Engine Cooling System Fluid Flow Control for Heat Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems for internal combustion piston engines struggle to maintain adequately high temperatures for the cooling fluid, particularly at low engine loads, leading to inefficient heat recovery.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system that includes a circuit for a water-based solution, a pump, an engine cooling system, a combustion air cooling system, and a fluid flow control system. The system recirculates a portion of the cooling fluid through the combustion air cooling system to maintain a predetermined temperature, ensuring efficient heat recovery across various engine loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a conventional cooling system is used, then the engine can be cooled effectively, but the cooling fluid temperature cannot be maintained at adequately high levels, particularly at low engine loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the engine cooling system and combustion air cooling system into a single integrated circuit. The cooling fluid flows sequentially through the engine cooling system and then through the combustion air cooling system, merging two previously separate cooling functions into one unified thermal management system. This allows the system to maintain higher fluid temperatures by utilizing heat from both the engine and combustion air, thereby improving heat recovery efficiency even at low engine loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling fluid circuit is designed to serve multiple functions: cooling the engine, cooling the combustion air, and providing heated fluid for heat recovery applications. By making the cooling system multi-functional, the patent enables the same fluid circuit to achieve both cooling objectives and heat recovery objectives simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between maintaining high fluid temperature and achieving effective heat recovery.
2Loss of energy
If the cooling fluid temperature is increased to improve heat recovery, then heat recovery efficiency improves, but the engine cooling effectiveness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes a continuous flow of cooling fluid through both the engine cooling system and the combustion air cooling system without interruption. The fluid continuously absorbs heat from the engine and then additional heat from the combustion air, maintaining a steady high temperature throughout the circuit. This continuous thermal processing ensures both effective engine cooling and efficient heat recovery simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between these two objectives.
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate cooling circuits are used for engine and combustion air, then each can be optimized independently, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the engine cooling system and combustion air cooling system into a single integrated circuit, eliminating the need for separate circuits. This unification reduces system complexity by removing redundant components and simplifying the overall circuit configuration, while still maintaining the ability to independently control and optimize each cooling function through proper component placement and flow management within the unified system.
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 effectively maintains the temperature of the cooling fluid at or above a predetermined level (e.g., 95°C) across all engine load levels, enhancing heat recovery and improving the overall performance of the cooling system.
Implementation Method 1
a combustion air cooling system arranged to cool a combustion air and heat the fluid in the circuit by the heat transferred from the combustion air
Implementation Method 2
an engine cooling system arranged to cool the engine or parts thereof and heat the fluid in the circuit
Implementation Method 3
a pump arranged in the circuit so as to maintain the fluid to flow in the circuit
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Invention relates to a cooling system (10) for an internal combustion piston engine (12) comprising a circuit (14) for cooling fluid, a pump (24) arranged in the circuit (14) so as to maintain the fluid flowing in the circuit (14), an engine cooling system (26) arranged to cool the engine or parts thereof and heat the fluid in the circuit (14), and a combustion air cooling system (28) arranged to cool combustion air and heat the fluid in the circuit (14) by the heat transferred from the combustion air wherein a fluid flow control system (30) is arranged to the circuit (14) for controlling fluid flow in response to temperature of the fluid flowing from the combustion air cooling system (28) such that a portion of the fluid flowed through the combustion air cooling system (28) is arranged to flow to a passage (32) of the fluid flow control system (30), which passage (32) is arranged to lead the portion of the fluid back into the combustion air cooling system (28) so as to heat further at least the portion of the fluid by the heat transferred from the combustion air so obtaining a predetermined temperature for the fluid flowing in the circuit (14) after the combustion air cooling system (28). The invention relates also to a method of operating an internal combustion piston engine and an internal combustion piston engine.