Engine cooling system, vehicle, and engine cooling control method

Abstract

The present invention discloses an engine cooling system, an automobile and an engine cooling control method. The engine cooling system includes a first cylinder head cooling channel, a second cylinder head cooling channel and a cylinder cooling channel; and also includes a first flow regulating device, a second flow regulating device and a third flow regulating device. The first flow regulating device is arranged between the first cylinder head cooling channel and the coolant pump, the second flow regulating device is arranged between the second cylinder head cooling channel and the coolant pump, and the third flow regulating device is arranged between the cylinder cooling channel and the coolant pump. The present invention can independently control the amount of coolant entering each cooling channel through the first flow regulating device, the second flow regulating device and the third flow regulating device, thereby providing a basis for controlling the coolant flow of each cooling channel (the first cylinder head cooling channel, the second cylinder head cooling channel and the cylinder cooling channel), thereby matching the coolant flow requirements under different operating conditions of the engine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of engine cooling, and in particular to an engine cooling system, a vehicle and an engine cooling control method. Background Art

[0002] With the global promotion of new energy vehicles and increasing demands for energy conservation and environmental protection, hybrid engines are increasingly being used. Hybrid engines have high requirements for high thermal efficiency and compression ratios, which increase the likelihood of abnormal combustion, including pre-ignition and detonation.

[0003] In order to reduce the occurrence of abnormal combustion phenomena such as engine pre-ignition and knock, an engine cooling system can be used to cool various parts of the engine. In the existing technology, the engine cooling system mainly has two forms: non-separation cooling and separation cooling. In the non-separation cooling system, the cylinder block and cylinder head cooling channels are connected in series. After the coolant flows out of the coolant pump, it first flows into the cylinder block cooling channel and then flows into the cylinder head cooling channel; in the separation cooling system, the cylinder block and cylinder head cooling channels are connected in parallel. After flowing out of the coolant pump, the coolant is divided into two parts, one part flows into the cylinder block cooling channel, and the other part flows into the cylinder head cooling channel.

[0004] However, in the prior art, after the coolant pump is turned on, the coolant flow rate flowing through each channel is certain. If a larger coolant flow rate is used, when the engine is in a low operating condition, it is easy to cause coolant waste. If a smaller coolant flow rate is used, when the engine is in a high operating condition, the cooling effect is poor, which can easily cause abnormal combustion phenomena (such as pre-ignition, detonation, etc.) caused by overheating of the engine.

[0005] It can be seen that the existing technology cannot take into account both the economy and cooling effect of the engine cooling system. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the problem in the prior art that it is impossible to take into account both the economy and the cooling effect of the engine cooling system.

[0007] To solve the above technical problems, a first aspect of the present invention provides an engine cooling system comprising: a coolant pump, a first cylinder head cooling channel, a second cylinder head cooling channel and a cylinder block cooling channel;

[0008] The first cylinder head cooling passage and the second cylinder head cooling passage are both provided in the engine cylinder head, and the cylinder block cooling passage is provided in the engine cylinder body; the inlet of the first cylinder head cooling passage is connected to the outlet of the coolant pump, and is used for exchanging heat with the device located on the lower side of the first cylinder head cooling passage through the coolant in the first cylinder head cooling passage, so as to cool the device; the inlet of the second cylinder head cooling passage is connected to the outlet of the coolant pump, and is used for exchanging heat with the device located on the upper side of the second cylinder head cooling passage and the engine combustion chamber through the coolant in the second cylinder head cooling passage, so as to cool the device and the engine combustion chamber; the inlet of the cylinder block cooling passage is connected to the outlet of the coolant pump, and is used for exchanging heat with the engine cylinder block through the coolant in the cylinder block cooling passage, so as to cool the engine cylinder block;

[0009] The engine cooling system also includes a first flow regulating device, a second flow regulating device, and a third flow regulating device; the first flow regulating device is arranged between the first cylinder head cooling channel and the coolant pump to control the flow of coolant entering the first cylinder head cooling channel by adjusting the opening of the first flow regulating device; the second flow regulating device is arranged between the second cylinder head cooling channel and the coolant pump to control the flow of coolant entering the second cylinder head cooling channel by adjusting the opening of the second flow regulating device; the third flow regulating device is arranged between the cylinder cooling channel and the coolant pump to control the flow of coolant entering the cylinder cooling channel by adjusting the opening of the third flow regulating device.

[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, in the engine cooling system provided by the present invention, the first cylinder head cooling channel, the second cylinder head cooling channel and the cylinder block cooling channel can be connected to the coolant pump respectively, and the flow rate of the coolant entering the first cylinder head cooling channel can be adjusted by the first flow regulating device, the flow rate of the coolant entering the second cylinder head cooling channel can be adjusted by the second flow regulating device, and the flow rate of the coolant entering the cylinder block cooling channel can be adjusted by the third flow regulating device, thereby being able to individually control the amount of coolant entering each cooling channel, providing a basis for controlling the coolant flow rate of each cooling channel (the first cylinder head cooling channel, the second cylinder head cooling channel and the cylinder block cooling channel), thereby matching the coolant flow rate requirements under different operating conditions of the engine.

[0011] Optionally, the engine cooling system also includes a control device, and the first flow regulating device, the second flow regulating device, and the third flow regulating device are electrically connected to the control device respectively, and the control device is used to adjust the opening of the first flow regulating device, the opening of the second flow regulating device, and the opening of the third flow regulating device.

[0012] Optionally, along the direction of gravity, the first cylinder head cooling channel is located above the second cylinder head cooling channel; a connecting port is provided between the inlet and outlet of the second cylinder head cooling channel, and the outlet of the first cylinder head cooling channel is connected to the connecting port;

[0013] A water return chamber is provided in the engine cylinder body, the outlet of the second cylinder head cooling channel is connected to the inlet of the water return chamber, and the outlet of the water return chamber and the outlet of the cylinder cooling channel can be connected to the inlet of the coolant pump respectively.

[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, the return water chamber can be used to separately recover the coolant in the first cylinder head cooling channel and the second cylinder head cooling channel, which not only simplifies the structure of the first cylinder head cooling channel and the second cylinder head cooling channel, but also prevents the coolant in the first cylinder head cooling channel and the second cylinder head cooling channel from entering the cylinder cooling channel and affecting the cooling effect of the cylinder body. At the same time, the return water chamber can also cool the cylinder body.

[0015] Optionally, the engine cooling system also includes a thermal management module, and the outlet of the return water chamber and the outlet of the cylinder cooling channel are connected to the inlet of the coolant pump through the thermal management module. The thermal management module is used to control the diversion of the coolant in the return water chamber and the cylinder cooling channel and then return it to the inlet of the coolant pump.

[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, the thermal management module can control the diversion of the coolant flowing out of the first cylinder head cooling channel, the second cylinder head cooling channel, and the cylinder cooling channel and then return it to the inlet of the coolant pump, providing a basis for multiple utilization of the coolant.

[0017] Optionally, the cylinder cooling channel is arranged around the circumference of the engine cylinder, the inlet of the cylinder cooling channel is arranged on the exhaust side of the engine cylinder, the outlet of the cylinder cooling channel is arranged on the intake side of the engine cylinder, and along the direction of gravity, the inlet of the cylinder cooling channel is located above the outlet of the cylinder cooling channel.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, the cylinder cooling channel surrounds the circumference of the engine cylinder body, which makes the structure of the cylinder cooling channel simple and can increase the contact area between the cylinder cooling channel and the cylinder body, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency and achieving better cooling effect. The inlet of the cylinder cooling channel is located above the outlet of the cylinder cooling channel, which can make the coolant flow from high position to low position in the cylinder cooling channel, reduce system resistance and achieve better cooling effect.

[0019] Optionally, the first cylinder head cooling channel is provided with an exhaust hole for discharging gas generated during the heat exchange process.

[0020] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automobile comprising the engine cooling system according to the first aspect of the present invention and its optional solutions.

[0021] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an engine cooling control method, which is applied to a control device and uses the engine cooling system according to the first aspect of the present invention and its optional solutions to cool the engine. The method comprises:

[0022] Obtaining current engine operating condition information and current engine cooling system opening information, the engine current operating condition information including current engine water temperature information, current engine exhaust temperature information, current engine speed information, current engine throttle opening information, and engine vibration information, and the engine cooling system current opening information including current openings of a first flow regulating device, a second flow regulating device, and a third flow regulating device;

[0023] According to the current operating condition information of the engine, the current opening information of the engine cooling system, and the reference information of the engine cooling system corresponding to the current speed information of the engine, the opening of the first flow regulating device, the opening of the second flow regulating device, and the opening of the third flow regulating device are adjusted, wherein the reference information of the engine cooling system includes the reference opening of the first flow regulating device, the reference opening of the second flow regulating device, and the reference opening of the third flow regulating device.

[0024] By adopting the above technical solution, the opening degrees of the first flow regulating device, the second flow regulating device and the third flow regulating device can be accurately controlled according to the current operating condition information of the engine, the current opening information of the engine cooling system, and the reference information of the engine cooling system corresponding to the current speed information of the engine. This can not only effectively avoid and prevent the occurrence of engine pre-ignition and knock, but also effectively reduce the waste of coolant.

[0025] Optionally, adjusting the opening of the first flow regulating device, the opening of the second flow regulating device, and the opening of the third flow regulating device according to current operating condition information of the engine, current opening information of the engine cooling system, and reference information of the engine cooling system corresponding to current engine speed information includes:

[0026] If the current opening of the first flow regulating device is less than the reference opening of the first flow regulating device, then: adjusting the current opening of the first flow regulating device to be greater than or equal to the reference opening of the first flow regulating device;

[0027] If the current opening of the second flow regulating device is less than the reference opening of the second flow regulating device, then: adjusting the current opening of the second flow regulating device to be greater than or equal to the reference opening of the second flow regulating device;

[0028] If the current opening of the third flow regulating device is less than the reference opening of the third flow regulating device, then: adjusting the current opening of the third flow regulating device to be greater than or equal to the reference opening of the third flow regulating device;

[0029] If the current opening of the first flow regulating device is greater than or equal to the reference opening of the first flow regulating device, the current opening of the second flow regulating device is greater than or equal to the reference opening of the second flow regulating device, and the current opening of the third flow regulating device is greater than or equal to the reference opening of the third flow regulating device, then: increase or decrease the opening of the first flow regulating device, the opening of the second flow regulating device and the opening of the third flow regulating device according to the current operating condition information of the engine.

[0030] Optionally, before obtaining the current operating condition information of the engine and the current opening information of the engine cooling system, the engine cooling control method further includes:

[0031] Control the engine speed to be at the calibrated speed and obtain the current engine speed information at the current calibrated speed;

[0032] adjusting the opening of the first flow regulating device, the opening of the second flow regulating device, and the opening of the third flow regulating device, and detecting current water temperature information and current vibration information of the engine;

[0033] If the current water temperature information of the engine and / or the current vibration information of the engine is equal to the threshold information, then: the current opening of the first flow regulating device is determined to be the reference opening of the first flow regulating device corresponding to the current speed information of the engine, the current opening of the second flow regulating device is determined to be the reference opening of the second flow regulating device corresponding to the current speed of the engine, and the current opening of the third flow regulating device is determined to be the reference opening of the third flow regulating device corresponding to the current speed of the engine.

[0034] By adopting the above technical solution, the engine cooling control method provided by the present invention uses calibrated reference information of the engine cooling system, a first flow regulating device, a second flow regulating device and a third flow regulating device to control the engine to operate within the operating limit boundaries, which can effectively prevent the occurrence of engine pre-ignition and knock, and can also reduce the waste of coolant.

[0035] Other features and corresponding beneficial effects of the present invention are described in the latter part of the specification, and it should be understood that at least some of the beneficial effects become obvious from the description in the specification of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of an engine cooling system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structural principle of an engine cooling system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of the first cylinder head cooling channel and the exhaust duct according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the cylinder cooling channel in the engine cooling system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 5 A partial cross-sectional view of an engine cylinder in an engine cooling system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the working principle of the engine system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 7 The flow chart of the engine cooling control method according to the embodiment of the present invention is as follows Figure 1 ;

[0043] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the flow of step S2 in the engine cooling control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 9 The flow chart of the engine cooling control method according to the embodiment of the present invention is as follows Figure 2 .

[0045] Description of reference numerals:

[0046] 11: First cylinder head cooling channel; 111: Inlet of the first cylinder head cooling channel; 112: Outlet of the first cylinder head cooling channel; 113: Connecting port; 114: Exhaust hole;

[0047] 12: Second cylinder head cooling channel; 121: Inlet of the second cylinder head cooling channel; 122: Outlet of the second cylinder head cooling channel;

[0048] 2: engine cylinder; 21: cylinder cooling channel; 211: cylinder cooling channel inlet; 212: cylinder cooling channel outlet;

[0049] 22: water return chamber; 221: outlet of water return chamber;

[0050] 3: Exhaust duct; 4: Integrated exhaust duct; 5: Engine combustion chamber;

[0051] V1: first flow regulating device; V2: second flow regulating device; V3: third flow regulating device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] The following specific embodiments illustrate the embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention will be introduced in conjunction with the preferred embodiment, this does not mean that the features of this invention are limited to this embodiment. On the contrary, the purpose of introducing the invention in conjunction with the embodiment is to cover other options or modifications that may be extended based on the claims of the present invention. In order to provide a deep understanding of the present invention, the following description will contain many specific details. The present invention can also be implemented without using these details. In addition, in order to avoid confusion or blurring the focus of the present invention, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other unless there is a conflict.

[0053] It should be noted that in this specification, similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined or explained in subsequent drawings.

[0054] The technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0055] The following specific embodiments illustrate the embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention will be introduced in conjunction with the preferred embodiment, this does not mean that the features of this invention are limited to this embodiment. On the contrary, the purpose of introducing the invention in conjunction with the embodiment is to cover other options or modifications that may be extended based on the claims of the present invention. In order to provide a deep understanding of the present invention, the following description will contain many specific details. The present invention can also be implemented without using these details. In addition, in order to avoid confusion or blurring the focus of the present invention, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other unless there is a conflict.

[0056] It should be noted that in this specification, similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined or explained in subsequent drawings.

[0057] In the description of this embodiment, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "bottom", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or are the orientations or positional relationships in which the inventive product is usually placed when in use. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limitations on the present invention.

[0058] The terms “first”, “second”, etc. are only used for distinguishing descriptions and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0059] In the description of this embodiment, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "disposed," "connected," and "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal connections between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this embodiment based on specific circumstances.

[0060] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clear, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0061] The present invention provides an engine cooling system, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , including a coolant pump (not shown in the figure), and also including a first cylinder head cooling channel 11, a second cylinder head cooling channel 12 and a cylinder cooling channel 21 (such as Figure 2 shown);

[0062] The first cylinder head cooling passage 11 and the second cylinder head cooling passage 12 are both provided in the engine cylinder head, and the cylinder block cooling passage 21 is provided in the engine cylinder block 2; the inlet 111 of the first cylinder head cooling passage is connected to the outlet of the coolant pump, and is used to exchange heat between the coolant in the first cylinder head cooling passage 11 and the engine exhaust device, thereby cooling the engine exhaust device; the inlet 121 of the second cylinder head cooling passage is connected to the outlet of the coolant pump, and is used to exchange heat between the coolant in the second cylinder head cooling passage 12 and the engine exhaust device and the engine combustion chamber 5, thereby cooling the engine exhaust device and the engine combustion chamber 5;

[0063] Among them, please refer to Figure 2The engine exhaust device includes an integrated exhaust manifold 4 (IEM) of the engine. The integrated exhaust manifold 4 can be arranged between the first cylinder head cooling channel 11 and the second cylinder head cooling channel 12, so that the upper side of the integrated exhaust manifold 4 can be cooled by the coolant in the first cylinder head cooling channel 11, and the lower side of the integrated exhaust manifold 4 can be cooled by the coolant in the second cylinder head cooling channel 12.

[0064] In addition, please refer to Figure 1 In this embodiment, the bottom of the engine cylinder 2 is wavy, which is beneficial to reducing the volume of the cylinder cooling channel and can effectively alleviate the phenomenon of thermal deformation of the engine cylinder during engine operation.

[0065] For further information, please refer to Figure 1 The first cylinder head cooling channel is provided with an exhaust hole 114 for discharging the gas generated during the heat exchange process. Specifically, the exhaust hole is located at the highest point of the engine along the gravity direction and is connected to the expansion water tank located outside the engine.

[0066] For further information, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , along the direction of gravity, the first cylinder head cooling channel 11 is located on the upper side of the second cylinder head cooling channel 12; this allows the coolant to flow from a high position to a low position, reducing system resistance and achieving a better cooling effect.

[0067] A connecting port 113 is provided between the inlet 121 and the outlet 122 of the second cylinder head cooling channel, and the outlet 112 of the first cylinder head cooling channel is connected to the connecting port 113 ; wherein the connecting port 113 is provided near the outlet 122 of the second cooling channel.

[0068] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The engine exhaust device further includes an exhaust duct 3 , which is arranged in a space formed by the first cylinder head cooling channel 11 , and can be cooled by the first cylinder head cooling channel 11 .

[0069] Furthermore, a supercharger coolant port (not shown in the figure) is provided between the inlet 111 of the first cylinder head cooling channel and the outlet 112 of the first cylinder head cooling channel. Both ends of the supercharger coolant port are respectively connected to the first cylinder head cooling channel 11 and the supercharger cooling channel (not shown in the figure). The coolant can enter the supercharger cooling channel to cool the supercharger of the engine.

[0070] Please refer to Figure 4 The inlet 211 of the cylinder cooling channel is connected to the outlet of the coolant pump, and is used to exchange heat with the engine cylinder 2 through the coolant in the cylinder cooling channel to cool the engine cylinder 2;

[0071] For further information, please refer to Figure 4 The cylinder cooling channel 21 is arranged around the circumference of the engine cylinder, the inlet 211 of the cylinder cooling channel is arranged on the exhaust side of the engine cylinder, and the outlet 212 of the cylinder cooling channel is arranged on the intake side of the engine cylinder, and along the direction of gravity, the inlet of the cylinder cooling channel is located above the outlet of the cylinder cooling channel.

[0072] By adopting the above technical solution, the cylinder cooling channel surrounds the circumference of the engine cylinder, which can increase the contact area between the cylinder cooling channel and the cylinder, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency and achieving better cooling effect. The inlet of the cylinder cooling channel is located above the outlet of the cylinder cooling channel, which can enable the coolant to flow from high position to low position in the cylinder cooling channel, reducing system resistance and achieving better cooling effect.

[0073] Please refer to Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figure 4 and Figure 5 The engine cylinder body is provided with a water return chamber 22, the outlet 122 of the second cylinder head cooling channel 12 is connected to the inlet of the water return chamber 22, and the outlet 221 of the water return chamber (such as Figure 4 As shown), the outlet 212 of the cylinder cooling channel (as shown Figure 4 As shown) can be connected to the inlet of the coolant pump respectively.

[0074] By adopting the above technical solution, the return water chamber can separately recover the coolant in the first cylinder head cooling channel and the second cylinder head cooling channel, thereby avoiding the coolant in the first cylinder head cooling channel and the second cylinder head cooling channel from entering the cylinder cooling channel and affecting the cooling effect of the cylinder body. At the same time, the return water chamber can also cool the cylinder body.

[0075] Please refer to Figure 6 The engine cooling system also includes a first flow regulating device V1, a second flow regulating device V2, and a third flow regulating device V3; the first flow regulating device V1 is arranged between the first cylinder head cooling channel 11 and the coolant pump, and is used to control the flow of coolant entering the first cylinder head cooling channel 11 by adjusting the opening of the first flow regulating device; the second flow regulating device V2 is arranged between the second cylinder head cooling channel 12 and the coolant pump, and is used to control the flow of coolant entering the second cylinder head cooling channel 12 by adjusting the opening of the second flow regulating device; the third flow regulating device V3 is arranged between the cylinder cooling channel 21 and the coolant pump, and is used to control the flow of coolant entering the cylinder cooling channel 21 by adjusting the opening of the third flow regulating device.

[0076] The coolant pump is not limited to any form and can be either an electronic pump or a mechanical pump. The first flow regulating device V1, the second flow regulating device V2, and the third flow regulating device V3 are not limited to any form or structure and can be, for example, flow regulating valves. Any device capable of controlling the flow of coolant entering each cooling channel is within the scope of this embodiment.

[0077] By adopting the above technical solution, in the engine cooling system provided by the present invention, the first cylinder head cooling channel, the second cylinder head cooling channel and the cylinder block cooling channel can be connected to the coolant pump respectively, and the flow rate of the coolant entering the first cylinder head cooling channel can be adjusted by the first flow regulating device, the flow rate of the coolant entering the second cylinder head cooling channel can be adjusted by the second flow regulating device, and the flow rate of the coolant entering the cylinder block cooling channel can be adjusted by the third flow regulating device, thereby being able to individually control the amount of coolant entering each cooling channel, providing a basis for controlling the coolant flow rate of each cooling channel (the first cylinder head cooling channel, the second cylinder head cooling channel and the cylinder block cooling channel), thereby matching the coolant flow rate requirements under different operating conditions of the engine.

[0078] Furthermore, the engine cooling system also includes a control device, to which the first flow regulating device V1, the second flow regulating device V2, and the third flow regulating device V3 are electrically connected. The control device is configured to adjust the opening of the first flow regulating device V1, the second flow regulating device V2, and the third flow regulating device V3. The control device may be, for example, a programmable logic controller (PLC), a program controller, or the like.

[0079] Furthermore, the engine cooling system also includes a thermal management module, and the outlet 221 of the return water chamber and the outlet 212 of the cylinder cooling channel are both connected to the inlet of the coolant pump through the thermal management module. The thermal management module is used to control the coolant in the return water chamber 22 and the cylinder cooling channel 21 to flow back to the inlet of the coolant pump after diversion.

[0080] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 6The thermal management module is provided with a first control valve, a second control valve and a third control valve. The first control valve is used to connect to the heater, the second control valve is used to connect to the engine oil cooler, and the third control valve is used to connect to the radiator. The thermal management module can control the opening and closing of the first control valve, the second control valve and the third control valve respectively according to the working conditions of the engine, thereby controlling the coolant flowing out of the return water chamber 22 and the cylinder cooling channel 21 to be reused. For example, the first control valve can be controlled to open so that the coolant flowing out of the return water chamber 22 and the cylinder cooling channel 21 enters the heating device, and the heat of the cooling system when the engine is working is provided to the vehicle, thereby increasing the temperature inside the vehicle, and then flows back to the coolant pump. The second control valve can also be controlled to open so that the coolant flowing out of the return water chamber 22 and the cylinder cooling channel 21 enters the engine oil cooler and then the transmission oil cooler, and the engine oil and transmission oil are cooled before flowing back to the coolant pump. The third control valve can also be controlled to open so that the coolant flowing out of the return water chamber 22 and the cylinder cooling channel 21 enters the radiator, and the radiator is cooled before flowing back to the coolant pump.

[0081] It can be seen that the thermal management module can control the diversion of the coolant flowing out of the first cylinder head cooling channel, the second cylinder head cooling channel, and the cylinder block cooling channel and then return it to the inlet of the coolant pump, providing a basis for multiple uses of the coolant to achieve different cooling functions.

[0082] In an exemplary operating process, coolant flows from the coolant pump through the first flow regulating device V1 into the first cylinder head cooling channel 11, enters the second cylinder head cooling channel 12 through the connection port 113, enters the return water chamber 22 through the outlet 122 of the second cylinder head cooling channel, enters the thermal management module through the outlet of the return water chamber 22, and then flows back to the inlet of the coolant pump after being distributed by the thermal management module, thereby forming a first circulation path for the coolant. Coolant flows from the coolant pump through the second flow regulating device V2 into the second cylinder head cooling channel 12, enters the return water chamber 22 through the outlet 122 of the second cylinder head cooling channel, enters the thermal management module through the outlet of the return water chamber 22, and then flows back to the inlet of the coolant pump after being distributed by the thermal management module, thereby forming a second circulation path for the coolant.

[0083] The coolant flows from the coolant pump through the third flow regulating device V3 into the cylinder cooling channel 21, enters the thermal management module through the outlet 212 of the cylinder cooling channel, and flows back to the inlet of the coolant pump after being distributed by the thermal management module, thereby forming a third circulation path for the coolant.

[0084] It can be seen that the embodiment of the present invention can control the flow of coolant entering the first cylinder head cooling channel, the second cylinder head cooling channel and the cylinder block cooling channel respectively by respectively controlling the first flow regulating device, the second flow regulating device and the third flow regulating device, thereby achieving precise control of the cooling effect of different areas in the engine to realize different functions.

[0085] In addition, please refer to Figure 6 The expansion tank can also be connected to the thermal management module, radiator and coolant pump (such as Figure 6 The system is provided with a plurality of cooling elements (shown by the dashed line in the middle) to collect the gas generated by the coolant in the thermal management module, radiator and coolant pump.

[0086] The present invention also provides an automobile, comprising the engine cooling system described in the above embodiments.

[0087] Please refer to Figure 7 The present invention also provides an engine cooling control method, which is applied to a control device, and the method includes:

[0088] S1: Acquiring current engine operating condition information and current opening information of the engine cooling system, the current engine operating condition information including current engine water temperature information, current engine exhaust temperature information, current engine speed information, current engine throttle opening information, and engine vibration information, and the current opening information of the engine cooling system including current openings of a first flow regulating device, a second flow regulating device, and a third flow regulating device;

[0089] S2: According to the current operating condition information of the engine, the current opening information of the engine cooling system, and the reference information of the engine cooling system corresponding to the current speed information of the engine, the opening of the first flow regulating device, the opening of the second flow regulating device, and the opening of the third flow regulating device are adjusted, wherein the reference information of the engine cooling system includes the reference opening of the first flow regulating device, the reference opening of the second flow regulating device, and the reference opening of the third flow regulating device.

[0090] The engine vibration information can be obtained by detecting a knock sensor provided in the engine.

[0091] The reference openings of the first flow regulating device, the second flow regulating device, and the third flow regulating device involved in step S2 may be understood by referring to steps S3 to S6 below.

[0092] For further information, please refer to Figure 8 , step S2 specifically includes:

[0093] S21: Determine whether the current opening of the first flow regulating device is less than the reference opening of the first flow regulating device;

[0094] S22: adjusting the current opening of the first flow regulating device to be greater than or equal to the reference opening of the first flow regulating device;

[0095] S23: increasing or decreasing the opening of the first flow regulating device according to the current operating condition information of the engine.

[0096] The specific working process is: first execute step S21, if the judgment result of step S21 is yes, then execute step S22, if the judgment result of step S21 is no, then execute step S23.

[0097] S24: determining whether the current opening of the second flow regulating device is less than the reference opening of the second flow regulating device;

[0098] S25: adjusting the current opening of the second flow regulating device to be greater than or equal to the reference opening of the second flow regulating device;

[0099] S26: increasing or decreasing the opening of the second flow regulating device according to the current operating condition information of the engine.

[0100] The specific working process is: first execute step S24, if the judgment result of step S24 is yes, then execute step S25, if the judgment result of step S24 is no, then execute step S26.

[0101] S27: Determine whether the current opening of the third flow regulating device is less than the reference opening of the third flow regulating device;

[0102] S28: adjusting the current opening of the third flow regulating device to be greater than or equal to the reference opening of the third flow regulating device;

[0103] S29: increasing or decreasing the opening of the third flow regulating device according to the current operating condition information of the engine;

[0104] The specific working process is: first execute step S27, if the judgment result of step S27 is yes, then execute step S28, if the judgment result of step S27 is no, then execute step S29.

[0105] Among them, step S21, step S24, and step S27 can be executed simultaneously or not simultaneously.

[0106] For further information, please refer to Figure 9 Before step S1, the control method further includes:

[0107] S3: Control the engine speed to be at a calibrated speed, and obtain the current speed information of the engine at the current calibrated speed; the current speed information may be, for example, the current speed value of the engine, the current torque value of the engine, or other information that can represent the current speed of the engine.

[0108] S4: adjusting the opening of the first flow regulating device, the opening of the second flow regulating device, and the opening of the third flow regulating device, and detecting the current water temperature information and the current vibration information of the engine;

[0109] S5: Determine whether the current water temperature information of the engine and / or the current vibration information of the engine is equal to the threshold information;

[0110] S6: Determine the current opening of the first flow regulating device as the reference opening of the first flow regulating device corresponding to the current engine speed information, determine the current opening of the second flow regulating device as the reference opening of the second flow regulating device corresponding to the current engine speed, and determine the current opening of the third flow regulating device as the reference opening of the third flow regulating device corresponding to the current engine speed.

[0111] Among them, the threshold information may be, for example, a preset water temperature threshold. When the engine is running at the current speed, if the water temperature of the engine is greater than or equal to the preset water temperature threshold, engine pre-ignition may occur. The threshold information may also be a preset vibration frequency. When the engine is running at the current speed, if the vibration frequency of the engine is greater than or equal to the preset vibration frequency, engine knock may occur.

[0112] The specific working process is: first execute step S3 and step S4, that is, on the engine cooling system test bench, control the engine to run at a calibrated speed, adjust and record the different openings of the first flow regulating device V1, the second flow regulating device V2, and the third flow regulating device V3 to obtain different engine water temperatures, and then execute step S5. If the engine water temperature is monitored to be equal to the preset water temperature threshold, or the engine vibration frequency is monitored to be equal to the preset vibration frequency, it is considered that pre-ignition knock has occurred in the engine at this time, and then execute step S6, that is: the opening of the first flow regulating device V1, the opening of the second flow regulating device V2, and the opening of the third flow regulating device V3 at this time are used as the operating limit boundaries of the engine at the calibrated speed.

[0113] Referring to the above steps, multiple calibrated speeds of the engine are calibrated to obtain the openings of the first flow regulating device V1, the second flow regulating device V2, and the third flow regulating device V3 corresponding to the multiple calibrated speeds, and form a control MAP diagram, which is used to control the actual operation of the engine.

[0114] The following is an example of the actual operation process of the engine:

[0115] When the engine is in the warm-up stage, for example, the engine water temperature is lower than 80°C, the opening of the first flow regulating device V1 and the second flow regulating device V2 can be kept at a smaller opening (greater than or equal to the corresponding reference opening) to allow a small amount of coolant to enter the engine cylinder head cooling channel and the supercharger cooling channel to prevent the engine from overheating. The third flow regulating device V3 can be closed to quickly heat up the engine, reduce friction, and increase the warm-up speed.

[0116] When the engine is running under low load, for example, the engine throttle opening is less than 30%, the opening of the first flow regulating device V1, the opening of the second flow regulating device V2, and the opening of the third flow regulating device V3 can be maintained at appropriate openings (greater than or equal to the corresponding reference openings), and the engine water temperature can be controlled to operate at 95℃-107℃ (less than the preset water temperature threshold under this operating condition). A higher water temperature can reduce friction and improve thermal efficiency.

[0117] When the engine is running at a high load, for example, the engine throttle opening is above 60%, the openings of the first flow regulating device V1, the second flow regulating device V2, and the third flow regulating device V3 can all be maintained at a relatively large opening, thereby strengthening the cooling of the integrated exhaust duct, the engine combustion chamber, and the engine cylinder, lowering the water temperature, and controlling the engine water temperature to operate at 85°C-95°C, thereby improving the engine combustion condition and ensuring the reliability of the engine under high load.

[0118] When the engine is running and the current exhaust temperature is high, the opening of the first flow regulating device V1 and the second flow regulating device V2 can be increased, and the opening of the third flow regulating device V3 can be appropriately reduced to increase the flow of coolant in the first cylinder head cooling channel and the second cylinder head cooling channel, thereby reducing the metal and gas temperature of the integrated exhaust duct.

[0119] Among them, since the exhaust temperature design requirements of each engine are different, the engine exhaust temperature is generally required to be lower than the design requirements. For example, when the exhaust temperature design limit of an engine is 950°C, when the exhaust temperature approaches 950°C, it can be considered that the current exhaust temperature is relatively high. For different engines, it can also be other temperatures.

[0120] If during engine operation, although the openings of the first flow regulating device V1, the second flow regulating device V2, and the third flow regulating device V3 are all greater than the corresponding reference openings, abnormal combustion signals are still detected, such as the engine water temperature is greater than or equal to the preset water temperature threshold, the engine vibration frequency is greater than the preset vibration frequency, etc., at this time, the opening of the second flow regulating device V2 can be further increased, and the openings of the first flow regulating device V1 and the third flow regulating device V3 can be appropriately reduced to increase the coolant flow on the engine combustion chamber side close to the engine cylinder head, and reduce the metal temperature on the engine cylinder head side close to the engine combustion chamber, so as to improve phenomena such as pre-ignition and knock.

[0121] It can be seen that the engine cooling control method provided in the embodiment of the present invention uses the reference information of the calibrated engine cooling system, the first flow regulating device, the second flow regulating device and the third flow regulating device to control the engine to operate within the operating limit boundaries, which can effectively prevent the occurrence of engine pre-ignition and knock phenomena, and can also reduce the waste of coolant.

[0122] Although the present invention has been illustrated and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above description is provided to further illustrate the present invention in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, and that the present invention should not be construed as being limited to these descriptions. Those skilled in the art may make various changes in form and detail, including simple deductions or substitutions, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An engine cooling system, comprising a coolant pump, characterized in that: It also includes a first cylinder head cooling channel, a second cylinder head cooling channel and a cylinder body cooling channel; The first cylinder head cooling passage and the second cylinder head cooling passage are both provided in the engine cylinder head, a connecting port is provided between the inlet and the outlet of the second cylinder head cooling passage, the outlet of the first cylinder head cooling passage is connected to the connecting port, the cylinder block cooling passage is provided in the engine cylinder block, a water return chamber is provided in the engine cylinder block, the outlet of the second cylinder head cooling passage is connected to the inlet of the water return chamber, the outlet of the water return chamber and the outlet of the cylinder block cooling passage can be connected to the inlet of the coolant pump respectively; the inlet of the first cylinder head cooling passage is connected to the outlet of the coolant pump, and is used to exchange heat with the engine exhaust device through the coolant in the first cylinder head cooling passage, so as to cool the engine exhaust device; the inlet of the second cylinder head cooling passage is connected to the outlet of the coolant pump, and is used to exchange heat with the engine exhaust device and the engine combustion chamber through the coolant in the second cylinder head cooling passage, so as to cool the engine exhaust device and the engine combustion chamber; The inlet of the cylinder cooling channel is connected to the outlet of the coolant pump, and is used for exchanging heat with the engine cylinder through the coolant in the cylinder cooling channel to cool the engine cylinder; The engine cooling system further includes a first flow regulating device, a second flow regulating device, and a third flow regulating device; the first flow regulating device is disposed between the first cylinder head cooling passage and the coolant pump to control the flow of coolant entering the first cylinder head cooling passage by adjusting the opening of the first flow regulating device; The second flow regulating device is provided between the second cylinder head cooling passage and the coolant pump to control the flow of the coolant entering the second cylinder head cooling passage by adjusting the opening of the second flow regulating device; The third flow regulating device is provided between the cylinder cooling channel and the coolant pump to control the flow of the coolant entering the cylinder cooling channel by adjusting the opening of the third flow regulating device.

2. The engine cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that The engine cooling system also includes a control device, and the first flow regulating device, the second flow regulating device, and the third flow regulating device are electrically connected to the control device respectively, and the control device is used to adjust the opening of the first flow regulating device, the opening of the second flow regulating device, and the opening of the third flow regulating device.

3. The engine cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that Along the direction of gravity, the first cylinder head cooling channel is located on an upper side of the second cylinder head cooling channel.

4. The engine cooling system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The engine cooling system also includes a thermal management module, and the outlet of the return water chamber and the outlet of the cylinder cooling channel are both connected to the inlet of the coolant pump through the thermal management module. The thermal management module is used to control the coolant in the return water chamber and the cylinder cooling channel to be diverted and then flow back to the inlet of the coolant pump.

5. The engine cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that The cylinder cooling channel is arranged around the circumference of the engine cylinder, the inlet of the cylinder cooling channel is arranged on the exhaust side of the engine cylinder, the outlet of the cylinder cooling channel is arranged on the intake side of the engine cylinder, and along the direction of gravity, the inlet of the cylinder cooling channel is located above the outlet of the cylinder cooling channel.

6. The engine cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that The first cylinder head cooling channel is provided with an exhaust hole for discharging gas generated during the heat exchange process.

7. An automobile, characterized in that: An engine cooling system comprising the engine cooling system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. An engine cooling control method, applied to a control device, characterized in that: An engine is cooled using the engine cooling system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the engine cooling control method comprises: obtaining current operating condition information of the engine and current opening information of the engine cooling system, the current operating condition information of the engine including current engine water temperature information, current engine exhaust temperature information, current engine speed information, current engine throttle opening information, and engine vibration information, and the current opening information of the engine cooling system including current openings of the first flow regulating device, the second flow regulating device, and the third flow regulating device; According to the current operating condition information of the engine, the current opening information of the engine cooling system, and the reference information of the engine cooling system corresponding to the current speed information of the engine, the opening of the first flow regulating device, the opening of the second flow regulating device, and the opening of the third flow regulating device are adjusted, wherein the reference information of the engine cooling system includes the reference opening of the first flow regulating device, the reference opening of the second flow regulating device, and the reference opening of the third flow regulating device.

9. The engine cooling control method according to claim 8, characterized in that: Adjusting the opening of the first flow regulating device, the opening of the second flow regulating device, and the opening of the third flow regulating device according to the current operating condition information of the engine, the current opening information of the engine cooling system, and reference information of the engine cooling system corresponding to the current engine speed information includes: If the current opening of the first flow regulating device is less than the reference opening of the first flow regulating device, then: adjusting the current opening of the first flow regulating device to be greater than or equal to the reference opening of the first flow regulating device; If the current opening of the second flow regulating device is less than the reference opening of the second flow regulating device, then: adjusting the current opening of the second flow regulating device to be greater than or equal to the reference opening of the second flow regulating device; If the current opening of the third flow regulating device is less than the reference opening of the third flow regulating device, then: adjusting the current opening of the third flow regulating device to be greater than or equal to the reference opening of the third flow regulating device; If the current opening of the first flow regulating device is greater than or equal to the reference opening of the first flow regulating device, the current opening of the second flow regulating device is greater than or equal to the reference opening of the second flow regulating device, and the current opening of the third flow regulating device is greater than or equal to the reference opening of the third flow regulating device, then: increase or decrease the opening of the first flow regulating device, the opening of the second flow regulating device and the opening of the third flow regulating device according to the current operating condition information of the engine.

10. The engine cooling control method according to claim 8, characterized in that: Before obtaining the current operating condition information of the engine and the current opening information of the engine cooling system, the engine cooling control method further includes: Controlling the speed of the engine to be at a calibrated speed, and obtaining current speed information of the engine at the current calibrated speed; adjusting the opening of the first flow regulating device, the opening of the second flow regulating device, and the opening of the third flow regulating device, and detecting current water temperature information and current vibration information of the engine; If the current water temperature information of the engine and / or the current vibration information of the engine is equal to the threshold information, then: the current opening of the first flow regulating device is determined to be the reference opening of the first flow regulating device corresponding to the current speed information of the engine, the current opening of the second flow regulating device is determined to be the reference opening of the second flow regulating device corresponding to the current speed of the engine, and the current opening of the third flow regulating device is determined to be the reference opening of the third flow regulating device corresponding to the current speed of the engine.

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