Active sealing arrangement for use with vehicle capacitors

Abstract

Cooling system for a vehicle comprising: a heat exchanger arrangement comprising a radiator (52) and a condenser (54) spaced apart from the radiator (52), thereby forming a gap between the radiator (52) and the condenser (54); a movable seal (56, 56') connected to the arrangement, wherein the movable seal (56, 56') is selectively movable between a position blocking airflow through the gap and a position allowing airflow through the gap; and a seal position control actuatiably linked to the seal (56, 56'), characterized in that the cooling system comprises a side wall (58, 58') positioned between the radiator (52) and the condenser (54), and the seal (56, 56') is a door and the door is slidably positioned on the side wall (58, 58').

Description

TECHNICAL FIELDThe disclosed inventive concept relates generally to improved heat transfer for condensers for vehicles. More particularly, the disclosed inventive concept is directed to a condenser having active seals that are selectively movable between open and closed positions to enable efficient condenser heat transfer. The seals are opened to allow condenser bypass airflow to allow improved engine cooling via increased radiator inlet airflow. The seals are closed during high condenser loads, such as when the vehicle is idling or when operating at low speeds during hot weather.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe conventional liquid-cooled internal combustion engine is based primarily on axial blowers for drawing cooling air from outside the vehicle through the liquid-to-air heat exchanger or cooler for cooling. Various attempts have been made to improve cooling, including increasing the liquid capacity of the radiator, increasing the size or number of fan blades, and changing the pitch of the fan blades. DE 10 2005 041 595 A1 discloses a cooling system for a water-cooled internal combustion engine of a vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,901,786 A discloses a sandwich cooling module with an axial fan and a bypass function for the air flow. DE 691 07 177 T2 discloses a cooling system for a liquid-cooled motor vehicle internal combustion engine with an air conditioning system.Cooling system requirements vary widely depending on the type of vehicle and its use. Many truck programs have a problem where maximum cooling capacity is required by means of maximum radiator air flow, especially in hot weather and heavy load towing, uphill, with and without large trailers.In addition to variations based on vehicle type and use, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) demand is engaging. HVAC) also has a role in cooling system efficiency. The air conditioning system must also maximize heat transfer out of the refrigerant circuit via the condenser. These conditions are the most demanding at high ambient temperatures and at low speeds. Since most cooling packs have cooling fans that pull from behind the radiator, it is essential that the condenser (positioned in front of the radiator) be sealed around its circumference to the radiator.During the development of truck programs (particularly in large displacement engines and / or powertrains with turbochargers and charge air coolers that promote large tractive capacity), driveline cooling is experiencing the need to eliminate the above-mentioned side seals during high driveline demand. In contrast, the air conditioning system requires that these side seals remain in place during hot weather for low speeds and idle conditions.As in so many fields of vehicle technology, room is always available for improvement with respect to the cooling arrangement for liquid-cooled internal combustion engines.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn improvement is a cooling system according to independent claim 1 and an active sealing arrangement according to independent claim 5 and independent claim 9. Preferred embodiments for this are specified in the further patent claims. The disclosed inventive concept overcomes the problems encountered in prior art attempts to improve the efficiency of cooling systems used in conjunction with internal combustion engines. In particular, the disclosed inventive concept provides an active sealing arrangement associated with the radiator and condenser of the cooling system. At least one movable seal is provided. The movable seal may be selectively moved between a closed air-restricting position and an open air-passing position.According to an embodiment not belonging to the invention, the movable seal is rotatably linked to the radiator or the condenser. According to the invention, the movable seal is slidably mounted on a side wall disposed between the radiator and the condenser. Regardless of whether the movable seal is rotatable or slidable, it is associated with a position controller. The controller itself is associated with one or more sensors. The one or more sensors may be selected from a group consisting of an ambient air temperature sensor, a radiator coolant temperature sensor, a condenser liquid temperature sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, an engine speed sensor, an inclination sensor, and a transmission gear selection sensor.The seal is selectively moved to its closed, air-restricting position during periods of high condenser load. This situation typically occurs when the vehicle is idling or when the vehicle is operating at very low vehicle speeds in hot weather (or both). The seal is selectively moved to its open air-passing position during high driveline cooling demands, such as hot weather or on climbing an incline or with a large trailer or payload.The above advantages and other advantages and features will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSFor a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in more detail in the accompanying drawings and described below by way of examples of the invention, wherein: FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of an active cooling and condenser seal assembly according to a non-inventive first embodiment of the disclosed inventive concept, with the active lateral seals in their closed, air-limiting positions; FIG. 2 is a top view of the active seal assembly of FIG. 1, additionally showing a diagrammatic view of the controller and associated sensors; FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1, but showing the active lateral seals in their open air-passing positions; FIG. 4 is a top view of the assembly shown in FIG. 3, with the active lateral seals in their open, air-passing positions; FIG. 5 illustrates a side perspective view of an active seal assembly for a radiator and condenser according to a second embodiment of the disclosed inventive concept pertaining to the invention, wherein the active seals are in their closed air-restricting positions; and FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5, but showing the active side seals moved to their open air-passing positions.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTSIn the following figures, like reference numerals are used to refer to the same components. In the following description, various operating parameters and components for various constructed embodiments will be described. These specific parameters and components are included as examples and are not intended to be limiting.The disclosed inventive concept may find application in any number of vehicles, including automobiles and trucks. The disclosed inventive concept may also find application in any system employing a liquid-to-air heat exchanger or cooler in conjunction with a liquid condenser.FIGS. 1-4 illustrate an active sealing arrangement for a radiator and a condenser according to a first non-inventive embodiment of the disclosed inventive concept. FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate an active sealing arrangement for a radiator and a condenser according to a second embodiment of the disclosed inventive concept belonging to the invention. It should be understood that the overall configuration of the active seal assembly illustrated is exemplary and is not intended to be limiting as configurations of the radiator and the condenser other than those illustrated are possible. For example, the radiator, condenser, or both may be deeper, narrower, wider, or higher. Moreover, the shape, positioning and overall configuration of the active seals may vary from those illustrated in the figures.Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, an active seal assembly for an internal combustion engine, generally shown as 10, is shown. The active seal assembly 10 includes a radiator 12 (not shown) associated with the internal combustion engine of the vehicle in a known manner and a condenser 14 (not shown) associated with the air conditioning system of the vehicle. Arrows represent the air flow from outside the vehicle to and through the condenser 14 and then to and through the radiator 12. A draft fan 16 is conventionally provided behind the radiator 12, as shown in FIG. 2.According to the first embodiment of the disclosed inventive concept, movable opposed seals 18 and 18' are rotatably mounted to the radiator 12. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the movable opposed seals 18 and 18' are positioned on the side of the radiator 12. It should be appreciated, however, that one or more movable seals may additionally or alternatively be attached to the upper or lower portion of the radiator 12. The movable opposed seals 18 and 18' may be made of any suitable material including, but not limited to, a metal or a polymerized material such as ABS plastic.Movement and position of the movable opposed seals 18 and 18' are selectively controlled. The movable opposed seals 18 and 18' may be moved by any of a variety of methods including, but not limited to, pneumatic, hydraulic, vacuum pressure or motorized systems. Preferably, although not exclusively, the movement of the movable opposed seals 18 and 18' is controlled by a sensor system, generally shown as 20. The sensor system 20 includes a controller 22 operably associated with the movable opposed seals 18 and 18', and a plurality of mechanical or electronic cooperating elements that are under different conditions. The cooperating elements are preferably, but not exclusively, sensors. The sensors may include, without limitation, an ambient air temperature sensor 24, a vehicle speed sensor 26, a radiator coolant temperature sensor 28, a capacitor liquid temperature sensor 30, an engine speed sensor 32, an inclination sensor 34, and a transmission gear selection sensor 36. Alternative or additional sensors may be provided.The movable opposed seals 18 and 18' are shown in their closed air-limiting positions in Figs. 1 and 2. The position is selected by the sensor system 20 during times of high capacitor load, such as when the vehicle is idling or when the vehicle is operating at very low vehicle speeds during hot weather (or both).However, the movable opposed seals 18 and 18' may be opened in high driveline cooling demand situations such as hot weather or climbing a hill or with a large trailer or payload to allow the air flow to pass the condenser 14 and thus increase the flow of cooler air into the cooler 12. Such a condition is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 wherein the movable opposed seals 18 and 18' have been moved to their open air passing positions.It should be noted that while in Figures 1 and 2 the movable opposed seals 18 and 18' are shown in their closed air-limiting positions and in Figures 3 and 4 the movable opposed seals 18 and 18' are shown in their open air-passing positions, the movable opposed seals 18 and 18' can be moved to intermediate positions between the fully closed positions as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and the fully open positions as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The fully closed, fully open and intermediate positions are selectively determined by the sensor system 20. Moreover, while FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate both movable opposed seals 18 and 18' as simultaneously closing and FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate both movable opposed seals 18 and 18' as simultaneously opening, it should be understood that each of the movable opposed seals 18 and 18' can be moved independently such that one is closed while the other is open.Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, an active seal assembly for an internal combustion engine, generally shown as 50, is shown. The active seal assembly 50 includes a radiator 52 (not shown) associated with the internal combustion engine of the vehicle in a known manner and a condenser 54 (not shown) associated with the air conditioning system of the vehicle. Arrows represent the air flow from outside the vehicle to and through the condenser 54 and then to and through the radiator 52.According to the second embodiment of the disclosed inventive concept, movable opposed seals 56 and 56' are provided in a first side wall 58 and a second side wall 58', respectively. The movable opposed seals 56 and 56' may be moved by any of a variety of methods including, but not limited to, pneumatic, hydraulic, vacuum pressure, or motorized systems.As shown in Figure 5, the movable opposed seals 56 and 56' are positioned in the side walls 58 and 58' between the radiator 52 and the condenser 54. It should be appreciated, however, that one or more movable seals may additionally or alternatively be secured to upper or lower walls (not shown), which may also be positioned between the radiator 52 and the condenser 54. The movable opposed seals 56 and 56' and the side walls 58 and 58' may be made of any suitable material including, but not limited to, a metal or a polymerized material such as ABS plastic.Like the movable opposed seals 18 and 18' of Figs. 1-4, the positions of the movable opposed seals 56 and 56' are selectively controlled. The sensor system 20 shown in Figure 2 and shown above with respect to this figure is operably associated with the movable opposed seals 56 and 56' to function in the same manner.The movable opposing seal 56 is shown in its closed air-limiting position in FIG. 5. Although not shown in Figure 5, it will be understood that the movable opposing seal 56' may also be moved to its closed, air-restricting position. As set forth above in connection with the first embodiment of the disclosed inventive concept, the closed air-limiting position is selected by the sensor system 20 during high capacitor load times, such as when the vehicle is idling or when the vehicle is operating at very low vehicle speeds during hot weather (or both).However, the movable opposed seals 56 and 56' may be opened in high driveline cooling demand situations, such as hot weather, climbing an incline, or with a large trailer or payload, to allow the flow of air to pass the condenser 54 and thus increase the flow of cooler air into the cooler 52. Such a condition is illustrated in Figure 6 wherein the movable opposed seals 56 and 56' have been moved to their open air passing positions.It should be noted that while in Figure 5 the movable opposed seals of which the movable opposed seal 56 is shown are shown in their closed air-limiting positions and in Figure 6 the movable opposed seals 56 and 56' are shown in their open air-passing positions, the movable opposed seals 56 and 56' may be moved to intermediate positions between the fully closed positions as shown in Figure 5 and the fully open positions as shown in Figure 6. As is the case with the first embodiment of the disclosed inventive concept discussed above, the fully closed, fully open and intermediate positions are determined selectively by the sensor system 20. The movable opposed seals 56 and 56' may be simultaneously closed, simultaneously opened, or one may be closed and the other opened independently, as best determined by the sensor system 20.For at least the above reasons, the disclosed invention, as set forth above, overcomes the challenges faced by known air cooling systems for internal combustion engines. However, from this discussion and the accompanying drawings and claims, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications and variations may be made therein without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

A cooling system for a vehicle, comprising: a heat exchanger assembly comprising a radiator (52) and a condenser (54) spaced from the radiator (52), thereby forming a gap between the radiator (52) and the condenser (54); a movable seal (56, 56') connected to the assembly, the movable seal (56, 56') being selectively movable between a position blocking air flow through the gap and a position permitting air flow through the gap; and a seal position controller operably associated with the seal (56, 56'), characterized in that the cooling system comprises a sidewall (58, 58') positioned between the radiator (52) and the condenser (54), and the seal (56, 56') is a door and the door is slidably positioned on the sidewall (58, 58').The cooling system for a vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a sensor operably associated with the seal position controller.The cooling system for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor.The cooling system for a vehicle of claim 2, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of an ambient air temperature sensor (24), a radiator coolant temperature sensor (28), a condenser fluid temperature sensor (30), a vehicle speed sensor (26), an engine speed sensor (32), an inclination sensor (34), and a transmission gear selection sensor (36).An active seal assembly for use with an engine cooling system having first and second heat exchangers and a gap therebetween, the assembly comprising: a first seal (56) attached to an exchanger, the first seal (56) being selectively movable between a position blocking air flow through the gap and a position permitting air flow through the gap; and a second seal (56') attached to an exchanger, the second seal (56') being selectively movable between a position blocking air flow through the gap and a position permitting air flow through the gap, characterised in that the active seal assembly comprises a sidewall (58, 58') positioned between the exchangers, and at least one of the first and second seals (56') is a door and the door is slidably positioned on the sidewall (58, 58').The active seal assembly of claim 5, further comprising a position controller operably associated with the first and second seals (56, 56').The active seal assembly of claim 6, further comprising a sensor associated with the position controller, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor.The active seal assembly of claim 6, further comprising a sensor associated with the position controller, the sensor selected from the group consisting of an ambient air temperature sensor (24), a radiator coolant temperature sensor (28), a condenser fluid temperature sensor (30), a vehicle speed sensor (26), an engine speed sensor (32), an inclination sensor (34), and a transmission gear selection sensor (36).An active seal assembly for use with an engine cooling system having first and second heat exchangers and a gap therebetween, the assembly comprising: a seal (56, 56') secured to an exchanger, the seal (56, 56') being selectively movable between a position blocking air flow through the gap and a position permitting air flow through the gap; a seal position controller operably associated with the seal (56, 56'); and a temperature sensor operably associated with the controller, characterized in that the seal (56, 56') is a slidable seal.The active seal assembly of claim 9, wherein the temperature sensor is selected from the group consisting of an air temperature sensor and a liquid temperature sensor.

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