Coolant system bypass for engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12516622-B1
Application number	US-202418982424-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 16, 2024
Priority date	Dec 16, 2024
Publication date	Jan 6, 2026
Grant date	Jan 6, 2026

Abstract

An intake manifold temperature system including an internal combustion engine, an intake manifold connected to the internal combustion engine, an air supply system configured to supply compressed air to the internal combustion engine, an ambient condition sensor, an air system sensor, a manifold condition sensor, and a controller. The air supply system may include a compressor, an air cooler connected downstream of the compressor, a bypass passage connected downstream of the compressor to provide compressed air to the intake manifold, the air having bypassed the air cooler, and an electronically-controlled bypass valve connected downstream of the compressor, the bypass valve configured to control a proportion of air flow through the bypass passage and through the air cooler. The controller may be configured to actuate the bypass valve based on signals and a desired intake manifold temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An intake manifold temperature system, comprising:
an internal combustion engine; an intake manifold connected to the internal combustion engine; an air supply system configured to supply compressed air to the internal combustion engine, the air supply system including:
a compressor;
an air cooler connected downstream of the compressor;
a bypass passage connected downstream of the compressor to provide compressed air to the intake manifold, the air having bypassed the air cooler; and
an electronically-controlled bypass valve connected downstream of the compressor, the bypass valve configured to control a proportion of air flow through the bypass passage and through the air cooler;
an ambient condition sensor; an air system sensor; a manifold condition sensor; and a controller configured to:
receive signals from the ambient condition sensor, the air system sensor, and the manifold condition sensor,
determine a desired intake manifold temperature based on the received signals; and
generate commands for actuating the bypass valve based on the signals and based on the desired intake manifold temperature.

2 . The intake manifold temperature system of claim 1 , wherein the ambient condition sensor includes an ambient pressure sensor and an ambient temperature sensor.

3 . The intake manifold temperature system of claim 1 , wherein the air system sensor is connected to a compressor output passage.

4 . The intake manifold temperature system of claim 1 , wherein the bypass valve is connected upstream of the air cooler.

5 . The intake manifold temperature system of claim 1 , wherein the bypass valve is a proportional valve.

6 . The intake manifold temperature system of claim 1 , wherein the bypass valve is a three-way valve.

7 . The intake manifold temperature system of claim 1 , wherein the bypass valve is configured to increase the proportion of air flow to the bypass passage when the internal combustion engine is operating at a partial load.

8 . The intake manifold temperature system of claim 1 , wherein the bypass valve is configured to decrease the proportion of air flow to the air cooler when the internal combustion engine is operating at a partial load.

9 . The intake manifold temperature system of claim 1 , wherein the air cooler is an air-to-air cooler.

10 . The intake manifold temperature system of claim 1 , wherein the air cooler is an air-to-liquid cooler.

11 . The intake manifold temperature system of claim 1 , wherein the bypass passage is completely upstream of each fuel injector of the internal combustion engine.

12 . A method for generating commands to actuate a bypass valve of an internal combustion engine system, comprising:
receiving signals from an ambient condition sensor, an air system sensor, and a manifold condition sensor; determining a desired intake manifold temperature for an intake manifold connected to an internal combustion engine based on the received signals; generating commands for actuating a bypass valve based on the signals and based on the desired intake manifold temperature, including:
commands for causing the bypass valve to increase a proportion of air flow to a bypass passage when an intake manifold temperature measured with the manifold condition sensor is less than the desired intake manifold temperature, and
commands for causing the bypass valve to decrease the proportion of the air flow to the bypass passage when the intake manifold temperature measured with the manifold condition sensor is above the desired intake manifold temperature; and
actuating the bypass valve based on the commands such that air is provided to a bypass passage connected downstream of a compressor to provide compressed air to the intake manifold so as to bypass an air cooler.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein actuating the bypass valve further comprises:
increasing a proportion of air flow to the bypass passage when the internal combustion engine is operating at a partial load, and decreasing a proportion of air flow to the air cooler when the internal combustion engine is operating at a partial load.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the bypass valve is a three-way valve.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the bypass valve is a proportional valve.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the desired intake manifold temperature is determined based on a minimum coolant temperature.

17 . An intake manifold temperature system, comprising:
an internal combustion engine; an intake manifold connected to the internal combustion engine; an air supply system configured to supply compressed air to the internal combustion engine, the air supply system including:
a compressor;
an air cooler connected downstream of the compressor;
a bypass passage connected downstream of the compressor to provide compressed air to the intake manifold so as to bypass the air cooler; and
an electronically-controlled bypass valve connected downstream of the compressor and upstream of the air cooler, the bypass valve configured to:
increase a proportion of air flow to the bypass passage, and
decrease the proportion of air flow to the bypass passage;

an ambient condition sensor located in a compressor intake manifold; an air system sensor located in a compressor output manifold; a manifold condition sensor located in the intake manifold connected to the internal combustion engine; and a controller configured to:
receive temperature signals or pressure signals from the ambient condition sensor, the air system sensor, or the manifold condition sensor,
determine, via a desired intake manifold temperature module, a desired intake manifold temperature based on the received signals; and
generate commands for actuating the bypass valve based on the signals and on the desired intake manifold temperature, including:
commands for causing the bypass valve to increase the proportion of the air flow to the bypass passage when an intake manifold temperature measured with the manifold condition sensor is less than the desired intake manifold temperature while the engine is operating at a partial load, and
commands for causing the bypass valve to decrease the proportion of air flow to the bypass passage when the intake manifold temperature measured with the manifold condition sensor is above the desired intake manifold temperature while the engine is operating at partial load.

18 . The intake manifold temperature system of claim 17 , wherein the air cooler is an air-to-air cooler.

19 . The intake manifold temperature system of claim 17 , wherein the air cooler is an air-to-liquid cooler.

20 . The intake manifold temperature system of claim 17 , wherein the bypass valve is a three-way proportional valve.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Rodman Anthony C
• Schroeder Eric L
• Bhole Amit P

Classifications

• F02B29/0493

  Controlling the air charge temperature · CPC title

• F02B29/0437

  Liquid cooled heat exchangers · CPC title

• F02M35/1038

  for temperature or pressure · CPC title

• F02B29/0418 Primary

  the intake air cooler having a bypass or multiple flow paths within the heat exchanger to vary the effective heat transfer surface · CPC title

• Y02T10/12

  Improving ICE efficiencies · CPC title