Engine Cooling Control for Knock Suppression and Warm-Up
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cooling device for internal combustion engines struggles to properly manage the cooling of intake ports and cylinder blocks, leading to delayed warm-up and potential knocking issues due to inconsistent temperature control between the two systems.
Innovation Solution
A cooling device with a High Temperature (HT) cooling system for the cylinder block and a Low Temperature (LT) cooling system for the intake ports, controlled by an electronic unit that adjusts cooling based on specific temperature thresholds and requirements for early warm-up or knock suppression, ensuring independent control of both systems to maintain optimal temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the LT cooling system is activated early to cool the intake ports, then knocking is prevented, but the warm-up process of the engine is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The ECU determines in advance whether early warm-up is required based on engine operating conditions before activating the LT cooling system. This preliminary assessment allows the system to prevent knocking only when necessary, avoiding unnecessary delays in the warm-up process while maintaining reliability when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling control strategy is dynamically adjusted based on real-time engine conditions. The ECU continuously monitors engine temperature, load, and other parameters to determine whether to activate LT cooling, allowing the system to adapt between prioritizing warm-up and preventing knocking as conditions change.
2Loss of time
If the LT cooling system is delayed to prioritize warm-up, then early warm-up is achieved, but knocking may occur in the latter half of warm-up
Solution Approach 1:
The ECU continuously monitors engine temperature and operating conditions during the warm-up process. When the engine enters a state where knocking becomes likely (latter half of warm-up with sufficient temperature), the feedback mechanism triggers LT cooling activation to prevent knocking, thus maintaining reliability without unnecessarily extending warm-up time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary assessment of knocking risk based on engine conditions. When conditions indicate that knocking is likely to occur during the latter half of warm-up, the system proactively activates LT cooling before knocking actually occurs, preventing the harmful effect while maintaining efficient warm-up.
3Adaptability or versatility
If independent cooling control for intake ports and cylinder block is implemented, then temperature optimization is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ECU serves multiple functions by integrating both HT and LT cooling control in a single control unit. This universal approach allows the system to manage both cooling circuits with independent control logic, achieving temperature optimization for different engine components without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is segmented into two independent control circuits (HT for cylinder block, LT for intake ports), each with its own temperature sensors and control logic. This segmentation allows independent optimization of temperatures for different components, providing adaptability while maintaining manageable complexity through modular control architecture.
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 solution allows for efficient warm-up of the engine while preventing knocking by delaying LT cooling until the cylinder block is sufficiently warmed, and prioritizing early warm-up by starting LT cooling when the HT temperature reaches its threshold, thus avoiding thermal strain and maintaining fuel efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a HT cooling system which mainly cools a cylinder block (12) of the internal combustion engine (10), and a LT cooling system which mainly cools peripheries of intake ports (14a) of the internal combustion engine (10) compared to the HT cooling system (16), wherein the HT cooling system (16) and the LT cooling system (30) have cooling medium flow passages independent of each other
Implementation Method 2
The first cooling water circuit includes an electric pump for circulating cooling water through the inside thereof and a first radiator for air-cooling the cooling water. The second cooling water circuit includes a second radiator for air-cooling cooling water circulating through the inside thereof
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling device for an internal combustion engine includes a HT cooling system, a LT cooling system, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to, if a HT temperature has reached a HT determination value, control an operation state of the HT cooling system to start cooling for maintaining the HT temperature at a HT target temperature. The electronic control unit is configured to, if a LT temperature being a temperature of a LT cooling medium has reached a LT determination value, start a LT cooling control for maintaining the LT temperature at a LT target temperature under a specific condition where an early warm-up of the internal combustion engine is not required. The electronic control unit is configured to start the LT cooling control if the HT temperature has reached the HT determination value under a condition where the early warm-up is required.