EGR Cooler Coolant Supply via Radiator Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing EGR cooling systems face inefficiencies due to high coolant temperatures, which reduce the cooling efficiency of the EGR cooler, and super cooled systems experience decreased efficiency when the thermostat controlled valve opens, allowing hot coolant into the circuit.
Innovation Solution
An EGR cooling system design that includes a radiator with an upstream and downstream water tank, a central radiator part divided into a sub-cooler and main part, and a bypass conduit, allowing coolant to bypass the radiator, ensuring a relatively cool coolant supply to the EGR cooler regardless of the thermostat valve position, without additional heat exchangers or parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If coolant is taken from thermostat house upstream of thermostat controlled valve, then coolant flow is maintained independent of valve position, but coolant temperature to EGR cooler is always relatively high reducing cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The radiator is divided into a first radiator part and a second radiator part, with the EGR cooling circuit connected to the second radiator part downstream of the thermostat controlled valve. This segmentation allows the system to maintain continuous coolant flow while ensuring that only cooled coolant (after thermostat regulation) reaches the EGR cooler, thus resolving the contradiction between flow continuity and temperature control.
2Temperature
If super cooled EGR cooling system is used, then coolant temperature to EGR cooler is reduced, but cooling efficiency decreases when thermostat controlled valve opens allowing hot coolant to enter
Solution Approach 1:
The second radiator part acts as an intermediary between the thermostat controlled valve and the EGR cooling circuit. It ensures that coolant passing through the EGR cooler has always been through the thermostat regulation, preventing hot coolant from directly entering the EGR circuit when the valve opens, thus maintaining stable cooling efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-cools the coolant through the second radiator part before it reaches the EGR cooler, ensuring that the coolant temperature is always reduced to the desired level regardless of thermostat valve position. This preliminary cooling action prevents the efficiency drop that occurs in super cooled systems when hot coolant enters.
3Productivity
If additional heat exchangers or parts are added to improve exhaust gas cooling, then cooling efficiency improves, but space requirements and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The radiator is designed to serve multiple functions: it cools engine coolant through the first radiator part and simultaneously provides cooled coolant to the EGR cooler through the second radiator part. This multi-functionality allows the system to improve exhaust gas cooling efficiency without adding separate heat exchangers or additional parts, thus avoiding increased space requirements and costs.
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 design maintains or improves cooling efficiency while reducing exhaust gas temperature and minimizing the risk of EGR cooler breakdown, with reduced space requirements and no additional costs or parts, ensuring consistent cool coolant delivery to the EGR cooler across all thermostat valve positions.
Implementation Method 1
a radiator (102) for cooling engine coolant
Implementation Method 2
an exhaust gas recirculation cooler (109) for cooling exhaust gas
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A system for cooling exhaust gas for recirculation in an engine comprising a radiator for cooling engine coolant having an upstream water tank with a radiator inlet, a central radiator part and a downstream water tank with a first radiator outlet; a first cooling circuit having an upstream radiator conduit adapted to carry coolant from the engine to the radiator inlet and a downstream radiator conduit adapted to carry coolant from the radiator outlet and to the engine; a bypass conduit connected between the upstream radiator conduit and the downstream radiator conduit adapted to allow coolant to bypass the radiator; a first thermostat controlled valve arranged in the upstream radiator conduit at the engine outlet and connected to the bypass conduit, the first thermostat controlled valve is adapted to direct coolant flow to the radiator and/or to the bypass conduit; an exhaust gas recirculation cooler for cooling exhaust gas comprised in an exhaust gas cooling circuit. The downstream water tank and the central radiator part of the radiator is divided in a sub-cooler part having a second radiator outlet and a main part, wherein the exhaust gas cooling circuit is connected to the sub-cooler part such that it provides coolant to the exhaust gas recirculation cooler.