Water-Cooling Intercooler Failure Detection via Pump Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water-cooling intercooler systems in vehicles lack effective monitoring and fail-safe mechanisms, leading to potential engine and vehicle protection issues when failures occur, particularly due to the complexity of the electric water pump and coolant circulation.
Innovation Solution
A control method and system that monitors coolant temperature, electric water pump rotation speed, and power consumption, calculates efficiency values, and determines failure states to drive the vehicle into a fail-safe mode when predetermined thresholds are exceeded, utilizing sensors and a controller to manage the water-cooling intercooler apparatus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a water-cooling intercooler apparatus is used to improve cooling efficiency, then the cooling performance is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the electric water pump and coolant circulation system
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit continuously monitors coolant temperature, electric water pump operation status, and intercooler performance, using this feedback to detect failures and switch to fail-safe modes, thereby managing the complexity through intelligent control
2Reliability
If the electric water pump is added to circulate coolant, then the cooling reliability is improved, but the device complexity and potential failure points increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit is pre-programmed with fail-safe protocols that automatically activate when pump failures are detected, cushioning against the reliability issues introduced by the complex pump system before they can cause engine damage
3Reliability
If monitoring of coolant temperature and pump operation is implemented, then the failure detection capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs self-diagnosis by monitoring its own operational parameters (coolant temperature, pump status, power consumption) and automatically determines failure states without requiring external diagnostic systems
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
Enables the vehicle to operate in a safe mode by detecting and responding to failures in the water-cooling intercooler apparatus, protecting the engine and vehicle from damage by ensuring safe operation even when the intercooler fails.
Implementation Method 1
a structure that circulates a coolant of a radiator for an engine or a coolant of an exclusive radiator to cool supercharged air
Implementation Method 2
the water-cooling intercooler apparatus cools air supplied to an engine using a coolant
Implementation Method 3
circulates a coolant of a radiator for an engine or a coolant of an exclusive radiator to cool supercharged air
Data Source
AI summary
A control method for a vehicle provided with a water-cooling intercooler apparatus, includes: detecting a coolant temperature of the water-cooling intercooler apparatus; detecting a rotation speed and a power consumption amount of an electric water pump (EWP) included in the water-cooling intercooler apparatus; calculating an efficiency value of the water-cooling intercooler apparatus based on the detected coolant temperature and air temperatures at an inlet and an outlet of an intercooler, respectively, included in the water-cooling intercooler apparatus; and determining whether the water-cooling intercooler apparatus is in a failure state based on the detected coolant temperature, the detected rotation speed and power consumption amount, and the calculated efficiency value.