Abstract:
A high-speed cleaning system and method in which a liquid is injected by-compressed air into the vacuumed chambers in the automotive cooling systems, in water-cooled engines. The liquid is injected in short period time under pressure, and the cooling system is pre-evacuated and held at a vacuum so that there is no flow restriction to build up high pressure in the cooling system in the short period of time the liquid is injected in the cooling system, and the liquid travels through the cooling system at a high rate of speed. High pressure air is mixed with the liquid before it is injected into engine cooling system, where the liquid/air mixture travels at a high rate of speed creating a hurricane type effect that breaking loose contaminants such as dirt, rust, and other particles and washes them out of the engine cooling system.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/144,611, filed Jul. 20, 1999, and entitled Injected Liquid Wash in Vacuumed Chambers System. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to flushing of liquid cooling systems, and more particularly to a system and apparatus for quickly evacuating, cleaning and refilling a liquid cooling system such as an engine cooling system. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is well known that over time, contaminants such as rust, scale, particulates and sludge build up in liquid cooling systems such as engine cooling systems. These contaminants get baked onto cooling system components, reducing the efficiency and lifetime of cooling system components. Periodically, not only does the liquid coolant need replacement, but also the coolant system itself should be flushed to remove some of the contamination deposited throughout the cooling system. 
     Unfortunately, most commercially available coolant flushing systems fail to provide a cleaning action inside the chambers, hoses and other cooling system components to adequately remove interior contamination. Simply running a coolant or cleaning fluid through the system fails to remove these baked on contaminants from the system. Even increasing the flow rate through the system has limited success because there is a limitation on the overall pressure that can safely be applied to the cooling system without damaging it. Even adding entrained gas bubbles to the flushing liquid has been proposed, but that simply does not create a cleansing action inside the cooling system that effectively removes the; contamination. Such flushing systems also fail to provide a convenient way of removing, : filtering, recycling and replenishing coolant for the cooling system, especially in a manner that minimizes coolant waste and hazardous spills. 
     There is a need for an apparatus and method that creates a superior cleansing action inside a liquid cooling system for removing contamination therein, and in a way that conveniently removes filters, recycles and replenishes coolant from the cooling system. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention solves the aforementioned problems by providing an apparatus and method which utilizes a relatively high proportion of air in the flushing liquid, together with a vacuum applied to the outlet of the cooling system, to create a high speed hurricane-like effect for effectively removing contamination within the cooling system. 
     The apparatus for flushing contaminants from a liquid coolant circulation system includes an injection hose connectable to an injection point of the coolant circulation system, an evacuation hose connectable to an extraction point of the coolant circulation system, a liquid supply for supplying liquid under pressure to the injection hose and the injection point, a vacuum motor connected to the evacuation hose for applying a vacuum to the evacuation hose and the extraction point, a gas inlet for receiving compressed gas and for mixing the compressed gas with the liquid supplied by the liquid supply to form a liquid and gas mixture. The liquid and gas mixture enters the coolant circulation system at the injection point, travels through the coolant circulation system at a high rate of speed, and is extracted from the coolant circulation system at the extraction point by the evacuation hose. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, the apparatus for flushing contaminants from an internal combustion engine cooling system, which includes a cooling radiator and a heating radiator both connected to an engine block with liquid coolant lines comprises an injection hose terminating in an injector that is connectable to the engine block to define an injection point into the engine cooling system, an evacuation hose terminating in a connector assembly that is connectable to one of cooling radiator and the heating radiator to define a first extraction point from the engine cooling system, a liquid supply for supplying liquid under pressure to the injection hose and the injection point, a vacuum motor connected to the evacuation hose for applying a vacuum to the evacuation hose and the first extraction point, a gas inlet for receiving compressed gas and for mixing the compressed gas with the liquid supplied by the liquid supply to form a liquid and gas mixture. The liquid and gas mixture enters the engine cooling system at the injection point, travels through the engine block and heating radiator and cooling radiator at a high rate of speed, and is extracted from the engine cooling system at the extraction point by the evacuation hose. 
     In one additional aspect of the present invention, the method of the present invention for flushing contaminants from an internal combustion engine cooling system, which includes a cooling radiator and a heating radiator both connected to an engine block with liquid coolant lines and points of injection and extraction, comprises the steps of mixing a liquid with a gas to create a liquid/gas mixture, injecting the liquid/gas mixture into an injection point of the engine cooling system under pressure and applying a vacuum to an extraction point of the engine cooling system to evacuate the liquid/gas mixture through the extraction point. 
    
    
     Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent by a review of the specification claims and appended figures. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of the flush and filtration system of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of the overall flush and filtration system of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram of the timer and control board circuit. 
     FIG. 2C is a schematic diagram of the timer circuit. 
     FIG. 3A is aside cross-sectional view of the liquid pre-charge tank  121 . 
     FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the liquid pre-charge tank  121 . 
     FIG. 4A is a side cross-sectional view of outlet fitting  105 . 
     FIG. 4B is a side view of outlet fitting  105 . 
     FIG. 5A is a perspective view of vacuum joint  200 . 
     FIG. 5B is an cross-sectional view of vacuum joint  200 . 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of seal  205 . 
     FIG. 7A is a perspective view of retainer  202 . 
     FIG. 7B is a side cross-sectional view of retainer  202 . 
     FIG. 8A is a perspective-view of radiator filler adapter  201 . 
     FIG. 8B is a side cross-sectional view of radiator filler adapter  201 . 
     FIG. 9A is a perspective view of radiator hose adapter  203 . 
     FIG. 9B is a side cross-sectional view of radiator hose adapter  203 . 
     FIG. 10 is a side view of pressure switch  1604 - a.    
     FIG. 11A is a perspective view of thread type filler adapter body  207 . 
     FIG. 11B is a side cross-sectional view of thread type filler adapter body  207 . 
     FIG. 12A is perspective view of thread type filler adapter female cap  208 . 
     FIG. 12B is side cross-sectional view of thread type filler adapter female cap  208 . 
     FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of vacuum adapter assembly A 240 . 
     FIG. 14 is a partially exploded perspective view of vacuum adapter assembly A 240 . 
     FIG. 15A is an exploded view of vacuum adapter assembly A 260  for connection to a radiator filler. 
     FIG. 15B is a partially exploded view of vacuum adapter assembly A 260  for connection to a radiator filler. 
     FIG. 16A is a partially exploded view of vacuum assembly A 250 , for connection to a radiator hose. 
     FIG. 16B is an exploded view of vacuum assembly A 250  for connection to a radiator hose. 
     FIG. 17A is a perspective view of pressure switch  1604 . 
     FIG. 17B is a cross-sectional view of pressure switch  1604 , with the switch in its open position. 
     FIG. 17C is a cross-sectional view of pressure switch  1604 , with the switch in its closed position. 
     FIG. 18A is a exploded cross-sectional view of injector nozzle assembly  303 . 
     FIG. 18B is a perspective exploded view of injector nozzle  303  assembly with pressure switch  1604   b.    
     FIG. 19 is a partial perspective view of vacuum hose  305 . 
     FIG. 20A is a side cross-sectional view of heater hose adapter  304 . 
     FIG. 20B is a perspective view of heater hose adapter  304 . 
     FIG. 21A is a side cross-sectional view of large hose adapter  306 . 
     FIG. 21B is a perspective view of large hose adapter  306 . 
     FIG. 22 is an exploded view of hose plug  308 , seal  205   b  and hose adapter  306  . 
     FIG. 23A is an exploded view of output hose assembly A 350 . 
     FIG. 23B is an exploded view of vacuum hose assembly A 360 . 
     FIG. 23C is an exploded view of output hose assembly A 370 . 
     FIG. 23D is an exploded view of output hose assembly A 380 . 
     FIG. 24 is a plan view of a conventional internal combustion engine cooling system  400 . 
     FIG. 25 is a cross-section plan view of the flush and filtration system of the present invention connected to a conventional engine cooling system. 
     FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional plan view of the a first connection configuration of the flush and filtration system of the present invention to a conventional engine cooling system. 
     FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional plan view of the a second connection configuration of the flush and filtration system of the present invention to a conventional engine cooling system. 
     FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional plan view of the a third connection configuration of the flush and filtration system of the present invention to a conventional engine cooling system. 
     FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional plan view of the connection between the flush and filtration system of the present invention and a conventional engine cooling system, for refilling thereof. 
     FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional plan view of the Mush and filtration system of the present invention for transfer of coolant to another container. 
     FIG. 31 is a cross-sectional plan view of the flush and filtration system configuration of the present invention for recycling and filtering old coolant. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention is a mobile liquid injection flush and filtration system  100 , as illustrated in FIG. 1, for cleaning liquid cooling systems (i.e. a car engine cooling system), and filtering and recycling coolant fluid. 
     A typical internal combustion engine cooling system is illustrated in FIG. 24, and includes a coolant recover tank  401 , an overflow hose  402 , a radiator cap  403 , a coolant filler  404 , a radiator  405 , an upper hose neck  406 , a lower hose neck  407 , an upper radiator hose  408 , a thermostat housing  409 , a thermostat  410 , a water pump  41  a water pump coolant inlet  412 , a lower radiator hose  413 , a heater return inlet  414 , a heater return hose  415 , cylinder head coolant chambers  41 . 6 , a heater return outlet  417 , a heater core  418 , a heater inlet  419 , a heater control valve  420 , a heater control line  421 , a heater inlet hose  422 , a hot water outlet  423 , and engine block coolant chambers  424 , all configured as illustrated in FIG.  24 . 
     The liquid flush and filtration system  100  of the present invention (best illustrated in FIG. 1) includes a vacuum assembly  101  (comprising a liquid/air vacuum motor  1013  and tank  1012 ), liquid pumps  103   a  and  103   b ; filters  107   a ,  107   b ,  107   c ; a coolant tank  108 ; one-way valves  109   a ,  109   b ,  109   c ,  109   d ,  109   e ; pressure gauges  106   a ,  106   b  and  106   c ; electrically controlled valves (filter bypass valve  114 , filter control valve  115 , outlet cut-off valve  110 , pre-charge control valve  112 , and air control valve  124 ); a liquid pre-charge tank  121  that includes level sensors SL 1 , SL 2 , SL 3  (see FIG.  3 ); an adjustable air bypass valve  123 ; an adjustable air pressure regulator  126 ; an air reserve tank  128 , a compressed air inlet  127 ; and pressure sensors  1604 - a  and  1604 - b  (see FIGS.  10  and  17 A-C); all connected together as shown in FIG. 1 using pipes  102  and  122 . An electrical contrller  160  operates, and receives data from, the electrical devices as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     The flush and filtration system  100  includes an output assembly A 350 , A 370  or A 380  for connection to the engine cooling system (see FIGS. 23A, C and D). Each of these output assemblies include an output hose  302 . and seal  205   b . In output assembly A 350 , output hose  302  terminates in a liquid/air injector  303  assembly that includes a liquid/air injector  303   b  having a reduced diameter to accelerate liquid/air as it is injected into the engine cooling system (see FIGS. 18A-B 23 A and  26 - 27 ), and a hose adapter  303   a  for attachment to output hose  302 . Pressure sensor  1604 - b  inserts into injector  303   b  to measure the pressure therein. In output assembly A 370 , output hose  302  terminates in a hose plug  306  having a plurality of outer diameters to attach to the engine cooling system (FIGS. 21 A-B,  23 C and  28 ), or hose plug  306  can be sealed by a plug  308  (FIG. 22) for temporarily sealing the thermostat housing  409  (see FIG.  27 ). In output assembly A 380 , output hose  302  terminates in a hand held liquid control valve  307  for manually and selectively filling the engine cooling system (FIGS. 23D and 29) or an external container (FIG. 30) with liquid coolant. 
     Flush and filtration system  100  further includes a vacuum hose  305  attached to tank  1012  that terminates in a vacuum assembly A 240 , A 250  or A 260  for connection to (and liquid/air evacuation from) the engine cooling system (see FIGS.  1  and  25 - 29 ). Vacuum assembly A 240  includes vacuum joint  200 , seals  205   a  and  205   b , cap  301  and coolant tank adapter  207 / 208  (see FIGS. 5-6 and  11 - 14 ), for connection to certain threaded coolant filler openings on some vehicles. Vacuum assembly A 250  includes vacuum joint  200 , seal  205   b , cap  301  and radiator hose adapter  203  (see FIGS. 5A-B,  9 A-B and  16 A-B), for connection to the radiator and vacuum hose of the engine cooling system (see FIGS.  27 - 28 ). Vacuum assembly A 260  includes vacuum joint  200 , seals  205  and  205   b , cap  301 , retainer  202  and radiator filler adapter  201  (see FIGS. 5-8 and  16 A-B), for connection to the radiator filler and vacuum hose of the engine cooling system (see FIGS.  25 - 26 ). Cap  301  seals off vacuum joint aperture  200   a  when not attached to hose  302   a  (as further explained below). 
     Hose assembly A 360  includes hose  302   a  that terminates in a hose adapter  304  having a plurality of outer diameters for connection to various diameters of heater hoses found in engine cooling systems (FIGS. 20,  23 B and  26 - 27 ). The input of hose  302   a  attaches to vacuum joint aperture  200   a  in certain configurations (see FIGS.  26  and  27 ). 
     Electrical Control Circuit 
     The basic operation of the engine cooling system  100  is as follows. The engine cooling system is pre-evacuated by applying both pressurized air and a vacuum to the engine cooling system. The liquid pre-charge tank  121  is filled up with coolant, which is then mixed with pressurized air and injected into the cooling system. The liquid/air mixture rushes through the cooling system and is evacuated using a vacuum applied to the point(s) of extraction. The system can recycle the evacuated coolant by filtration and re-injection. A more detailed description of the system operation is discussed in the next section. 
     The electrical control circuitry of controller  160  is shown in FIGS. 2A-2C. AC power is supplied through the power plug PLG and through fuse F 1 , which is a shock circuit breaker for AC power circuit protection. PR 1  is a main power relay, connecting power from F 1  to transformer T 1 ; vacuum union power relay PR 10 , and all the electrical control valves  124 ,  112 ,  110 ,  114 , and  115 . The control valves  124 ,  112 ,  110 ,  114 ,  115  are controlled by control board  160   a  (see FIGS.  2 A and  2 B). 
     A 12 volt DC power source (battery BAT) provides power for the control circuitry (function switch FSW and control board  160   a ), and two DC power liquid pumps  103   a  and  103   b . Battery BAT is recharged by transformer T 1  and rectifier RD 1 . A main DC power protection fuse F 3  is connected between battery BAT and a main power control switch SW 1  which controls AC power relay PR 1  and all the control-circuits. Switch SW 1  connects F 3  to main power relay PR 1 , fuse F 2  and fuse F 4 . Fuse F 2  is a control-circuit protection fuse connecting function switch FSW to timer and control board  160   a  (see FIG.  2 B). Fuse F 4  is a protection fuse for liquid pumps  103   a  and  103   b  and relays PR 103   a  and PR103 b.    
     When switch SW 1  is “off”, the electrical control is disabled. When SW 1  is “on”,the DC power is supplied to relay PR 1 , and AC power is “on” so the battery BAT begins to charge up and AC power is applied to relay PR 101  and to lead  24  of control board  160   a . DC power is applied to relays PR 103   b  and PR 103   a , and to function switch FSW. Also, DC power is applied to control board  160   a , through resistor R 18 , to provide a 1.2 DC voltage to turn on solid state relay SSR 4 . Also, DC power supplied through resistor R 10  on control board  160   a  provides power for timer IC 555 . C 2  is a power stabilizer capacitor to prevent interrupted signal, and resistor R 4  provides high voltage to keep the trigger in timer IC 555  in its “off” condition. With function switch FSW in the “0” position, all the functions are inactive. 
     1. Evacuating Functions 
     When function switch FSW is moved to its on “1” position, then main switch SW 1  is turned “on”, the 12 volt power from the al terminal of switch FSW is applied to lead  13  of control board  160   a , through diode D 4  and to lead  33 , which connects to vacuum power relay PR 101  to turn on the motor  1013  in vacuum assembly  101  for applying a vacuum to the engine cooling system. Indicator light L 1  is also lit. Resistor R 21  is voltage reducer resistor. Diode D 5  does not allow current from diode D 4  to pass to lead  14 , so there is no power supplied to indicator light L 2  and PR 103   a . With function switch FSW selected to terminal b 1 , power is applied to menu air injection switch SW 7 , wherein diode D 1  (in FIG. 2A) prevents any current from passing to and activating the b 2  terminal circuit. When switch SW 7  is pressed, DC power passes to lead  8  of control board  160   a , and on through resistor R 17 , diode D 3  and resistor R 14 . Resistors R 14  and R 15  form a voltage divider to provide a 1.2 volt at the trigger of relay SSR 3 , which actives relay SSR 3  to supply 115 volt AC power to cut-off valve  110 , opening the valve. Current from R 17  passes through resistor R 13  and activates indicator light L 5 . Current from R 17  also passes through resistors R 6  and R 2  and on to ground. The voltage at the trigger of relay SSR 1  is 1.2 volts, so that when relay SSR 1  is activated, 115 volt AC power is applied air control valve  124  to inject air into to engine cooling system. The high speed air from air control valve  124  blows coolant out of the engine cooling system as further described below under system operation. When evacuation is complete, switch SW 7  is released. 
     2. Cleaning Function 
     The cleaning operation is an automatic function using the level sensors SL 1 -SL 3  and a timer circuit to start and stop liquid/air injection. Timer IC 555  is used in the timer control circuit (FIG.  2 C), where pin I is ground, pin  2  is trigger, pin  3  is output, pin  4  is reset, pin  5  is control voltage, pin  6  is threshold, pin  7  is discharge, and pin  8  is power supply (4.5v to 15v). 
     When function switch FSW is turned to position “2”,then main switch SW 1  is turned “on”, and the DC power from pin a 2  of function switch FSW is supplied to lead  14  of control board  160   a , lamp L 2  and resistor R 22  and on to ground, which lights up indicator light L 2 . Diode D 4  isolates power from D 5  and pin  13 . Current passes through diode D 5  and on to lead  33  of control board  160   a  to activate relay PR 101  which turns on vacuum assembly  101 . Also, current passes through diode D 6  and lead  32  of control board  160   a  to activate the relay PR 103   a , which turns on liquid pump  103   a . Diode D 7  isolates power from leads  32  and  15  of control board  160   a . Also power from diode D 6  passes through resistors R 20  and R 19  and on to ground, whereby 1.2 volts are applied to lead  12  of control board  160   a , which then goes to filter bypass switch BPW. 
     Bypass switch BPW can be selected to filter the liquid or to bypass the filters when filling liquid precharge tank  121  from tank  1012 . To filter liquid from liquid pump  103   a , bypass switch BPW is moved to position “2”,whereby 1.2 volts is applied to lead  11  of control board  160   a  to activate relay SSR 6 , which closes the filter bypass control valve  114 . With filter control valve  115  opened, liquid pumped from pump  103   a  passes through filters  107   a  and  107   b , and filter  107   c  (see FIG.  1 ), then through valve  115 , one way valve  109   b , pre-charge control valve  112 , one way valve  109   d  and then into liquid pre-charge tank  121 . To bypass filtering of liquid from pump  103   a , bypass switch BPW is moved to position “1”, whereby 1.2 volts is applied to lead  10  of control board  160   a  to activate relay SSR 5 , which opens filter bypass valve  114  and closes filter control valve  115 . No liquid can pass through filters  107   a-c , and liquid from pump  103   a  will go directly to one way valve  109   b , precharge control valve  112 , one way valve  109   d  and into liquid pre-charge tank  121 . 
     When function switch FSW is positioned on pin b 2  thereof, DC power is delivered to lead  6  of control board  160   a , and then to collector C of transistor TR 1  (FIGS.  2 B and  2 C). Power is also applied to resistors R 7  and R 8 , then goes to ground, whereby the trigger in relay SSR 2  receives 1.2 volts which actives SSR 2  to open liquid pre-charge control valve  112  so that liquid from pump  103   a  can fill liquid pre-charge tank  121 . The DC power from switch SW 1  is applied to lead  5  of control board  160   a . Resistor R 10  and capacitor C 2  are a voltage stabilizer to avoid interrupted signals that trigger the timer, so capacitor C 3  is discharged by pin  7  of IC 555 . Resistor R 5  reduces the control voltage, so that when the liquid in the liquid pre-charge tank  121  has not reached selected level (i.e. the level sensors SL 1 -SL 3  are open), resistor R 4  applies a voltage to pin  2  of timer IC 555  and the timer IC 555  stays in an “off” condition. When the liquid in tank  121  fills up to the selected level, the appropriate level sensor SL 1 , SL 2 , or SL 3  is grounded by water and the voltage at pin  2  of timer IC 555  drops to 0, whereby the timer is triggered. Discharge pin  7  is then off (open to ground), and current from resistor R 10  passes through resistor R 3  and variable resistor VR to begin charging up capacitor C 1 . Variable resistor VR adjusts the charge time from 5 seconds to 20 seconds. When capacitor C 1  charges up to a voltage equivalent to that of pin  5  of timer IC 555 , the threshold at pin  6  of timer IC 555  turns off the timer and turns on discharge (closed to ground) t pin  7  of timer IC 555 , whereby capacitor C 1  discharges again, and pin  4  of timer IC 555  resets the timer which then waits for next trigger signal. 
     When the timer has been triggered, the output pin  3   0 f timer IC 555  goes high, and current goes through resistor R 9  and to base B of TR 1 , whereby the gate of TR 1  is opened and current from lead  6  of control board  106   a  passes through pins C and E of TR 1 , through diode D 2  and resistor R 13  and light L 5  (which lights up light L 5 ) and on to ground. This current also passes through resistors R 6  and R 2  and on to ground, whereby 1.2 volts is supplied to the trigger of relay SSR 1 , which turns on air control valve  124 . The power from diodes D 2  and D 3 , and resistors R 14  and R 15  then goes to ground, which activates relay SSR 3  to turn on outlet cut-off valve  110 , which causes air and liquid to be injected into the engine cooling system via output hose  302 . Once all the liquid is injected, air is continually injected to evacuate engine cooling system. Then, the timer stops, valves  124  and  110  are closed, and pre-charge tank  121  is refilled with liquid. 
     If the pressure in engine cooling system is over the pressure limit during liquid/air injection, the pressure switches  1604 - a  or  1604 - b  sense the excessive pressure and ground lead  9  of control board  160   a . The trigger voltage in relay SSR 4  will then go to 0 volts, the relay SSR 4  turns off AC power on relays SSR 1 , SSR 2  and SSR 3  so the valves  124 ,  112  and  110  will close immediately to cut off liquid/air injection flows. Resistor R 118  reduces voltage from pin number  5  on timer and control board  160   a , which provides 1.2 volts to the trigger of relay SSR 4 , which controls AC power to relays SSR 1 , SSR 2  and SSR 3 . When pressure switches  1604 - a  or  1604 - b  are grounded, relay SSR 4  will inactive. When pressure switches  1604 - a  and  1604 - b  are opened, power from lead  5  of control board  160   a  is applied through resistor R 18  to capacitor C 4 , whereby the voltage in the trigger of relay SSR 4  has a small delay to reach up to 1.2 volts while capacitor C 4  charges up, which then re-actives relay SSR 4 , to prevent high frequency pressure vibrations. 
     The cleaning cycles over and over, until engine cooling system is clean (as further explained below). To stop all the functions, the user simply needs to just turn off the main power switch SW 1 . 
     3. Filling Coolant With Coolant in Vacuum Tank or Refiltering Over Old Coolant 
     When function switch FSW is moved to position “ 3 ” and switch SW 1  is turned “on”, the power from pin b 3  is applied to lead  7  of control board  160   a , through resistors R 16 , R 14  and R 15 , and then on to ground. The diode D 3  isolates the power from resistor R 16  and diode D 2 , so that the trigger of SSR 3  receives 1.2 volts of power to activate SSR 3  to turn on outlet cut off control valve  110 , which allows liquid to exit into the output hose  302 . Power from pin a 3  of function switch FSW is applied to lead  15  of control board  160   a , whereby current passes through light L 3  (which lights up) and R 23 , and then goes on to ground. Power also passes through diode D 7  and lead  32  of control board  160   a , to activate relay PR 103   a  which in turn activates liquid pump  103   a . Also, 1.2 volts is applied to lead  12  of control board  160   a , whereby the bypass switch BPW can be positioned to filter control “on” for filtering or to bypass “on” to bypass filtering. Diode D 6  isolates power to lead  14  of control board  160   a.    
     The liquid pump  103   a  draws liquid out from vacuum tank  1012 , and pumps it (either filtered or unfiltered) to fill the engine cooling system with the set up shown in FIGS. 26-29, or can be transferred to another container as shown in FIG.  30 . To filter but maintain the liquid in tank  1012 , with filter control valve  115  “on”,and with bypass switch BPW turned to position “2”, the output hose  302  is simply positioned to output the liquid back into tank  1012 , as shown in FIG.  31 . 
     4. Filling New Coolant From New Coolant Tank( 108 ) 
     With function switch FSW turned to position “ 4 ”,and the main power switch turned to “on”,power is applied to lead  7  of control board  160   a , through resistors R 16 , R 14  and R 15 , and then on to ground, whereby 1.2 volts actives relay SSR 3 , which opens outlet cut off valve  110 . Power is also applied to pin a 4  of function switch FSW, which passes through indicator light L 4  (lighting it up) and resistor R 24 , and then on to ground. Current also goes through diode D 8  to lead  31  of control board  160   a , which actives relay PR 103   b  to turn on liquid pump  103   b . Pump  103   b  draws coolant from tank  108  and pumps it through one way valves  109   a  and  109   b , through cut off valve  110  and outlet fitting  105 , out through output hose  302  in any of the set ups shown in FIGS. 26-29. 
     Operation of Invention 
     1. Evacuation of Engine Coolant: 
     To start the flush and filtration of the engine cooling system, the engine is started, the vehicle heater is turned on, the temperature control in the vehicle is switched to warm so the heater control valve  420  (in FIG. 24) in the vehicle is opened and then the engine is turned off. The system  100  (in FIG. 1) is connected to the engine cooling system as shown in FIG. 25, by removing the radiator cap  403  from the radiator filler hole  404  and placing the radiator filler vacuum assembly A 260  on radiator filler hole  404 . The other end of vacuum hose  305  is connected to vacuum port  1011  of tank  1012 . The main power switch SW 1  is checked to be in its off position, and electrical power plug PLG is connected to a shop source power outlet, and air inlet  127  is connected to a shop source of compressed air. 
     The function switch FSW is turned to position “1” and vacuum switch SW 101  on vacuum assembly  101  is turned on. Then, the main power switch SW 1  (FIG. 2) is turned on which activates motor  1013  to create a vacuum in tank  1012 , whereby the vacuum from the vacuum assembly  101  is applied to the top of radiator  405 . The coolant in the coolant recovery tank  401  will be sucked out through overflow hose  402  coolant filter  404 , radiator vacuum assembly A 260 , main vacuum hose  305 , and into tank  1012 . The heater hose  415  is then disconnected from the heater hose fitting  414 , whereby at this time no coolant will leak out because of the vacuum applied to the engine cooling system. The engine coolant and outside air from the engine cooling system will be drawn through the elements of the engine cooling system and out through main vacuum hose  305 , whereby the coolant in the cooling system is about 40% to 70% evacuated. 
     The flush and filtration system  100  is then configured in one of three typical configurations as shown in FIGS. 26,  27  or  28 . As shown in FIG. 26, the liquid/air injector  303  of output assembly A 350  is attached to the heater return inlet  414 , and hose assembly A 360  is connected between vacuum joint aperture  200   a  of vacuum joint  200  and heater return hose  415 . There is a single point of injection (at the heater return inlet), and two points of extraction (at the heater return hose  415  and the radiator filler hole  404 ). In FIG. 27, the liquid/air injector  303  of output assembly A 350  is attached to the heater return inlet  414 , the radiator cap  403  is replaced onto coolant filler  404 , vacuum assembly A 250  is attached to the radiator inlet using the hose from the thermostat housing  409  (which is blocked by hose plug  306  and plug  308 ), and hose assembly A 360  is connected between vacuum joint aperture  200   a  of vacuum joint  200  and heater return hose  415 . There is a single point of injection (at the heater return inlet), and two points of extraction (at the heater return hose  415  and the radiator inlet). In FIG. 28, the hose plug  306  of output assembly A 370  is attached to the radiator hose leading to the thermostat housing  409  after the thermostat  410  has been removed, the radiator cap  403  is replaced onto coolant filler  404 , vacuum assembly A 250  is attached to the radiator inlet (with plug  301  inserted to seal off vacuum joint aperture  200   a ), and heater return hose  415  is reattached to heater return inlet  414 . There is a single point of injection (at the thermostat housing  409 ), and one point of extraction (at the radiator inlet). 
     Function switch is in its “1” position so that when switch SW 1  is activated, motor  1013  is started, which creates a vacuum in tank  1012 , vacuum hose  305  and therefore radiator  405 . Air regulator  126  is adjusted to 80 pounds per square inch (as read on pressure gauge  125 . Switch SW 7  is then held down for 4 to 8 seconds, which activates air control valve  124  and outlet cut off valve  110  so that high pressure air from compressed air inlet  127  and from air reserve tank  128  passes through air control valve  124 , liquid precharge tank  121 , one-way valve  109   c , cut off valve  110 , and outlet fitting  105 . The high pressure air also travels through adjustable bypass valve  1223  and one way valve  109   e , and then mixes with any out-going liquid passing through cut-off valve  110 . For evacuation, precharge tank  121  is empty of any liquid, so only the compressed air is injected into the vacuumed chambers of the engine cooling system to carry out almost all of the coolant in the engine into the vacuum tank  1012 . Once the evacuation is complete, and main power switch SW 1  is turned off. 
     2. Power Cleaning the Engine Cooling System: 
     With the flush and filtration system  100  in one of the configurations shown in Figures  26 - 28 , and preferably after the coolant has been evacuated as described above, the air pressure at air regulator  126  is adjusted to between about 45 psi and 65 psi The function switch FSW is moved to position “2”,and coolant level switch SW 6  is selected to provide the desired coolant level in the coolant pre charge tank  121 . In the preferred embodiment, each of the level sensors SL 1 , SL 2 , SL 3  correspond to about one half gallon of liquid, and it is recommended to set switch SW 6  so that coolant pre charge tank  121  fills with coolant approximately equal to one third of the engine coolant system capacity or lees. The coolant level in vacuum tank  1012  is checked, which will serve as the flush and filtration fluid, whereby coolant is added if necessary. 
     Then the main power switch SW 1  is turned on, whereby liquid pump  103 A draws coolant from the vacuum tank  1012  (in FIG. 1) and pumps it through filters  107   a ,  107   b  and  107   d  (the filter bypass switch BPW can be selected to close filter control valve  115  and open bypass control valve  114  to bypass filtering). With the liquid pre-charge valve  112  in its open position the coolant from vacuum tank  1012  passes through liquid pre-charge valve  112  and one way check valve  109   d  and into the liquid pre-charge tank  121 . The air bypass valve  123  is also adjusted to its open position whereby the air in the liquid pre-charge tank  121  will escape through valve  123 , one way valve  109   e , outlet  105  and hose  302  (allowing liquid to freely fill liquid pre-charge tank  121 . 
     When the coolant fills Lip to the selected level in the liquid pre-charge tank  121 , the appropriate sensor (SL 1 , SL 2  or SL 3 ) will trigger control board  160   a , whereby the timer IC 555  will start. The liquid/air injection times are set by time length control VR. When the timer IC 555  starts the air control valve  124  and cut-off valve  110  are opened, whereby pressurized air from air inlet  127  is directed into liquid precharge tank  121  which forces the coolant therein out through one way valve  109   c , cut-off valve  110  and outlet fitting  105 . Some of the pressurized air from inlet  127  is diverted around precharge tank  121 , whereby it travels through air bypass valve  123  and one way valve  109   e , and mixes with the outgoing liquid exiting outlet fitting  105 . The amount of air mixed with the outgoing wash fluid is adjustable by adjusting air bypass valve  123  (opening air bypass valve  123  increases the amount of air eventually mixed with the outgoing liquid). 
     It has been determined that if the air mixed with the outgoing liquid forms at least 25% of the outgoing liquid/air mixture, that a superior hurricane-like effect cleaning action occurs because the liquid will separate to small groups and resistance inside the cooling system is reduced, thus increasing the speed of the liquid/air mixture as it passes through the engine cooling system. The speed of the liquid/air flow is further increased by the vacuum applied to the liquid/air extraction point(s) of the engine cooling system by vacuum hose  305  connected to the engine cooling system. The high speed of the liquid/air mixture causes a hurricane effect within the cooling system, effectively dislodging scale and rust deposits that are removed with the liquid wash. After all the liquid from precharge tank  121  is injected into the cooling system, the high pressure air continues to be injected, whereby the pressurized air, in combination with the vacuum applied by vacuum hose  305 , evacuates the engine cooling system before the injection cycle ends. 
     If the pressure in the engine cooling system exceeds a safe pressure limit during the liquid/air injection cycle, pressure switches  1604 - a  or  1604 - b  will turn off the outlet cut-off valve  110  and air control valve  124  to cease the liquid/air injection to prevent any damage to the engine cooling system. In the preferred embodiment, pressure switches  1604 - a  and  1604 - b  are set to be triggered by a pressure of approximately 30 psi, since most engine cooling systems can safely withstand a pressure of 40 psi. In the short period of time it takes to complete the injection cycle, however, high pressure does not build up in the engine cooling system, but a powerful high-speed liquid wash does flush through the cooling system taking with it much of the contaminates that have built up over time. 
     After all the washing fluid is evacuated from the engine cooling system, the timer is topped, valves  110  and  124  are closed, liquid is refilled into precharge tank  121 , and the injection operation cycle is repeated several times until the engine cooling system is completely clean. The clean condition of the system can be checked with a visual check of the clear filter cups in which the filters  107   a-c  are housed. After the engine cooling system is clean and evacuated, switch SW 1  (in FIG. 1) is turned off, whereby the system is ready to refill coolant back into the engine cooling system. 
     3. Filtering and Recycling Old Coolant: 
     A configuration to filter old coolant is shown in FIG. 31, where the output end of output hose  302  is inserted into vacuum port  1011  of tank  1012 . When the function switch FSW is turned to position “3” and filter bypass switch BPW is turned off (where control valve  115  is open and bypass valve  114  is closed); and switch SW 1  is turned on, liquid pump  103 A draws coolant from tank  1012  and pumps it through the filters  107   a ,  107   b ,  107   c , and on through valve  115 , one way valve  109   b , cut off valve  110 , outlet fitting  105 , and through outlet hose assembly  302  back into vacuum tank  1012 . The pressure gauges  106   a ,  106   b ,  106   c  monitor the condition of filters  107   a ,  107   b ,  107   c . A high pressure reading differential across the filters indicates that the filters need replacing. In the preferred embodiment, the filter cups surrounding filters  107   a-c  are clear, thus providing a visual indication of how dirty the filters are. 
     After the coolant is cleaned, it is ready for transfer to an external storage tank  500  (shown in FIG. 30) or to be refilled into the engine cooling system (as shown in FIG.  29 ). 
     Cleaned coolant freezing-temperature point and H. P. level should be checked, whereby concentrated coolant or coolant additives can be added to fix the freezing point or H. P. levels. 
     4. Filling Coolant Into the Engine Cooling System: 
     After the engine cooling system is cleaned, the same connection is kept as shown in FIG. 26,  27  or  28 . Coolant from vacuum tank  1012  can be refilled into the engine cooling system by setting function switch FSW to position “3” and turning on the main switch SW 1 . Alternately, new coolant stored in coolant tank  108  can be filled into the engine cooling system by placing function switch FSW to position “4” and the main switch SW 1  turned on, whereby liquid pump  103 B pumps coolant from coolant tank  108  through one way valves  109   a  and  109   b , cutoff valve  110 , outlet fitting  105 , and out through output hose  302 . FIG. 29 illustrates using a handheld valve  307  to refill the radiator with coolant. When coolant fills up to about 70% of the engine coolant capacity, all electrical switches are turned off, flush and filtration system  100  is disconnected from the engine, and the engine cooling system is reconnected back to its original condition. The engine is started and warmed up until the thermostats are open and the engine coolant is circulated in the engine cooling system, and the cooling system topped off with coolant after making sure no air pockets are present in the cooling system. After the engine cooling system is fully filled up, the radiator cap is placed back on the radiator. 
     The flush and filtration system of the present invention provides a superior cooling system cleaning by first pre-evacuating the cooling system by applying both pressurized air mixed with the injected liquid, along with a vacuum applied to one or more extraction points of the engine cooling system. This allows the injection of a high speed liquid/air mixture to create a hurricane like effect that removes contaminants hardened to the interior of the cooling system. This hurricane effect is further achieved by using a relatively high amount of air mixed with the injected liquid, along with repeated and relatively short liquid/air injection times, which results in reduced friction and therefore very high speeds of the washing liquid/air combination as it travels through the cooling system. Further, an injection nozzle with a reduced size is used to accelerate the liquid/air wash as it enters the cooling system. The combination of both pressurization at injection and vacuum at extraction reduces the pressurization at the point of injection necessary to create the desired liquid/air wash speed. If a vacuum were not used in conjunction with the pressurization to inject the liquid/air into the cooling system, the hurricane effect could not be achieved without using a level of pressurization that could damage the cooling system itself. The system uses relatively short bursts of liquid/air wash by repeatedly depleting and then replenishing precharge tank  121 , while evacuating the cooling system between each such depletion/replenishment cycle, which maximizes the speed of each subsequent liquid/air injection. The liquid/air injection time length is preferably adjustable from 5 seconds to 20 seconds, which is short enough for high speeds of the liquid/air mixture injections without building up dangerously high pressurizations. 
     The flush and filtration system  100  also provides a means for conveniently reusing, recycling, and filtering the existing engine coolant, as well as providing a superior means for removing the engine coolant for system cleaning and/or repairs. It also allows the old coolant to be used as the washing/flushing liquid. 
     A working model of the present invention has been developed with the following specifications: 
     Power: 115v ac and 12v dc 
     Air injection pressure: adjustable from 45 psi to 85 psi 
     Air injection capacity: 150 cf/m with 60 psi pressure 
     Reserve air tank capacity: 20 gallons 
     Pre-charge liquid tank capacity: total 1.5 gallons, 0.5 gallons each level, 3 levels 
     capacity: 185 cf/m air 
     Sealed pressure of vacuum: 65 inches of water. 
     Liquid pump: 45 psi auto shut off, 2 gallons per minute 
     Air/ liquid injection ratio: 0% to 75% adjustable. Superior cleansing occurs starting with air comprising at least 25%, with excellent results with air comprising up to 75% of the liquid/air mixture. 
     Solenoid valves: orifice size—½ inches (for liquid), ¾ inches (for air and liquid) 
     Working pressure—300 psi max 
     Coil voltage—115 vac 
     Filter capacity: 20 gallons per minute on first stage. 
     10 gallons per minute on second stage 
     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiment described above and illustrated herein, but encompasses any and all variations falling within the scope of the appended claims. For example, the flush and filtration system will work well for cleaning any type of liquid-based cooling system and for any type of liquid coolant, not just an internal combustion engine cooling system. The flushing coolant and coolant used by the cooling system need not be the same type of liquid. The injection and extraction points of the liquid cooling system used by the present invention are any openings, fittings, connections or coolant lines to which output and vacuum lines or connectors can be attached. 
     The injection and extraction points illustrated in FIGS. 25-29 were selected for ease of connection and effectiveness in evacuation of coolant and removal of contaminants, however the location of the injection and/or extraction points and the number of such injection/extraction points can be varied by the user, even for cleaning the same cooling system (i.e. to alternate the flow direction in the cooling system). While air pressure is used in the preferred embodiment to force the coolant from precharge tank  121  into output hose  302 , it is within the scope of the present invention to use a pump similar to pump  103   a  instead. It should be clear that while compressed air and liquid coolant are used with the preferred embodiment, any equivalent gas and any equivalent liquid can be used with, and are within the scope of, the present invention. Lastly, while the use of the precharge tank  121  is preferable because it provides a predetermined amount of liquid for mixture with air and injection into the cooling system, any open or closed loop, internal or external, interrupted or continuous supply of liquid can be used with the present invention (e.g. water faucet, internal or external tanks direct line to vacuum tank  1012 , etc.)