Control system of electrical thermostat and the system thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9574486-B2
Application number	US-201213730005-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2012
Priority date	Oct 17, 2012
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

A control method of an electrical thermostat that includes an operating heater heating wax so as to operate an operating valve that may be disposed to close a coolant passage according to an exemplary embodiment of may include detecting a coolant temperature of coolant circulating a coolant passage, determining whether the coolant temperature may be included in a predetermined heating temperature range, performing a coolant heating mode by supplying a predetermined level of power to the operating heater for a predetermined time, if the coolant temperature may be within the heating temperature range, and stopping the coolant heating mode in a condition that the operating valve may be closed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control method of an electrical thermostat having an operating heater configured to heat wax so as to operate an operating valve disposed to open or close a coolant passage, comprising:
detecting a coolant temperature of coolant flowing along the coolant passage;
determining whether the coolant temperature is included in a predetermined heating temperature range,
wherein the predetermined heating temperature range is set to be lower than an operating minimum temperature at which the operating valve starts to be operated only by a coolant temperature;

performing a coolant heating mode by supplying a predetermined level of power to the operating heater for a predetermined time when the coolant temperature is within the predetermined heating temperature range;
stopping the coolant heating mode before the operating valve is opened;
determining whether the coolant temperature is higher than the operating minimum temperature for operating the operating valve; and
performing a valve operating control for opening the operating valve when the coolant temperature is higher than the operating minimum temperature.

2. The control method of the electrical thermostat of claim 1 , further including:
selecting the predetermined level of the power and the predetermined time that are supplied to the operating heater from a map data according to the coolant temperature that is included in the predetermined heating temperature range; and
supplying the operating heater with the predetermined level of the power for the predetermined time that is selected from the map data.

3. The control method of the electrical thermostat of claim 2 , wherein the predetermined level of the power is a PWM duty and the PWM duty is selected from 0 to 100% range.

4. The control method of the electrical thermostat of claim 1 , further including:
increasing a PWM duty when the coolant temperature is higher than a target temperature, wherein the PWM duty is the predetermined level of the power.

5. The control method of the electrical thermostat of claim 4 , further including:
setting the PWM duty to 100% when an absolute value between the target temperature and the coolant temperature is determined to be larger than an upper allowance value.

6. The control method of the electrical thermostat of claim 1 , further including:
decreasing a PWM duty when the coolant temperature is lower than a target temperature, wherein the PWM duty is the predetermined level of the power.

7. The control method of the electrical thermostat of claim 6 , further including:
setting the PWM duty to 0% when an absolute value between the target temperature and the coolant temperature is determined to be lower than a lower allowance value.

8. A control system of an electrical thermostat that includes an operating heater configured to heat wax so as to operate an operating valve that is disposed to open or close a coolant passage, comprising:
a temperature detector that detects a coolant temperature of coolant flowing along the coolant passage;
a power supply portion that supplies the operating heater with power; and
a control portion that controls the power that is supplied to the operating heater from the power supply portion by using a temperature signal that is transferred from the temperature detector,
wherein the control portion determines whether the coolant temperature is within a predetermined heating temperature range, controls the power supply portion to supply the operating heater with a predetermined level of power for a predetermined time when the coolant temperature is within the predetermined heating temperature range, and stop heating the coolant using the operating heater before the operating valve is opened,
wherein the heating temperature range is set to be lower than an operating minimum temperature at which the operating valve starts to be operated only by a coolant temperature, and
wherein the control portion determines whether the coolant temperature is higher than the operating minimum temperature for operating the operating valve, and performs a valve operating control for opening the operating valve when the coolant temperature is higher than the operating minimum temperature.

9. The control system of the electrical thermostat of claim 8 , wherein the control portion selects the predetermined level of power and the predetermined time that are supplied to the operating heater from a map data according to the coolant temperature that is included in the predetermined heating temperature range and supplies the operating heater with the predetermined level of power for the predetermined time that is selected from the map data.

10. The control system of the electrical thermostat of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined level of the power is a PWM duty and the PWM duty is selected from 0 to 100% range.

11. The control system of the electrical thermostat of claim 8 , wherein the control portion increases a PWM duty when the coolant temperature is higher than a target temperature, wherein the PWM duty is the predetermined level of the power.

12. The control system of the electrical thermostat of claim 11 , wherein the control portion sets the PWM duty to 100% when an absolute value between the target temperature and the coolant temperature is determined to be lower than an upper allowance value.

13. The control system of the electrical thermostat of claim 11 , wherein the control portion decreases a PWM duty when the coolant temperature is lower than a target temperature, wherein the PWM duty is the predetermined level of the power.

14. The control system of the electrical thermostat of claim 13 , wherein the control portion sets the PWM duty to 0% when an absolute value between the target temperature and the coolant temperature is determined to be lower than a lower allowance value.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp
• Inzi Controls Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Philgi
• Kim Gyuhwan
• Park Jae Suk
• Kim Yong Jeong

Classifications

• F01P2070/04

  using electrical heating elements · CPC title

• F01P7/167 Primary

  by adjusting the pre-set temperature according to engine parameters, e.g. engine load, engine speed · CPC title

• F01P11/16 Primary

  concerning coolant temperature (F01P11/20 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01P7/16

  by thermostatic control · CPC title