Patent ID: 8037685
Filing Date: 2011-10-18
Classification: F01P,F02B,F02M,F28D,F28F,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A method of cooling engine coolant and charge air from a turbo- or supercharger in an internal combustion engine comprising: providing a radiator for cooling engine coolant having opposite front and rear core faces through which ambient air flows, and opposite upper and lower ends adjacent the faces; providing a charge air cooler for cooling charge air having upper and lower units, each charge air cooler unit having opposite front and rear core faces through which ambient air flows, and opposite upper and lower ends adjacent the faces, the upper charge air cooler unit being disposed in overlapping relationship and adjacent to the upper end of the radiator, wherein one face at the upper end of the radiator is disposed adjacent one face of the upper charge air cooler unit, and the lower charge air cooler unit being disposed in overlapping relationship and adjacent to the lower end of the radiator with the upper and lower ends of the lower charge air cooler unit being oriented in the same direction as the upper and lower ends of the radiator, wherein the other face at the lower end of the radiator is disposed adjacent one face of the lower charge air cooler unit, each charge air cooler unit having a different core style from the other selected from the group consisting of core depth, fin count, and tube spacing, the charge air cooler units being operatively connected such that the charge air flows therebetween; flowing the engine coolant through the radiator to cool the engine coolant; flowing the charge air from the turbo- or supercharger in sequence through the charge air heat exchanger units to cool the charge air; and flowing cooling air through the heat exchanger assembly such that the cooling air flows in series through the upper end of the radiator and the upper charge air cooler unit, and the cooling air flows in series through the lower charge air cooler unit and the lower end of the radiator, with one of the charge air cooler units being positioned upstream of the radiator with respect to cooling air flow and the other of the charge air cooler units being positioned downstream of the radiator with respect to cooling air flow, wherein the upstream charge air cooler unit has a lower fin count, lower core depth or increased tube spacing compared to the fin count, core depth or tube spacing of the downstream charge air cooler unit.