Abstract:
A coolant circulation system for an engine efficiently cools the engine to prevent the capacity of an electronic water pump from being excessively increased. The system includes: a water pump; a cylinder block; a cylinder head; an intake block water jacket formed on one side of the cylinder block; an exhaust block water jacket formed on another side of the cylinder block; an intake side chamber provided on one surface of the cylinder block in a length direction of the engine about which a plurality of cylinders are arranged in parallel; an exhaust side chamber provided on the other surface of the cylinder block; and a head water jacket formed in the cylinder head to allow the intake block water jacket and the exhaust block water jacket to communicate with each other and the intake side chamber and the exhaust side chamber to communicate with each other.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims priority of Korean Patent Application Number 10-2013-0032178 filed Mar. 26, 2013, the entire contents of which application is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to a coolant circulation system for an engine, and more particularly, to a coolant circulation system for an engine in which a cross flow is implemented. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     In general, circulation of a coolant for cooling an engine is performed through a water jacket. Further, the water jacket is formed in a cylinder block and a cylinder head so as to circulate the coolant primarily upward and downward of the engine. 
     However, when a cooling scheme of circulating the coolant upward and downward of the engine through the water jacket is used, a complicated shape of the water jacket acts as resistance to the flow of the coolant and several cylinders of the engine are not easily uniformly cooled, and as a result, cooling efficiency may be degraded. 
     In recent years, an electronic water pump (EWP) has been used to efficiently cool the engine. The capacity of the electronic water pump may depend on a required cooling level. That is, an electronic water pump having a large capacity may be used in order to increase cooling efficiency. 
     However, the electronic water pump having a large capacity increase the weight of a vehicle to thereby conflict with a purpose of the electronic water pump to improve fuel efficiency of the vehicle. 
     The information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     Various aspects of the present invention provide for a coolant circulation system for an engine having advantages of efficiently cooling the engine so as to prevent the capacity of an electronic water pump from being excessively increased. 
     Further, the present invention has been made in an effort to provide a coolant circulation system for an engine having advantages in which a cross flow of a coolant can be smoothly implemented. 
     Various aspects of the present invention provide for a coolant circulation system for an engine, including: a water pump supplying coolant to the engine; a cylinder block with a plurality of cylinders; a cylinder head coupled to the top of the cylinder block; an intake block water jacket formed on one side of the cylinder block based on the plurality of cylinders; an exhaust block water jacket formed on the other side of the cylinder block based on the plurality of cylinders; an intake side chamber provided on one surface of the cylinder block in the length direction of the engine in which the plurality of cylinders are arranged in parallel; an exhaust side chamber provided on the other surface of the cylinder block in the length direction of the engine in which the plurality of cylinders are arranged in parallel; and a head water jacket formed in the cylinder head to allow the intake block water jacket and the exhaust block water jacket to be in communication with each other and the intake side chamber and the exhaust side chamber to be in communication with each other. 
     The intake block water jacket, the exhaust block water jacket, the intake side chamber, and the exhaust side chamber may be formed so as for the coolant supplied to the engine to cool the engine while passing through the cylinder block, and the head water jacket may be formed so as for the coolant supplied to the engine to cool the engine while passing through the cylinder head. 
     The system may further include a radiator provided to cool the coolant that passes through the intake block water jacket, the exhaust block water jacket, the intake side chamber, the exhaust side chamber, and the head water jacket. 
     The coolant supplied to the engine may sequentially pass through the intake side chamber, the head water jacket, and the exhaust side chamber. 
     The coolant supplied to the engine may cool the cylinder block while circulating in the length direction of the engine along the intake side chamber and the exhaust side chamber. 
     The coolant supplied to the engine may sequentially pass through the intake block water jacket, the head water jacket, and the exhaust block water jacket. 
     The coolant supplied to the engine may cool the cylinder block and the cylinder head while circulating upward and downward of the engine along the intake block water jacket, the head water jacket, and the exhaust block water jacket. 
     The methods and apparatuses of the present invention have other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an exemplary coolant circulation system for an engine according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating circulation of a coolant through an exemplary coolant circulation system for an engine according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention(s), examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While the invention(s) will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that present description is not intended to limit the invention(s) to those exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the invention(s) is/are intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a coolant circulation system for an engine according to various embodiments of the present invention. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a coolant circulation system for an engine according to various embodiments of the present invention includes a cylinder head  10 , a cylinder block  20 , an electronic water pump  30 , a radiator  40 , a head water jacket  12 , an intake block water jacket  22 , an exhaust block water jacket  24 , an intake side chamber  26 , an exhaust side chamber  28 , a coolant inlet  21 , and a coolant outlet  29 . 
     The cylinder head  10  is installed on the top of the cylinder  25  as a head part of the engine. Further, the cylinder head  10  is a part that keeps air-tightness and water-tightness to obtain thermal energy. A combustion chamber (not illustrated) surrounded by the cylinder  25 , a piston (not illustrated), and the cylinder head  10  is formed inside of the cylinder head  10 . An ignition plug, an intake valve, and an exhaust valve are installed in the combustion chamber. 
     The cylinder block  20  as a part that becomes the center of the engine is placed below the cylinder head  10 . Further, the plurality of pistons and cylinders  25  are incorporated in the cylinder block  20 . Even though four cylinders  25  are placed in the cylinder block  20  in  FIG. 1 , it is not limited thereto. 
     A body of the engine is constituted by the cylinder block  20 , the cylinder head  10 , and a crankcase (not illustrated) placed below the cylinder block  20 . 
     The electronic water pump  30  is a device that supplies the coolant to cool the engine. Further, the electronic water pump  30  as a water pump using electricity as power is used to enhance cooling efficiency of the engine. Furthermore, when the electronic water pump  30  is used, the engine may be rapidly warmed up and it is easy to selectively cool the engine by electric control. 
     The radiator  40  is a device for dissipating heat of the coolant in a water cooling engine into air. That is, the radiator  40  absorbs heat while passing through the cylinder block  20  and the cylinder head  10  to cool the coolant of which the temperature rises. The coolant of which the temperature rises is cooled through heat-exchange with air while passing through a heat dissipation plate of the radiator  40 . Meanwhile, the radiator  40  is installed primarily at the front of a vehicle and has a structure to cool down the heat of the coolant by wind. Furthermore, the radiator  40  may be used to heat a room of the vehicle by using the coolant of which the temperature rises as a heat source. 
     Meanwhile, a passage of the coolant that connects the radiator  40  and the electronic water pump  30  is provided so as to supply the coolant that passes through the radiator  40  to the electronic water pump  30 . 
     Since the cylinder head  10 , the cylinder block  20 , the electronic water pump  30 , and the radiator  40  are apparent to persons who have general knowledge in the relevant technical field (hereinafter, those skilled in the art), a more detailed description will be omitted. 
     The water jacket represents the passage of the coolant installed around the plurality of cylinders  25 . Further, the water jacket is formed in the cylinder block  20  and the cylinder head  10 . Furthermore, the water jacket is an empty space formed by placing a core in a mold at the time of casting the cylinder block  20  and the cylinder head  10 . Meanwhile, the coolant is circulated upward and downward of the engine through the water jacket to cool the cylinder  25  and the combustion chamber. 
     The head water jacket  12  is a water jacket that is formed in the cylinder head  10 . Further, the head water jacket  12  may have a complicated shape to prevent interference with the ignition plug, the intake valve, and the exhaust valve that are placed in the cylinder head  10 . The complicated shape of the head water jacket  12  acts as resistance to the circulation of the coolant and may degrade the cooling efficiency of the engine. Meanwhile, when in the engine, a part where the intake valve is installed is defined as an intake side and a part where the exhaust valve is installed is defined as an exhaust side, the head water jacket  12  is connected while crossing the intake side and the exhaust side. 
     The intake block water jacket  22  and the exhaust block water jacket  24  are block water jackets  22  and  24  formed in the cylinder block  20 . Further, the intake block water jacket  22  is formed at the intake side of the cylinder block  20  based on the plurality of cylinders  25  and the exhaust block water jacket  24  is at the exhaust side of the cylinder block  20  based on the plurality of cylinders  25 . Furthermore, the intake block water jacket  22  and the exhaust block water jacket  24  are in communication with the head water jacket  12  by combining the cylinder head  10  and the cylinder block  20 . 
     The intake side chamber  26  and the exhaust side chamber  28  are provided on the lateral surface of the cylinder block  20 . Further, the intake side chamber  26  and the exhaust side chamber  28  have a hollow shape so that the coolant flows therein. Furthermore, when a direction in which the plurality of cylinders  25  is arranged in parallel is defined as the length direction of the engine, the intake side chamber  26  and the exhaust side chamber  28  are mounted on the cylinder block  20  so as to circulate the coolant in the length direction of the engine. Even though the intake side chamber  26  and the exhaust side chamber  28  are independently formed to be coupled with the cylinder block  20  in  FIG. 1 , it is not limited thereto and the intake side chamber  26  and the exhaust side chamber  28  may be cast integrally with the cylinder block  20 . One will appreciate that such integral components may be monolithically formed. 
     The intake side chamber  26  is mounted on the lateral surface of the cylinder block  20  at the intake side of the cylinder block  20  based on the plurality of cylinders  25  and the exhaust side chamber  28  is mounted on the lateral surface of the cylinder block  20  at the exhaust side of the cylinder block  20  based on the plurality of cylinders  25 . Further, the intake side chamber  26  and the exhaust side chamber  28  are in communication with the head water jacket  12  by combining the cylinder head  10  and the cylinder block  20 . 
     The coolant inlet  21  is a part through which the coolant flows into the engine so that the coolant is circulated through the head water jacket  12 , the intake block water jacket  22 , the exhaust block water jacket  24 , the intake side chamber  26 , and the exhaust side chamber  28   
     Therefore, the coolant inlet  21  may have a hollow pipe shape. The coolant inlet  21  may be formed in the cylinder block  20 . The coolant inlet  21  may be formed on the lateral surface at the intake side of the cylinder block  20 . One end of the coolant inlet  21  is in communication with the intake block water jacket  22  and the intake side chamber  26  and the other end is connected with the electronic water pump  30 . That is, coolant pumped from the electronic water pump  30  flows into the intake block water jacket  22  and the intake side chamber  26  through the coolant inlet  21 . 
     The coolant outlet  29  is a part through which the coolant of which the temperature rises while cooling the engine flows out of the engine. Therefore, the coolant outlet  29  may have the hollow pipe shape. The coolant outlet  29  may be formed in the cylinder block  20 . The coolant outlet  29  may be formed on the lateral surface at the exhaust side of the cylinder block  20 . One end of the coolant outlet  29  is in communication with the exhaust block water jacket  24  and the exhaust side chamber  28 , and the other end is connected with the radiator  40 . That is, the coolant is supplied to the radiator  40  through the coolant outlet  29  by passing through the exhaust block water jacket  24  and the exhaust side chamber  28 . 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating circulation of a coolant through the coolant circulation system for an engine according to various embodiments of the present invention. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the coolant pumped from the electronic water pump  30  is supplied to the intake block water jacket  22  and the intake side chamber  26  through the coolant inlet  21 . 
     The coolant that passes through the intake block water jacket  22  and the intake side chamber  26  is supplied to the head water jacket  12 . 
     The coolant supplied to the head water jacket  12  flows while crossing from the intake side to the exhaust side of the cylinder head  10 , and as a result, the coolant that passes through the head water jacket  12  is supplied to the exhaust block water jacket  24  and the exhaust side chamber  28 . 
     The coolant that passes through the exhaust block water jacket  24  and the exhaust side chamber  28  is supplied to the radiator  40  through the coolant outlet  29 . 
     The coolant supplied to the radiator  40  is cooled via the radiator  40  and the cooled coolant is supplied to the electronic water pump  30 . 
     Therefore, the coolant is repeatedly circulated in the constituent elements in sequence. In this case, the electronic water pump  30  is electrically controlled to selectively cool the engine. A cross flow in which the coolant is circulated in the length direction of the engine through the intake side chamber  26  and the exhaust side chamber  28  may be implemented. The cross flow of the coolant may improve the cooling efficiency of the engine and minimize the capacity of the electronic water pump  30  required to cool the engine. 
     As described above, according to various embodiments of the present invention, the cross flow of the coolant is smoothly implemented by the side chamber  26  and  28  to maximize the cooling efficiency. Further, the capacity of the electronic water pump is prevented from being increased to decrease the weight of the vehicle and improve the fuel efficiency. 
     For convenience in explanation and accurate definition in the appended claims, the terms front and etc. are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features as displayed in the figures. 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles of the invention and their practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to make and utilize various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents.