Diesel Fuel Cooling System with Parallel Heat Exchangers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Common rail diesel fuel injection systems face issues with elevated fuel temperatures causing efficiency and durability problems, mechanical degradation, and inadequate cooling due to the complexity of existing cooling systems.
Innovation Solution
A fuel cooling system incorporating a fuel to coolant heat exchange system and an air to coolant heat exchange system, controlled by an engine control unit, which includes a temperature sensor and mechanisms for controlling the coolant pump and cooling fan, allowing for tailored cooling based on vehicle operating conditions and providing a degradation strategy for the temperature sensor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If multiple cooling devices and control valves are used to cool returning fuel, then fuel cooling capability is improved, but system reliability deteriorates due to increased mechanical and electrical degradation risks
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into two independent parallel cooling devices (first cooling device and second cooling device) instead of a single complex system. Each device can independently cool the returning fuel, providing redundancy and reducing the impact of mechanical or electrical degradation in one device on overall system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system adjusts cooling parameters by varying the flow distribution between the two parallel cooling devices based on operating conditions (ambient temperature and engine speed). This allows the system to adapt cooling capacity to实际需求, improving reliability by avoiding unnecessary operation of cooling components under conditions where they are not needed.
2Temperature
If multiple cooling devices with control valves are implemented, then fuel cooling capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into two independent parallel cooling devices (first cooling device and second cooling device) instead of a single complex system. Each device can independently cool the returning fuel, providing redundancy and reducing the impact of mechanical or electrical degradation in one device on overall system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device controls the position of the various valves in the cooling system to determine the returning fuel flow route. The returning fuel can either pass through or bypass any one of the cooling devices depending on the valve positions. This results in various degrees of fuel cooling.
3Temperature
If multiple cooling devices and control valves are used, then fuel cooling capability is improved, but control precision deteriorates due to difficulty in coordinating valve positions
Solution Approach 1:
The control system adjusts cooling parameters by varying the flow distribution between the two parallel cooling devices based on operating conditions (ambient temperature and engine speed). This allows the system to adapt cooling capacity to实际需求, improving reliability by avoiding unnecessary operation of cooling components under conditions where they are not needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device controls the valve positions based on feedback from temperature sensors and operating condition sensors (ambient temperature and engine speed sensors). This feedback mechanism enables precise control of the returning fuel temperature by continuously adjusting the cooling system response to actual system conditions.
4Device complexity
If a single cooling device is used, then device complexity is reduced, but fuel cooling capability deteriorates under high ambient temperature conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into two independent parallel cooling devices (first cooling device and second cooling device) instead of a single complex system. Each device can independently cool the returning fuel, providing redundancy and reducing the impact of mechanical or electrical degradation in one device on overall system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device controls the position of the various valves in the cooling system to determine the returning fuel flow route. The returning fuel can either pass through or bypass any one of the cooling devices depending on the valve positions. This results in various degrees of fuel cooling.
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 system achieves improved fuel cooling and performance by providing supplemental cooling and reducing the likelihood of fuel system shut-downs, even when the temperature sensor degrades, by coordinating the cooling fan and pump operations with vehicle ram air and engine conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a fuel to coolant heat exchange system for cooling the fuel wherein the fuel to coolant heat exchange system comprises a coolant reservoir, an electric coolant pump, and a heat exchanger
Implementation Method 2
an air to coolant heat exchange system coupled to the fuel to coolant heat exchange system for cooling the coolant in the fuel to coolant heat exchange system wherein the air to coolant heat exchanger system is exposed to vehicle ram air and includes a heat exchanger and a cooling fan
Implementation Method 3
a temperature sensor for sensing fuel temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A method is described for cooling fuel for a diesel engine system with a common rail fuel injection system having a coolant pump and a fan. The method comprises passing a returning fuel from the engine through a fuel to coolant heat exchange system to cool the fuel, and adjusting the cooling of the fuel by controlling the coolant pump and/or the engine cooling fan.