Patent Grant
10760474
This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0098122 filed on Aug. 22, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a cooling system control, and more particularly, to a method for controlling a cooling system that prevents coolant boiling and the like.
One developed the integrated heat management technologies is a separation cooling technique which improves the fuel efficiency by independently adjusting a coolant temperature of a cylinder head and an engine block. Mainly, a temperature of the cylinder head is maintained in low temperature to reduce NOx generation and knocking, and a temperature of the engine block is maintained in high temperature and thus, fuel efficiency may be improved.
Even when separate cooling is applied, the coolant boiling point is the same since the cooling system uses one loop. Therefore, the temperature of the coolant of the engine block may increase thus causing boiling to occur which may damage the heat exchange element or the engine.
The above information disclosed in this section is merely for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.
The present invention provides a control method of a cooling system capable of preventing coolant boiling and the like. In particular, the present invention provides a control method for preventing coolant boiling in an engine block of a cooling system that independently adjusts coolant of a cylinder head and an engine block.
A control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be applied to a cooling system including a coolant control valve unit having a cam which adjusts opening rates of a first coolant passage through which the coolant distributed to a heater flows, a second coolant passage through which the coolant distributed to a radiator flows and a third coolant passage through which the coolant discharged from a cylinder block flows, a vehicle operation state detecting portion having a first coolant temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of the coolant flowing through the cylinder head and output a corresponding signal, a second coolant temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of the coolant flowing through the cylinder block, a position sensor configured to sense a rotation of the cam and outputting a corresponding signal, an injector and a controller configured to operate the coolant control valve unit and the injector based on output signals of the vehicle operation state detecting portion.
The control method may include determining, by the controller, whether the output signals of the first coolant temperature sensor and the second coolant temperature sensor satisfy a predetermined coolant overheating condition, operating the coolant control valve unit to move the cam to a maximum position when the predetermined coolant overheating condition is satisfied, determining a control temperature based on an output signal of the first coolant temperature sensor and the second coolant temperature sensor and limiting an operation of the injector based on the determined control temperature.
The maximum position may be a position where the first coolant passage and the third coolant passage are fully opened. The controller may be configured to determine a first correction temperature and a second correction temperature by subtracting a first and second offset values from the output signals of the first coolant temperature sensor and the second coolant temperature sensor respectively and then compare the first and second correction temperatures and set a greater correction temperature to the control temperature.
The operation limitation of the injector may be performed by applying the control temperature to a predetermined table. The coolant control valve unit may be equipped with a fail-safe thermostat for selectively discharging coolant to the radiator. The fail-safe thermostat may be an electrical thermostat and the control method may further include opening the fail-safe thermostat by operating the fail-safe thermostat when the coolant overheating condition is satisfied.
The moving of the cam to the maximum position may be performed by the controller configured to output the movement signal of the cam for a predetermined period of time. The control method of the cooling system according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may prevent the coolant boiling of the cooling system to which the engine for independently adjusting the coolant temperature of the cylinder head and the engine block is applied.
The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
It is understood that the term “vehicle” or “vehicular” or other similar term as used herein is inclusive of motor vehicles in general such as passenger automobiles including sports utility vehicles (SUV), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft, and the like, and includes hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g. fuels derived from resources other than petroleum). As referred to herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that has two or more sources of power, for example both gasoline-powered and electric-powered vehicles.
Although exemplary embodiment is described as using a plurality of units to perform the exemplary process, it is understood that the exemplary processes may also be performed by one or plurality of modules. Additionally, it is understood that the term controller/control unit refers to a hardware device that includes a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store the modules and the processor is specifically configured to execute said modules to perform one or more processes which are described further below.
Furthermore, control logic of the present invention may be embodied as non-transitory computer readable media on a computer readable medium containing executable program instructions executed by a processor, controller/control unit or the like. Examples of the computer readable mediums include, but are not limited to, ROM, RAM, compact disc (CD)-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, flash drives, smart cards and optical data storage devices. The computer readable recording medium can also be distributed in network coupled computer systems so that the computer readable media is stored and executed in a distributed fashion, e.g., by a telematics server or a Controller Area Network (CAN).
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Unless specifically stated or obvious from context, as used herein, the term “about” is understood as within a range of normal tolerance in the art, for example within 2 standard deviations of the mean. “About” can be understood as within 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 0.05%, or 0.01% of the stated value. Unless otherwise clear from the context, all numerical values provided herein are modified by the term “about.”
Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the size and thickness of each component illustrated in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for ease of description and the present invention is not limited thereto, and the thicknesses of portions and regions are exaggerated for clarity.
In addition, parts that are irrelevant to the description are omitted to clearly describe the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification. In the following description, dividing names of components into first, second, and the like is to divide the names because the names of the components are the same, and an order thereof is not particularly limited.
The vehicle operation state detecting portion 10 may include a first coolant temperature sensor 12, a second coolant temperature sensor 14, an oil temperature sensor 16 configured to detect engine oil temperature and output a corresponding signal, an ambient temperature sensor 18 configured to detect ambient air temperature and output a corresponding signal, an accelerator pedal sensor 20 configured to detect an operation angle of an accelerator pedal and output a corresponding signal, a vehicle speed sensor 22 configured to detect a speed of a vehicle and output a corresponding signal and a position sensor 24.
The controller 300 may be implemented as one or more microprocessors operating by a predetermined program, and the predetermined program may include a series of commands for performing the exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The cooling system which may be applied to a control system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include an engine 90 having an engine block 100 and a cylinder head 105, an low pressure-exhaust gas recirculation (LP-EGR) cooler 110, a heater 115, a radiator 130, an oil cooler 135, an oil control valve 140, a high pressure-exhaust gas recirculation (HP-EGR) valve 145 and a coolant pump 155.
The coolant pump 155 may be configured to pump the coolant to a coolant inlet side of the engine block 100 and the pumped coolant may be distributed to the engine block 100 and the cylinder head 105. The coolant control valve unit 125 may be configured to receive the coolant from the cylinder head 105 and adjust an opening rate of a coolant outlet side coolant passage of the engine block 100. The first coolant temperature sensor 12 configured to sense the temperature of the coolant exhausted from the cylinder head 105 may be disposed on the coolant control valve unit 125. The second coolant temperature sensor 14 configured to sense the temperature of the coolant exhausted from the engine block 100 may be disposed on the engine block 100.
The coolant control valve unit 125 may be configured to respectively adjust the coolant flow distributed to the heater 115 and the radiator 130. In particular, the coolant may pass through the low pressure EGR cooler 110 before passing through the heater 115, and the heater 115 and the low pressure EGR cooler 110 may be disposed in series or in parallel. The heater 115 may not be limited to an element for heating inside of a vehicle. In other words, the heater 115 in detailed description and claims may be a heater, an air conditioner, or a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and so on. The coolant control valve unit 125 may be configured to always supply the coolant to the HP-EGR valve 145 and the oil cooler 135.
Additionally, a part of engine oil circulated along the engine block 100 and the cylinder head 105 may be cooled while circulating the oil cooler or oil coolant heat exchanger 135, and the oil control valve 140 may be disposed between the engine 90 and the oil cooler or oil coolant heat exchanger 135 to adjust the flow of the oil. The coolant control valve unit 125 may further include a fail-safe thermostat 330 for selectively discharging coolant to the radiator 130. The fail-safe thermostat 330 may be an electric thermostat, and the controller 300 may be configured to operate the fail safe thermostat 330. The structure and function of the components according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention are well known in the art, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.
A plurality of tracks, for example, a first track 320a, a second track 320b, and a third track 320c, each having a predetermined inclination and height, and a plurality of rods, for example, a first rod 215a, a second rod 215b, and a third rod 215c, may be disposed in a lower portion of the cam 210 such that the first, second, and third rods 215a, 215b, and 215c that respectively contact the first, second, and third tracks 320a, 320b, and 320c may move downward based on a rotation position of the cam 210. In addition, the elastic member may include three elastic members, i.e., a first elastic member 225a, a second elastic member 225b, and a third elastic member 225c to respectively elastically support the first, second, and third rods 215a, 215b, and 215c.
While the first, second, and third elastic members 225a, 225b, and 225c are compressed based on the rotation position of the cam 210, a first valve 220a, a second valve 220b, and a third valve 220c respectively mounted to the first, second, and third rods 215a, 215b, and 215c may open and close a first coolant passage 230a, a second coolant passage 230b, and a third coolant passage 230c. In particular, opening rates of each passage 230a, 230b, and 230c may be adjusted according to the rotation position of the cam 210.
The controller 300 may be configured to receive vehicle operation conditions, (e.g., a coolant temperature, an ambient air temperature, a rotation position signal of the position sensor 24 configured to detect a rotation position of the cam 210 and so on) and may be configured to operate a motor 305 and the motor 305 may change the rotation position of the cam 210 through a gear box 310. The position sensor 24 may be a sensor configured to directly detect a rotation position of the cam 210, or the controller 300 may be configured to indirectly calculate the rotation position of the cam 210 by detecting a rotation portion of the motor 305 using a resolver (not shown). The first coolant path 230a may be in fluid communication with the heater 115, the second coolant path 230b may be in fluid communication with the radiator 130, and the third coolant path 230c may be in fluid communication with the engine block 100.
In the first mode, the first, second, and third coolant passages 230a, 230b, and 230c corresponding to the heater 115, the radiator 130 and the cylinder block 100 may be blocked and the valve lift is zero. In the second mode, the second and third coolant passages 230b and 230c corresponding to the radiator 130 and the engine block 100 may be closed, and the opening rate of the first coolant passage 230a corresponding to the heater 115 and the LP-EGR cooler 110 may be adjusted. In the third mode, the third coolant passage 230c corresponding to the engine block 100 is closed, the opening rate of the second coolant passage 230b corresponding to the radiator 130 may be adjusted, and the opening rate of the first coolant passage 230a corresponding to the heater 115 and the LP-EGR cooler 110 may be maximized.
In the fourth mode, the opening rate of the third coolant passage 230c corresponding to the engine block 100 may be adjusted, the opening rate of the second coolant passage 230b corresponding to the radiator 130 may be maximized, and the opening rate of the first coolant passage 230a corresponding to the heater 115 and the LP-EGR cooler 110 may be maximized. In the fifth mode, the opening rate of the third coolant passage 230c corresponding to the engine block 100 may be maximized, the opening rate of the second coolant passage 230b corresponding to the radiator 130 may be maximized, and the opening rate of the first coolant passage 230a corresponding to the heater 115 and the LP-EGR cooler 110 may be maximized. In the sixth mode, the opening rate of the third coolant passage 230c corresponding to the engine block 100 may be maximized, the opening rate of the second coolant passage 230b corresponding to the radiator 130 may be adjusted, and the opening rate of the first coolant passage 230a corresponding to the heater 115 and the LP-EGR cooler 110 may be maximized.
In the seventh mode, the opening rate of the third coolant passage 230c corresponding to the engine block 100 may be maximized, the second coolant passage 230b corresponding to the radiator 130 may be blocked, and the opening rate of the first coolant passage 230c corresponding to the heater 115 and the LP-EGR cooler 110 may be maximized Additionally, in the first mode, as the flow of the coolant is minimized, the temperature of the engine oil and the coolant rapidly increases in the low temperature state. The second mode is a section that is operated using the heater or the LP-EGR cooler 110 and a warm-up may be executed.
Further, the third mode is a section in which a target coolant temperature is adjusted by adjusting a cooling amount based on a driving region of the engine as a radiator cooling section. The fourth mode adjusts the temperature of the engine block 100 as a cylinder block cooling section. The fifth mode is a section used in a driving condition in which an engine heating amount is high and it may be difficult to secure the cooling amount as a maximum cooling section. In the fifth mode, a separation cooling may be released to thus secure a cooling performance of the block. The sixth mode may separately adjust a target coolant temperature of the cylinder head and the block as a cylinder block and radiator cooling section.
In step S20, the controller 300 may be configured to determine whether the output signals of the first coolant temperature sensor 12 and the second coolant temperature sensor 14 satisfy a predetermined coolant overheating condition. The cooling system to which the control method according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be applied may independently adjust the coolant temperature of the engine block 100 and the cylinder head 105. Even when separate cooling is applied, the coolant boiling point is the same since the cooling system uses one loop. Therefore, the temperature of the coolant of the engine block 100 may increase thus causing boiling to occur, and the heat exchange element or the engine 90 may be damaged. Thus, the controller 300 may be configured to determine whether the coolant is in a condition in which a risk of boiling occurs in accordance with the output signals of the first and second coolant temperature sensors 12 and 14, and the coolant overheating condition may be set by experiment.
When the coolant overheating condition is satisfied, the controller 300 may be configured to operate the coolant control valve unit 125 to move the cam 210 to the maximum position in operation S30. The moving the cam 210 to the maximum position may be performed by the controller 300 configured to output the movement signal of the cam 210 for a predetermined period of time. The set time may be set to a time required for the cam 210 to move to the maximum position according to an output signal of the controller 300.
The overheating of the cooling system may occur due to various causes. For example, the cause may be a broken or shorted line of the position sensor 24, a short circuit or short circuit of the motor 305, a damage to the motor 305, the cam 210 may be stuck, or the like. When the position sensor 24 malfunctions, an error may occur with respect to the current position of the cam 210. Accordingly, the controller 300 may be configured to operate the coolant control valve unit 125 to move the cam 210 to the maximum position.
Referring to
In particular, the fail-safe thermostat 330 may be an electrical thermostat and the controller 300 may be configured to operate the fail safe thermostat 330 when the coolant overheating condition is satisfied (S40). When the fail safe thermostat 330 is opened, coolant may be cooled through the radiator 130. When the controller 300 transmits an operation signal to the motor 305, the motor 305 may be unable to be operated due to a failure of the motor 305 or a foreign substance in the rotation direction of the cam 210. Accordingly, the third coolant passage 230c may not open and the engine 90, particularly the engine block 100, may be overheated.
Additionally, even when the fail-safe thermostat 330 is opened, the engine 90 may be overheated. Accordingly, the controller 300 may be configured to determine the control temperature T_max based on the output signals of the first and second coolant temperature sensors 12 and 14 (S50), and output the determined control temperature T_max for the operation of the injector 340 to be restricted (S60). The torque of the engine may be limited or restricted based on the operation restriction of the injector 340, and thus, the engine 90 may continue to be operated and the engine 90 may be prevented from overheating.
Furthermore, the controller 300 may be configured to operate the coolant control valve unit 125 according to the first mode to the seventh mode described above, that is, the general operation control logic may be performed (S70). The controller 300 may be configured to determine whether the coolant overheating condition is satisfied based on an output signal of the vehicle operation state detecting portion 10 while operating the coolant control valve unit 125 according to general operation control logic. When the coolant overheating condition is satisfied, the control method according to the example may be performed repeatedly.
The cooling system to which the control method according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be applied, may independently adjust the coolant temperature of the engine block 100 and the cylinder head 105 and adjust the temperature of the engine block 100 and the cylinder head 105 with a difference of approximately 10° C. Since the cylinder head 105 and the engine block 100 have different control temperatures, the offset values may be applied differently to the coolant temperature that enters the maximum torque limit to maintain the engine protection and the appropriate engine torque.
For example, the first offset value may be about 0° C. and the second offset value may be about 10° C. The controller 300 may be configured to compare the first and second correction temperatures T_off1 and T_off2 and set a greater correction temperature to the control temperature T_max to operate the injector 340. The operation limitation of the injector 340 may be performed by applying the control temperature T_max to a predetermined table.
As described above, when the over-temperature of the coolant is detected during operation of the vehicle, the cooling system control method according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be performed. When the abnormality of the cooling system is detected by performing the general error diagnosis control logic, the abnormality may be determined to correspond to the coolant overheating condition, and the cooling system control method according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be performed to execute engine protection and the engine torque may properly be limited. In addition, even when the second coolant temperature sensor 14 is affected by the vibration of the engine and is exposed to a relatively high temperature, the cooling system control method according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be performed to protect the engine and maintain proper engine torque may be possible.
While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2018-0098122 | Aug 2018 | KR | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6532807 | Krauss | Mar 2003 | B1 |
| 20130160723 | Miyagawa | Jun 2013 | A1 |
| 20140379237 | Rodriguez | Dec 2014 | A1 |
| 20180051620 | Lee | Feb 2018 | A1 |
| 20190186337 | Insixiengmai | Jun 2019 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20200063640 A1 | Feb 2020 | US |
