Integrated cooling system and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016138531-A1
Application number	US-201514737466-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 11, 2015
Priority date	Nov 13, 2014
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An integrated cooling system includes a temperature adjustment chamber including an intercooler configured to exchange heat between a coolant and compressed air supplied to an engine, an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler configured to exchange heat between the coolant and an exhaust gas recirculating to the engine, and an oil cooler configured to exchange heat between the coolant and an engine oil. A coolant line is configured to supply coolant to the temperature adjustment chamber and transmit the coolant discharged from the temperature adjustment chamber to the engine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An integrated cooling system comprising:
a temperature adjustment chamber including an intercooler configured to exchange heat between a coolant and compressed air supplied to an engine, an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler configured to exchange heat between the coolant and an exhaust gas recirculating to the engine, and an oil cooler configured to exchange heat between the coolant and an engine oil; and a coolant line configured to supply coolant to the temperature adjustment chamber and transmit the coolant discharged from the temperature adjustment chamber to the engine.

2 . The integrated cooling system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a heater core configured to discharge a partial amount of heat from the coolant heated in the engine to a vehicle interior; and a radiator configured to cool a remaining portion of heat of the coolant heated in the engine through heat-exchange with ambient air.

3 . The integrated cooling system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a first control valve configured to selectively supply coolant which has passed through the heater core or coolant which has passed through the radiator, to the temperature adjustment chamber; a second control valve configured to selectively supply the coolant, which has passed through the heater core, to the first control valve or to the engine; a thermostat configured to continuously supply coolant, which has passed through the engine, to the heater core and selectively supply or not supply the coolant to the radiator; and an EGR valve configured to adjust an amount of exhaust gas recirculating to the engine after passing through the EGR cooler.

4 . The integrated cooling system of claim 3 , further comprising a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater configured to selectively heat coolant within the temperature adjustment chamber.

5 . The integrated cooling system of claim 4 , further comprising a controller configured to control the thermostat, the first control valve, the second control valve, the PTC heater, and the EGR valve according to temperatures of the coolant passing through the coolant line.

6 . The integrated cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the intercooler, the EGR cooler, and the oil cooler are disposed in this order from above to below within the temperature adjustment chamber.

7 . The integrated cooling system of claim 3 , further comprising a back flow preventing valve installed in the coolant line between the engine and the thermostat.

8 . The integrated cooling system of claim 5 , wherein,
when a temperature of the coolant is lower than a reference temperature, the controller controls the thermostat to supply the coolant introduced from the engine to the heater core and not to the radiator, controls the second control valve to allow the coolant, which has passed through the heater core, to be introduced to the first control valve, controls the first control valve to supply a coolant introduced from the second control valve to the temperature adjustment chamber, operates the PTC heater, and controls the EGR valve to increase the temperature of the coolant.

9 . The integrated cooling system of claim 5 , wherein,
when a temperature of the coolant is higher than a reference temperature, the controller controls the thermostat to supply the coolant introduced from the engine to the radiator and to the heater core, controls the second control valve to supply the coolant which has passed through the heater core, back to the engine, controls the first control valve to supply the coolant, which has passed through the radiator, to the temperature adjustment chamber, controls the PTC heater to not operate, and controls the EGR valve to lower the temperature of the coolant.

10 . The integrated cooling system of claim 3 , further comprising additional EGR valves.

11 . The integrated cooling system of claim 5 , further comprising a coolant temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the coolant and transmit corresponding information to the controller.

12 . The integrated cooling system of claim 11 , wherein the coolant temperature sensor may be positioned to measure the temperature of the coolant between the engine and a turbocharger.

13 . A method for controlling an integrated cooling system including a temperature adjustment chamber including an intercooler, an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler, and an oil cooler to perform heat-exchange with coolant in the chamber, a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater provided in the temperature adjustment chamber and configured to heat the coolant in the chamber, and a radiator configured to exchange heat between coolant heated in an engine with air to cool the coolant leaving the engine, the method comprising:
determining whether a temperature of the coolant leaving the engine is higher than a reference temperature; and when it is determined that the temperature is not higher than the reference temperature, controlling flow of coolant in the system according to a first operation mode, wherein, in the first operation mode, the coolant heated in the engine does not go through the radiator, and the coolant heated by operating the PTC heater is supplied to the engine.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising,
when it is determined that the temperature of the coolant leaving the engine is higher than the reference temperature, controlling the flow of the coolant in the system according to a second operation mode, wherein, in the second operation mode, the PTC heater does not operate, and the coolant heated in the engine is supplied to the engine through the radiator and the temperature adjustment chamber.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jong Won

Classifications

• F02M26/29 Primary

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

• F02M26/28

  with liquid-cooled heat exchangers · CPC title

• F02B29/0443

  Layout of the coolant or refrigerant circuit · CPC title

• Y02T10/12

  Improving ICE efficiencies · CPC title

• F01P3/20

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