Cooling Control Device for Engine Charger Overcooling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Vehicles with idling stop function experience overcooling and rapid cooling of chargers or auxiliary machines when the engine is stopped, leading to potential failures or malfunctions, as existing cooling systems do not differentiate between engine stop due to idling and other stop conditions.

Innovation Solution

A cooling control device with an electric pump and a controller that detects engine stop states, adjusting the pump's operation based on idling stop or independent stop conditions, reducing the work done by the pump during idling stops to prevent overcooling, and maintaining appropriate cooling performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If the electric pump operates with full cooling capacity during engine stop, then the cooling performance is improved, but overcooling and rapid cooling occur causing charger or auxiliary machine failure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling performanceVSAvoidcharger or auxiliary machine failure
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the pump's operation time adaptive rather than fixed. The control unit adjusts the pump operation time based on detected engine stop causes: longer operation for non-idling stops to ensure adequate cooling, and shorter operation for idling stops to prevent overcooling. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between maintaining cooling performance and preventing overcooling-induced failures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Temperature

If the electric pump operates for extended time during engine stop, then the cooling performance is improved, but the cooling duration becomes excessive for short idling stops

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling performanceVSAvoidpump operation time
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback by using the control unit to detect the cause of engine stop (idling stop vs. other stops) and adjusting pump operation time accordingly. The system receives feedback about operating conditions and modifies the cooling duration: shorter duration for idling stops where extended cooling would be excessive, and longer duration for other stops where adequate cooling is needed. This feedback mechanism resolves the contradiction between sufficient cooling and excessive cooling duration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Device complexity

If a single cooling control mode is used for all engine stop conditions, then the device complexity is reduced, but the cooling performance becomes inappropriate for different stop scenarios

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling control systemVSAvoidcooling performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the cooling control into distinct modes based on engine stop causes. The control unit segments the operation into: (1) first cooling control mode for idling stops with shorter pump operation time, and (2) second cooling control mode for non-idling stops with longer pump operation time. This segmentation allows appropriate cooling performance for each scenario while maintaining relatively simple device architecture through a single control unit that selects between modes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution effectively suppresses rapid cooling and overcooling during idling stops, ensuring appropriate cooling performance for chargers or auxiliary machines, thereby preventing failures and maintaining system stability.

Implementation Method 1

an electric pump set up on a circulation path of a refrigerant that cools a charger of an engine or an auxiliary machine attached to the engine, the electric pump pressure-feeding the refrigerant

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPump: Pump

Implementation Method 2

a refrigerant that cools a charger of an engine or an auxiliary machine attached to the engine

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP3124765B1Cooling control device
Publication Date: 2021.07.07 MITSUBISHI MOTORS CORP
  • EP3124765B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3124765B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~4
  • EP3124765B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A cooling control device includes the electric pump (15) set up on a circulation path (11) of a refrigerant that cools a charger (4) of an engine (7), the electric pump (15) pressure-feeding the refrigerant; a detector (2) that detects an engine-stopped state caused by an idling stop and an engine-stopped state independent of the idling stop; and a controller (3) that controls work to be done by the electric pump (15) in the engine-stopped states in accordance with a detection result by the detector (2). The controller (3) makes the work to be done in the engine-stopped state caused by the idling stop smaller than the work to be done in the engine-stopped state independent of the idling stop.