Heat storage in engine cooling system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9890756-B2
Application number	US-201414534239-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2014
Priority date	Nov 15, 2013
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

A heating and cooling system for an internal combustion engine comprising a heat storage circuit and a radiator circuit, and a method of controlling such a system are disclosed. The heat storage circuit comprises a heat storage container in which engine coolant is stored and allowed to flow into and out of. The radiator circuit comprises a radiator for flow of the engine coolant, and the radiator has a radiator inlet connected via an upstream radiator conduit to a coolant outlet of the engine, and a radiator outlet connected via a downstream radiator conduit to a coolant inlet of the engine. A bypass conduit is connected between the upstream radiator conduit and the downstream radiator conduit to allow coolant to bypass the radiator. A thermostat controlled valve is arranged in the upstream radiator conduit at a coolant outlet of the engine and connected to the bypass conduit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heating and cooling system for an internal combustion engine comprising:
a heat storage circuit including a heat storage container in which engine coolant is storable and into which and out of engine coolant is allowed to flow, the heat storage container having a container inlet connectable to a first coolant outlet of the engine, and a container outlet connectable to a first coolant inlet of the engine;
a radiator circuit including a radiator for flow of the engine coolant, the radiator having a radiator inlet and a radiator outlet, the radiator inlet being connectable via an upstream radiator conduit to a second coolant outlet of the engine, and the radiator outlet being connectable via a downstream radiator conduit to a second coolant inlet of the engine;
a bypass conduit connected between the upstream radiator conduit and the downstream radiator conduit and adapted to allow coolant to bypass the radiator;
a thermostat controlled valve arrangeable in the upstream radiator conduit at the second coolant outlet and connected to the bypass conduit, the thermostat controlled valve being adapted to direct coolant flow to the radiator and/or to the bypass conduit;
a shut-off valve arranged in the bypass conduit, wherein the shut-off valve is configured to cut off any engine coolant flow through the bypass conduit until the heat storage container is recharged with engine coolant of a predetermined temperature; and
a pump having an inlet connectable to a third coolant outlet of the engine, and wherein coolant flow through the heat storage circuit is controllable by the pump.

2. The heating and cooling system according to claim 1 wherein the shut-off valve is adapted to open for engine coolant flow through the bypass conduit to cause the thermostat controlled valve to open when the engine coolant has a temperature being equal to or greater than the predetermined temperature.

3. The heating and cooling system according to claim 1 wherein the shut-off valve is adapted to cut off any engine coolant flow through the bypass conduit until a predetermined charge temperature of the heat storage container is reached, the predetermined charge temperature being higher than an opening temperature of the thermostat controlled valve.

4. The heating and cooling system according to claim 1 wherein the thermostat controlled valve comprises a thermostat housing through which coolant may flow, and the shut-off valve is adapted to cut off coolant flow through the thermostat housing when the shut-off valve is closed.

5. The heating and cooling system according to claim 1 further comprising a re-circulation conduit positioned between the first coolant inlet of the engine and the first coolant outlet of the engine, wherein the container outlet of the heat storage container is connected to the first coolant inlet of the engine via the re-circulation conduit.

6. The heating and cooling system according to claim 5 further comprising a three-way valve connected to the first coolant outlet of the engine, wherein the re-circulation conduit is connected to a first outlet port of the three-way valve, and the container inlet of the heat storage container is connected to a second outlet port of the three-way valve.

7. The heating and cooling system according to claim 5 wherein the re-circulation conduit is configured to enable coolant to flow from the first coolant outlet of the engine to the first coolant inlet of the engine.

8. The heating and cooling system according to claim 1 wherein the shut-off valve is configured to cut off any engine coolant flow through the thermostat controlled valve until the heat storage container is recharged with engine coolant of the predetermined temperature, so that no engine coolant flows through the radiator until the heat storage container is recharged with engine coolant of the predetermined temperature.

9. A method of controlling a heating and cooling system for an internal combustion engine, wherein the heating and cooling system includes a heat storage circuit and a radiator circuit, the heat storage circuit including a heat storage container in which engine coolant is storable and into which and out of engine coolant is allowed to flow, the heat storage container having a container inlet connected to a first coolant outlet of the engine, and a container outlet connected to a first coolant inlet of the engine, and wherein the radiator circuit includes a radiator for flow of the engine coolant, the radiator including a radiator inlet connected via an upstream radiator conduit to a second coolant outlet of the engine, and a radiator outlet connected via a downstream radiator conduit to a second coolant inlet of the engine, the radiator circuit further including a bypass conduit connected between the upstream radiator conduit and the downstream radiator conduit for allowing coolant to bypass the radiator, and a thermostat controlled valve arranged in the upstream radiator conduit at the second coolant outlet and connected to the bypass conduit, the thermostat controlled valve being adapted to direct coolant flow to the radiator and/or to the bypass conduit, and wherein the heating and cooling system includes a pump having an inlet connected to a third coolant outlet of the engine, and the method further comprises controlling coolant flow through the heat storage circuit by the pump, the method comprising:
controlling any engine coolant flow through the bypass conduit and the thermostat controlled valve by a shut-off valve arranged in the bypass conduit, wherein controlling any engine coolant flow through the bypass conduit and the thermostat controlled valve comprises cutting off, by the shut-off valve, any engine coolant flow through the bypass conduit until the heat storage container is recharged with engine coolant of a predetermined temperature.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein controlling any engine coolant flow through the bypass conduit and the thermostat controlled valve comprises opening the shut-off valve for engine coolant flow through the bypass conduit, such that the thermostat controlled valve opens, when the engine coolant has reached a temperature being equal to or greater than the predetermined temperature.

11. The method according to claim 9 wherein controlling any engine coolant flow through the bypass conduit and the thermostat controlled valve comprises cutting off, by the shut-off valve, any engine coolant flow through the bypass conduit until a predetermined charge temperature of the heat storage container is reached, the predetermined charge temperature being higher than an opening temperature of the thermostat controlled valve.

12. The method according to claim 9 wherein the thermostat controlled valve comprises a thermostat housing through which coolant may flow, and the shut-off valve is operable to cut off coolant flow through the thermostat housing when the shut-off valve is closed.

13. A combination comprising:
an internal combustion engine having first and second coolant inlets and first and second coolant outlets; and
a heating and cooling system including:
a heat storage circuit including a heat storage container in which engine coolant is stored and allowed to flow into and out of, the heat storage container having a container inlet connected to the first coolant outlet of the engine, and a container outlet connected to the first coolant inlet of the engine;
a radiator circuit including a radiator for flow of the engine coolant, the radiator having a radiator inlet and a radiator outlet, the radiator inlet being connected via an upstream radiator conduit to the second coolant outlet of the

Assignees

• Volvo Car Corp

Inventors

• Sundemo Stefan Mats
• Johansson Kaj
• Nilsson John
• Rigdal Rikard
• Salekarr Bengt

Classifications

• F01P7/16

  by thermostatic control · CPC title

• F01P11/20

  concerning atmospheric freezing conditions, e.g. automatically draining or heating during frosty weather · CPC title

• F01P2011/205

  using heat-accumulators · CPC title

• F01P7/165 Primary

  characterised by systems with two or more loops · CPC title

• F02N19/10 Primary

  by heating of engine coolants · CPC title