Engine Cooling Valve Control for Precise Position Learning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing engine cooling systems face challenges in maintaining a precise valve-closing position for the flow volume adjustment valve, leading to unintentional engine temperature fluctuations due to varying valve-closing positions over time, which can result in overheating or unintentional cooling.
Innovation Solution
A control device is introduced that includes a first learning unit to adjust the valve body to a valve-opening position by a predetermined amount while the channel is closed, and a second learning unit to maintain the learned valve-closing position within a predetermined range, ensuring efficient heat recovery and preventing unnecessary engine temperature drops.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the valve-closing position is learned by gradually opening the valve body from a completely closed state, then the valve-closing position can be precisely learned, but the coolant liquid flows out to the heat recovery unit causing unintentional engine temperature drop
Solution Approach 1:
The control device performs preliminary actions by first closing the channel to the heat recovery unit before learning the valve-closing position. The learning process is conducted in a controlled state where coolant flow to the heat recovery unit is prevented, thereby avoiding unintentional engine temperature drops while still achieving precise valve-closing position learning.
2Reliability
If the valve body position varies from product to product and with time, then the flow volume of coolant liquid becomes inaccurate, but maintaining a fixed valve-closing position requires complex adjustment mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The control device employs feedback mechanisms to detect the actual valve body position and coolant flow characteristics. By continuously monitoring the system state and comparing it with target values, the control device automatically adjusts the valve-closing position to compensate for variations in valve body position, thereby maintaining accurate flow volume without requiring complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms.
3Measurement precision
If the learning process is performed repeatedly to ensure precise valve-closing position, then the valve control accuracy improves, but the learning time increases causing engine overheating
Solution Approach 1:
The control device performs learning actions partially and selectively rather than repeatedly completing full learning cycles. The learning process is executed only to the extent necessary to achieve acceptable precision, avoiding unnecessary repeated learning operations that would consume excessive time and cause engine overheating.
4Productivity
If the valve body is actuated to move to the valve-opening side by a predetermined amount at a time, then the learning process becomes systematic, but the coolant liquid continuously flows to the heat recovery unit causing engine temperature to fall
Solution Approach 1:
The control device implements periodic action by alternating between learning phases and normal operation phases. During learning phases, the valve body is actuated systematically to determine the valve-closing position. During normal operation phases, the learned position is applied to maintain proper engine temperature. This periodic alternation enables systematic learning while preventing continuous coolant flow to the heat recovery unit that would cause engine temperature to fall.
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 configuration allows for rapid and precise learning of the valve-closing position, reducing the risk of overheating and unnecessary heat recovery, thereby maintaining stable engine temperatures and improving fuel efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a radiator 21 releasing heat of the coolant
Data Source
AI summary
A control device is applied to an engine cooling system having a flow volume adjustment valve and a heat recovery unit. The control device includes a first learning unit which actuates a valve body to move to a valve-opening side by a predetermined amount at a time while a channel in the flow volume adjustment valve to the heat recovery unit is closed and learns a valve-closing position according to a coolant liquid that flows a circulation path and a second learning unit which actuates, after the valve-closing position is learned by the first learning unit, the valve body to move to the valve-opening side by a predetermined amount at a time within a range of a learned value while the channel is closed and determines to maintain the learned value and ends learning of the valve-closing position when the coolant liquid is not flowing the circulation path.