Patent Application
20130085734
The present invention relates generally to systems for determining coolant temperature, and more particularly, this invention relates to a model and computer based diagnostic system for determining fluid flow and temperature within an automotive vehicle engine.
Prototyping of automotive vehicle engine cooling systems is well known in the art. Specifically, physical prototyping of cooling systems for automobile vehicle engines is known. The drainability of an engine and vehicle thermal management systems rely on a physical prototype for testing and evaluation. Testing of the prototype system consists of rigorous analysis of fluid flow, drainage, filling, temperature, etc. The collection of air pockets in specific areas of the thermal management system is evaluated by using a plurality of transparent conduits to connect each respective element. The physical prototype commonly used is created in transparency to see what happens inside the conduits. However, the physical prototyping having transparent conduits does not accommodate a system when rotating parts are considered. Any rotating part within the system must also be considered to properly determine fill and thermal calculations. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to provide a reliable means for accurately determining system characteristics of a thermal management system within an automobile vehicle engine.
The present invention provides for a model and computer based diagnostic method and system for automating a simulation process for a component, sub-system, and system of a vehicle engine relating particularly to coolant filling and draining. The method including the steps of creating a physical prototype and transparency of fluid passageways within the engine including the following elements: a radiator, a reservoir, a water jacket, a heater core, a heat exchanger, and other coolant system components thereby forming a complete cooling system within a vehicle engine. Each of the elements is in fluid communication with one another. The method further includes the steps of assessing the elements of the physical system having rotating parts and determining fluid flow through the elements of the physical system having rotating parts. The data collected in that assessment is imported into a computer database. Geometry is then imported from the physical prototype to the computer automated design system including physics statistics and thermodynamics of each element including a radiator, a reservoir, a water jacket, a heater core, a heat exchanger, and other coolant system components thereby forming a complete fluid system. The method lastly includes the step of simulating fluid flow through the coolant system wherein the results of the computer simulation are displayed on a display screen.
The present invention relates to a computer based diagnostic method for automating the simulation process to simulate a coolant system. The simulation process is used in connection with a plurality of components, sub-systems, and systems of a vehicle engine relating particularly to coolant filling and draining. The basic method including the general steps of creating a physical prototype in transparency including all essential elements to the cooling system, assessing the elements of the physical system having any rotating parts, importing the geometry of the physical prototype including all rotating elements into a database computer automated design system, allowing the database to simulate the fluid flow through the coolant system within the computer automated design.
A reservoir 50 is operable to store excess fluid. The reservoir connects to the radiator 44 by means of a first conduit 46 and a second conduit 48. The first conduit 46 is transparent and includes a plurality of 90 degree bends 46a and 46b. The second conduit 48 is also transparent. The radiator 44 further connects to the Electric Water Pump or EWP 40 by means of the transparent conduit 42. The EWP 40 connects to the EGR Cooler 24 by means of the conduit 23 having a first 90 degree bend 23a. And again, as previously discussed, the EGR Cooler 24 connects to the check valve (Air Relief Valve herinafter ARV) 12 by means of the conduit 16. All of the elements discussed above are in fluid communication with one another. In the present embodiments, all conduits connecting the elements as described above are transparent to allow the user to view the inner workings of the system. In an alternative embodiment, the elements such as the heater core 60, water jacket 54, reservoir 50, radiator 44, EWP 40, EGR Cooler 24, Air Relief Valve or ARV 12, and heat exchanger 20 are also transparent or at least partially transparent to allow the user to view the fluid passing through the system. The user is allowed to view the inner system workings to view air bubbles or other inconsistencies within the fluid.
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The method 400 then includes the step of importing geometry 406 into a computer based design system. Importing the geometry 406 of the physical prototype 402 to the computer automated design system includes importing physics statistics of each element including a radiator, reservoir, water jacket, heater core, heat exchanger, and other coolant system components thereby forming a complete coolant system. The method 400 then includes the step of simulating fluid flow 408 in a computer based design system such as CAD. The computer simulated fluid flow from step 408 is then displayed on a computer based display screen 442.
The method 400 then includes the step of analyzing fluid flow data 410. Analysis 410 includes analyzing flow 410a, pressure 410b, pressure loss 410c, velocity 410d, and temperature 410e. The computer analysis as in step 410 is then displayed on the display screen 442. The computer analysis of fluid flow data 410 is electronically stored in a database 440. The automatic commuter analysis 410 of the flow 410a, pressure 410b, pressure loss 410c, velocity 410d and temperature 410e produces data which is automatically stored in the database 440. The database 440 is in communication with the computer design system of the present invention.
The next step in the method 400 includes the step of comparing actual data to simulated data 412. The data from the database compared at step 412 is then displayed on the display screen 422. The method 400 then includes the step of changing physical geometry 420 to best optimize the overall system. If geometry is changed at step 420, the user then recreates a physical prototype 402 and proceeds to the next step of assessing rotating parts 404 and proceeds on through the following steps 406-422. If the user is satisfied during the method 400 after step 420 (changing physical geometry), then the user may end 422 the method and process.
The invention is not restricted to the illustrative examples and embodiments described above. The embodiments are not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention. Methods, apparatus, compositions, and the like described herein are exemplary and not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art. The scope of the invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims.
