Claims
- 1. An apparatus for conditioning a flow of combustion air being supplied to the intake of an internal combustion engine, the apparatus comprising:
an air-to-liquid heat exchanger disposed in the flow of combustion air for heat exchange between the combustion air and a liquid coolant; and an air-to-air heat exchanger disposed in the flow of combustion air downstream of the air-to-liquid heat exchanger for heat exchange between the combustion air and ambient air.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a flow control element for selectively bypassing at least a portion of the combustion air to the engine intake around the air-to-air heat exchanger.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a coolant circuit for delivering liquid coolant to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger; and wherein the coolant circuit comprises a control element for selecting the liquid coolant delivered to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger to be of a predetermined temperature relationship to that of the combustion air entering the air-to-liquid intercooler.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a motor powered fan for moving ambient air through the air-to-air heat exchanger; and a flow path for supplying ambient air to the motor to ventilate the motor along a path other than that through the air-to-air heat exchanger.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a shutter disposed within a flow path of the ambient air upstream of the air-to-air heat exchanger, the shutter adapted to control a flow of ambient air passing through the air-to-air heat exchanger.
- 6. A cooling system for an internal combustion engine, the cooling system comprising:
a liquid coolant circuit comprising an air-to-liquid intercooler for providing heat exchange between a liquid coolant and a flow of combustion air being supplied to an intake of an internal combustion engine; and an air-to-air intercooler disposed within the flow of combustion air downstream of the air-to-liquid intercooler for providing heat exchange between the flow of combustion air and ambient air.
- 7. The cooling system of claim 6, wherein the liquid coolant circuit further comprises at least one valve for controlling the liquid coolant delivered to the air-to-liquid intercooler to have a predetermined temperature relationship with the combustion air entering the air-to-liquid intercooler.
- 8. The cooling system of claim 6, further comprising:
a fan motor disposed downstream of the air-to-air intercooler for driving a fan for forcing a flow of ambient air through the air-to-air intercooler; and a duct for supplying a flow of ambient air to ventilate the fan motor along a flow path other than that through the air-to-air intercooler.
- 9. The cooling system of claim 8, further comprising a shutter associated with the air-to-air intercooler and having a plurality of positions for controlling the flow of ambient air through the air-to-air intercooler, the flow of ambient air to ventilate the fan motor being responsive to the shutter position.
- 10. The cooling system of claim 6, wherein the liquid coolant circuit further comprises:
a radiator for receiving coolant heated by the engine; a subcooler for receiving coolant from the radiator; and a lubricant cooler for receiving coolant from the subcooler and for providing heat exchange between the coolant and engine lubricant.
- 11. The cooling system of claim 10, wherein the air-to-liquid intercooler receives coolant from an outlet of the lubricant cooler.
- 12. The cooling system of claim 6, wherein the liquid coolant circuit further comprises an interconnection between the air-to-liquid intercooler and an engine cooling device for providing a supply of coolant from the engine cooling device to the air-to-liquid intercooler.
- 13. The cooling system of claim 12, wherein the liquid coolant circuit further comprises a lubricant cooler for providing heat exchange between the coolant and an engine lubricant, the lubricant cooler connected between the engine cooling device and the air-to-liquid intercooler.
- 14. The cooling system of claim 6, further comprising a bypass for delivering the combustion air to the engine from the air-to-liquid intercooler without passing through the air-to-air intercooler.
- 15. A method of conditioning the combustion air being supplied to an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:
directing compressed combustion air from a turbocharger to an air-to-liquid heat exchanger for heat exchange with a liquid coolant of an engine cooling system; and directing the compressed combustion air from the air-to-liquid heat exchanger to an air-to-air heat exchanger for heat exchange with ambient air.
- 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing at least one valve in the engine cooling system for controlling a temperature of the liquid coolant provided to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger to have a predetermined temperature relationship with the combustion air entering the air-to-liquid intercooler.
- 17. The method of claim 15, further comprising selectively bypassing the compressed combustion air around the air-to-air heat exchanger.
- 18. The method of claim 15, further comprising controlling the heat exchange between the combustion air and the ambient air by one of controlling the speed of a fan forcing ambient air through the air-to-air heat exchanger and controlling a position of a shutter disposed within a flow stream of the ambient air.
- 19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
forcing ambient air through the air-to-air heat exchanger with a suction fan driven by a suction fan motor; and providing cooling air to ventilate the suction fan motor along a flow path other than that through the air-to-air heat exchanger.
- 20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
forming the engine cooling system to include an engine water jacket; and directing coolant from the engine water jacket to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger.
- 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the directing coolant from the engine water jacket to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger through an engine lubricant cooler.
- 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising directing the coolant from the engine water jacket to the engine lubricant cooler through a radiator and a subcooler in series.
- 23. The method of claim 20, further comprising directing coolant from the engine water jacket to an engine lubricant cooler in parallel to the coolant being directed from the engine water jacket to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger.
- 24. The method of claim 15, further comprising directing liquid coolant to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger through an engine lubricant cooler.
- 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising directing the coolant to the engine lubricant cooler through a radiator and a subcooler in series.
- 26. An internal combustion engine comprising:
an intake manifold for receiving combustion air into an engine; a coolant loop for circulating coolant for heat exchange between the engine and ambient air; an air-to-liquid intercooler having a combustion air side forming a first portion of a flow path of the combustion air to the intake manifold and having a liquid side forming a portion of the coolant loop for heat exchange between the combustion air and the coolant; and an air-to-air intercooler having a combustion air side forming a second portion of the flow path of the combustion air disposed downstream of the first portion and having an ambient air side for heat exchange between the combustion air and ambient air.
- 27. The engine of claim 26, further comprising a bypass for selectively directing the combustion air around the air-to-air intercooler.
- 28. The engine of claim 26, further comprising:
a motor powered fan for delivery of ambient air to the air-to-air intercooler; and a duct for delivering air to ventilate the motor along a flow path other than that through the air-to-air intercooler.
- 29. The engine of claim 26, further comprising:
a radiator and a subcooler having respective coolant sides forming a portion of the coolant loop and connected in series relationship, and having respective ambient air sides, a flow of ambient air passing respectively past the subcooler ambient air side and the radiator ambient air side; and a lubricant cooler having a coolant side forming a portion of the coolant loop disposed downstream of the subcooler coolant side and having an engine lubricant side.
- 30. The engine of claim 29, wherein the air-to-liquid intercooler receives coolant from an outlet of the lubricant cooler.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims benefit of the Jun. 20, 2001 filing date of provisional U.S. patent application No. 60/299,660.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60299660 |
Jun 2001 |
US |