Mechanical Coupling Device for Engine Cooling Pump Disconnection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern internal combustion engines face inefficiencies when starting from cold temperatures, as the cooling system's circulation pump continues to draw mechanical power and cause unnecessary cooling, leading to slower engine warming and increased mechanical energy dissipation, while high-performance engines require heavy electric motors for power-intensive cooling pump operation.
Innovation Solution
An internal combustion engine design featuring a coupling device that mechanically connects and disconnects the cooling system's circulation pump from an auxiliary shaft, using a spring for default coupling and an actuator for decoupling, allowing the pump to operate only when necessary and optimizing energy efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the circulation pump is directly fed by the crankshaft via mechanical belt or chain transmission, then the pump operates continuously to cool the engine, but this causes unnecessary mechanical energy dissipation and slows down engine warming when the engine is cold
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a dynamic coupling device that can transition between coupled and decoupled states, allowing the circulation pump to be mechanically connected to or disconnected from the crankshaft based on operating conditions. This dynamic configuration enables the system to adapt between continuous operation (when cooling is needed) and disconnected operation (when engine warming is prioritized), resolving the contradiction between energy efficiency and cooling reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the circulation pump from the continuous mechanical drive train by introducing a decouplable connection. The coupling device allows the pump to be separated from the crankshaft's rotational movement when cooling is not required, eliminating unnecessary energy dissipation while maintaining the option to reconnect when cooling becomes necessary.
2Loss of energy
If an electrically operated circulation pump is used to operate only when necessary, then energy efficiency improves, but high-performance engines require very high performance (and thus heavy and large) electric motors and generators
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of replacing the mechanical pump system with a fully electric motor-driven system (which would require heavy, high-performance components), the invention maintains the mechanical pump but introduces a controllable mechanical coupling device. This approach achieves energy efficiency through mechanical disconnection rather than electric substitution, avoiding the weight penalty of oversized electric motors and generators while still enabling selective pump operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling device acts as an intermediary between the crankshaft and the circulation pump, providing a mechanical means to control pump operation without requiring direct continuous connection or heavy electric power transmission components. This intermediary mechanism enables selective engagement/disengagement of the pump load from the crankshaft.
3Loss of energy
If a coupling device is interposed between the circulation pump and the auxiliary shaft to mechanically connect/disconnect the pump, then the pump can be disconnected when not needed, but the overall weight and dimensions of the internal combustion engine increase
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling device is integrated with the existing auxiliary shaft system, merging the new decoupling functionality with the existing mechanical transmission infrastructure. By combining the coupling mechanism with the auxiliary shaft assembly rather than adding completely separate components, the weight and dimensional increase is minimized while achieving the desired selective pump operation capability.
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 ensures the cooling pump operates only when needed, reducing mechanical energy waste and eliminating the need for oversized electric motors, while maintaining reliable cooling and balancing the engine, thus enhancing energy efficiency and reducing weight and dimensions.
Implementation Method 1
a spring (14) which is suited to push the coupling device (10) towards a coupling position, in which the pump shaft (11) is integral with the auxiliary shaft (7)
Implementation Method 2
a liquid cooling system in which a circulation pump circulates coolant (typically water mixed with an antifreeze substance) along a cooling path
Implementation Method 3
to remove the heat in excess and in part within a radiator to surrender the heat in excess coming from the internal combustion engine into the external environment
Data Source
AI summary
An internal combustion engine having: an engine provided with a crankshaft; a cooling system provided with a circulation pump, which comprises an impeller supported by a pump shaft that is mounted so as to rotate around a rotation axis; an auxiliary shaft, which transmits the rotation movement to the pump shaft of the circulation pump; a mechanical transmission, which transmits the rotational movement from the crankshaft to the auxiliary shaft; and a coupling device, which is interposed between the pump shaft of the circulation pump and the auxiliary shaft and is suited to mechanically connect/disconnect the pump shaft to/from the auxiliary shaft.