Abstract:
A engine block cover plate is described having a depression shaped to guide coolant flow around a bend in a coolant circuit, the plate further including a plurality of oil ports. One example method of operation may include guiding a coolant flow around a bend in a cooling circuit within an engine block via the cover plate, the cover plate having coolant and oil ports positioned therein, and adjusting a valve positioned on the cover plate to control a flow of oil through the oil port in response to an engine component temperature. In this way, flow losses may be decreased while enabling improved oil flow control with reduced system complexity.

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
       [0001]    Internal combustion engines, such as those found in vehicles, may utilize a cooling circuit to reduce over-heating. This may be achieved by a combination of engine oil cooling and liquid coolant cooling. 
         [0002]    Liquid coolant absorbs excess heat from combustion and transfers the heat into the air or cabin of the vehicle via respective heat exchangers, such as a radiator and heater core. However, liquid coolant is isolated from the combustion chambers in order for ignition to occur; heat is therefore exchanged via conductive metal passageways surrounding the combustion chambers. These isolating passageways may be referred to as the water jacket. Coolant is accelerated through the engine by way of a fluid pump before entering the water jacket; this closed coolant circulation pathway referred to as the coolant circuit. Engine oil may undergo a similar heat exchange process within a separate circuit wherein oil is accelerated by an oil pump coupled to an oil injector within the engine block. This oil injector deposits oil on the underside of the piston where heat is absorbed and then deposited via a heat exchanger. 
         [0003]    Conventionally, coolant fluid pumps are mounted onto the engine block surface and coupled to the engine water jacket. The high-pressure die casting manufacturing method used for engine production relies on the coolant passageways being linear. One way in which coolant exiting the coolant pump may be coupled to the water jacket using linear paths is by the creation of a cavity on the outside of the engine block sealed by a cover plate. In this way the coolant path can change direction without leaving the engine block. Conventional coolant cavities have a water pump outlet that opens into one side of the coolant cavity, and another side that is open to the water jacket. However, the inventors recognized that this abrupt change in coolant flow direction creates losses in fluid flow control. 
         [0004]    This issue may be addressed by creating a coolant cavity configuration and cover plate to direct the flow of coolant from the water pump outlet port to the water jacket inlet port down a slope, thus decreasing flow control losses. In one example, a system for engine cooling comprises: a cover plate for a coolant passage, the plate including a coolant outlet port displaced away from a coolant inlet port, and a plurality of oil ports; and a coolant cavity, covered by the cover plate, within the coolant passage and coupled to a fluid pump and a water jacket. 
         [0005]    Various additional advantages may be achieved in some embodiments. For example, the cover plate may enable reduction of the number of engine block components while meeting the increased demand on the cooling system by integrating a port for engine oil to enter the engine block via an attached valve. In doing so, the proximity of the engine oil and coolant is reduced and undesired heat absorption into the cooling system reduced to provide more effective cooling. The system may also reduce the need for an additional port and valve arrangement to pass oil into the engine block. Further, by actuating the oil valve in response to temperature sensors within the oil circuit, engine heating to a desired operating threshold can be expedited. Additional ports optionally incorporated into this cover plate also provide a solution to the distribution of oil and coolant to turbochargers, EGR, and other systems. 
         [0006]    It will be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description, which follows. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined by the claims that follow the detailed description. Further, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The subject matter of the present disclosure will be better understood from reading the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of an engine block with a coolant cavity and cover plate. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  shows a cover plate mounting surface. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  shows a front view of an embodiment of the cover plate. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4A  shows a cross section of an embodiment of the cover plate and engine block of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 4B  shows an alternate cross section of the cover plate and engine block of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  shows a cross section of the cover plate and engine block of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  shows the cover plate of  FIG. 3  detached from the engine block. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  shows the back of an alternate embodiment of a cover plate. 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  shows the front of the cover plate of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 9A  shows a cross section of the cover plate of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 9B  shows an alternate cross section of the cover plate of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  shows an alternate embodiment of a cover plate. 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  schematically shows an embodiment of a liquid and oil cooling circuit. 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  is a simplified flow diagram of an example method of oil flow control. 
       
    
    
       [0022]      FIGS. 2 ,  3 ,  4 A,  4 B,  5 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 A,  9 B, and  10  are drawn to scale, although other relative dimensions may be used. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]    The subject matter of the present disclosure is now described by way of example and with reference to certain illustrated embodiments. It will be noted that figures included in this disclosure are schematic, and are identified as such. In the schematic figures, views of the illustrated embodiments are all not drawn to scale; aspect ratios, feature size, and numbers of features may be purposely distorted to make selected features or relationships easier to see. 
         [0024]    Methods and systems are provided for an engine block configuration and coolant cavity cover plate with integrated engine oil and coolant fluid coupling.  FIG. 1  shows an example engine block  122  configuration compatible with the cover plate and an example cover plate  112 . Coolant exiting a fluid pump is contained within the engine block by a cover plate bolted to a coolant cavity on the outer face of engine block. The cover plate also acts to fluidically couple the fluid pump to an engine water jacket opening. The inlet port of the coolant cavity may receive oil from the fluid pump and exit through the outlet port. Engine oil may be coupled via the cover plate to a multiplicity of valves actuated by a control system to meter the oil sent from the oil injector to the piston of a combustion engine. The alignment of ports within the coolant cavity creates a positive pressure differential between the inlet port and the outlet port and creates a more gentle cascade of fluid through the coolant cavity than previous configurations that have the inlet and outlet ports vertically aligned. In doing so, flow control losses created by the sharp bend in the coolant circuit are minimized. An increasing desire for compact engine size and minimal engine mass for increased fuel economy creates a further constraint on cooling system design. This can be achieved, in part, by minimizing the number of individual components of an engine system. The coupling of oil inlet port to the water jacket cover plate combines two components that would otherwise be independent, aiding in reducing engine size. 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  shows the engine block with the cover plate removed exposing the engine oil and coolant openings of the engine block and the laterally displaced fluid cavity. In this disclosure, the term “laterally” will be taken to mean a plane parallel to the engine combustion cylinder&#39;s plane of alignment  146  ( FIG. 1 ) wherein an axis parallel to the y-axis passes through the center of the circular cross-section of each of the six cylinder chambers depicted in  FIG. 1 . The individual cylinders&#39; vertical alignment line  144  ( FIG. 1 ) is parallel to the z-axis of the plane; the x-axis is perpendicular to the lateral plane of the cylinder in these depictions. Specifically, a lateral plane is parallel to the y-z plane. 
         [0026]    A view of the cover plate from the outside of the engine block and the outside of the engine oil valve passage is depicted in  FIG. 3 .  FIGS. 4A and 4B  depict the cross-section of the cover plate and a portion of the engine block as indicated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . A cross-section of the engine block and water jacket at the edge of the cover plate is depicted in  FIG. 5  and the cover plate is shown independent of the engine block in  FIG. 6 . An alternate embodiment of the design may have multiple engine oil valves with various pressure ports to allow a precise flow of oil to the oil injectors, in  FIG. 7  an embodiment of the cover plate with three engine oil valve openings is shown from the perspective of the engine block.  FIG. 8  shows this embodiment from a perspective outside of the engine block.  FIGS. 9A and 9B  depict the cross-sections of this embodiment and a portion of the engine block as indicated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
         [0027]    Modern vehicles often have additional systems that utilize cooling, such as exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) or turbochargers. These systems often result in the expansion of one or both cooling circuits.  FIG. 10  shows an embodiment of the cover plate from the outside of the engine block with passageways to distribute oil to the cooling system of an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system and turbocharger. The oil and coolant circuit of an embodiment employing external systems is schematically depicted in  FIG. 11 . The oil valve in these figures may be actuated by a control system configured to perform control routines as depicted in  FIG. 12  where the flow of engine oil to the injectors may be initiated by components within the engine reaching a temperature threshold thereby decreasing the time for the engine to reach a desired temperature to achieve fuel economy and engine performance benefits. Despite the operation of cooling during most operating conditions, engine function improves at a temperature higher than ambient. Operation at cold temperatures can lead to decreased fuel economy. It may therefore be desirable to suspend engine cooling until this desired temperature is achieved. As such, the cooling system may operate to remove large amounts of heat from continuous combustions or increased combustion rates. Turbochargers further exert cooling systems by introducing additional mechanical processes that create heat from friction, as well as increasing the heat energy from combustion. The exhaust gas of an EGR system may also utilize cooling before circulation into engine combustion chambers, increasing the complexity and efficiency of a cooling system. It is therefore advantageous to have a cooling system that can be both ineffectual and increasingly proficient. The example configurations described herein improve efficiency by the close proximity of the oil port and coolant cavity while allowing oil cooling suspension via oil valve control. 
         [0028]    Turning now to  FIG. 1 , an engine block and cover plate embodiment is shown for a six cylinder engine with coolant cavity cover plate  112 , although it may be applied to other numbers of cylinders. The walls of the coolant cavity  120  end in a mounting surface (not shown) to which the cover plate is bolted, sealing coolant into the cavity and the engine block. The locations of six fasteners through the cover pate and into the engine block mounting surface are indicated throughout the figures by letter references A-F. 
         [0029]    In  FIG. 1  a fluid pump (not shown) may be coupled to coolant cavity enclosed by the slightly depressed cavity cover  105  with respect to the lateral plane of the engine block surface. The inlet of the passageway (not shown) may be in a parallel plane to the outlet  100  of the passageway and displaced downward and to the right if viewed from the outside of the engine block. In other embodiments the inlet opening may be on the raised edge  128  that forms the cavity. The inlet and outlet ports are fluidically coupled by a cavity created as a lateral depression of the engine block displaced laterally forward of the ports arched in the lateral plane with upward concavity in a shape resembling the depressed cavity cover  105 . Fluid flowing through inlet-passageway outlet system will therefore change vector flow from a positive x-direction to the negative x-direction or from either y-direction to the negative x-direction. This sharp change in path is dictated by the high-pressure die casting manufacturing method of the engine wherein a linear core pin is used to create the coolant passage into and out of the engine block. However, this cavity configuration allows enhanced flow control by guiding fluid through a sloping passageway and not a steep drop. 
         [0030]    Engine oil may enter the engine block  122  through oil valve  202  and into oil port  200 . This valve may be actuated by control system  124  with instructions to meter the valve opening based on temperature sensors  126  within the engine block or elsewhere throughout the engine or engine oil circuit. The valve may also be opened at a temperature threshold. This embodiment allows the coupling of the oil circuit and coolant circuit to the engine to occur within a single, unitary, cover plate to achieve a more compact engine design. Further, the proximity of the circuits reduces undesired heat absorption from exposure to heated engine components. 
         [0031]      FIG. 2  shows the cover plate mounting surface  110  of the engine block. The locations of six bolts through the cover pate and into the engine block mounting surface are indicated by letter references A-F. Coolant may enter the coolant cavity from the fluid pump through an engine block opening  114  and exit into the water jacket via engine block opening  116 , causing fluid flow direction to rotate 180 degrees. Cavity wall  118  isolates a portion of the cavity from the water jacket. In this embodiment, engine oil passes into the engine block by way of openings  212  and  214  in the engine block. These ports may allow oil passage at the same pressure or may regulate oil passage by maintaining different oil pressure within the ports. The cover plate may be mounted on this surface, as depicted in  FIG. 3 . Coolant entering the cavity enclosed by the depressed cavity cover  105  may exit through outlet  100  into the engine water jacket or to other cooling circuits in systems such as EGR or a turbocharger. Oil entering the engine block may pass through oil valve  202  and through oil port  200 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 4A  depicts the cross section of an embodiment of the cover plate on the engine&#39;s mounting surface along the line indicated in  FIG. 3 . Oil port  200  allows oil to pass from the oil valve  202  into the engine block through an opening  212  in the engine block. When this valve is open, oil may pass into the engine block to the oil injector (not shown) for piston lubrication and cooling.  FIG. 4B  shows the cross section of the embodiment of  FIG. 3  taken along an alternate cross section. The outlet  100  of the coolant cavity may dispense fluid to the water jacket or to another cooling system. A secondary opening in the engine block may allow oil to pass into the engine block. This port may pass oil with the same pressure as the port in  FIG. 4A , but it may also be a higher pressure port. Oil passage through this port is also controlled by the valve (not shown, see  202 ,  FIG. 3 ) regulating passage through the port in  FIG. 4A . The oil valve (not shown, see  202 ,  FIG. 3 ) may be embodied as a solenoid valve actuated by the control system. The valve may open upon reaching a temperature threshold or may be adjusted in response to the temperature within the oil circuit or engine components. 
         [0033]    The cross-section of the engine block at the edge of the cover plate in  FIG. 5  couples the cavity (not shown, see  106 ,  FIG. 9A ) into the water jacket  502  of the engine block via inlet  204 . Coolant is sealed into this cavity by depressed cavity cover  105 .  FIG. 6  shows the same embodiment as  FIG. 5  of the cover plate when detached from the engine block. The integration of oil port  200  into the cover plate of the coolant cavity reduces the need for an external coupling system and allows for a compact engine block design. 
         [0034]    The flow of oil to the oil injectors may be more precisely regulated by employing a plurality of passages into the engine block coupled to oil ports of varying pressure. The alternate embodiment of an engine cover plate from the perspective of the engine block is shown in  FIG. 7 . When the oil valve  202  is open, two high pressure pumps  104  and  108  and a low pressure port  102  are coupled to the oil port  200 . Coolant exiting the fluid pump may pass through port  100  and be distributed to systems outside the engine block such as an EGR or turbocharger.  FIG. 8  shows this embodiment from the outside of the engine block. 
         [0035]    The cross section of this embodiment along the line indicated in  FIG. 8  is shown in  FIG. 9A  where the high pressure oil port  108  is coupled to the engine block through an opening in the engine block  212 .  FIG. 9B  shows an alternate cross section of the embodiment wherein a high pressure oil port allows engine oil to pass through an opening in engine block  214  and a low pressure oil port allows engine oil to flow through an opening in the engine block at  216 . 
         [0036]    The embodiment of the cover plate in  FIG. 10  has ports to accommodate oil flow from the cooling system of a turbocharger into the cover plate oil valve at  306  while oil from an oil pump enters the engine block through valve  304 . Coolant may enter through an additional cover valve from an EGR or turbocharger through external coolant port  300  and exit through port  302  to be circulated through an EGR or turbocharger cooling system. 
         [0037]    A schematically represented embodiment of a coolant circuit and oil circuit in a system with a turbocharger and EGR is shown in  FIG. 11 . In this embodiment, oil exiting oil pump  432  is circulated into the oil valve  202  coupled to oil port  200  as well as an exterior branch of the circuit. Oil passing through the oil port  200  within cover plate  112  may be distributed to oil injectors  405  and sprayed on the underside of pistons. This oil may then drip into an oil pan  406  and continue through the oil circuit to thermostat  412  coupled to a radiator  414  or a heating core (not shown) before returning to the oil pump  432 . Similarly, coolant pump  404  is fluidically coupled to the coolant cavity  106  between the engine block  122  and the cover plate  112 . At outlet port  100 , coolant may be circulated into engine water jacket  432  or to an external system. Coolant through the water jacket may absorb heat of combustions within this portion of the coolant circuit. Coolant may also pass through a thermostat  412  where it may be distributed to the heating core or coupled to radiator  414  before returning to coolant pump  404 . EGR Cooler  414  may also cool exhaust gas in systems employing EGR. Exhaust gas may exit the engine, pass through the EGR cooler, be distributed to a turbocharger, or any combination thereof, and be circulated back into an air intake through exhaust passage  410 . Oil passing through oil valve  202  may also pass to external systems such as the cooling system for a turbocharger compressor  426  or the cooling system for a turbocharger turbine  428 . Similarly, coolant that does not enter water jacket  432  via outlet port  100  may be circulated to the cooling system of a turbocharger compressor  426  or the cooling system of a turbocharger turbine  428 . Distribution to one or both of these external circuits may be coupled to the cover plate herein. The port may also couple other systems to the oil or coolant circuit that have not been explicitly stated. 
         [0038]    The simplified flow diagram in  FIG. 12  is an example method of regulating oil flow to the piston oil injectors by the control circuit. Oil exiting a heat exchange device at  130  may pass through an oil filter  132  for contaminate removal. A valve may be actuated by a control system with sensors within the engine or oil circuit at  136 . If a temperature threshold within the engine or oil circuit is reached at  136 , the valve may open at  134  allowing oil to pass through the cover plate inlet valves. If the temperature is not above the threshold value, the valve may remain closed until that value is reached. An open valve will permit oil passage to the oil injectors in the engine block. In other embodiments (not shown), oil passing through the cover plate oil valve may be circulated to systems outside of the engine block, such as a turbocharger or EGR cooling system. Embodiments may also have additional cover plate oil valves actuated by a control system with sensors in an EGR, turbocharger, or other external circuit. By this method oil may be allowed to flow to other components while still being prohibited from entering the engine block. Oil valves with variable flow opening may be adjusted in response to the temperature sensors allowing for increased oil flow with increased temperature. By limiting or eliminating the oil to the engine when the engine is below a temperature threshold, the engine may reach a desired temperature more quickly thus increasing the engines fuel economy. 
         [0039]    It will be appreciated that the configurations and routines disclosed herein are exemplary in nature, and that these specific embodiments are not to be considered in a limiting sense, because numerous variations are possible. For example, the above technology can be applied to V-6, I-4, I-6, V-12, opposed 4, and other engine types. The subject matter of the present disclosure includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and sub-combinations of the various systems and configurations, and other features, functions, and/or properties disclosed herein. 
         [0040]    The following claims particularly point out certain combinations and sub-combinations regarded as novel and non-obvious. These claims may refer to “an” element or “a first” element or the equivalent thereof. Such claims should be understood to include incorporation of one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements. Other combinations and sub-combinations of the disclosed features, functions, elements, and/or properties may be claimed through amendment of the present claims or through presentation of new claims in this or a related application. Such claims, whether broader, narrower, equal, or different in scope to the original claims, also are regarded as included within the subject matter of the present disclosure.