EP1375857A1 - Cooling device for an internal combustion engine - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a cooling device (100) for an internal combustion engine, the device comprising a plurality of cylinder cooling chambers (104a, 104b) separated from each other and capable of being traversed by a fluid. cooling. According to the invention, the device further comprises at least first (112a) and second flow regulation means (112b) coupled respectively to at least one first enclosure for cooling the cylinder head (104a) and at least one second enclosure. for cooling the cylinder head (104b), the first and second flow regulation means being capable of regulating the flow of the cooling fluid respectively through each first cooling enclosure (104a) and through each second cooling enclosure (104b) . Application to the fields of diesel engines and spark-ignition engines of a motor vehicle. <IMAGE>

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

The present invention relates to a cooling device for combustion engine internal, the device comprising a plurality engine cylinder head cooling chambers, these speakers being separated from each other and suitable for being crossed by a cooling.

The invention finds in particular a application in the field of diesel engines and positive ignition engines of motor vehicles.

STATE OF THE PRIOR ART

In the area of cooling for internal combustion engine motor vehicle, we know some achievements classics like the one shown in the figure 1.

In this figure, the cooling is generally represented by the numerical reference 1.

The device 1 comprises an enclosure of cooling of the cylinder block of engine 2, communicating with a cooling enclosure of the engine 4 cylinder head located substantially above from it, through orifices located in the cylinder head gasket (not shown). In addition, the cooling device 1 comprises a pump 6, a main air / liquid heat exchanger 8, a Annex 10 heat exchanger for heating the passenger compartment of the vehicle, as well as a piloted valve or a wax thermostat 12 and other exchangers (oil, air, etc).

In operation, cooling is able to penetrate inside the cooling chamber of the cylinder block 2 thanks at pump 6, to diffuse towards the enclosure of cooling of the cylinder head 4, then being directed to the various heat exchangers 8 and 10 of the device 1, passing through the valve or the thermostat 12.

Fluid flow management cooling through enclosures 2 and 4 is generally provided by the valve or the thermostat 12, indifferently located at the exit or entry of the main heat exchanger 8. The latter is then likely to authorize a circulation of the coolant, when the temperature of this fluid, usually water, exceeds a threshold predetermined.

Note that in these devices of conventional cooling, the design is such that the coolant passing through the cylinder head engine is brought as close as possible possible from the fire side, to ensure the holding thermomechanical motor equipped with such a device.

However during the implementation of this type of cooling device, the fluid flow of cooling is determined by the required flow at the hottest and most constrained points thermomechanically, at the operating point (s) engine dimensions.

The specific configuration of this classic art cooling device anterior then generates a major drawback, consisting in the appearance of super-cooling of certain areas of the engine cylinder head.

Indeed, all the zones of the breech do not not need to be cooled with the same intensity, which is however the case encountered with this type of cooling enclosure device single cylinder head. Thus, the super-cooling operations carried out can lead to harmful consequences on a various services, such as unnecessary consumption of pumping energy and the slowing of the temperature rise in the zones near the exhaust, this last drawback cited being clearly unfavorable to a rapid priming of the depollution catalyst.

From the prior art, we also know other achievements in which the device cooling has several separate speakers engine cylinder head.

However, these multiple speakers are usually designed to communicate with each other outside the cylinder head, such that the valve type control system or thermostat controlled is unique. Therefore, in reason for the unitary nature of the regulatory system, the proposed solution in no way resolves disadvantages mentioned above, relating to super-cooling certain areas of the breech.

STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is therefore to propose a cooling device for combustion engine internal, the device comprising a plurality separate cylinder cooling chambers of the engine, and at least partially remedying the disadvantages mentioned above relating to achievements of the prior art.

Specifically, the purpose of this invention is to present a device for cooling minimizing as widely as possible problems related to the super-cooling of the cylinder head, such as unnecessary energy consumption of pumping and slowing the rise in temperature of the areas near the exhaust.

To do this, the invention relates to a cooling device for combustion engine internal, the device comprising a plurality engine cylinder head cooling chambers, these speakers being separated from each other and suitable for being crossed by a cooling. According to the invention, the device further comprises at least first and second flow control means respectively coupled to at least a first cooling enclosure of the breech and at least a second enclosure of cylinder head cooling, first and second flow regulation means being able to regulate the coolant flow respectively at through each first cooling enclosure and through each second cooling enclosure.

The cylinder head of the engine equipped with the device cooling system according to the invention is cooled to using at least two enclosures, the flow of coolant through these two enclosures can be regulated, for each of them, so independent or very weakly linked. So with a such arrangement, the device has at least two cooling chambers each likely to be crossed by a different flow, any of the latter being able to undergo a variation without influence or influence only very slightly the value of the other flow. In this way, the device proposed naturally reduces considerably the super-cooling of some breech zones, by modulating the intensity of the cooling depending on the area considered.

Therefore, by arranging the speakers optimally depending on the nature of the various areas to cool the cylinder head it is possible to greatly reduce consumption-related problems unnecessary pumping energy and slowing down the temperature rise in areas near the exhaust.

The cooling device according to the invention also makes it possible to obtain a very good compromise between engine fuel consumption, polluting emissions, engine power and protection of the components of the engine equipped with device.

For each cooling enclosure of the cylinder head, the device comprises means for enclosure-specific flow control, suitable for regulate the flow of coolant through the enclosure. The device then presents a number maximum number of speakers with adjustable flow, specific to each of them. Of course, such specificity further promotes disappearance over-cooling zones of the cylinder head engine.

According to another embodiment, for each cylinder cooling chamber, the associated flow control means are indifferently located at the entrance or at the exit of the enclosure, and are constituted by controlled valves or wax thermostats. In addition, for each cylinder head cooling enclosure we can provide that the associated flow control means function either progressively or binary way.

In addition, for each enclosure of cylinder head cooling, regulating means associated flow rates are controlled according to a map of the regime / load type, or according to a measure of the coolant temperature at outlet the enclosure.

Preferably, at least one of the cylinder head cooling chambers extends substantially over the entire length of the cylinder block of the engine.

In addition, each enclosure of cylinder head cooling is connected to a cooling fluid supply duct, each fluid supply line from cooling being connected to the same pump of the device. Similarly, each enclosure of cylinder head cooling is connected to a cooling fluid discharge pipe, each fluid discharge line from cooling being connected on the one hand to a main heat exchanger of the device, and on the other hand to an annex heat exchanger device.

According to another embodiment, the cooling device also includes a cylinder block cooling enclosure motor, the enclosure being connected on the one hand to the device pump, and secondly to a conduit coolant discharge from a cylinder head cooling enclosure, the flow of coolant through the enclosure of cooling of the cylinder block being able to be regulated by the flow control means coupled to the cylinder head cooling chamber.

Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will appear in the detailed description nonlimiting below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

• la figure 1, déjà décrite, représente une vue schématique en perspective d'un dispositif de refroidissement classique de l'art antérieur, pour un moteur à combustion interne ;
• la figure 2 représente une vue schématique en perspective d' un dispositif de refroidissement pour moteur à combustion interne, selon un mode de réalisation préféré de la présente invention.

This description will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings, among which;

• Figure 1, already described, shows a schematic perspective view of a conventional cooling device of the prior art, for an internal combustion engine;
• FIG. 2 represents a schematic perspective view of a cooling device for an internal combustion engine, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to Figure 2, we see a cooling device 100 for vehicle internal combustion (not shown) automobile.

Note that the device 100 finds a very specific application for diesel engines and spark ignition engines but that it could also apply to any other type of motor to internal combustion, without departing from the the invention.

Still with reference to FIG. 2, the device 100 includes a cooling enclosure of the cylinder block 102, a first enclosure of cooling of cylinder head 104a, one second cylinder cooling chamber 104b, one pump 106, a main heat exchanger air / liquid 108 of the conventional radiator type, a annex 110 heat exchanger for heating the vehicle interior, first means of flow control 112a, as well as second means flow control 112b, the first and second means 112a and 112b being for example of the valve type piloted or wax thermostat.

As can be seen in the figure, the first cylinder cooling enclosure 104a and the second cooling enclosure of the cylinder head 104b are separated and arranged one above on the other, extending in parallel and longitudinally over the entire length of the cylinder block of the motor. Naturally, the device 100 according to the invention is not limited to two speakers of cooling of the cylinder head, and could of course have more, any shape, and optimally distributed to cool the various breech zones.

The first cooling enclosure of the cylinder head 104a has an inlet 114 and a output 116. Input 114 is connected to a conduit coolant supply 118, itself connected to the pump 106 of the device 100. From plus, output 116 is connected to a conduit coolant outlet 120, itself connected to the first flow regulation means 112a. As can be seen in Figure 2, the first means of regulating flow 112a are then on the one hand connected to the heat exchanger main 108 using conduit 122, and other part to the annex 110 heat exchanger using a conduit 124.

Similarly, the second enclosure of cylinder head cooling 104b has an inlet 126 and an output 128. Input 126 is connected to a coolant supply duct 130, itself connected to the pump 106 of the device 100. Note that the fluid supply conduits cooling 118 and 130 have a part common 132 connecting them to pump 106 but that they could of course be completely independent, or connected to two separate pumps. Moreover, output 128 is connected to an exhaust duct of cooling fluid 134, itself connected to the second means of regulating the flow 112b. Like this is visible in Figure 2, the second means of flow control 112b are then on the one hand connected to the main heat exchanger 108 to using a conduit 136, and secondly to the exchanger additional heat 110 using a duct 138.

For the first and the second enclosure of cooling of the cylinder head 104a, 104b, the means of flow control 112a and 112b are placed at the output of these speakers, at the level of the conduits respective evacuation 120 and 134. For example, it would also be possible to place the means flow control 112a and 112b at the inlet of these enclosures, at the supply ducts respectively 118 and 130.

So, by acting on the first and second flow control means 112a and 112b, it is respectively possible to regulate, independently or loosely linked, the fluid flow of cooling through the first enclosure 104a and the coolant flow through the second enclosure 104b. In other words, in the mode of realization presented, the regulation of one of the two little or no influence nonexistent on the other of the two flows.

It should be noted that in this mode of realization, each of the two enclosures of cooling 104a and 104b is coupled to means separate flow control 112a and 112b, allowing to establish two different bit rates through these speakers 104a and 104b. However, the device 100 could of course be achieved in such a way that several cooling chambers of the cylinder head are connected to the same first or second flow control means 112a and 112b, in particular when the breech areas associated with these speakers need to be cooled with a identical or similar intensity.

Furthermore, the device 100 is not limited to the first and second means of regulating flow 112a and 112b, but can include as many flow regulation means than cooling of the cylinder head, without leaving the frame of the invention.

In this embodiment of the invention, the flow control means 112a and 112b function either progressively or binary way, the choice of the type of opening depends the cost and the ability of the engine to withstand rapid variations in flow and temperature.

In addition, various modes of control of the flow regulation means 112a and 112b.

For example, the opening of resources regulation can be a function of a mapping regime / load established experimentally and different for each of the flow regulation means, or function of a measurement of the fluid temperature of cooling at the outlet of the enclosure concerned, when this enclosure is still debitant. Else apart, piloting can also be done according to a measurement of the temperature of a metal part of the cylinder head or water inside the engine, the measured temperature being considered representative of the thermal state of the area considered. Note at this title only when the liquid temperature of cooling pilot opening the means of flow control, a simple wax thermostat can serve as a valve.

In addition, it is specified that the piloting flow control means can be implemented works according to the speed, the load, and one or more of several fluid temperature measurements of cooling.

As you can see in Figure 2, the cooling chamber of the cylinder block 102 of the cooling device 100 is located below of the first cooling enclosure of the cylinder head 104a, parallel and on the same length.

The cooling enclosure of the cylinder block 102 has an input 140 and an output 142. Input 140 is connected to a conduit coolant supply 144, itself connected to the pump 106 of the device 100. Let us note that the fluid supply line of cooling 144 is connected to the supply duct common 132 of the first and second enclosures of cooling of the cylinder head 104a, 104b, this conduit common 132 being connected to the device pump 106 100.

The three supply lines 118,130,144 of the three cooling chambers 102, 104a, 104b are all connected before being connected to the pump 106, but could of course be completely independent, or connected to two or three separate pumps.

In addition, output 142 is connected to a cooling fluid discharge duct 146, itself connected to the exhaust duct 120 of the first cylinder cooling enclosure 104a. So the coolant flow at through the cooling enclosure of the cylinder block 102 is therefore regulated by the first means of flow control 112a, in the same way as the flow of coolant through the first cylinder cooling chamber 104a.

Another possibility could be to connect the exhaust pipe of coolant 146 to any of coolant evacuation pipes from cylinder cooling chambers, provided that the respective flow rates through these two enclosures are compatible.

Naturally, the cooling 100 can be designed so that the cooling enclosure of the cylinder block 102 has its own flow regulation means, these must then be connected to the exchange air / liquid main heat 108, and at the exchanger heat pump annex 110 for interior heating of the vehicle.

Finally, in order to obtain a device cooling 100 of the closed circuit type, the main air / liquid heat exchanger 108 and the annex 110 heat exchanger are connected to the pump 106, respectively using pipes 148 and 150.

Of course, various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art to cooling device 100 which has just been described, only by way of nonlimiting example.

Claims (13)

Cooling device (100) for an internal combustion engine, said device (100) comprising a plurality of chambers for cooling the cylinder head of the engine (104a, 104b), said chambers (104a, 104b) being separated from one another and capable of being traversed by a cooling fluid, characterized in that the device (100) further comprises at least first (112a) and second flow control means (112b) coupled respectively to at least one first cooling enclosure of the cylinder head (104a) and at least a second cylinder cooling enclosure (104b), said first and second flow regulation means (112a, 112b) being able to regulate the flow of the coolant respectively through each first cooling enclosure (104a) and through each second cooling enclosure (104b). Cooling device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that for each cylinder cooling enclosure (104a, 104b), the device (100) comprises flow control means (112a, 112b) specific to said enclosure , capable of regulating the flow rate of the cooling fluid through said enclosure. Cooling device (100) according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that for each cylinder cooling enclosure (104a, 104b), the associated flow regulation means (112a, 112b) are indifferently located at the entry or exit of said enclosure. Cooling device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that for each cylinder cooling enclosure (104a, 104b), the associated flow control means (112a, 112b) are means selected from the group consisting of pilot operated valves and wax thermostats. Cooling device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that for each cylinder cooling enclosure (104a, 104b), the associated flow regulation means (112a, 112b) operate indifferently in a progressive manner or binary. Cooling device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that for at least one of said cylinder cooling chambers (104a, 104b), the associated flow regulation means (112a, 112b) are controlled according to a regime / load type mapping. Cooling device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that for at least one of said cylinder cooling chambers (104a, 104b), the associated flow control means (112a, 112b) are controlled according to a measurement of the temperature of the cooling fluid at the outlet of said enclosure. Cooling device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of said cylinder cooling chambers (104a, 104b) extends substantially over the entire length of the engine cylinder block. Cooling device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each cylinder cooling enclosure (104a, 104b) is connected to a coolant supply duct (118,130), each duct 'coolant supply (118,130) being connected to the same pump (106) of the device (100). Cooling device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each cylinder cooling enclosure (104a, 104b) is connected to a coolant discharge pipe (120,134), each pipe d coolant discharge (120,134) being connected on the one hand to a main heat exchanger (108) of the device (100), and on the other hand to an auxiliary heat exchanger (110) of the device (100). Cooling device (100) according to claims 9 and 10 combined, characterized in that it also comprises an enclosure for cooling the engine block (102), said enclosure (102) being connected on the one hand to the pump. (106) of said device (100), and on the other hand to a coolant discharge duct (120) from a cooling enclosure of the cylinder head (104a), the flow of cooling fluid through said enclosure for cooling the cylinder block (102) being able to be regulated by the flow control means (112a) coupled to said cylinder cooling enclosure (104a). Cooling device (100) according to claim 11, characterized in that the pump (106) of the device (100) is connected on the one hand to the main heat exchanger (108) of the device (100), and on the other hand to the annex heat exchanger (110) of the device (100). Cooling device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it applies to an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle.

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