Coolant flow control apparatus, cooling system provided with the same and control method for the same

A coolant flow control apparatus may include a coolant controller housing of which an inlet for coolant to flow in, an outlet for the coolant to flow out, a first coolant supply line and a second coolant supply line are formed, a water pump mounted to the coolant controller housing for transmitting the coolant, a valve plate selectively opening/closing the first coolant supply line, a valve piston selectively opening/closing the second coolant supply line, a driving unit selectively moving the valve plate and the valve piston for closing or opening the first coolant supply line and the second coolant supply line respectively and a controller configured for controlling an operation of the driving unit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0089319 filed on Jul. 31, 2018, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a coolant flow control apparatus, a cooling system provided with the same and a control method for the same which may reduce warm-up timing and enhance cooling efficiency.

Description of Related Art

An engine discharges thermal energy while generating torque based on combustion of fuel, and a coolant absorbs thermal energy while circulating through an engine, a heater, and a radiator, and releases the thermal energy to the outside.

When a temperature of the coolant of the engine is low, viscosity of oil may increase to increase frictional force and fuel consumption, and a temperature of an exhaust gas may increase gradually to lengthen a time for a catalyst to be activated, which degrades quality of the exhaust gas. Furthermore, as a time required for a function of the heater to be normalized is increased, a driver may feel discomfort.

When the coolant temperature is excessively high, since knocking occurs, performance of the engine may deteriorate by adjusting ignition timing to suppress the knocking. Furthermore, when a temperature of lubricant is excessively high, a viscosity is lowered such that a lubrication performance may be deteriorated.

For enhance fuel consumption performance, heating performance and cooling performance, a variable water pump, an electric thermostat, a coolant flow control valve and the like are applied to a cooling system. However, layout of a cooling system has complicated and manufacturing cost has been increased.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Various aspects of the present invention are directed to providing a coolant flow control apparatus, a cooling system provided with the same and a control method for the same having advantages of reducing warm-up time and enhancing cooling efficiency with simple structure.

A coolant flow control apparatus according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention may include a coolant controller housing of which an inlet for coolant to flow in, an outlet for the coolant to flow out, a first coolant supply line and a second coolant supply line are formed, a water pump mounted to the coolant controller housing for transmitting the coolant, a valve plate selectively opening/closing the first coolant supply line, a valve piston selectively opening/closing the second coolant supply line, a driving unit selectively moving the valve plate and the valve piston for closing or opening the first coolant supply line and the second coolant supply line respectively and a controller configured for controlling an operation of the driving unit.

A guiding wall of which the valve piston is movably disposed therewithin may be formed at the coolant controller housing.

The water pump may be a mechanical water pump.

The water pump may be an electric water pump, and the controller may be configured to control an operation of the electric water pump.

The driving unit may include a thermostat housing connected to the valve plate and the valve piston and of which wax is filled with, a spring elastically supporting the thermostat housing, a guide rod guiding a movement of the thermostat housing and an electric heater transmitting heat to the wax through the guide rod.

The driving unit may include an operating rod connected to the valve plate and the valve piston, a spring elastically supporting the operating rod and a solenoid connected to the operating rod and selectively moving the operating rod.

A cooling system according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention may include an engine including an upper cylinder head, an upper line transmitting coolant to the upper cylinder head, a lower cylinder head connected to the upper cylinder head, a lower line transmitting coolant to the lower cylinder head, an engine block connected to the lower cylinder head and a block line transmitting coolant to the engine block, a plurality of heat exchange elements receiving coolant from the lower cylinder head, a radiator receiving coolant from the upper cylinder head and the engine block, a coolant controller housing of which an inlet receiving coolant from the plurality of heat exchange elements and the radiator, an outlet communicating with the lower line, a first coolant supply line communicating with the upper line and a second coolant supply line communicating with the block line are formed, a water pump mounted to the coolant controller housing for transmitting the coolant, a valve plate selectively opening/closing the first coolant supply line, a valve piston selectively opening/closing the second coolant supply line, a driving unit selectively moving the valve plate and the valve piston for closing or opening the first coolant supply line and the second coolant supply line respectively, a vehicle operation state detecting portion including a first coolant temperature sensor detecting a temperature of coolant in the lower cylinder head and outputting a corresponding signal and a second coolant temperature sensor detecting a temperature of coolant in the engine block and outputting a corresponding signal and a controller configured for controlling an operation of the driving unit according to the output signals of the vehicle operation state detecting portion.

A guiding wall of which the valve piston is movably disposed therewithin may be formed at the coolant controller housing.

The water pump may be a mechanical water pump.

The water pump may be an electric water pump, and the controller may be configured to control an operation of the electric water pump.

The driving unit may include a thermostat housing connected to the valve plate and the valve piston and of which wax is filled with, a spring elastically supporting the thermostat housing, a guide rod guiding a movement of the thermostat housing and an electric heater transmitting heat to the wax through the guide rod.

The driving unit may include an operating rod connected to the valve plate and the valve piston, a spring elastically supporting the operating rod and a solenoid connected to the operating rod and selectively moving the operating rod.

A control method may be applied to the cooling system according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

The control method may include determining, by the controller, whether the outputting signal of the second coolant temperature sensor satisfy a predetermined cold driving condition and controlling, by the controller, operations of the driving unit to close the first coolant supply line and the second coolant supply line.

The control method may further include determining, by the controller, whether the outputting signal of the first coolant temperature sensor satisfy a predetermined warm driving condition and controlling, by the controller, operations of the driving unit to open the first coolant supply line and to close the second coolant supply line.

The control method may further include determining, by the controller, whether the outputting signal of the second coolant temperature sensor satisfy a predetermined high temperature driving condition and controlling, by the controller, operations of the driving unit to open the first coolant supply line the second coolant supply line.

The coolant flow control apparatus, the cooling system provided with the same and the control method for the same according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention may reduce warm-up time and enhance cooling efficiency with simple structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, only certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, simply by way of illustration.

The sizes and thicknesses of the configurations shown in the drawings are provided selectively for the convenience of description, such that the present invention is not limited to those shown in the drawings and the thicknesses are exaggerated to make some parts and regions clear.

However, parts irrelevant to the description will be omitted to clearly describe the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and the same or similar constituent elements will be designated by the same reference numerals throughout the specification.

In the following description, names of constituent elements are classified as a first . . . , a second . . . , and the like to discriminate the constituent elements having the same name, and the names are not necessarily limited to the order.

FIG. 1is a block diagram of a cooling system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention andFIG. 2is a schematic diagram of a cooling system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 1andFIG. 2, a cooling system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a vehicle operation state detecting portion10, a driving unit60and a controller30controlling an operation of the driving unit60according to output signals of the vehicle operation state detecting portion10.

The vehicle operation state detecting portion10includes a first coolant temperature sensor12, a second coolant temperature sensor14, an oil temperature sensor16detecting a temperature of engine oil and outputting a corresponding signal, an intake air temperature sensor18detecting a temperature of intake air and outputting a corresponding signal, and accelerator pedal sensor20detecting an operation angle of an accelerator pedal and outputting a corresponding signal and a vehicle speed sensor22detecting a speed of a vehicle and outputting a corresponding signal.

The controller30may be implemented as one or more microprocessors operating by a predetermined program, and the predetermined program may include a series of commands for performing the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The cooling system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes an engine1and the engine1includes an upper cylinder head5, an upper line101transmitting coolant to the upper cylinder head5, a lower cylinder head7connected to the upper cylinder head5, a lower line103transmitting coolant to the lower cylinder head7, an engine block3connected to the lower cylinder head7and a block line105transmitting coolant to the engine block3.

The first coolant temperature sensor12is configured for detecting a temperature of coolant in the lower cylinder head7and outputting a corresponding signal and the second coolant temperature sensor14is configured for detecting a temperature of coolant in the engine block3and outputting a corresponding signal.

The cooling system includes a plurality of heat exchange elements receiving coolant from the lower cylinder head7and a radiator40receiving coolant from the upper cylinder head5and the engine block3.

The plurality of heat exchange elements includes an LP-EGR cooler44, a heater46, an oil cooler47and an HP-EGR cooler48. and a reservoir tank42may receive a portion of coolant flowing to the radiator40. But it is not limited thereto shown in drawing. On the other hand, various elements exchanging heat with the coolant may be applied.

FIG. 3is a drawing showing an operation of a coolant flow control apparatus in a cold driving condition according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 2andFIG. 3, the cooling system includes a coolant flow control apparatus52.

The coolant flow control apparatus52includes a coolant controller housing54of which an inlet51receiving coolant from the plurality of heat exchange elements and the radiator40, an outlet53communicating with the lower line103, a first coolant supply line55communicating with the upper line101and a second coolant supply line56communicating with the block line105are formed, a water pump50mounted to the coolant controller housing54for transmitting the coolant, a valve plate62selectively opening/closing the first coolant supply line55, a valve piston64selectively opening/closing the second coolant supply line56and a driving unit60selectively moving the valve plate62and the valve piston64for closing or opening the first coolant supply line55and the second coolant supply line56respectively.

The coolant may flow from the inlet51to the outlet53, the first coolant supply line55and the second coolant supply line56according to a rotation of a blade110of the water pump50.

The coolant supplied from the coolant flow control apparatus52is transmitted to the engine1and transmitted to the radiator40and the plurality of heat exchange elements through an outlet90and then flows into the coolant flow control apparatus52.

As shown inFIG. 2andFIG. 3, since a cylinder head is separated to the upper cylinder head5and the lower cylinder head7and the coolant also supplied separated thus cooling efficiency of the engine1may be improved. That is, the coolant constantly flows directly from the outlet53to the lower cylinder head7adjacent to a combustion chamber so that knocking may be prevented. and cooling efficiency of the engine1may be improved because the coolant may be selectively supplied to the engine block3and the upper cylinder head5.

A guiding wall58of which the valve piston64is movably disposed within an opening85is formed at the coolant controller housing54.

The water pump50may be a mechanical water pump or an electric water pump.

If the water pump50is the electric water pump, the controller30may control an operation of the electric water pump so that flowing amount of the coolant may be controlled.

The driving unit60may be an electric thermostat61.

That is, the driving unit60includes a thermostat housing68connected to the valve plate62and the valve piston64and of which wax66is filled with, a spring72elastically supporting the thermostat housing68, a guide rod70guiding a movement of the thermostat housing68and an electric heater74transmitting heat to the wax66through the guide rod70.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the guide rod70is slidably connected to the valve plate62to which a first side of the thermostat housing68is fixed, wherein a second side of the thermostat housing68is fixed to the valve piston64.

The controller30controls an operation of the electric heater74according to the output signals of the vehicle operation state detecting portion. If the wax66is expanded according to the control of the controller30, the valve plate62and the valve piston64is moved.

A partition57extends from the coolant controller housing54to form an opening80and selectively closes the first coolant supply line55when the valve plate62contacts the partition57to close the opening80.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the guiding rod70is positioned through the opening80.

FIG. 4is a drawing showing an operation of a cooling system in a cold driving condition according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 3andFIG. 4, operations of the cooling system according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention in a cold driving condition will be described.

The controller30determines whether the outputting signal of the second coolant temperature sensor14satisfy a predetermined cold driving condition and if the cold driving condition is satisfied, then the controller30controls operations of the driving unit60to close the first coolant supply line55and the second coolant supply line56.

The predetermined cold driving condition may be preset as the temperature in the engine block3is less than 50° C. and also, it may be preset as a predetermined time from the engine1starts.

In the cold driving condition the first coolant supply line55and the second coolant supply line56are closed so that entire flowing of the coolant stops and warm-up timing of the engine1may be decreased.

Meanwhile, the coolant flows to the lower cylinder head7through the outlet53and the lower line103and then the coolant may flow to the oil cooler47from the lower cylinder head7. So that oil temperature may be raised fast in the cold driving condition.

FIG. 5is a drawing showing an operation of a coolant flow control apparatus in a warm driving condition according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention andFIG. 6is a drawing showing an operation of a cooling system in a warm driving condition according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 5andFIG. 6, operations of the cooling system according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention in a warm driving condition will be described.

The controller30determines whether the outputting signal of the first coolant temperature sensor12satisfy a predetermined warm driving condition and if the warm driving condition is satisfied, then the controller30controls operations of the driving unit60to open the first coolant supply line55and to close the second coolant supply line56.

The predetermined warm driving condition may be preset as the temperature in the lower cylinder head7is above 90° C.

In the warm driving condition, the first coolant supply line55communicating with the upper cylinder head5is opened and the second coolant supply line56communicating with the engine block3is closed according to the control of the controller30. That is, as shown inFIG. 5, the electric heater74is operated for the valve plate62to be opened and for the valve piston64to be closed due to the guiding wall58.

In the warm driving condition, the coolant is transmitted to the upper cylinder head5and the lower cylinder head7so that knocking may be prevented. However, the coolant is not supplied to the engine block3so that temperatures of the engine block3may be maintained in relatively high and fuel efficiency may be enhanced.

The coolant flowing through the upper cylinder head5is cooled in the radiator40.

FIG. 7is a drawing showing an operation of a coolant flow control apparatus in a high temperature driving condition according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention andFIG. 8is a drawing showing an operation of a cooling system in a high temperature driving condition according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 7andFIG. 8, operations of the cooling system according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention in a high temperature driving condition will be described.

The controller30determines whether the outputting signal of the second coolant temperature sensor14satisfy a predetermined high temperature driving condition and if the high temperature driving condition is satisfied, then the controller30controls operations of the driving unit60to open the first coolant supply line55and the second coolant supply line56.

The predetermined high temperature driving condition may be preset as the temperature in the engine block3is above 105° C.

In the high temperature driving condition, the first coolant supply line55communicating with the upper cylinder head5and the second coolant supply line56communicating with the engine block3are opened according to the control of the controller30. That is, as shown inFIG. 7, the electric heater74is operated for the valve plate62and the valve piston64to be opened.

In the high temperature driving condition, since the coolant are transmitted to the upper cylinder head5, the lower cylinder head7and the engine block3simultaneously, so that overheating of the engine1may be prevented.

FIG. 9is a drawing showing a coolant flow control apparatus according to a variant exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 1,FIG. 2,FIG. 3andFIG. 9, a coolant flow control apparatus according to a variant exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In description of the coolant pump shown inFIG. 9, the same or similar constituent elements described inFIG. 3toFIG. 8will be designated by the same reference numerals and repeated description will be omitted.

The coolant flow control apparatus shown inFIG. 9includes a driving unit81(60) provided with a solenoid.

That is, the driving unit shown inFIG. 9includes an operating rod83connected to the valve plate62and the valve piston64, a spring85elastically supporting the operating rod83and a solenoid87connected to the operating rod83and selectively moving the operating rod83.

The controller30controls operations of the solenoid87according to the output signals of the vehicle operation state detecting portion10and the solenoid87selectively pushes the valve plate62and the valve piston64so that the first coolant supply line55and the second coolant supply line56are closed, the first coolant supply line55is opened and the second coolant supply line56is closed, or the first coolant supply line55and the second coolant supply line56are opened.

The coolant flow control apparatus shown inFIG. 9may be applied to the cooling system and the control method described above, and repeated description will be omitted.

The cold driving condition, the warm driving condition and the high temperature driving condition may be variable according to the output signal of the vehicle operation state detecting portion10and thus effective cooling of the cooling system may be enhanced.

For example, in relatively high speed of a vehicle, since atmospheric air may cool the cooling system speed, thus coolant temperature applied to the cold driving condition, the warm driving condition and the high temperature driving condition may be set as relatively high.

Also, if the output signal of the accelerator pedal sensor20is relatively high, coolant temperature may be expected to be raised due to increasing load of the engine1. Thus coolant temperature applied to the cold driving condition, the warm driving condition and the high temperature driving condition may be set as relatively low.