This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0144413, filed on Nov. 21, 2018, and which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to an electronic thermostat and an engine cooling system using the same, and more particularly, to an electronic thermostat and an engine cooling system using the same, capable of split cooling and controlling a coolant flow rate of an engine.
A thermostat is opened or closed according to a set coolant or cooling water temperature, thereby controlling a bypass flow rate and a radiator flow rate of the coolant circulating inside an engine of a vehicle. In the case of a general mechanical thermostat, as the wax filled in a valve body shrinks by coagulation or expands by melting according to the water temperature of the coolant or cooling water, a valve vertically moves to open or close a passage. In the case of such a mechanical thermostat, the opening and closing are adjusted according to the water temperature of the coolant or cooling water, such that it is impossible to adjust active opening and closing of the passage. In the case of an electronic thermostat for solving such a problem, as disclosed in Korean Patent 10-1338468, it is possible to provide a drive heater capable of heating the wax therein. Thereby, the opening and closing of the passage of the coolant or cooling water is actively adjusted according to the operating condition of the engine and environmental factors.
It is possible to apply the thermostat, thereby controlling the flow rate of the coolant or cooling water so that the water temperature of the coolant or cooling water becomes a low temperature considering the durability of the engine in the high load condition of the engine, and controlling the flow rate of the coolant or cooling water so that the water temperature of the cooling water becomes a high temperature considering the fuel efficiency and the performance improvement in the low load condition thereof.
It is more effective to separately cool a cylinder head and a cylinder block of the engine in order to further improve the fuel efficiency and the engine performance.
The information disclosed in the Background section is only to enhance understanding of the background of the present disclosure. The Background section may therefore contain information that is not previously known to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.
A cooling system of an engine that uses a conventional thermostat is only able to control the amount of the coolant or cooling water (hereinafter “cooling water”) that flows in or out from the head of the engine. Alternatively, as illustrated in
The present disclosure is intended to solve the above problems. An object of the present disclosure is to provide an electronic thermostat and a cooling system of an engine using the same, which may control the flow rate of the cooling water in the cylinder head and the cylinder block by using only one electronic thermostat.
The present disclosure for solving the above problem includes an electronic thermostat into which the cooling water is flowed from a cylinder head of an engine through a first inlet. The electronic thermostat is configured for controlling the flow rate of the received cooling water supplied to the outside, i.e., to be exposed to ambient air such as via a radiator. The electronic thermostat includes a first valve for controlling the flow rate of the cooling water supplied to a first passage for connecting a first outlet of the electronic thermostat and a water pump. The electronic thermostat further includes a second valve for controlling the flow rate of the cooling water flowing through a second passage for connecting the outlet side of a radiator and a cylinder block of the engine.
In one embodiment, the first passage is branched at a first branch point from a third passage connected from the outlet side of the radiator to the water pump to be connected to the inlet side of the thermostat.
In one embodiment, the second passage is branched from the third passage at the point under the first branch point to be connected to the inlet side of the cylinder block of the engine.
In one embodiment, the second valve integrally move together according to the movement of the first valve.
The electronic thermostat may further include a third valve for controlling the flow rate of the cooling water supplied to a fourth passage for connecting a second outlet of the electronic thermostat and the inlet side of the radiator.
In one embodiment, the electronic thermostat includes a thermostat case in which the first inlet, the first outlet, and the second outlet are formed. The electronic thermostat may further include a valve body provided inside the thermostat case. The electronic thermostat may also include a thermosensitive member filled inside the valve body. The thermosensitive member may shrink or expand according to a temperature. The first valve may be formed at the first outlet side of the valve body. The third valve may be formed at the second outlet side of the valve body. The second valve may be integrally formed to be spaced at a predetermined interval apart from the first valve at one side of the first valve. The electronic thermostat may further include a drive heater for applying heat to the thermosensitive member in order to drive the first valve, the second valve, and the third valve.
In one embodiment, the first valve, the second valve, and the third valve are operated according to with the temperature of the cooling water. When the temperature of the cooling water is in a first temperature range, the first valve may be opened. At this time, the second valve may be closed and the third valve may be closed.
When the temperature of the cooling water is in a second temperature range higher than the first temperature range, the first valve may be closed. At this time, the second valve may also be closed and the third valve may be opened.
When the temperature of the cooling water is in a third temperature range higher than the second temperature range, the first valve may be closed. At this time, the second valve may be opened and the third valve may be opened.
In one embodiment, the thermostat case is formed with a third outlet connected to the inlet of a low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation (LP EGR) valve or cooler, or to a heater core.
In one embodiment, the thermostat case is formed with a fourth outlet connected to the inlet of a high-pressure exhaust gas recirculation (HP EGR) valve or cooler, or to an oil cooler.
A cooling system of an engine according to the present disclosure for solving the above problems includes the above-described electronic thermostat, an engine, a water pump for supplying the cooling water to the engine, and a control unit for controlling the first valve, the second valve, and the third valve by controlling the drive heater of the electronic thermostat.
The control unit may control the drive heater so that when the temperature of the cooling water is in a first temperature range, the first valve may be opened. At this time, the second valve may be closed and the third valve may be closed.
The control unit may control the drive heater so that when the temperature of the cooling water is in a second temperature range higher than the first temperature range, the first valve may be closed. At this time, the second valve may also be closed and the third valve may be opened.
The control unit may control the drive heater so that when the temperature of the cooling water is in a third temperature range higher than the second temperature range, the first valve may be closed. At this time, the second valve may be opened, and the third valve may be opened.
The control unit may stop the flow of the cooling water in the engine system by stopping an operation of the water pump, when the temperature of the cooling water is lower than the first temperature range.
According to the present disclosure, it is possible to control the temperature of two parts of the cylinder block and the cylinder head by using one electronic thermostat, thereby saving in manufacturing costs and simplifying the layout of the relevant parts in the engine as compared to the conventional technology of using two thermostats.
In addition, it is possible to control the movement of one valve of the electronic thermostat to collectively control the flow rate in three passages of the cooling water simultaneously, thereby simplifying a control of the flow rate of the cooling water.
According to the present disclosure, it is possible to realize the split cooling of two parts of the cylinder block and the cylinder head by using one electronic thermostat, thereby improving the fuel efficiency and the engine performance.
In addition, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to quickly increase the water temperature of the cooling water and the oil in the block by stopping the flow of the cooling water in the block in the cooling condition of the engine, thereby reducing the friction inside the engine.
In addition, it is possible to appropriately control the flow rate of the cooling water in the radiator, the cylinder block, and the cylinder head according to the water temperature of the cooling water according to the revolutions per minute (RPM) of the engine, the engine load, the external air temperature, and the like, thereby improving the fuel efficiency and the durability of the engine.
Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As illustrated in
When viewed from the side surface thereof, a third passage 4, which allows the cooling water cooled by the radiator 400 to flow from the outlet side of the radiator 400 toward the water pump 300, is installed on the lower portion of the electronic thermostat 100. Then, the first passage 2 extended from the first outlet 12 of the electronic thermostat 100 joins with a third passage 4 at a first branch point 12a of the third passage 4. Therefore, the cooling water flowed out from the first outlet 12 joins at the first branch point 12a to go toward the water pump 300 together with the cooling water flowed out from the outlet of the radiator 400.
At a second branch point 13a under the first branch point 12a of the third passage 4, the third passage 4 is branched and the branched passage forms a second passage 3 connected to the inlet side of a cylinder block 220 so that a part of the cooling water flowing to the water pump 300 goes toward the cylinder block 220 through the third passage 4.
The electronic thermostat 100 includes a first valve 102 and a third valve 104, respectively, in order to adjust the flow rate of the cooling water flowed out to the water pump 300 through the first outlet 12 and the flow rate of the cooling water flowed out to the radiator 400 through the second outlet 14. As described below, the first valve 102 is installed at the lower end of a valve body 101, and the third valve 104 is installed at the upper end of the valve body 101. Accordingly, the first valve 102 and the third valve 104 adjusts the opening and closing of the first outlet 12 and the second outlet 14 by straightly moving vertically and integrally according to the shrinkage and the expansion of a thermosensitive member 107 filled in the valve body 101.
The electronic thermostat 100 according to the present disclosure further includes a second valve 103 for adjusting the flow of the cooling water to the cylinder block 220. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The thermostat case 10 may have a third outlet 15 through which the cooling water flows to an LP EGR or a heater core, and a fourth outlet 16 through which the cooling water is flowed out to a HP EGR or an oil cooler.
A valve body 101 is mounted inside the thermostat case 10 of the electronic thermostat 100. A wax 107 is filled in the valve body 101 as a thermosensitive member. A drive heater 106 is provided therein to heat the wax 107 by using a current supplied from a connector 105. The drive heater 106 is connected to a control unit 800 through Controller Area Network (CAN) communication or the like. The drive heater 106 heats the wax 107 at a predetermined temperature according to a control duty signal of the control unit 800. The wax 107 shrinks by coagulation or expands by melting according to the water temperature of the cooling water or the heating of the drive heater 106. Thereby, the valve body 101 moves vertically.
Then, the third valve 104, which selectively blocks the second outlet 14 through which the cooling water flows to the radiator 400, is integrally formed on the upper end portion of the valve body 101. A first valve spring 112 is disposed inside the thermostat case 10. The upper end portion of the first valve spring 112 elastically supports the lower end portion of the third valve 104 upwardly. The lower end portion of the first valve spring 112 is supported by a lower frame 109 of the thermostat case 10. When the temperature of the cooling water is low and the wax 107 is not heated by the drive heater 106, the wax 107 does not expand. Therefore, the third valve 104 is pressurized on an upper frame 108, which is a valve seat, by the elastic force of the first valve spring 112 to close the second outlet 14 formed in the upper frame 108. Then, when the temperature of the cooling water flowed into the electronic thermostat 100 is high or the wax 107 is heated by the drive heater 106, the wax 107 begins to expand to move in the direction spaced apart from the upper frame 108 to open the second outlet 14 formed on the upper frame 108.
Then, the first valve 102, which selectively blocks the first outlet 12 through which the cooling water flows to the water pump 300, is integrally formed on the lower end portion of the valve body 101. A second valve spring 113 is provided thereon, and the upper end portion of the second valve spring 113 is supported by the lower frame of the thermostat case 10. The lower end portion of the second valve spring 113 is supported by the upper surface of the first valve 102. Therefore, when the temperature of the cooling water is low and the wax 107 is not heated by the drive heater 106, the first outlet 12 is kept open. When the temperature of the cooling water flowed into the electronic thermostat 100 is high or the wax 107 is heated by the drive heater 106, the first valve 102 moves downwardly together with the third valve 104 to close the first outlet 12.
The second valve 103 is integrally formed on the lower portion of the first valve 102 to be spaced at a predetermined interval apart from the first valve 102. A shaft 110 is integrally extended downwardly from the lower surface of the first valve 102. The second valve 103 is integrally connected to the lower end of the extended shaft 110 to integrally form the first valve 102 and the second valve 103. Therefore, when the first valve 102 moves upwardly or downwardly by the shrinkage or the expansion of the wax 107, the second valve 103 also moves upwardly or downwardly together therewith to open or close the inlet 13 of the second passage 3 going toward the cylinder block 220, as described above.
In the example illustrated in
An example illustrated in
The valve body 101 is descended as the wax 107 starts to expand by the increase in the water temperature of the cooling water, and the like. Thereby, the first valve 102, the second valve 103, and the third valve 104 are all slightly descended from the top dead center. At this time, the third valve 104 is spaced apart from the upper frame 108 to open the fourth passage 5, and the first outlet 12 of the first passage 2 is closed by the descended first valve 102. The second valve 103 descends downwardly together with the first valve 102, but the upside side wall of the second passage 3 still contacts with the main body of the second valve 103, such that the inlet 13 of the second passage 3 is closed. In other words, the first passage 2 and the second passage 3 are closed, and the fourth passage 5 is opened.
An example illustrated in
In this state, as in the state illustrated in
However, since the second valve 103 has been further descended than in the state illustrated in
As described above, in the case of using the electronic thermostat 100 according to the present disclosure, it is possible to control one thermostat. As a result, it is possible to control the flow rate of the cooling water of three parts simultaneously, and in particular, it is possible to control the flow rate of the cooling water from the cylinder head 210 and the flow rate of the cooling water to the cylinder block 220, respectively. Thereby, the split cooling is achieved.
As illustrated in
In this embodiment, the cooling of the engine system, which includes the engine 200, the water pump 300, the radiator 400, a cooling water storage tank 500, an oil cooler 610, a HP EGR cooler 620, an LP EGR cooler 710, and a heater core 720, is performed by the engine cooling system.
The cooling water stored by the cooling water storage tank 500 is pumped by the water pump 300 to flow into the cylinder block 220 of the engine 200 to cool the engine. The cooling water having cooled the engine 200 flows to the cooling water inflow passage 1 and is supplied to the electronic thermostat 100 through the first inlet 11 of the electronic thermostat 100.
The cooling water supplied to the electronic thermostat 100 is selectively supplied to the radiator 400, the water pump 300, and the cylinder block 220 according to the drive condition of the engine and the water temperature of the cooling water. Then, a part of the received cooling water is supplied to the LP EGR cooler 710 or the heater core 720 through the third outlet 15. A part of the cooling water is also supplied to the HP EGR cooler 620 or the oil cooler 610 through the fourth outlet 16. Although the example illustrated in
In this example, the oil cooler 610 cools the oil or heats the oil by the supplied cooling water, and the heater core 720 heats the indoor air of the vehicle by the supplied cooling water. Then, the radiator 400 radiates the heat of the high-temperature cooling water to the outside, i.e., the ambient air in contact with the radiator. Then, the LP EGR cooler 710 and the HP EGR cooler 620 cool the LP EGR gas and the HP EGR gas before being supplied to the intake system of the engine 200, respectively.
As described above, in the engine cooling system according to the present disclosure, it is possible to appropriately control the flow rate of the cooling water to the radiator, the cylinder block, and the cylinder head according to the RPM of the engine, the engine load, the water temperature of the cooling water, and the like, thereby improving the fuel efficiency and the durability of the engine.
As described above, while the present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, the embodiments are only illustrative. It is to be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications therefrom may be made, and all or part of the above-described embodiment(s) may also be configured to selectively combine them. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present disclosure should be determined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2018-0144413 | Nov 2018 | KR | national |
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Number | Date | Country |
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101338468 | Dec 2013 | KR |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20200158002 A1 | May 2020 | US |