System for controlling air flow into vehicle engine compartment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9617907-B2
Application number	US-201414551029-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2014
Priority date	May 27, 2014
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A system for controlling a flow rate of air into a vehicle engine compartment, may include a radiator cooling a coolant; a coolant inflow tank provided to one side of the radiator and temporarily storing the coolant that cools an engine; and a coolant exhaust tank provided to another side of the radiator and temporarily storing the coolant circulating past a cooling fin of the radiator from the coolant inflow tank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for controlling a flow rate of air into a vehicle engine compartment, comprising:
a radiator cooling a coolant;
a coolant inflow tank provided to one side of the radiator and temporarily storing the coolant that cools an engine;
a coolant exhaust tank provided to another side of the radiator and temporarily storing the coolant circulating past a cooling fin of the radiator from the coolant inflow tank; and
an air flow rate control shutter apparatus disposed between the radiator and a condenser disposed at a front of the radiator,
wherein the air flow rate control shutter apparatus includes:
vertical supporting portions provided as a pair;
a plurality of air flaps provided to the vertical supporting portion to be spread or folded;
a delivery unit selectively spreading the air flaps;
a rotation unit selectively rotating the air flaps; and
a controller controlling the delivery unit and the rotation unit according to an operation status of a vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
phase change material (PCM) tanks provided to an exterior side of the coolant inflow tank and the coolant exhaust tank and storing a phase change material,
wherein the phase change material heat-exchanges with the coolant stored in the coolant inflow tank and the coolant exhaust tank.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fan shroud in which a cooling fan including a fan motor and a fan blade is mounted, the fan shroud disposed between the radiator and the engine;
a rotary shutter which is provided in the fan shroud while corresponding to an operation area of the fan blade, and in which an area through which air passes is varied in a circumferential direction; and
a plurality of flaps which are provided in the fan shroud, and that open and close a part of a portion where the rotary shutter is not mounted.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the rotary shutter includes:
a plurality of shutter blades which are provided to be rotatable about a rotation shaft; and
a shutter actuator which rotates the plurality of shutter blades, and changes the area through which air passes.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the shutter blades include:
an operation blade which is rotated about the rotation shaft by an operation of the shutter actuator; and
a plurality of sub-blades which are provided to be superimposed on the basis of the rotation shaft to be spread or folded fanwise in accordance with rotation of the operation blade.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein operation protrusions are provided to the shutter blades, respectively, and
when the operation blade is spread or folded, any one of the plurality of sub-blades is spread or folded, and remaining sub-blades are sequentially spread or folded.

7. The system of claim 3 , wherein electromagnets are provided on the plurality of flaps so that the plurality of flaps are opened and closed in accordance with an electric current supplied to the electromagnets.

8. The system of claim 3 , further comprising:
a controller controlling an open area of the rotary shutter, operations of opening and closing the plurality of fan flaps, the cooling fan, the delivery unit, and the rotation unit according to an operation status of the vehicle,
wherein the operation modes of the system include:
a first mode in which the plurality of flaps are closed, the rotary shutter is completely closed, the plurality of air flaps are completely closed, and the operation of the cooling fan is turned off;
a second mode in which the plurality of fan flaps are closed, the rotary shutter is completely opened, a rotation angle of the air flaps is controlled in a state that the plurality of air flaps are expanded, and the operation of the cooling fan is turned off;
a third mode in which the plurality of fan flaps are opened, the rotary shutter is completely opened, the air flaps are completely opened in a state that the plurality of air flaps are expanded, and the operation of the cooling fan is turned off; and
a fourth mode in which the plurality of fan flaps are closed, the open area of the rotary shutter is controlled, the plurality of air flaps are folded, and the operation of the cooling fan is controlled.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
an atmospheric temperature sensor which measures an atmospheric temperature, and outputs a corresponding signal;
a speed sensor which measures a vehicle speed, and outputs a corresponding signal;
an air conditioning pressure sensor which measures air conditioning internal pressure, and outputs a corresponding signal;
an air conditioning switch sensor which measures an operational signal of an air conditioning switch, and outputs a corresponding signal;
a refrigerant temperature sensor which measures a refrigerant temperature, and outputs a corresponding signal; and
a position sensor which measures the open area of the rotary shutter, and outputs a corresponding signal,
wherein the control unit determines the operating state of the vehicle based on the corresponding signals from the respective sensors, and controls operations of the rotary shutter, the plurality of flaps, and the cooling fan in accordance with the operating state of the vehicle in any one mode of the first to fourth modes.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vertical supporting portion includes:
a guide rail having a width which becomes smaller along a lower direction,
wherein stoppers are provided in the plurality of air flaps, the stoppers having a size corresponding to the width of the guide rail so that the plurality of air flaps are positioned at predetermined positions.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the delivery unit includes:
a delivery screw provided to any one of the guide rails;
a delivery plate supporting a lowest air flap of the plurality of air flaps, engaged with the delivery screw, and adjusting a position of the lowest air flap when the delivery screw is rotated; and
a delivery motor selectively rotating the delivery screw.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rotation unit includes:
rotation gears respectively engaged to the plurality of air flaps;
a rotation screw provided to another guide rail and selectively engaged with the rotation gears; and
a rotation motor selectively rotating the rotation screw.

13. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the delivery unit includes:
a delivery screw provided to any one of the guide rails; and
a delivery plate supporting a lowest air flap of the plurality of air flaps, engaged with the delivery screw, and adjusting a position of the lowest air flap when the delivery screw is rotated,

wherein the rotation unit includes:
rotation gears respectively engaged to the plurality of air flaps; and
a rotation screw provided to another guide rail and selectively engaged with the rotation gears, and

wherein the air flow rate control shutter apparatus further includes a driving motor selectively rotating the delivery screw or the rotation screw.

14. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an encapsulator which surrounds the engine compartment.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nam Jongwoo
• Chung Hanshin
• Lee Joonho
• Cho Hyun

Classifications

• F28F27/02

  for controlling the distribution of heat-exchange media between different channels ({static flow control means in header boxes F28F9/026}; arrangements of guide plates or guide vanes F28F9/22, F28F25/12) · CPC title

• F28F9/02

  Header boxes; End plates · CPC title

• F28D2020/0013

  the heat storage material being enclosed in elements attached to or integral with heat exchange conduits · CPC title

• F28D20/02

  using latent heat · CPC title

• F28D1/05316

  Assemblies of conduits connected to common headers, e.g. core type radiators (F28D1/05366 takes precedence) · CPC title