Differentiated Cooling Circuit for Combustion Engine Cylinder

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cooling systems for combustion engines fail to provide differentiated cooling to various parts of the cylinder, leading to inefficient cooling, especially under heavy load conditions, where warmer zones may not receive adequate cooling, resulting in prolonged engine warm-up times.

Innovation Solution

A cooler arrangement with a cooling circuit that divides coolant flow into multiple parallel passages, prioritizing the lowest part of the cylinder head for optimal cooling, then distributing coolant to the upper cylinder head and liner with reduced flow and higher temperature, and optionally using a separate circuit for the lower cylinder liner, allowing for tailored cooling based on thermal energy reception.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If conventional cooling systems circulate coolant through all zones with substantially the same temperature and flow, then the cooling system is simple to design, but the warmest zones (lower cylinder head and upper cylinder liner) receive insufficient cooling under heavy load

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling effectiveness in warmest zonesVSAvoidcooling circuit configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling circuit is segmented into multiple flow passages with different coolant flow rates and temperature characteristics. The first flow passage (through lower cylinder head) receives coolant at lowest temperature with optimum flow, while second and third flow passages (through upper cylinder head and upper cylinder liner) receive coolant at higher temperature with reduced flow. This segmentation allows differentiated cooling tailored to the thermal load of each zone.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different parts of the cylinder receive cooling with locally optimized parameters. The lower cylinder head receives the most intensive cooling (lowest temperature, highest flow) due to its greatest thermal load, while the upper cylinder head and upper cylinder liner receive progressively less intensive cooling. This local quality approach matches cooling intensity to the actual thermal requirements of each region.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Temperature

If coolant flow is increased to improve cooling in warmest zones, then cooling effectiveness improves, but pressure losses in the cooling circuit increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling effectivenessVSAvoidpressure losses

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling system employs dynamic differentiation of coolant flow parameters across different zones. By distributing coolant through parallel flow passages with varying flow rates and temperature levels, the system achieves effective cooling in high-temperature zones without uniformly increasing flow and pressure losses throughout the entire circuit. The lower cylinder head receives maximum cooling where needed, while other zones receive appropriate cooling at lower flow rates.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Loss of time

If conventional cooling provides uniform cooling to all zones, then the cooling system is easy to operate, but engine warm-up time is prolonged after cold start

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveengine warm-up timeVSAvoidcooling control complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling circuit is designed to prioritize cooling of the lower cylinder head (first flow passage) which has the greatest thermal load and cooling requirement. By initially directing optimum coolant flow and lowest temperature coolant to this critical zone, the system achieves faster thermal management during warm-up and under varying load conditions, reducing overall engine warm-up time without requiring complex active control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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 approach ensures differentiated cooling with minimal pressure losses, effectively cooling the engine's hottest zones first, reducing warm-up time and friction losses, and preventing coolant accumulation and pollutant stagnation.

Implementation Method 1

The cooling circuit receives coolant from an inlet line (4) and conveys the coolant initially to a first flow passage (5) which extends through the lower part of the cylinder head (3)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS10634037B2Cooler arrangement for cooling at least one cylinder of a combustion engine

Publication Date: 2020.04.28 SCANIA CV AB

AI summary

Disclosed is a cooler arrangement for cooling a cylinder of a combustion engine. The cylinder has a cylinder head and a cylinder liner. The arrangement comprises a cooling circuit with a first flow passage which leads coolant through a lower part of the cylinder head, a second flow passage which leads coolant through an upper part of the cylinder head, and a third flow passage which leads coolant through an upper part of the cylinder liner. The cooling circuit is adapted to initially leading coolant through the first flow passage before it is led in parallel through the second flow passage and the third flow passage.