 and thus cools off the coolant liquid also flowing through the heat exchanger. The fan 20 forces the heated air through the flapper valve device 28 to the outside (left arrow point of the air stream L in FIG. 1).

(20) In contrast thereto, if the heat exchanger 16 is to be cooled convectively by the airstream, the air stream will flow past the heat exchanger 16 in the vehicle longitudinal direction from the vehicle front side to the vehicle rear (right arrow points of the air stream L in FIG. 1).

(21) Then if the heat exchanger 16 is to be convectively cooled by operation of the fan 20, it is important that the heated air can escape at the pressure side of the fan 20 through the flapper valve device 28 into the environment outside of the motor vehicle.

(22) In order to prevent overheating of the internal combustion engine 14 or to avoid any unnecessary generation of pollutants from the motor vehicle, perhaps because the flapper valve device 28 is in the open position despite a cold start of the engine 14, and thus the heating of the engine 14 to its nominal operating temperature is needlessly delayed, it is helpful to check or to monitor the functional integrity or the orderly functioning of the flapper valve device 28.

(23) This monitoring can take place in a very simple manner without additional sensors, as described below:

(24) FIG. 2 depicts a relational diagram between the operating current consumed by the fan 20 and the operating time of the fan 20. The abscissa of the diagram of FIG. 2 shows the operating time in seconds; the ordinate of the diagram of FIG. 2 shows the current strength of the operating current in Amperes. The graph 42 shown in the diagram of FIG. 2 thus indicates what operating current is consumed by the fan 20 at which point in time after the operational start (t=0 s). It is evident that after an approximately one-second transient, start-up phase, the fan assumes a quasi-stationary operating state and for the subsequent operating time consumes a roughly constant, low operating current.

(25) This temporally constant operating current is at such a low level because the flapper valve device 28 is in its open setting and thus the open cross-section of the air transit opening 32 is at its operating maximum. Thus the fan 20 has to overcome an operationally minimal flow resistance in order to move air from the heat exchanger 16 through the flapper valve device 28 into the area outside of the motor vehicle.

(26) In contrast, FIG. 3 depicts the chronology 44 of the operating current consumed by the fan 20 when the flapper valve device 28 is in the closed position. Since the open cross-section of the air transit opening 32 is then at its operating minimum, the flow resistance opposing the air stream L from the flapper valve device 28 is at its operating maximum. The fan 20, which must work against the flow resistance established by the flapper valve device 28, consumes a significantly greater operating current when the flapper valve device 28 is in the closed position, after the transient start-up phase, than in the case shown in FIG. 2 where the flapper valve device 28 is in the open position.

(27) Also in the case depicted in FIG. 3, after a transient start-up phase a quasi-stationary operating state occurs which continues during the subsequent operating time.

(28) For example, based on the graph 42, a threshold value 46 of the operating current can be defined which can be used to determine whether the flapper valve device 28 is in the open position or not. Then if the quasi-stationary curve portion of the operating current is below the threshold value 46, it can be concluded that the flapper valve device 28 is in the open position. But if the quasi-stationary curve portion of the operating current is above the threshold value 46, it can be concluded that the flapper valve device 28 is at least not in the open position. The threshold value 46 (first threshold value) can be determined based on the level of the quasi-stationary curve portion 43 of the graph 42, perhaps also under consideration of the usual operating fluctuations and tolerances.

(29) Likewise, based on the graph 44 in FIG. 3, an additional threshold value 48 of the operating current can be defined, which makes it possible to determine whether the flapper valve device 28 is in the open position or not. Then if the quasi-stationary curve portion 45 of the graph 44 is above the threshold value 48, it can be concluded that the flapper valve device 28 is in the closed position. But if this is not the case, it can be concluded that the flapper valve device 28 is not in the closed position. The threshold value 48 (second threshold value) can in turn be determined based on the value of the quasi-stationary portion 45 of the temporal profile 44 of the operating current, under consideration of the usual operating fluctuations and tolerances.

(30) Finally FIG. 4 shows a profile 50 of the operating current of the fan 20 as a function of operating time as it occurs when the flapper valve device 28 is in an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position.

(31) After a transient start-up phase which ends about 1 second after the engine start, a quasi-stationary operating state of the fan again sets in, during which the operating current consumed by the fan 20 changes very little.

(32) Again based on the quasi-stationary portion 51 of graph 50, in an analogous manner to the procedure described above a threshold value 52 (third threshold value) can be defined which is used to draw a conclusion about whether the flapper valve device 28 is in the intermediate position.

(33) The conclusions discussed above about a particular operating state of the flapper valve device 28 based on the relative position of the quasi-stationary curve portion of the temporal profile of the operating current consumed by the fan 20 relative to the specified threshold values can be obtained in a simple manner from the control unit 40 and can be saved in a data memory with the threshold values 46, 48, 52. After passage of a predetermined period of time after the operating start-up of the fan 20, the detected values of operating current can be compared to the threshold values 46 and/or 48 and/or 52 and then, depending on the result of the comparison and based on the relationships described above, a conclusion can be drawn about what position the flapper valve device 28 is in, or at least in what position the flapper valve device 28 is not in.

(34) The position of the flapper valve device 28 determined in this manner, or even the position determined not to be assumed by the flapper valve device 28, can be compared to a desired operating position of the flapper valve device 28, based on additional data saved in the control unit 40, so that the control unit 40 can conclude an orderly functioning of the flapper valve device 28 if the determined position of the flapper valve device 28 coincides with the desired operating position.

(35) According to one refinement of the present invention it is also possible that a predetermined program will be executed in the control unit 40 for functional testing of the flapper valve device 28, according to which the flapper valve assembly 34 is adjusted into differently defined operating positions, and by operation of the fan it can be determined in the manner described above whether the flapper valve device 28 is in fact in the respective selected operating position or not.

(36) The graphs 42, 44 and 50 from FIGS. 2 to 4 are presented in a single diagram in FIG. 5. The diagram of FIG. 5 additionally contains a first characteristic map 54 and a second characteristic map 56. The first characteristic map 54 extends across a first value range of operating current strengths and also across a range of operating times. An operating state of the flapper valve device 28 is associated with this first value range, for example, an operating state of located in a predominately closed state orif the diagram of FIG. 5 is assigned to a desired operating state of predominately closed position of the flapper valve device 28an operating state of functioning in an orderly manner.

(37) Accordingly, the value range of the second characteristic map 56, which is preferably entirely different from the first value range, can be associated with an additional operating state, for example, an operating state of not in a sufficiently closed state, or not functioning in an orderly manner. The use of characteristic maps also makes it possible to operate in specific operating positions of the flapper valve device 28 and to test the selected operating positions by switching on the fan 20 and detecting the operating current consumed by the fan in a quasi-stationary operating state.

(38) The control unit 40 can write an error message or other appropriate information into the error data memory of the motor vehicle, depending on the determined actual operating state of the flapper valve device 28.

(39) The possibility for monitoring of the functional integrity of the flapper valve device 28 proposed in the present application is particularly advantageous because the monitoring of the monitoring result is possible with great reliability without the need to install any otherwise required sensors, lines, software and the like.