Temperature control arrangement for transmission oil in a motor vehicle and method for controlling the temperature of transmission oil in a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9347364-B2
Application number	US-201414461854-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2014
Priority date	Aug 28, 2013
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

A temperature control arrangement for transmission oil in a motor vehicle comprises a coolant circuit which fluidly connects an internal combustion engine and a cooler. The coolant circuit includes a thermostat configured to direct at least a fraction of a coolant leaving the internal combustion engine back to the internal combustion engine, either directly or through the cooler. The temperature control arrangement is configured to direct some of the coolant, flowing back through the cooler or directly, first through the heat exchanger and then to the internal combustion engine. The thermostat is fluidly connected to an interior heater, to the cooler, and to a bypass configured to direct a fraction of the coolant directly back to the internal combustion engine, bypassing the cooler. A suitable method for controlling the temperature of transmission oil in a motor vehicle using a temperature control arrangement of this kind is furthermore indicated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A temperature control arrangement for transmission oil in a motor vehicle, comprising:
a coolant circuit which fluidly connects an internal combustion engine and a cooler, the coolant circuit having a pump that initiates coolant flow, the coolant circuit having a thermostat, the thermostat being configured to receive coolant from the pump and being fluidly connected to an interior heater, to the cooler, and to a bypass configured to direct coolant to the engine bypassing the cooler, the thermostat being configured to direct a first fraction of a coolant leaving the internal combustion engine back to the internal combustion engine through the bypass and a second fraction of the coolant returning to the internal combustion engine through the cooler, the coolant circuit further including a junction, the junction receiving the first fraction and second fraction, the junction outputting a third fraction of the coolant; and
a heat exchanger for heat transmission between the coolant and the transmission oil, wherein in a single circuit some of the third fraction can be directed from the junction in a same direction first through the heat exchanger and then to the internal combustion engine.

2. The temperature control arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the thermostat has a check valve, the check valve being configured to adjust a flow of the coolant leaving the internal combustion engine into the bypass and the interior heater in accordance with a flow velocity thereof, wherein an amount of coolant directed through the bypass is increased as the flow velocity of the coolant increases.

3. The temperature control arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising an EGR cooler, which is arranged downstream of the interior heater, between the heater and the internal combustion engine.

4. A method for controlling a temperature of transmission oil in a motor vehicle, the vehicle having a temperature control arrangement comprising a coolant circuit which fluidly connects an internal combustion engine and a cooler, the coolant circuit having a thermostat, the thermostat being fluidly connected to a bypass configured to direct coolant to the engine bypassing the cooler, the coolant circuit further having a junction, the junction being downstream of and in fluid communication with the cooler and the bypass, the method comprising:
controlling the thermostat to direct a first fraction of a coolant leaving the internal combustion engine back to the internal combustion engine, a first portion of the first fraction being directed into the bypass and thereafter to the junction, a second portion of the first fraction being directed through the cooler and thereafter to the junction, wherein heat is transmitted between the cooler and the transmission oil by a heat exchanger; and
in a single circuit, directing a third portion of coolant from the junction through the heat exchanger and subsequently to the internal combustion engine, wherein a second fraction of the coolant leaving the internal combustion engine is directed by means of the thermostat to an interior heater and, if required, to the cooler.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the thermostat has a check valve configured to adjust a flow of the coolant leaving the internal combustion engine into the bypass and the interior heater in accordance with a flow velocity thereof, wherein an amount of coolant directed through the bypass is increased as the flow velocity of the coolant increases.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the temperature control arrangement further comprises an EGR cooler, through which coolant leaving the interior heater and flowing back to the internal combustion engine flows.

7. A cooling system comprising:
a thermostat configured to selectively divide coolant from an engine between at least a bypass and a cooler passage, the cooler passage passing through a cooler and joining the bypass at a junction; and
a split downstream of the junction configured to, within a single circuit, direct a first portion of coolant to the engine and a second portion of coolant to a transmission heat exchanger and subsequently to the engine.

8. The cooling system of claim 7 , wherein the thermostat is further configured to further divide the coolant into a heater passage, the heater passage being in fluid communication with an interior heater and subsequently with the engine.

9. The cooling system of claim 8 , further comprising an EGR cooler arranged in fluid communication with and downstream of the interior heater and upstream of the engine.

10. The cooling system of claim 8 , wherein the thermostat includes a check valve configured to increase a fraction of coolant flow directed into the bypass in response to an increase in a coolant flow velocity.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Quix Hans Guenter
• Van Bebber David

Classifications

• F02M25/0735

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F01P2060/045

  for transmissions · CPC title

• F01P11/04

  Arrangements of liquid pipes or hoses · CPC title

• Y02T10/121

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F16H57/0413

  Controlled cooling or heating of lubricant; Temperature control therefor · CPC title