Patent Application
20210254580
The present disclosure relates to internal combustion engine systems.
Systems using internal combustion engines often use cylinder-head cooling systems to provide cooling to various engine components. The cylinder-head cooling systems include coolant passages that allow flow of an engine coolant to facilitate transfer of heat away from the cylinder-head and the engine.
In one set of embodiments, a cooling system for a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine comprises a cylindrical seat configured to engage an exhaust valve. The cylindrical seat defines an annular cooling passage extending along a circumference of the cylindrical seat. The cooling system also comprises a first coolant jacket disposed entirely in the cylinder head. The cooling system also comprises a first conduit fluidly coupling the first coolant jacket to the annular cooling passage. The cooling system also comprises a second coolant jacket disposed entirely in the cylinder head. The cooling system also comprises a second conduit fluidly coupling the second coolant jacket to the annular cooling passage.
In another set of embodiments, a cooling system for a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine comprises a cylindrical seat configured to engage an exhaust valve. The cylindrical seat defines an annular cooling passage extending along a circumference of the cylindrical seat, and a wall of the cylindrical seat defines a first opening into the annular cooling passage. The cooling system also comprises a first coolant jacket disposed entirely above a combustion chamber. The cooling system also comprises a first conduit fluidly coupling the first coolant jacket to the first opening.
In another set of embodiments, a method comprises providing a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine. The cylinder head comprises a cylindrical seat configured to engage an exhaust valve, and the cylindrical seat defines an annular cooling passage extending along a circumference of the cylindrical seat. The method further comprises positioning a first coolant jacket disposed entirely in the cylinder head. The method further comprises fluidly coupling the first coolant jacket to the annular cooling passage via a first conduit. The method further comprises positioning a second coolant jacket disposed entirely above in the cylinder head. The method further comprises fluidly coupling the second coolant jacket to the annular cooling passage via a second conduit, wherein the annular cooling passage is configured to receive a coolant for cooling the cylinder head.
The skilled artisan will understand that the drawings primarily are for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the subject matter described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale; in some instances, various aspects of the subject matter disclosed herein may be shown exaggerated or enlarged in the drawings to facilitate an understanding of different features. In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to like features (e.g., functionally similar and/or structurally similar elements).
The features and advantages of the inventive concepts disclosed herein will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings.
Following below are more detailed descriptions of various concepts related to, and embodiments of, inventive internal combustion assemblies and methods of operating internal combustion assemblies. It should be appreciated that various concepts introduced above and discussed in greater detail below may be implemented in any of numerous ways, as the disclosed concepts are not limited to any particular manner of implementation. Examples of specific implementations and applications are provided primarily for illustrative purposes.
While not shown in
Due to the combustion of fuel within the engine, the cylinder head 100 can be exposed to high temperature gases. In particular, the exhaust valve 102 and the exhaust valve seat 104 are exposed to high temperature exhaust gases. This exposure to high temperatures can, over time, cause deterioration of the exhaust valve 102 and the exhaust valve seat 104. Deterioration of the exhaust valve 102 and the exhaust valve seat 104 can, in turn, result in decrease in the performance or even failure of the internal combustion engine. The cylinder head 100 can include a cooling system to provide cooling to various components of the engine. For example, a cooling system can include several cavities called water jackets or coolant jackets through which a coolant flows to provide cooling to various components of the engine. These cooling jackets can provide cooling to the exhaust valve seat 104 and the exhaust valve 102, thereby reducing or mitigating the deterioration of the exhaust valve and the exhaust valve seat 104 due to exposure to high temperatures.
The cooling system 201 also includes cooling channels within the exhaust valve seats, such as the exhaust valve seat 104 discussed above in relation to
As mentioned above, the input and output orifices 208 and 210 are fluidly coupled to the upper and the lower coolant jackets 202 and 204. For example, the input orifice 208 is fluidly coupled to the lower coolant jacket 204 via an input conduit 214, and the output orifice 210 is fluidly coupled to the upper coolant jacket 202 via an output conduit 216. Thus, the coolant in the lower coolant jacket 204 is directed to the annular channel 206 via the input conduit 214 and the input orifice 208. The coolant is made to circulate along the annular channel through a longer path between the input orifice 208 and the output orifice 210, and directed to the upper conduit via the output conduit 216.
Additional conduits can also be provided to direct the coolant between the upper coolant jacket 202 and the lower coolant jacket 204. For example, as shown in cross-sectional view of the cooling system 201, an inter jacket conduit 218 fluidly connects the upper coolant jacket 202 with the lower coolant jacket 204. The inter-jacket conduit 218 is fluidly connected to an opening in a portion of the lower coolant jacket 204 located between two exhaust seats (also referred to as an E-E bridge). The inter-jacket conduit 218 directs the coolant from the E-E bridge to the upper coolant jacket 202. The cooling system 201 also can include additional inter-jacket conduits (not shown) that can direct the coolant between the lower and the upper coolant jackets 204 and 202.
In some example implementations, the exhaust valve seat 104 including the annular channel 206 in may increase the complexity of manufacturing the internal combustion engine. For example, in some instances, appropriately aligning the input and the output conduits 214 and 216 with the input and output orifices 208 and 210, respectively, can involve additional alignment steps in the manufacture of the internal combustion engine. These additional alignment steps can increase the time and cost of manufacturing. In addition, the annular channel 206 may provide inadequate cooling of the exhaust valve seat 104 because the partition 212 limits the coolant circulation to only about 300 degrees of the circumference of the exhaust valve seat 104. Furthermore, the partition 212 and the annular channel 206 undesirably result in high coolant pressure. In addition, the inter-jacket conduit 218 directs coolant away from the E-E bridge. This can cause inadequate cooling of the E-E bridge, which is exposed to relatively high temperatures due to the proximity to two exhaust valves. The cooling system discussed below in relation to
The coolant, after entering the annular channel 306 through the input orifice, is directed through two paths in the annular channel 306 before exiting through the output orifice. For example, a portion of the coolant can be directed via a first path indicated by the first path arrow 356, and the remainder of the coolant can be directed via a second path indicated by the second path arrow 358. The coolant directed through both the first path and the second path through the annular channel 306 is directed out of the annular channel 306 via the output orifice. The combined length of the first and the second paths covers the entire circumference of the annular channel 306. That is, the coolant can be circulated through the entire 360 degrees of the annular channel 306. This is in contrast with the annular channel 206 of the exhaust seat 104 shown in
The cooling system 301 shown in
In some implementations, the exhaust valve seat 305 can include two or more input orifices. In some such implementations, the cooling system 301 can include corresponding number of input conduits for fluidly coupling the lower coolant jacket 304 to the annular channel 306 via the two or more input orifices. Similarly, the exhaust valve seat 305 can include two or more output orifices. In some such implementations, the cooling system 301 can include a corresponding number of output conduits for fluidly coupling the annular channel 306, via the two or more output orifices, to the upper jacket conduit 366 or directly to the upper coolant jacket 302. In some implementations, the two or more input orifices can be positioned diametrically opposite to the two or more output orifices. In some implementations, the two or more input orifices can be arranged co-linearly in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the exhaust valve seat 305. Similarly, the two or more output orifices also can be arranged co-linearly in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the exhaust valve seat 305.
The cylindrical seat defines an annular cooling passage extending along a circumference of the cylindrical seat. For example, the exhaust valve seat 305 defines the annular channel 306 extending around the exhaust valve seat 305. The cylindrical seat also defines a first opening and a second opening in a wall of the cylindrical seat into the annular cooling passage. For example, exhaust valve 305 defines the input orifice through which a coolant can enter the annular channel 306, as well as an output orifice through which the coolant can exit the annular channel 306 (e.g., in an outer wall or an inner wall thereof).
The annular cooling passage (e.g., the annular channel 306) may define two coolant flow paths (e.g., the first path 356 and the second path 358) between the first opening and the second opening. In some embodiments, the two coolant flow paths may be of substantially equal length. In other embodiments, the first opening is positioned diametrically opposite to the second opening along the circumference of the cylindrical seat.
In various embodiments, the cylindrical seat defines plurality of first openings in the wall of the cylindrical seat (e.g., the exhaust valve seat 305) into the annular cooling passage (e.g., the annular channel 306). A corresponding plurality of second openings may also be defined into the annular cooling passage (e.g., the annular channel 306). In particular embodiments, the plurality of first openings may be positioned co-linearly in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical seat (e.g., the exhaust valve seat 305), and the corresponding plurality of second openings may also be positioned co-linearly in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical seat (e.g., the exhaust valve seat 305).
At 604, a first coolant jacket is positioned adjacent to a fire-deck of the cylinder head. At 606, the first coolant jacket is fluidly coupled to at least one of the first opening and the second opening via a first conduit. For example, the lower coolant jacket 304 is positioned proximate to a fire-deck of the cylinder head 300, and is fluidly coupled to an input orifice of the respective annular channel 306 via the input conduit 362. In particular embodiments, the method 600 also comprises fluidly coupling a portion of the first coolant jacket (e.g., the lower coolant jacket 304) positioned proximate an intake-exhaust bridge of the cylinder head (e.g., the cylinder head 300) to the first opening via the first conduit (e.g., the input conduit 362), at 608. The annular cooling passage is configured to receive a coolant for cooling the cylinder head.
In some embodiments, the method 600 also comprises positioning a second coolant jacket opposite the first coolant jacket, at 610. At 612, the second coolant jacket is fluidly coupled to the second opening. For example, the upper coolant jacket 302 is positioned opposite the lower coolant jacket 304, and is fluidly coupled to the second opening via the upper jacket conduit 368. The second coolant jacket (e.g., the upper coolant jacket 302) may receive the coolant from the first cooling jacket (e.g., the lower cooling jacket 304) via the second opening.
For the purpose of this disclosure, the term “coupled” means the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary or moveable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being attached to one another. Such joining may be permanent in nature or may be removable or releasable in nature.
It should be noted that the orientation of various elements may differ according to other exemplary embodiments, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure. It is recognized that features of the disclosed embodiments can be incorporated into other disclosed embodiments.
It is important to note that the constructions and arrangements of apparatuses or the components thereof as shown in the various exemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter disclosed. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may also be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the various exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
While various inventive embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other mechanisms and/or structures for performing the function and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the inventive embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that, unless otherwise noted, any parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the inventive teachings is/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific inventive embodiments described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventive embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure.
Also, the technology described herein may be embodied as a method, of which at least one example has been provided. The acts performed as part of the method may be ordered in any suitable way unless otherwise specifically noted. Accordingly, embodiments may be constructed in which acts are performed in an order different than illustrated, which may include performing some acts simultaneously, even though shown as sequential acts in illustrative embodiments.
The claims should not be read as limited to the described order or elements unless stated to that effect. It should be understood that various changes in form and detail may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. All embodiments that come within the spirit and scope of the following claims and equivalents thereto are claimed.
The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/486,645, filed Aug. 16, 2019, which is the U.S. national stage of PCT Application No. PCT/US2018/019099, filed Feb. 22, 2018, which claims priority to and benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/463,228, filed Feb. 24, 2017 and entitled “Engine Cooling System Including Exhaust Seats,” the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62463228 | Feb 2017 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16486645 | Aug 2019 | US |
| Child | 17307497 | US |
