Motor Cooling System With PWM Pump Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endothermic engine cooling systems are inefficient, leading to prolonged engine warm-up times, increased fuel consumption, and emissions due to uncontrolled coolant flow and fan operation, which results in mechanical wear and inefficient thermal management.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system with an electrical pump actuated by a control unit using pulse width modulation (PWM) based on temperature differences between the engine block and radiator, allowing independent control of coolant flow and fan operation to achieve optimal thermal balance and reduce warm-up time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a mechanical pump is used with fixed transmission ratio to the engine, then the pump structure is simple, but the coolant flow speed cannot be controlled according to real cooling requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the pump speed variable rather than fixed. The electrical motor driving the pump can independently adjust its rotational speed according to real-time cooling requirements, allowing the coolant flow rate to dynamically match the engine's thermal conditions without being coupled to engine RPM through a fixed mechanical transmission ratio.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical pump driven by the engine with an electrical motor-driven pump. This substitution allows for independent electronic control of coolant flow via PWM signal modulation, replacing the mechanical coupling and fixed transmission ratio system with an electrically controlled system that offers precise flow regulation.
2Temperature
If the fan operates at maximum power when activated, then cooling effect is maximized, but power absorption is excessively high (proximal to 30A)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the fan speed variable rather than fixed at maximum. The electrical motor driving the fan can independently adjust its rotational speed according to real-time cooling requirements, allowing the fan to operate at optimal power levels that match the actual thermal conditions rather than always running at maximum capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by allowing the fan to operate at less than maximum power when full cooling capacity is not needed. The PWM control enables the fan to run at partial power levels appropriate to the current thermal load, avoiding the excessive power absorption (proximal to 30A) that occurs when the fan runs at full power unnecessarily.
3Reliability
If the pump runs continuously with the engine, then coolant circulation is maintained, but fuel consumption increases due to unnecessary power absorption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the pump operation conditional rather than continuous. The electrical motor-driven pump can be independently controlled to run only when cooling is actually needed, adjusting its operation based on real-time thermal conditions rather than simply following engine RPM, thereby maintaining reliable coolant circulation while reducing unnecessary energy consumption.
4Device complexity
If the thermostatic valve is used to control coolant flow, then the system is simple, but the warmup time is prolonged (8-10 km needed)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical thermostatic valve system with an electronically controlled pump system. The electrical motor-driven pump with PWM control can precisely regulate coolant flow based on real-time temperature feedback, replacing the passive mechanical valve operation with an active electronic control system that optimizes warmup performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies feedback by using temperature sensors to continuously monitor engine and coolant temperature and using this information to control the pump operation. This closed-loop control allows the system to adjust coolant flow in real-time based on actual thermal conditions, optimizing the warmup process and reducing warmup time compared to the open-loop thermostatic valve system.
5Device complexity
If the fan is controlled as a Boolean variable (ON/OFF), then the control system is simple, but the cooling efficiency is low due to lack of correlation with thermal load
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the fan operation continuous and variable rather than discrete ON/OFF. The electrical motor driving the fan can independently adjust its rotational speed according to real-time cooling requirements, allowing the fan to operate at optimal power levels that match the actual thermal conditions rather than switching between full power and off states.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies feedback by using temperature sensors to continuously monitor thermal conditions and using this information to control the fan operation. This closed-loop control allows the system to adjust fan speed in real-time based on actual thermal load, creating a correlation between thermal requirements and cooling output that the simple Boolean control system cannot achieve.
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 significantly reduces engine warm-up time, improves fuel efficiency, and maintains precise operating temperatures, reducing emissions and mechanical wear by optimizing coolant flow and fan operation based on real-time thermal requirements.
Implementation Method 1
un electrical motor (M) that actuates the pump (22)
Implementation Method 2
The control unit (C) is configured in such a way to send different voltage levels to the electrical motor (M) according to the different temperature levels detected by the temperature sensor (23)
Implementation Method 3
a first temperature sensor (S1) disposed in the first conduit (17) at the outlet of the engine block (10) to detect a temperature (T1) of the coolant at the outlet of the engine block (10), a second temperature sensor (S2) disposed in the second conduit (18) at the outlet of the radiator (12) to detect a temperature (T2) of the coolant at the outlet of the radiator (12)
Implementation Method 4
the electrical motor (M) is actuated by means of pulse width modulation (PWM), modulating the pulse width (duration) according to the temperature difference values (T1 - T2) detected by the two temperature sensors (S1, S2)
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
A cooling system (100) comprises a motor block (10), a radiator (12) provided with a fan (13), a pump (22) with an electrical motor (M) to pump the coolant in a cooling circuit (14), a first temperature sensor (S1) at the outlet of the motor block (10), a second temperature sensor (S2) at the outlet of the radiator (12), a control unit (C) connected to the temperature sensors (S1, S2) 5 and to the electrical motor (M) of the pump to actuate the electrical motor of the pump according to the temperature values detected by the sensor temperatures (S1, S2).