Method and system for maintaining an engine coolant level

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10151233-B2
Application number	US-201816025073-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2018
Priority date	Feb 13, 2017
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for maintaining a desired engine coolant level and a relative glycol amount in the engine coolant by using water sourced from on-board vehicle systems. In one example, a method may include supplying water to the engine coolant reservoir in response to the engine coolant level decreasing below a threshold. Also, a relative glycol amount in the coolant may be maintained at a threshold amount by adding water to the coolant in response to a relative glycol increasing above the threshold.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An engine method, comprising:
in response to a relative amount of glycol in an engine coolant being higher than a threshold amount, and in response to an engine coolant level being lower than a threshold coolant level during increase coolant temperature levels, selectively supplying water from an on-board water collection system to a coolant reservoir based on water quality.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein supplying water from the on-board water collection system includes supplying water from a water tank of the on-board water collection system to the engine coolant reservoir until the engine coolant level increases to the threshold coolant level.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, adjusting an amount of water injection responsive to coolant level.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein supplying water from the on-board water collection system to the coolant reservoir further includes supplying water to the engine coolant reservoir until the relative amount of glycol in the engine coolant decreases to the threshold amount.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the on-board water collection system sources water from an on-board air-conditioning system.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the on-board water collection system sources water from an exhaust gas system.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the on-board water collection system sources water from an exhaust system, and wherein the collection system includes one or more reservoirs, and refilling the water tank includes routing water from each of the one or more reservoirs to the water tank.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising, collecting condensate from an evaporator of the on-board air conditioning system in a first water reservoir, and then routing water from the first water reservoir to the water tank via water lines.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, collecting rain water and atmospheric condensate from an external vehicle surface, and routing the water to the water tank, wherein the external vehicle surface includes door seal channels.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, estimating the quality of the water in the water tank based on a water quality sensor;
if the estimated quality is higher than a threshold, supplying the water to the coolant reservoir based on demand; and
if the estimated quality is lower than a threshold, draining the water from the water tank.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, if a water level in the water tank is higher than a first threshold or if a predicted water temperature is lower than a freezing temperature, draining at least a portion of water from the water tank, and if the water level in the water tank is lower than a second threshold, refilling the water tank with water collected from the one or more vehicle systems, the first threshold higher than the second threshold.

12. An engine method, comprising:
in response to a lower than threshold coolant level in a coolant reservoir, supplying water from a water tank of an on-board water collection system to the coolant reservoir until a coolant level in the coolant reservoir increases to the threshold level, and
in response to a lower than first threshold water level in the water tank, selectively supplying water from one or more water reservoirs coupled to one or more vehicle systems to the water tank until a water level in the water tank increases to above a second threshold water level, the second threshold higher than the first threshold responsive to a water quality.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising, estimating a glycol content in coolant via a glycol sensor coupled to the coolant reservoir, in response to a higher than first threshold relative glycol amount in the coolant, supplying water from the water tank to the coolant reservoir until the relative glycol amount in the coolant decreases to the threshold percentage while not notifying an operator, and in response to a lower than second lower threshold relative glycol amount in the coolant, notifying an operator for external glycol supply, the first threshold relative glycol amount higher than the second threshold relative glycol amount.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein supplying water from the water tank to the coolant reservoir includes supplying water via a flow regulator valve and a water line, an opening of the flow regulator valve adjusted based on a demand for water supply to the coolant reservoir, the opening increased with an increase in the demand for water supply.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein supplying water from the water tank to the coolant reservoir further includes, estimating the water quality in the water tank via a conductivity sensor, in response to a higher than threshold water quality, opening the flow regulator valve to supply water to the coolant reservoir, and in response to a lower than threshold water quality, opening a drain valve to drain water from the water tank.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more vehicle systems include an engine intake system comprising a charge air cooler, condensate from the charge air cooler is collected in one of the one or more water reservoirs and supplied to the water tank in response to the water level in the water tank reducing to below the first threshold.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more vehicle systems further include an exhaust gas recirculation system comprising an exhaust gas recirculation cooler, condensate from the exhaust gas recirculation cooler is collected in one of the one or more water reservoirs and supplied to the water tank in response to the water level in the water tank reducing to below the first threshold.

18. A vehicle system, comprising:
an engine;
an engine coolant system including a coolant reservoir;
an on-board water collection system including a water tank, a water lift pump, a regulator valve, and a water line coupling the water tank to the coolant reservoir;
a float sensor and a glycol sensor coupled to the coolant reservoir;
a water quality sensor and a water level sensor coupled to the water tank;
an air conditioning system including an evaporator and a first reservoir coupled to the water tank of the on-board water collection system;
an exhaust gas recirculation system including a cooler and a second reservoir coupled to the water tank of the on-board water collection system;
an engine intake system including a charge air cooler and a third reservoir coupled to the water tank of the on-board water collection system; and
a controller with computer readable instructions stored on non-transitory memory for:
inferring a relative glycol amount in coolant based on inputs from the glycol sensor;
in response to a higher than first threshold relative glycol amount, supplying water from the water tank to the coolant reservoir until the glycol percentage decreases to the threshold percentage, and in response to a lower than second lower threshold relative glycol amount, indicating a lower than threshold glycol amount by setting a diagnostic code; and
routing collected water to the water tank based on quality of the collected water.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the controller includes further instructions for:
in response to a lower than threshold water level in the water tank, increasing on-board water collection by one or more of collecting condensate from the evaporator of the air conditioning system in the first reservoir, collecting condensate from the cooler of the exhaust gas recirculation sys

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Martin Douglas Raymond
• Rollinger John Eric
• Miller Kenneth James
• Dudar Aed M

Classifications

• F02M35/1038

  for temperature or pressure · CPC title

• F02M26/35

  with means for cleaning or treating the recirculated gases, e.g. catalysts, condensate traps, particle filters or heaters · CPC title

• F02B29/04

  Cooling of air intake supply · CPC title

• F01P2025/80

  Concentration anti-freeze · CPC title

• F01P2025/70

  Level · CPC title