JP2005146950A - Engine cooling system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention suppresses the flow of cold refrigerant in a heat retaining container to the cooling circuit immediately after starting the engine without performing costly and time-consuming control such as switching control of a switching valve, and is used at the next engine start. Accurately collect the warm refrigerant in the insulation container.
Prior to starting the engine, when the warm cooling water of the heat retaining container 14 in the heat storage circuit H is caused to flow to the water jacket 5, the cold cooling water present in the cooling circuit R is transferred to the heat storage circuit H by the warm cooling water. Extruded and stored in the heat retaining container 14. Then, after the engine is started, when the cooling water circulates through the cooling circuit R through the driving of the water pump 6, the check valve 21 prohibits the inflow of the cooling water from the water jacket 5 to the heat storage circuit H. Thereafter, when the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling circuit R reaches a predetermined value or more, the thermostat 23 is opened, and the warm cooling water in the cooling circuit R flows into the heat storage circuit H through the connection passage 22 and is collected in the heat retaining container 14. .
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an engine cooling apparatus.

  The engine cooling device includes a cooling circuit that circulates refrigerant and passes the engine water jacket. For this reason, when the engine is in a high temperature state, the heat of the engine is taken away by the refrigerant passing through the water jacket, and the engine temperature is prevented from excessively rising. Further, although the temperature of the refrigerant circulating in the cooling circuit rises by receiving heat from the engine or the like, an engine cooling device has been proposed in which the refrigerant thus warmed is used for warming up the engine.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of such an engine cooling device. The cooling circuit 101 of the cooling device includes a water pump 103 that is driven by the engine 102 to circulate the refrigerant in the circuit 101 in the direction of the arrow X1. The cooling circuit 101 is connected to a heat retaining container 104 that retains and stores the refrigerant and a heat storage circuit 106 that includes an electric pump 105 that can be driven even when the engine 102 is stopped.

  During engine operation, the warm refrigerant in the cooling circuit 101 flows into the heat storage circuit 106 from the water jacket 107 of the engine 102 as indicated by an arrow X1 in FIG. Prior to the next engine start, the warm refrigerant stored in the heat retaining container 104 is caused to flow into the water jacket 107 as shown by an arrow X2 in FIG. By promoting engine warm-up with this warm refrigerant, the injected fuel of the engine 102 is easily vaporized, and the emission and fuel consumption are improved.

  By the way, when the cooling water of the heat retaining container 104 is passed through the water jacket 107, the cold refrigerant that was present in the cooling circuit 101 is pushed out to the heat accumulating circuit 106 and stored in the heat retaining container 104 as shown in FIG. It becomes like this. Thereafter, the electric pump 105 is stopped to finish the flow of the refrigerant from the heat retaining container 104 to the water jacket 107, and in this state, the engine 102 is started and the water pump 103 is driven. At this time, in the cooling circuit 101 and the heat storage circuit 106, a refrigerant flow indicated by an arrow X <b> 1 in FIG. 8 occurs, and the refrigerant in the water jacket 107 flows backward to the heat storage circuit 106. And since the cold refrigerant | coolant of the thermal insulation container 104 flows out into the cooling circuit 101 by the reverse flow of this refrigerant | coolant, the temperature of the refrigerant | coolant of the cooling circuit 101 falls and the warming-up completion of the engine 102 will be overdue.

Considering this, for example, a switching valve shown in Patent Document 1 may be provided between the heat storage circuit and the cooling circuit. In this case, when the warm refrigerant in the heat retaining container has finished flowing through the water jacket prior to engine startup, the switching valve is switched so that the heat storage container is shut off from the cooling circuit, and the refrigerant temperature in the cooling circuit is sufficient after engine startup. After that, the switching valve can be switched so that the heat storage circuit communicates with the cooling circuit in order to collect the refrigerant into the heat retaining container. Then, by performing such switching control of the switching valve, it is possible to collect the warm refrigerant used at the next engine start in the heat insulation container while suppressing the cold refrigerant in the heat insulation container from flowing out to the cooling circuit after the engine start. Is possible.
JP-A-8-183324

  However, when performing the switching control of the switching valve described above, the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling circuit rises to a value (hereinafter referred to as a judgment value) that does not cause a problem even when the cold refrigerant in the heat retaining container flows into the cooling circuit. In order to determine whether or not there is a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling circuit, it is necessary to control the switching valve according to the temperature detection result by the temperature sensor. Further, the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling circuit is estimated based on the elapsed time from the start of the engine without providing a temperature sensor, and the switching valve is determined depending on whether or not the elapsed time has reached the time corresponding to the above judgment value. It is also conceivable to perform the control. In this case, the correlation between the elapsed time and the temperature of the cooling water needs to be examined in advance by experiments or the like.

  As described above, even if a switching valve is provided, in order to make the switching appropriate, precise switching control based on the installation of the temperature sensor and the detection signal from the sensor is performed, and the elapsed time and cooling A detailed experiment or the like for investigating the correlation with the temperature of the water must be conducted, and the cost and labor required for the experiment cannot be ignored.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and its purpose is to cool the cold refrigerant in the heat retaining container immediately after the engine is started without performing costly and laborious control such as switching control of the switching valve. It is an object of the present invention to provide an engine cooling device that suppresses outflow to a circuit and can accurately recover a warm refrigerant used at the next engine start in a heat retaining container.

In the following, means for achieving the above object and its effects are described.
In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 includes a cooling circuit that circulates the refrigerant and passes the water jacket of the engine, and a heat storage circuit that is provided with a heat insulation container that retains and stores the refrigerant. In an engine cooling device that causes the refrigerant in the heat retaining container to flow out of the heat storage circuit to the water jacket prior to starting the engine, after the engine starts, the refrigerant in the cooling circuit circulates and flows into the heat storage circuit from the water jacket When trying to do so, a check valve that suppresses the inflow of the refrigerant, a connection passage that is connected to the heat storage circuit and leads to the cooling circuit, and opens when the temperature of the refrigerant in the cooling circuit exceeds a predetermined value. And a temperature sensitive valve for communicating the connection passage and the cooling circuit.

  If the refrigerant in the heat insulation container is allowed to flow out to the water jacket prior to the engine start, the cold refrigerant present in the cooling circuit is pushed out to the heat storage circuit and stored in the heat insulation container. After the engine is started, the refrigerant circulates in the cooling circuit and tries to flow into the heat storage circuit from the water jacket. However, since the inflow is suppressed by the check valve, Is prevented from flowing into the cooling circuit. At this time, if the temperature of the refrigerant in the cooling circuit is lower than the predetermined value, the temperature sensing valve is closed and the connection passage and the cooling circuit are shut off, so that the refrigerant in the cooling circuit passes through the connection passage. And does not flow into the heat storage circuit. Thereafter, when the temperature of the refrigerant in the cooling circuit becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the temperature sensing valve is opened, and the warm refrigerant in the cooling circuit flows into the heat storage circuit via the connection passage and is collected in the heat retaining container. At this time, the cold refrigerant in the heat insulation container is pushed out to the cooling circuit, but since the temperature of the refrigerant in the cooling circuit is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the inflow of the cold refrigerant into the cooling circuit becomes a problem. There is nothing. Since the temperature sensitive valve is mechanically opened and closed according to the temperature of the refrigerant in the cooling circuit, it is not necessary to perform electronic control according to the temperature of the refrigerant for opening and closing. Therefore, without performing costly and laborious control such as conventional electronic control (switching control) of the switching valve, it is possible to suppress the cold refrigerant in the heat retaining container from flowing out to the cooling circuit immediately after the engine is started, and to perform the next engine The warm refrigerant used at the time of start-up can be accurately collected in the heat retaining container.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the cooling circuit includes a radiator for cooling the refrigerant, and an inflow of the refrigerant to the radiator when the temperature of the refrigerant in the circuit becomes a predetermined value or more. And a thermostat that opens the valve to allow the thermostat, and the thermostat also serves as the temperature sensing valve.

  According to the above configuration, since the thermostat also serves as the temperature sensing valve, it is not necessary to separately provide the temperature sensing valve, and the configuration of the cooling device can be simplified correspondingly.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a first embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in a cooling device for an automobile engine will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the cooling device for the engine 1 includes a cooling circuit R that circulates cooling water to cool the engine 1, and high-temperature cooling water in the cooling circuit R is used for the engine 1 at the next engine start. And a heat storage circuit H for use in warming up the vehicle.

  The cooling circuit R includes a water pump 6 driven by the engine 1, an inflow passage 7 through which the cooling water discharged from the water pump 6 flows into the water jacket 5 of the engine 1, and the cooling water flows out of the water jacket 5. An outflow passage 8 is provided. Then, the cooling water circulating in the cooling circuit R flows into the water jacket 5 through the inflow passage 7 as shown by the arrow Y1, flows through the water jacket 5 and takes heat from the engine 1, and then flows out of the outflow passage. 8 flows out of the water jacket 5. The cooling circuit R has a radiator 12 that lowers the temperature of the circulating cooling water by heat exchange with the outside air, a bypass passage 9 that bypasses the radiator 12, and an inflow of cooling water to the radiator 12 according to the temperature of the cooling water. A thermostat 10 that opens and closes to prohibit / permit is provided. By the operation of the thermostat 10, the amount of cooling water cooled through the radiator 12 is adjusted, and the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling circuit R is usually in the range of 70 ° C. to 80 ° C., for example, at most 100 It is controlled so as to be suppressed to about ° C.

  The heat storage circuit H includes an electric pump 13 that pumps the cooling water in the circuit H, a heat retaining container 14 that retains and stores the cooling water, and a supply passage that causes the cooling water in the heat retaining container 14 to flow out to the water jacket 5. 16 are provided. Then, warm cooling water flows from the cooling circuit R into the heat storage circuit H and is stored in the heat retaining container 14. Thus, the warm cooling water stored in the heat retaining container 14 is caused to flow into the water jacket 5 through the supply passage 16 by driving the electric pump 13 prior to starting the engine. And the intake port etc. of the engine 1 are warmed by the said cooling water which flowed into the water jacket 5, and the improvement in the emission, fuel consumption, startability, etc. in the engine 1 is aimed at.

  In addition, when the warm cooling water in the heat insulation container 14 is flowed to the water jacket 5, the cold cooling water existing in the cooling circuit R is pushed out to the heat storage circuit H by the warm cooling water as indicated by the arrow Y2, and the heat insulation is performed. It will be stored in the container 14. When the warm cooling water in the heat retaining container 14 is completely passed through the water jacket 5, the electric pump 13 is stopped and the engine 1 is started, and the cooling water in the cooling circuit R circulates in the direction of the arrow Y1 through the driving of the water pump 6. To do. At this time, the cooling water passing through the water jacket 5 tends to flow into the heat storage circuit H from the supply passage 16 side.

  Here, if the cooling water flows into the heat storage circuit H from the supply passage 16 side, the cold cooling water in the heat retaining container 14 flows in the direction opposite to the arrow Y2 and flows out to the cooling circuit R. As a result, the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling circuit R decreases and the warm-up completion of the engine 1 is delayed. In order to avoid such problems, a check valve 21 is provided between the heat retaining container 14 and the supply passage 16 in the heat storage circuit H. This check valve 21 permits only the flow of the cooling water from the heat retaining container 14 to the supply passage 16 and prohibits the flow of the cooling water in the opposite direction. Therefore, the check valve 21 prohibits the cooling water circulating in the cooling circuit R through the water pump 6 from flowing into the heat storage circuit H when passing through the water jacket 5. And the outflow to the cooling circuit R of the cooling water in the heat insulation container 14 accompanying the inflow of the cooling water from the water jacket 5 to the heat storage circuit H is also prohibited.

Next, a structure for collecting the warm cooling water of the cooling circuit R in the heat retaining container 14 of the heat storage circuit H will be described.
In the heat storage circuit H, a connection passage 22 is connected to a portion between the heat insulating container 14 and the check valve 21. The connection passage 22 is connected to the downstream side of the water pump 6 in the cooling circuit R. Further, in the portion connected to the cooling circuit R in the connection passage 22, the temperature of the cooling water of the circuit R is not less than a predetermined value that does not cause a problem even if the cold cooling water in the heat retaining container 14 flows through the cooling circuit R, For example, a thermostat 23 is provided that opens the valve when the warming-up completion value of the engine 1 becomes equal to or greater than that, and connects the connection passage 22 and the cooling circuit R.

  Therefore, when the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling circuit R is less than the predetermined value, the thermostat 23 is in a closed state, and the connection passage 22 and the cooling circuit R are shut off. The inflow of the cooling water to the heat storage circuit H via 22 is prohibited. When the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling circuit R becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined value and the thermostat 23 opens, the connection passage 22 and the cooling circuit R communicate with each other, and warm cooling water in the circuit R passes through the connection passage 22. To the heat storage circuit H. The cooling water flowing into the heat storage circuit H from the connection passage 22 does not flow to the supply passage 16 side because the cooling water in the water jacket 5 is about to flow into the supply passage 16 through driving of the water pump 6 at that time. Instead, it flows toward the heat retaining container 14 and is collected in the container 14. The warm cooling water collected in the heat retaining container 14 is used at the next engine start.

  Here, the detailed structure of the thermostat 23 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 shows the closed state of the thermostat 23, and FIG. 3 shows the opened state of the thermostat 23.

  As the thermostat 23, a wax type that opens and closes using the thermal expansion of wax is employed. As shown in FIG. 2, in this thermostat 23, a valve body 24 is attached, and an expansion / contraction unit 27 that expands and contracts in a direction in which the valve body 24 approaches and separates from the valve seat 25, and the valve body 24 are provided. A coil spring 26 that biases toward the valve seat 25 is provided. The expansion / contraction unit 27 encloses the wax 28 that receives the heat of the cooling water of the cooling circuit R in the pellet 28 in which the spindle 29 is inserted, and expands and contracts based on the expansion / contraction of the wax.

  When the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling circuit R is less than the predetermined value, the wax is solidified and enters a contracted state. As a result, the spindle 29 is immersed in the pellet 28, the expansion / contraction unit 27 is contracted, and the valve body 24 comes into contact with the valve seat 25 by the coil spring 26, so that the thermostat 23 is closed. Further, when the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling circuit R reaches a predetermined value or more, the wax liquefies and thermally expands. As a result, the spindle 29 protrudes from the pellet 28 and the telescopic unit 27 extends, and the valve body 24 moves away from the valve seat 25 against the urging force of the coil spring 26, so that the thermostat 23 is opened as shown in FIG. It becomes a valve state.

According to the embodiment described in detail above, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) When the warm cooling water in the heat retaining container 14 is passed through the water jacket 5 before starting the engine, the cold cooling water present in the cooling circuit R is pushed out to the heat storage circuit H by the warm cooling water, and the heat retaining container 14 Can be stored. Then, after the engine is started, when the cooling water circulating through the cooling circuit R through the driving of the water pump 6 tries to flow into the heat storage circuit H from the water jacket 5, the inflow is caused by the check valve 21 provided in the heat storage circuit H. prohibited. For this reason, with the inflow of the cooling water from the water jacket 5 to the heat storage circuit H, the cooling water in the heat retaining container 14 is prohibited from flowing out to the cooling circuit R. At this time, if the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling circuit R is less than the predetermined value, the thermostat 23 is closed and the connection passage 22 and the cooling circuit R are shut off. It is also prohibited for water to flow into the heat storage circuit H through the connection passage 22. Thereafter, when the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling circuit R becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined value, the thermostat 23 opens and the warm cooling water in the cooling circuit R flows into the heat storage circuit H through the connection passage 22 and is collected in the heat retaining container 14. Become so. At this time, the cold cooling water in the heat retaining container 14 is pushed out to the cooling circuit R, but since the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling circuit R is equal to or higher than the predetermined value, the cooling circuit for the cold cooling water is Inflow to R is not a problem. The thermostat 23 opens and closes as described above according to the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling circuit R without performing control such as electronic control. Therefore, without performing control such as costly and time-consuming electronic control, the cooling water in the heat retaining container 14 is prohibited from flowing out into the cooling circuit R immediately after the engine is started, and is used at the next engine start. The warm refrigerant can be accurately collected in the heat retaining container 14.

Hereinafter, modifications of the above embodiment will be described.
The position of the check valve 21 in the heat storage circuit H, the connection position of the connection passage 22 to the heat storage circuit H, and the connection position of the cooling circuit R may be changed as appropriate. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the check valve 21 is provided between the electric pump 13 and the heat insulation container 14 in the heat storage circuit H, and the connection passage 22 is provided between the check valve 21 and the heat insulation container 14 in the heat storage circuit H. In addition to the connection, the cooling circuit R may be connected to the upstream side of the water pump 6. In this case, when warm cooling water from the cooling circuit R flows into the heat storage circuit H via the connection passage 22, the flow of the cooling water to the electric pump 13 side is prohibited by the check valve 21. It flows to the container 14 side and is stored in the container 14.

  In addition, instead of directly connecting the connection passage 22 to the cooling circuit R as shown in FIG. 4, the portion near the connection portion between the connection passage 22 and the cooling circuit R in the heat storage circuit H as shown in FIG. It may be connected to the cooling circuit R. Also in this case, the same effects as those described above can be obtained.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the cooling device of the present embodiment. In this embodiment, the thermostat 10 that opens and closes to prohibit / permit the flow of the cooling water to the radiator 12 according to the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling circuit R is connected to the connection passage according to the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling circuit R. It also serves as a thermostat that opens and closes to connect and disconnect the cooling circuit 22 and the cooling circuit R. Accordingly, when the cooling water in the cooling circuit R becomes higher than a predetermined value, for example, high enough to require cooling by the radiator 12, the thermostat 10 opens to allow the cooling water to flow into the radiator 12 and to cool the cooling water. The circuit R and the connection passage 22 communicate with each other. As a result, the warm cooling water in the cooling circuit R flows into the heat storage circuit H via the connection passage 22 and is collected in the heat retaining container 14.

Here, the thermostat 10 will be described in detail with reference to a cross-sectional view of FIG. 7 showing its internal structure.
The thermostat 10 is of the same wax type as the thermostat 23 of the first embodiment, and includes a valve body 24, a valve seat 25, a telescopic unit 27, a coil spring 26, and the like, similar to the thermostat 23. However, in the thermostat 10, the portion connected to the radiator 12 in the cooling circuit R is communicated / blocked by the approach / separation of the valve body 24 with respect to the valve seat 25, and the portion connected to the connection passage 22 is also communicated / blocked. ing.

  When the temperature of the cooling water flowing from the bypass passage 9 to the water pump 6 in the cooling circuit R is less than the predetermined value, the expansion / contraction unit 27 contracts, the valve body 24 contacts the valve seat 25, and the thermostat 10 is closed. State. In this state, since the circulation of the cooling water from the radiator 12 to the water pump 6 side is prohibited, the cooling water does not flow into the radiator 12 from the cooling circuit R. Further, when the thermostat 10 is closed, the connection passage 22 and the cooling circuit R are shut off, and the inflow of cooling water from the cooling circuit R to the heat storage circuit H via the connection passage 22 is prohibited.

  Further, when the temperature of the cooling water flowing from the bypass passage 9 to the water pump 6 in the cooling circuit R becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined value, the expansion / contraction unit 27 extends and the valve body 24 is separated from the valve seat 25 as indicated by a two-dot chain line. Then, the thermostat 10 is opened. In this state, since the circulation of the cooling water from the radiator 12 to the water pump 6 side is permitted, the cooling water flows into the radiator 12 from the cooling circuit R. Further, when the thermostat 10 is in the valve open state, the connection passage 22 and the cooling circuit R communicate with each other, and warm cooling water in the circuit R flows into the heat storage circuit H through the connection passage 22, and the heat retaining container 14. Stored in

According to this embodiment, in addition to the effects described in the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(2) The thermostat 10 that opens and closes to prohibit / permit the flow of the cooling water to the radiator 12 according to the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling circuit R is connected to the connection passage 22 according to the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling circuit R. Since it also serves as a thermostat that opens and closes to connect and disconnect the cooling circuit R, it is not necessary to provide the thermostat separately. Therefore, the configuration of the cooling device can be simplified to the extent that the thermostat need not be provided.

[Other Embodiments]
In addition, about the said 1st Embodiment, its modification, and 2nd Embodiment, it can also be changed as follows, for example.

  -Although the wax-type thermostat was employ | adopted as the thermostat 23 of 1st Embodiment and the thermostat 23 of 2nd Embodiment, it may replace with this and may employ | adopt other types of thermostats, such as a bellows type.

  -About the check valve 21, although the flow of the cooling water from the supply path 16 to the heat insulation container 14 was prohibited in the heat storage circuit H, it is good also as what suppresses the flow. In this case, the cooling water circulating through the cooling circuit R at the start of engine start enters the heat storage circuit H from the supply passage 16 side. However, since the amount of the cooling water becomes small, the cooling water is cooled from the heat retaining container 14 by the cooling water. As a result, the amount of the cold cooling water pushed out to the engine 1 becomes small, and the warm-up performance of the engine 1 is not adversely affected. In addition, if the check valve 21 prohibits the flow of the cooling water from the supply passage 16 to the heat insulation container 14 as in the above embodiments, the outflow of the cold cooling water from the heat insulation container 14 to the cooling circuit R The influence on the warm-up performance of the engine 1 due to can be reliably eliminated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Schematic which shows the whole engine cooling device in 1st Embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the valve closing state of the thermostat. Sectional drawing which shows the valve opening state of the thermostat 23. FIG. Schematic which shows the other example of the said cooling device. Schematic which shows the other example of the said cooling device. The schematic diagram which shows the whole engine cooling device in 2nd Embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of the thermostat 10 of 2nd Embodiment. The schematic diagram which shows the prior art example of the cooling device of an engine. The schematic diagram which shows the prior art example of the cooling device of an engine.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Engine, 5 ... Water jacket, 6 ... Water pump, 7 ... Inflow passage, 8 ... Outflow passage, 9 ... Bypass passage, 10 ... Thermostat (temperature sensing valve), 12 ... Radiator, 13 ... Electric pump, 14 ... Thermal insulation Container, 16 ... Supply passage, 21 ... Check valve, 22 ... Connection passage, 23 ... Thermostat (temperature sensitive valve), 24 ... Valve body, 25 ... Valve seat, 26 ... Coil spring, 27 ... Expansion unit, 28 ... Pellet, 29 ... Spindle, R ... Cooling circuit, H ... Heat storage circuit.

Claims (2)

A cooling circuit that circulates the refrigerant and passes through a water jacket of the engine; and a heat storage circuit that is provided with a heat insulating container that retains and stores the refrigerant, and stores the refrigerant in the heat insulating container before the engine is started. In the engine cooling device that flows out from the water jacket,
After starting the engine, when the refrigerant in the cooling circuit circulates and tries to flow into the heat storage circuit from the water jacket, a check valve that suppresses the inflow of the refrigerant;
A connection passage connected to the heat storage circuit and connected to the cooling circuit;
A temperature-sensing valve that opens when the temperature of the refrigerant in the cooling circuit is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, and connects the connection passage and the cooling circuit;
An engine cooling device comprising: The cooling circuit includes a radiator that cools the refrigerant, and a thermostat that opens to permit the refrigerant to flow into the radiator when the temperature of the refrigerant in the circuit reaches a predetermined value or more, and the thermostat The engine cooling device according to claim 1, which also serves as the temperature sensing valve.

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