Coolant Reserve Tank with Deformable Bladder for Engine Thermal Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems for internal combustion engines, particularly those without draining, face inefficiencies due to mixing of hot and cold liquids during temperature transfer, which reduces the effectiveness of heating the engine during cold starts, leading to increased fuel consumption and pollutant emissions.
Innovation Solution
A drainless cooling circuit with a heat-insulated storage tank equipped with a deformable bladder that physically separates hot and cold liquids, using pumping and control means to transfer coolant between the main and auxiliary circuits, preventing mixing and ensuring efficient temperature transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If hot water is stored in a thermally insulated tank to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, then engine warm-up efficiency is improved, but mixing of hot and cold liquids during temperature transfer reduces the effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling circuit is divided into a main circuit and an auxiliary circuit with a storage tank. The storage tank is further segmented into a first chamber for hot coolant and a second chamber for cold coolant, separated by a partition wall with a transfer passage. This segmentation prevents mixing of hot and cold liquids while enabling controlled temperature transfer to the main circuit.
Solution Approach 2:
A transfer passage with a valve acts as an intermediary between the first and second chambers of the storage tank. This intermediary mechanism allows selective transfer of either hot or cold coolant to the main circuit without direct mixing, enabling precise temperature control and energy efficiency.
2Device complexity
If the cooling circuit is not drained when the engine is stopped, then the system is simpler to implement, but the effectiveness of heating the engine during cold start is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The storage tank pre-stores hot coolant in the first chamber before the engine starts. During cold start, this pre-stored hot coolant is transferred to the main circuit through the transfer passage, enabling immediate heating without waiting for the engine to warm up naturally, thus accelerating warm-up speed while maintaining system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic action by storing hot coolant during engine operation and transferring it to the main circuit during cold start periods. The valve in the transfer passage controls periodic transfer of hot coolant, enabling the engine to reach operating temperature faster during cold starts while maintaining a simple drainless circuit design.
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
This solution allows for rapid engine warm-up during starts by maintaining the temperature of the stored hot liquid, reducing fuel consumption and emissions by preventing heat loss through separation of hot and cold liquids, thus enhancing the efficiency of the cooling system.
Implementation Method 1
a deformable bladder that physically separates hot and cold liquids
Implementation Method 2
heat-insulated storage tank
Implementation Method 3
pumping means controlled by control means for transferring: when the engine stops, the coolant from the main circuit to the storage tank and from the storage tank to the main circuit
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a coolant reserve tank for an internal combustion engine including - a heat-insulated rigid tank (14); - a deformable bladder (11); - a cavity (17) made up of the inside of the bladder; and - a cavity (18) formed between the bladder (11) and the rigid tank (14); - a plurality of connection openings (15 and 16) intended for being connected to an auxiliary circuit (20) of a liquid cooling device for an internal combustion engine comprising a main circuit (30) including the water jacket of the engine (M), said auxiliary circuit (20) being connected to the main circuit (30), the coolant tank being connected to the cooling device.