Valve assembly for thermal management system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10107175-B1
Application number	US-201715647942-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 12, 2017
Priority date	Jul 12, 2017
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

A fluidic valve assembly is disposed in a thermal management system for an internal combustion engine, and includes a unitary housing including a first rotary valve, a second rotary valve and a third rotary valve. The first, second and third rotary valves include a respective first, second and third rotatable valve body that is coupled to a respective first, second and third actuator. The first, second and third rotary valves are disposed to regulate fluidic flow between heat exchange elements of the thermal management system. The second and third rotary valves are coaxially disposed about a first axis of rotation and the first rotary valve is coaxially disposed about a second axis of rotation, with the first axis of rotation being non-parallel to the second axis of rotation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluidic valve assembly disposed in a thermal management system for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
a unitary housing including a first rotary valve, a second rotary valve and a third rotary valve, wherein the first, second and third rotary valves include a respective first, second and third rotatable valve body that is coupled to a respective first, second and third actuator;
wherein the first, second and third rotary valves are disposed to regulate fluidic flow between heat exchange elements of the thermal management system;
wherein the second and third rotary valves are coaxially disposed about a first axis of rotation;
wherein the first rotary valve is coaxially disposed about a second axis of rotation; and
wherein the first axis of rotation is non-parallel to the second axis of rotation.

2. The fluidic valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first axis of rotation is orthogonal to the second axis of rotation.

3. The fluidic valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the thermal management system includes a fluidic circuit composed of a plurality of heat exchange elements and a fluidic pumping element.

4. The fluidic valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the rotatable valve bodies comprises a disc-shaped element that is disposed within a respective annular portion of the unitary housing.

5. A fluidic valve assembly configured to direct fluidic flow in a thermal management system of a powertrain system, wherein the thermal management system includes a fluidic circuit including a first heat exchange element, a second heat exchange element, a third heat exchange element, a fourth heat exchange element, a fifth heat exchange element, a sixth heat exchange element, a seventh heat exchange element and a fluidic pumping element, the fluidic valve assembly comprising:
a first rotary valve including a first rotatable valve body disposed within a first annular portion of a housing and coupled to a first actuator;
a second rotary valve including a second rotatable valve body disposed within a second annular portion of the housing and coupled to a second actuator;
a third rotary valve including a third rotatable valve body disposed within a third annular portion of the housing and coupled to a third actuator;
wherein the first rotatable valve body includes a first valve element controllably disposed to regulate coolant flow to the fifth heat exchange element, and a second valve element controllably disposed to regulate coolant flow to the sixth heat exchange element;
wherein the second rotatable valve body includes a third valve element controllably disposed to regulate coolant flow from the first heat exchange element, and a fourth valve element controllably disposed to regulate coolant flow from the second heat exchange element;
wherein the third rotatable valve body includes a fifth valve element controllably disposed to regulate coolant flow from the second rotary valve and the fourth heat exchange element to the third heat exchange element and a sixth valve element controllably disposed to regulate coolant flow from the second rotary valve and the fourth heat exchange element to the seventh heat exchange element;
wherein the first and second valve elements of the first rotary valve are coaxial about a first axis of rotation;
wherein the third and fourth valve elements of the second rotary valve are coaxial about a second axis of rotation; and
wherein the first axis of rotation is non-parallel to the second axis of rotation.

6. The fluidic valve assembly of claim 5 , wherein the first axis of rotation is orthogonal to the second axis of rotation.

7. A fluidic valve assembly configured to direct fluidic flow in a thermal management system of a powertrain system, wherein the thermal management system includes a fluidic circuit including a fluid jacket for an engine block, a fluid jacket for a cylinder head, a cabin heater core, a fluid jacket for an exhaust manifold, a transmission fluid heat exchanger, an engine oil heat exchanger, a radiator and a fluidic pumping element, the fluidic valve assembly comprising:
a first rotary valve, a second rotary valve and a third rotary valve disposed in a housing, wherein each of the first, second and third rotary valves includes a respective rotatable valve body disposed within a respective annular portion of the housing and coupled to an actuator;
wherein the rotatable valve body of the first rotary valve includes a first valve element controllably disposed to regulate coolant flow to the transmission fluid heat exchanger, and a second valve element controllably disposed to regulate coolant flow to the engine oil heat exchanger;
wherein the rotatable valve body of the second rotary valve includes a third valve element controllably disposed to regulate coolant flow from the fluid jacket for the engine block, and a fourth valve element controllably disposed to regulate coolant flow from the fluid jacket for the cylinder head;
wherein the rotatable valve body of the third rotary valve includes a fifth valve element controllably disposed to regulate coolant flow from the second rotary valve and the fluid jacket for the exhaust manifold to the cabin heater core and a sixth valve element controllably disposed to regulate coolant flow from the second rotary valve and the fluid jacket for the exhaust manifold to the radiator;
wherein the first and second valve elements of the first rotary valve are coaxial about a first axis of rotation;
wherein the third and fourth valve elements of the second rotary valve are coaxial about a second axis of rotation; and
wherein the first axis of rotation is non-parallel to the second axis of rotation.

8. The fluidic valve assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first axis of rotation is orthogonal to the second axis of rotation.

9. The fluidic valve assembly of claim 7 , wherein the rotatable valve body of the first rotary valve including the first valve element is controllably disposed to regulate coolant flow from the fluid jacket for the engine block to the transmission fluid heat exchanger.

10. The fluidic valve assembly of claim 7 , wherein the rotatable valve body of the first rotary valve including the first valve element is controllably disposed to regulate coolant flow from the fluid jacket for the engine block to the engine oil heat exchanger.

11. The fluidic valve assembly of claim 7 , wherein the rotatable valve body of the first rotary valve including the first valve element is controllably disposed to regulate coolant flow from the radiator to the transmission fluid heat exchanger.

12. The fluidic valve assembly of claim 7 , wherein the rotatable valve body of the first rotary valve including the first valve element is controllably disposed to regulate coolant flow from the radiator to the engine oil heat exchanger.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Bowler Alan E
• Kaczmar Michael

Classifications

• F01P3/20 Primary

  Cooling circuits not specific to a single part of engine or machine (F01P3/22 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01P2007/146

  using valves · CPC title

• F01P2060/16

  Outlet manifold · CPC title

• F01P2060/04

  Lubricant cooler · CPC title

• F02N19/10

  by heating of engine coolants · CPC title