Supercharged Engine Cooler Ice Prevention via Dual Coolant Heat Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Supercharged combustion engines face operational malfunctions due to ice formation in charge air and EGR coolers, which obstruct airflow and exhaust gas flow, leading to reduced performance and increased nitrogen oxide emissions in cold weather conditions.
Innovation Solution
A dual cooling system with a heat exchanger and valve mechanism allows warming of coolant from a high-temperature system to prevent ice formation in low-temperature coolers, using sensors and a control unit to automatically adjust the valve position based on temperature and pressure drops, ensuring effective cooling without ice obstruction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the coolant temperature in the low-temperature cooling system is reduced to improve cooling efficiency, then the cooling effect on compressed air and exhaust gases is enhanced, but the risk of ice formation in the cooler increases
Solution Approach 1:
A heat exchanger is introduced as an intermediary device between the high-temperature cooling system and the low-temperature cooling system. The heat exchanger allows thermal energy transfer from the warmer coolant to the colder coolant without direct mixing, enabling temperature adjustment to prevent ice formation while maintaining cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the temperature parameter of the coolant in the low-temperature cooling system by controlling the flow of warm coolant through the heat exchanger. This parameter change prevents the coolant temperature from dropping below the ice formation threshold while maintaining effective cooling
2Productivity
If the coolant flow rate is increased to improve cooling performance, then the cooling capacity of the cooler is enhanced, but the risk of ice formation due to excessive cooling increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger acts as a thermal buffer that moderates the cooling effect. Even when coolant flow rate is high, the heat exchanger ensures that the coolant does not become excessively cold by transferring thermal energy from the high-temperature system, thus preventing ice formation while maintaining high cooling capacity
3Device complexity
If a single cooling system is used to simplify the system structure, then the system complexity is reduced, but the ability to prevent ice formation in cold weather conditions is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The high-temperature cooling system serves dual purposes: it cools the combustion engine directly and provides thermal energy to the low-temperature cooling system through the heat exchanger. This multi-functionality allows the system to prevent ice formation without requiring a completely separate heating system
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger enables thermal coupling between the two cooling systems, allowing the high-temperature system to support the low-temperature system in preventing ice formation while maintaining operational independence of both 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
The solution provides effective cooling of compressed air and exhaust gases while preventing ice formation in coolers, maintaining optimal engine performance and reducing nitrogen oxide emissions by ensuring continuous airflow and exhaust gas flow.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger and a valve means are used to make it possible to warm the coolant in the low-temperature cooling system by means of the warmer coolant in the high-temperature cooling system
Implementation Method 2
The arrangement also comprises a cooling system with a warmer coolant than the coolant in the low-temperature cooling system. According to the invention, a heat exchanger and a valve means are used to make it possible to warm the coolant in the low-temperature cooling system
Implementation Method 3
According to one embodiment, the arrangement comprises at least one sensor adapted to detecting a parameter which indicates whether the gaseous medium is cooled so much that there is ice formation or risk of ice formation in the cooler
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The present invention relates to an arrangement for a supercharged combustion engine (2), which arrangement is adapted to preventing ice formation in a cooler (10, 15). The arrangement comprises a first cooling system with a circulating coolant, a second cooling system with a circulating coolant which during normal operation of the combustion engine (2) is at a lower temperature than the coolant in the first cooling system and said cooler (10, 15) in which a gaseous medium which contains water vapour is intended to be cooled by the coolant in the second cooling system. The arrangement comprises also a heat exchanger (28), and a valve means (30) which can be placed in a first position when coolant from at least one of said cooling systems is prevented from flowing through the heat exchanger (28) and in a second position when coolant from both of the cooling systems flows through the heat exchanger (28) so that the coolant in the second cooling system is warmed by the coolant in the first cooling system.