Methods and systems for an exhaust gas recirculation cooler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10794336-B2
Application number	US-201715487289-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2017
Priority date	Apr 14, 2016
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for an EGR cooler having first and second coolant jackets fluidly coupled to first and second coolant systems, respectively. In one example, the first and second coolant jackets are hermetically sealed from one another. Furthermore, the second coolant jacket protrudes into a portion of an exhaust gas passage directly downstream of an exhaust aftertreatment device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
flowing coolant from a first coolant circuit to a first coolant jacket of an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler;
flowing coolant from a second coolant circuit to a second coolant jacket of the exhaust gas recirculation cooler, the second coolant jacket extending into an exhaust passage downstream of an engine and positioned between the exhaust passage and the first coolant jacket; and
heating coolant in the first coolant jacket with coolant in the second coolant jacket when exhaust gas recirculation is deactivated.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first coolant circuit is fluidly coupled to an engine when a first coolant outflow valve is open and an engine inlet line valve is open.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein flowing coolant from the second coolant circuit to the second coolant jacket occurs following a cold-start.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein flowing coolant from the second coolant circuit to the second coolant jacket occurs when a coolant temperature in the first coolant jacket is greater than or equal to an upper threshold temperature.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein flowing coolant from the second coolant circuit to the second coolant jacket occurs when an amount of condensate in the EGR cooler is greater than or equal to a threshold condensate amount.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first coolant jacket is within a core of the EGR cooler.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second coolant jacket surrounds an end of the core of the EGR cooler.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising not activating EGR when coolant is in the second coolant jacket.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising flowing coolant to the second coolant jacket when EGR is not desired.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising flowing coolant to the second coolant jacket in response to a cold-start.

11. A system comprising:
an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler arranged in an EGR passage, where the EGR cooler comprises a first coolant jacket hermetically sealed from a second coolant jacket, wherein a portion of the EGR cooler comprising the second coolant jacket protrudes into a portion of an exhaust passage directly downstream of an aftertreatment device and an engine, and the second coolant jacket positioned between the exhaust passage and the first coolant jacket.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first coolant jacket is fluidly coupled to a first coolant circuit, the first coolant circuit being fluidly coupled to the engine, and where the second coolant jacket is fluidly coupled to a second coolant circuit.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the second coolant jacket is located between the exhaust passage and the first coolant jacket.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the second coolant jacket is in direct thermal communication with exhaust gas in the exhaust passage and where the first coolant jacket is in direct thermal communication with exhaust gas in the EGR cooler.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Kuske Andreas
• Quix Hans Guenter
• Sommerhoff Franz Arnd
• Kemmerling Joerg
• Smiljanovski Vanco
• Kindl Helmut Matthias
• Friederichs Hanno

Classifications

• F02M26/24 Primary

  with two or more coolers · CPC title

• F02M26/29

  Constructional details of the coolers, e.g. pipes, plates, ribs, insulation or materials · CPC title

• F01P3/20

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

• F01N5/02

  the devices using heat · CPC title

• F02M26/06

  Low pressure loops, i.e. wherein recirculated exhaust gas is taken out from the exhaust downstream of the turbocharger turbine and reintroduced into the intake system upstream of the compressor · CPC title