Cooling system and associated operating method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9506395-B2
Application number	US-201414453071-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2014
Priority date	Aug 7, 2013
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

A cooling system for a supercharged internal combustion engine may include a charge air cooling circuit, in which a low-temperature coolant circulates and which may have a low-temperature charge air cooler for cooling charge air and a low-temperature coolant cooler for cooling the low-temperature coolant. The system may include a refrigerant circuit, in which a refrigerant circulates and which has a vaporizer for vaporizing the refrigerant and a condenser for condensing the refrigerant. The system may include a coupling heat exchanger for a fluidically separated, heat-transmitting coupling of the charge air cooling circuit with the refrigerant circuit. The coupling heat exchanger may be arranged in a vaporizer bypass of the refrigerant circuit thereby bypassing the vaporizer and be arranged in a coupling branch of the charge air cooling circuit. The coupling branch may branch off via a branching-off point from a feed of the charge air cooling circuit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cooling system for a supercharged internal combustion engine, comprising:
a charge air cooling circuit, in which a low-temperature coolant circulates and which has a low-temperature charge air cooler for cooling charge air and a low-temperature coolant cooler for cooling the low-temperature coolant,
a refrigerant circuit, in which a refrigerant circulates and which has a vaporiser for vaporising the refrigerant and a condenser for condensing the refrigerant,
a coupling heat exchanger for a fluidically separated, heat-transmitting coupling of the charge air cooling circuit with the refrigerant circuit, the coupling heat exchanger being arranged in a vaporiser bypass of the refrigerant circuit thereby bypassing the vaporiser and arranged in a coupling branch of the charge air cooling circuit, wherein the coupling branch branches off via a branching-off point from a feed of the charge air cooling circuit leading from the low-temperature coolant cooler to the low-temperature charge air cooler.

2. The cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling branch is directed back into the feed of the charge air cooling circuit via a feedback point arranged upstream of the low-temperature charge air cooler and downstream of the branching-off point.

3. The cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling branch includes a cryogenic charge air cooler for cooling the charge air, the coupling branch being directed back via a feedback point into a return of the charge air cooling circuit leading from the low-temperature charge air cooler to the low-temperature coolant cooler.

4. The cooling system according to claim 3 , further comprising a connection, which fluidically connects the feed with the coupling branch between the coupling heat exchanger and the cryogenic charge air cooler.

5. The cooling system according to claim 1 , further comprising a high temperature cooling circuit, in which a high temperature coolant circulates, the high temperature cooling circuit including a high temperature charge air cooler for cooling the charge air and a high temperature coolant cooler for cooling the high temperature coolant.

6. The cooling system according to claim 1 , further comprising a latent heat storage unit for cooling the low-temperature coolant is integrated into the coupling heat exchanger.

7. The cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein the vaporiser is arranged in a gas path, so that a gas flow leads through the vaporiser, and
a latent heat storage unit, for cooling the gas flow flowing through the vaporiser, is integrated into the vaporiser.

8. The cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant circuit is an air-conditioning circuit for cooling an air flow to be directed to a passenger compartment of the vehicle, wherein an air path directing the air flow is directed through the vaporiser.

9. The cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein
the low-temperature coolant cooler is arranged in a cooling air path and a cooling air flow is directed through the low-temperature coolant cooler, and
the condenser is arranged upstream of the low-temperature coolant cooler in the cooling air path.

10. The cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein
the low-temperature coolant cooler is arranged in a cooling air path and a cooling air flow is directed through the low-temperature coolant cooler, and
the condenser for the fluidically separated, heat-transmitting coupling of the refrigerant circuit with the charge air cooling circuit is integrated into the charge air cooling circuit upstream of the low-temperature coolant cooler.

11. A method for operating a cooling system, comprising:
circulating a low-temperature coolant via a charge air cooling circuit,
cooling charge air via a low-temperature charge air cooler and cooling a low-temperature coolant via a low-temperature coolant cooler,
circulating a refrigerant via a refrigerant circuit, and providing a vaporiser for vaporising the refrigerant and a condenser for condensing the refrigerant,
providing a coupling heat exchanger for a fluidically separated, heat transmitting coupling of the charge air cooling circuit with the refrigerant circuit,
switching the charge air cooling circuit at least between a first cooling efficiency stage and a second cooling efficiency stage in response to a cooling requirement of the charge air,
bypassing the coupling heat exchanger of low-temperature coolant flow in the first cooling efficiency stage,
at least one of cooling and keeping cold the coupling heat exchanger via the refrigerant circuit in the first cooling efficiency stage, and
flowing the low-temperature coolant through the low-temperature coolant cooler and the coupling heat exchanger in the second cooling efficiency stage.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising flowing the low-temperature coolant through the low-temperature charge air cooler in the first cooling efficiency stage.

13. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising, in the second cooling efficiency stage, flowing a first partial flow of the low-temperature coolant through the low-temperature charge air cooler and bypassing the coupling heat exchanger ( 19 ), and flowing a second partial flow of the low-temperature coolant through the coupling heat exchanger and thereafter through a cryogenic charge air cooler.

14. The method according to claim 11 , wherein in the first cooling efficiency stage a total flow of the low-temperature coolant bypasses the coupling heat exchanger and flows in a parallel manner in two partial flows through the low-temperature charge air cooler and a cryogenic charge air cooler.

15. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising providing at least one latent heat storage unit for changing from the first cooling efficiency stage into the second cooling efficiency stage.

16. The cooling system according to claim 2 , wherein the vaporiser is arranged in a gas path such that a gas flow leads through the vaproiser, and
a latent heat storage unit for cooling the gas flow flowing through the vaporiser is integrated into the vaporiser.

17. The cooling system according to claim 3 , further comprising a high temperature cooling circuit for circulating a high temperature coolant, the high temperature cooling circuit including a high temperature charge air cooler for cooling the charge air and a high temperature coolant cooler for cooling the high temperature coolant.

18. The cooling system according to claim 4 , further comprising a latent heat storage unit for cooling the low-temperature coolant integrated into the coupling heat exchanger.

19. A cooling system for a supercharged internal combustion engine, comprising:
a charge air cooling circuit for circulating a low-temperature coolant, the charge air cooling circuit including a low-temperature charge air cooler for cooling charge air and a low-temperature coolant cooler for cooling the low-temperature coolant;
a refrigerant circuit for circulating a refrigerant, the refrigerant circuit having a vaporiser for vaporising the refrigerant and a condenser for condensing the refrigerant;
a coupling heat exchanger for a fluidically separated, heat-transmitting coupling of the charge air cooling circuit with the refrigerant circuit, the coupling heat exchanger being arranged in (i) a vaporising bypass of the refrigerant circuit thereby bypassing the vaporiser and (ii) a coupling branch of the charge air cooling circuit, the coupling branch branching off via a branching-off po

Assignees

• Mahle Int Gmbh

Inventors

• Isermeyer Tobias
• Wieske Peter
• Dingelstadt Rene

Classifications

• B60H1/32281

  comprising a single secondary circuit, e.g. at evaporator or condenser side · CPC title

• F02B29/0412

  Multiple heat exchangers arranged in parallel or in series · CPC title

• F01P2060/02

  Intercooler · CPC title

• F01P3/22

  characterised by evaporation and condensation of coolant in closed cycles (other cooling by evaporation F01P9/02); characterised by the coolant reaching higher temperatures than normal atmospheric boiling-point · CPC title

• F02B29/0443 Primary

  Layout of the coolant or refrigerant circuit · CPC title