Flow Control Valve Variable Split Cooling Engine Warming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing integrated flow control valves for vehicle coolant do not enable variable split cooling of a cylinder head and a cylinder block, limiting their ability to optimize engine warming and fuel economy by maintaining appropriate temperature distributions within the engine.
Innovation Solution
A flow control valve with a valve body that includes first, second, and third flow control holes, allowing selective communication with different ports (block, radiator, and heater core) based on rotation angle, enabling variable temperature control and split cooling without a separate port control structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an integrated flow control valve is used to control coolant flow, then flow control capability is improved, but variable split cooling function is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body is divided into multiple flow control holes (first, second, and third flow control holes) that can be independently controlled. Each flow control hole corresponds to different coolant pathways, enabling independent control of coolant flow to different engine regions, thereby achieving variable split cooling functionality within the integrated valve structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve body is designed to rotate about a rotation axis, with the rotation angle dynamically adjusting which flow control holes align with corresponding ports. This dynamic rotational control enables the valve to switch between different flow control modes, providing both overall flow control and variable split cooling capabilities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a separate port control structure is added to enable variable split cooling, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated flow control valve performs multiple functions: overall coolant flow control, variable split cooling, and heating control. By making the valve universal, the patent eliminates the need for separate port control structures, reducing device complexity while maintaining adaptability for different cooling requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the flow control valve and port control structure into a single integrated unit. The valve body's rotational mechanism integrates both flow rate control and port selection functions, merging what would traditionally be separate components into one unified device.
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 allows for simultaneous four-port control, optimizing engine warming, improving fuel economy, and reducing production costs by integrating variable temperature control and split cooling functions within a single valve, while minimizing coolant flow loss and enhancing heating performance.
Implementation Method 1
a valve body that receives the rotational force provided from the driving unit to rotate in the valve housing at a predetermined angle, and has a first flow control hole, a second flow control hole, and a third flow control hole which are formed through the valve body such that the first flow control hole selectively communicates with the block port and the radiator port
Data Source
AI summary
A flow control valve is arranged to simultaneously perform coolant flow control and variable split cooling, according to control of a path opening degree of the flow control valve. The flow control valve can perform four-port control for variably controlling four ports at once by operation of the flow control valve, and thus can implement variable temperature control for increasing a temperature of an engine, rapid warming-up of the engine, while performing split cooling at the same time.