Thermal management device for spark plug, engine, vehicle, and thermal management method for spark plug

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of vehicles, in particular to a thermal management device of a spark plug, an engine, a vehicle and a thermal management method of the spark plug. The switch assembly has multiple switch states, and each switch state is determined by the temperature interval where the current temperature of the spark plug is located; the cooling assembly is used for cooling the fluid in the fluid passage when the switch assembly is in the first switch state; the heating assembly is used for heating the fluid in the fluid passage when the switch assembly is in the second switch state; and the control assembly is used for controlling the switch assembly to be in a first on-off state when the current temperature is in the first temperature interval, or controlling the switch assembly to be in a second on-off state when the current temperature is in the second temperature interval. Therefore, the problem that the temperature of the spark plug cannot be actively adjusted is solved, the spark plug can be heated or cooled, and it is ensured that the spark plug can achieve stable ignition under various working conditions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of vehicle technology, and in particular to a thermal management device for a spark plug, an engine, a vehicle, and a thermal management method for a spark plug. Background Art

[0002] Spark plugs are important parts commonly used in gasoline engines. Their main function is to ignite the mixed combustible gas in the engine combustion chamber and provide sufficient energy for the combustion of the mixed gas. Because they are at the center of combustion, the spark plugs will be subjected to very high heat and their own temperature will also rise. However, when the exhaust gas is discharged from the combustion chamber and the fresh mixed gas enters, the high temperature of the spark plug may cause the mixed gas to pre-ignite (the mixed gas burns earlier than the spark plug discharge time, thereby affecting the engine performance. In addition, when the ambient temperature is too low (below -30°C), the spark plug is affected by the low temperature, and its own temperature drops, which will have an adverse effect on the ignition of the mixed gas. Therefore, the temperature of the spark plug itself has a crucial influence on the combustion of the engine.

[0003] In the related art, the temperature of the spark plug is mainly passively adjusted by adjusting the heat value of the spark plug, that is, the thermal conductivity of the spark plug. The temperature of the spark plug cannot be actively adjusted, the adjustment efficiency is low, the effect is poor, and it is difficult to adjust the temperature of the spark plug to an appropriate temperature. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides a spark plug thermal management device, an engine, a vehicle and a spark plug thermal management method to solve the problem that the spark plug temperature cannot be actively adjusted. The spark plug can be heated or cooled inside the spark plug to ensure that the spark plug can achieve stable ignition under various working conditions.

[0005] A first aspect of the present application provides a spark plug thermal management device, comprising:

[0006] A spark plug having a fluid passage disposed therein;

[0007] A switch assembly, wherein the switch assembly has multiple switch states, each switch state is determined by the temperature interval of the current temperature of the spark plug;

[0008] a cooling assembly, used for cooling the fluid in the fluid passage when the switch assembly is in a first switch state;

[0009] a heating component, used for heating the fluid in the fluid passage when the switch component is in the second switch state;

[0010] A control component is used to control the switch component to be in the first switch state when the current temperature is in the first temperature range, or to control the switch component to be in the second switch state when the current temperature is in the second temperature range.

[0011] Optionally, in some embodiments, the thermal management device of the spark plug further includes:

[0012] A temperature detection component is used to detect the current temperature of the spark plug.

[0013] Optionally, in some embodiments, the thermal management device of the spark plug further includes:

[0014] An alarm component is used to generate an alarm when the current temperature is greater than a preset temperature.

[0015] Optionally, in some embodiments, the switch assembly is a conversion valve.

[0016] Optionally, in some embodiments, the fluid is coolant or lubricating oil.

[0017] A second aspect of the present application provides an engine, comprising: a thermal management device for the spark plug as described above.

[0018] A third aspect of the present application provides a vehicle, comprising: an engine as described above.

[0019] A fourth aspect of the present application provides a spark plug thermal management method, using the spark plug thermal management device as described above, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

[0020] Obtaining the current temperature of the spark plug;

[0021] Determining a target switching state of the switch component according to the temperature interval in which the current temperature is located;

[0022] The switch assembly is controlled to be in the target switch state so as to cool the fluid in the fluid passage through the cooling assembly or to heat the fluid in the fluid passage through the heating assembly.

[0023] Optionally, in some embodiments, determining the target switch state of the switch component according to the temperature interval of the current temperature includes:

[0024] If the current temperature is in the first temperature range, the target switch state is the first switch state;

[0025] If the current temperature is in the second temperature range, the target switch state is the second switch state.

[0026] Optionally, in some embodiments, the upper limit value of the first temperature interval is less than the lower limit value of the second temperature interval.

[0027] Therefore, a fluid passage is provided inside the spark plug. When the temperature of the spark plug is too high, that is, the spark plug is in a first temperature range, the spark plug can be cooled. The switch assembly is adjusted to the first switch state through the control component, and the fluid in the pipeline is cooled through the cooling component. When the temperature of the spark plug is too low, that is, the spark plug is in a second temperature range, the spark plug can be heated. The switch assembly is adjusted to the second switch state through the control component, and the fluid in the pipeline is cooled through the heating component. Thus, the problem of being unable to actively adjust the spark plug temperature is solved, and the spark plug can be heated or cooled inside the spark plug to ensure that the spark plug can achieve stable ignition under various working conditions.

[0028] Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be given in part in the description below, and in part will become apparent from the description below, or will be learned through the practice of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and easily understood from the following description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a thermal management device for a spark plug provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a spark plug provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the principle of a thermal management device for a spark plug provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 4 The present invention is a flowchart of a thermal management method for a spark plug provided according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the present application, and should not be construed as limiting the present application.

[0035] The following describes the spark plug thermal management device, engine, vehicle and spark plug thermal management method of the embodiment of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings. In view of the problem that the spark plug temperature cannot be actively adjusted mentioned in the above background technology, the present application provides a spark plug thermal management device. In the method, a fluid passage is provided inside the spark plug. When the temperature of the spark plug is too high, that is, the spark plug is in a first temperature range, the spark plug can be cooled. The switch assembly is adjusted to the first switch state through the control assembly, and the fluid in the pipeline is cooled through the cooling assembly. When the temperature of the spark plug is too low, that is, the spark plug is in a second temperature range, the spark plug can be heated. The switch assembly is adjusted to the second switch state through the control assembly, and the fluid in the pipeline is cooled through the heating assembly. In this way, the problem that the spark plug temperature cannot be actively adjusted is solved, and the spark plug can be heated or cooled inside the spark plug to ensure that the spark plug can achieve stable ignition under various working conditions.

[0036] Specifically, Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a process flow of a thermal management device for a spark plug provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the thermal management device 10 of the spark plug includes: a spark plug 100 , a switch assembly 200 , a cooling assembly 300 , a heating assembly 400 and a control assembly 500 .

[0038] Among them, a fluid passage is arranged inside the spark plug 100; the switch assembly 200 has multiple switch states, and each switch state is determined by the temperature range of the current temperature of the spark plug; the cooling assembly 300 is used to cool the fluid in the fluid passage when the switch assembly is in the first switch state; the heating assembly 400 is used to heat the fluid in the fluid passage when the switch assembly is in the second switch state; the control assembly 500 is used to control the switch assembly to be in the first switch state when the current temperature is in the first temperature range, or to control the switch assembly to be in the second switch state when the current temperature is in the second temperature range.

[0039] Among them, the switch component 100 is a conversion valve, the fluid is a coolant or a lubricating oil, the first temperature range and the second temperature range can be pre-set by the user, can be obtained through a limited number of experiments, or can be obtained through a limited number of computer simulations. No specific limitation is made here. The lower limit value of the first temperature range is greater than the upper limit value of the second temperature range.

[0040] Specifically, Figure 2As shown, a fluid passage is provided inside the spark plug of the embodiment of the present application. When the temperature of the spark plug is too high, that is, the spark plug is in a first temperature range, the spark plug can be cooled. The switch assembly 200 is adjusted to the first switch state through the control assembly 500, and the fluid in the pipeline is cooled through the cooling assembly 300. When the temperature of the spark plug is too low, that is, the spark plug is in a second temperature range, the spark plug can be heated. The switch assembly 200 is adjusted to the second switch state through the control assembly 500, and the fluid in the pipeline is cooled through the heating assembly 400. Thus, the spark plug can be actively heated or actively cooled by the spark plug thermal management device of the embodiment of the present application.

[0041] In actual implementation, the cooling assembly 300 may be a cooler, and the heating assembly 400 may be a heater. A passage of a certain shape is processed inside a conventional spark plug, and the shape of the passage is not specifically limited. For example, Figure 2 The spiral channel shown in the figure is provided with a water inlet and a water outlet on the spark plug, which are respectively connected to the coolant water inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe on the engine. When the temperature of the spark plug is too high, the coolant with a lower temperature flows into the spark plug through the water inlet to take away the heat and reduce the temperature of the spark plug; when the temperature of the spark plug is too low, the coolant with a higher temperature can enter the spark plug to heat up the spark plug. Figure 3 As shown, the control unit controls the switching valve through the temperature signal reported by the spark plug temperature sensor, controls the coolant flow path, and delivers coolant of appropriate temperature to the spark plug.

[0042] It should be noted that, in addition to being connected to the coolant, it can also be connected to the engine oil circuit to achieve the temperature control function using lubricating oil. The control logic remains unchanged, and the thermal management device of the spark plug in the embodiment of the present application requires it to be installed on the engine.

[0043] Optionally, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned spark plug thermal management device 10 further includes: a temperature detection component.

[0044] Among them, the temperature detection component is used to detect the current temperature of the spark plug.

[0045] Specifically, Figure 3 As shown, the embodiment of the present application can detect the current temperature of the spark plug through a temperature detection component, wherein the temperature detection component can be a temperature sensor.

[0046] Optionally, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned spark plug thermal management device 10 further includes: an alarm component.

[0047] Among them, the alarm component will sound an alarm when the current temperature is greater than the preset temperature.

[0048] The preset temperature may be pre-set by a user, obtained through a limited number of experiments, or obtained through a limited number of computer simulations, and is not specifically limited here.

[0049] Specifically, in order to prevent the spark plug from overheating and causing safety risks, the embodiment of the present application can be provided with an alarm component to issue an alarm reminder when the current temperature of the spark plug is greater than a preset temperature.

[0050] It should be noted that, in some embodiments, the embodiments of the present application can close the inlet and outlet of the spark plug fluid passage, and place metallic sodium in the fluid passage channel, using the low melting point and easy melting characteristics of sodium to achieve temperature adjustment of the spark plug.

[0051] Therefore, the embodiment of the present application provides a fluid passage inside the spark plug to force cooling or heating of the spark plug, so that the spark plug has an active thermal management function. There is no need to add an additional cooling system or heating system. The spark plug can be actively temperature controlled by using a heater and a cooler, which has good economy. The spark plug temperature is detected in real time through a temperature detection component to achieve closed-loop feedback control.

[0052] The thermal management device of the spark plug proposed in the embodiment of the present application includes a fluid passage arranged inside the spark plug; a switch assembly, the switch assembly has multiple switch states, each switch state is determined by the temperature range of the current temperature of the spark plug; a cooling assembly, used to cool the fluid in the fluid passage when the switch assembly is in the first switch state; a heating assembly, used to heat the fluid in the fluid passage when the switch assembly is in the second switch state; and a control assembly, used to control the switch assembly to be in the first switch state when the current temperature is in the first temperature range, or to control the switch assembly to be in the second switch state when the current temperature is in the second temperature range. In this way, the problem of being unable to actively adjust the temperature of the spark plug is solved, and the spark plug can be heated or cooled inside the spark plug to ensure that the spark plug can achieve stable ignition under various working conditions.

[0053] An embodiment of the present application also provides an engine, comprising a thermal management device for the spark plug as described above.

[0054] An embodiment of the present application also provides a vehicle, comprising the engine as described above.

[0055] The embodiment of the present application also provides a spark plug thermal management method, which uses the spark plug thermal management device as described above.

[0056] Figure 4 This is a flow chart of a thermal management method for a spark plug according to an embodiment of the present application, comprising the following steps:

[0057] In step S101, the current temperature of the spark plug is acquired.

[0058] In step S102, a target switching state of the switch component is determined according to the temperature interval of the current temperature.

[0059] In step S103, the switch assembly is controlled to be in a target switch state, so as to cool the fluid in the fluid passage through the cooling assembly, or to heat the fluid in the fluid passage through the heating assembly.

[0060] Optionally, in some embodiments, the target switch state of the switch component is determined according to the temperature range in which the current temperature is located, including: if the current temperature is in the first temperature range, the target switch state is the first switch state; if the current temperature is in the second temperature range, the target switch state is the second switch state.

[0061] Optionally, in some embodiments, the upper limit value of the first temperature interval is less than the lower limit value of the second temperature interval.

[0062] It should be noted that the aforementioned explanation of the embodiment of the thermal management device for spark plugs is also applicable to the thermal management method for spark plugs of this embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0063] According to the thermal management method of the spark plug proposed in the embodiment of the present application, the current temperature of the spark plug is obtained, and the target switch state of the switch component is determined according to the temperature range of the current temperature, and the switch component is controlled to be in the target switch state, so as to cool the fluid in the fluid passage through the cooling component, or heat the fluid in the fluid passage through the heating component. In this way, the problem of being unable to actively adjust the temperature of the spark plug is solved, and the spark plug can be heated or cooled inside the spark plug, ensuring that the spark plug can achieve stable ignition under various working conditions.

[0064] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms are not necessarily directed to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or N embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples, without contradiction.

[0065] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, "N" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0066] Any process or method description in a flowchart or otherwise described herein may be understood to represent a module, fragment or portion of code comprising one or more executable instructions for implementing the steps of a custom logical function or process, and the scope of the preferred embodiments of the present application includes alternative implementations in which functions may not be performed in the order shown or discussed, including performing functions in a substantially simultaneous manner or in reverse order depending on the functions involved, which should be understood by technicians in the technical field to which the embodiments of the present application belong.

[0067] It should be understood that the various parts of the present application can be implemented by hardware, software, firmware or a combination thereof. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the N steps or methods can be implemented by software or firmware stored in a memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented by hardware, as in another embodiment, it can be implemented by any one of the following technologies known in the art or their combination: a discrete logic circuit having a logic gate circuit for implementing a logic function for a data signal, a dedicated integrated circuit having a suitable combination of logic gate circuits, a programmable gate array, a field programmable gate array, etc.

[0068] A person skilled in the art may understand that all or part of the steps in the method for implementing the above-mentioned embodiment may be completed by instructing related hardware through a program, and the program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, which, when executed, includes one or a combination of the steps of the method embodiment.

[0069] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described above, it can be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and cannot be understood as limitations on the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A thermal management device for a spark plug, characterized in that: include: A spark plug having a fluid passage disposed therein; A switch assembly, wherein the switch assembly has multiple switch states, each switch state is determined by the temperature interval of the current temperature of the spark plug; a cooling assembly, used for cooling the fluid in the fluid passage when the switch assembly is in a first switch state; a heating component, used for heating the fluid in the fluid passage when the switch component is in the second switch state; A control component is used to control the switch component to be in the first switch state when the current temperature is in the first temperature range, or to control the switch component to be in the second switch state when the current temperature is in the second temperature range.

2. The thermal management device of the spark plug according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A temperature detection component is used to detect the current temperature of the spark plug.

3. The thermal management device of the spark plug according to claim 2, characterized in that: Also includes: An alarm component is used to generate an alarm when the current temperature is greater than a preset temperature.

4. The thermal management device of the spark plug according to claim 1, characterized in that: The switch component is a conversion valve.

5. The thermal management device of the spark plug according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fluid is coolant or lubricating oil.

6. An engine, characterized in that: include: A thermal management device for a spark plug as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A vehicle, characterized in that: include: An engine as claimed in claim 6.

8. A spark plug thermal management method, characterized in that: A spark plug thermal management device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the method comprises the following steps: Obtaining the current temperature of the spark plug; Determining a target switching state of the switch component according to the temperature interval in which the current temperature is located; The switch assembly is controlled to be in the target switch state so as to cool the fluid in the fluid passage through the cooling assembly or to heat the fluid in the fluid passage through the heating assembly.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The determining the target switch state of the switch component according to the temperature interval of the current temperature includes: If the current temperature is in the first temperature range, the target switch state is the first switch state; If the current temperature is in the second temperature range, the target switch state is the second switch state.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The upper limit value of the first temperature interval is smaller than the lower limit value of the second temperature interval.

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