U.S. patent application number 16/447278 was filed with the patent office on 2020-06-11 for engine cooling system using a water pump and a solenoid valve.
This patent application is currently assigned to HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY. The applicant listed for this patent is HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY KIA MOTORS CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Hyo-Jo Lee.
Application Number | 20200182127 16/447278 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 70776421 |
Filed Date | 2020-06-11 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200182127 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lee; Hyo-Jo |
June 11, 2020 |
ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM USING A WATER PUMP AND A SOLENOID VALVE
Abstract
An engine cooling system may include: a water pump for supplying
coolant to an engine system; a plurality of coolant passages for
connecting the water pump to individual constituent components of
the engine system; a solenoid valve disposed between an outlet of
the water pump and inlets of the coolant passages to integrally
control a flow of coolant from the water pump to the coolant
passages; and a control unit for controlling the solenoid valve.
The inlets of the respective coolant passages are adjacent to each
other side by side in a width direction of the outlet of the water
pump. The inlets of the respective coolant passages are
sequentially opened and closed by moving a spool of the solenoid
valve in the width direction.
Inventors: |
Lee; Hyo-Jo; (Suwon-si,
KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
KIA MOTORS CORPORATION |
Seoul
Seoul |
|
KR
KR |
|
|
Assignee: |
HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
Seoul
KR
KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
Seoul
KR
|
Family ID: |
70776421 |
Appl. No.: |
16/447278 |
Filed: |
June 20, 2019 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04D 13/06 20130101;
F01P 5/12 20130101; F01P 7/14 20130101; F01P 7/16 20130101; F01P
2007/146 20130101; F01P 3/02 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F01P 7/14 20060101
F01P007/14; F04D 13/06 20060101 F04D013/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 6, 2018 |
KR |
10-2018-0156338 |
Claims
1. An engine cooling system comprising: a water pump for supplying
coolant to an engine system; a plurality of coolant passages for
connecting the water pump to individual constituent components of
the engine system; a solenoid valve disposed between an outlet of
the water pump and inlets of the plurality of coolant passages to
integrally control a flow of coolant from the water pump to the
plurality of coolant passages; and a control unit for controlling
the solenoid valve, wherein the inlets of the respective plurality
of coolant passages are adjacent to each other side by side in a
width direction of the outlet of the water pump, and the inlets of
the respective plurality of coolant passages are sequentially
opened and closed by moving a spool of the solenoid valve in the
width direction.
2. The engine cooling system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of
coolant passages have different widths depending on the flow of
coolant required to cool each component.
3. The engine cooling system of claim 2, wherein: the plurality of
coolant passages comprise a first passage directed to a heater core
or an LP EGR cooler, a second passage directed to a cylinder head
of an engine, and a third passage directed to a cylinder block of
the engine; and the inlets of the respective first, second, and
third passages are arranged so as to be opened in order of the
first, second, and third passages when the spool moves in the width
direction.
4. The engine cooling system of claim 3, wherein the widths of the
first, second, and third passages are set such that the largest
amount of coolant flows to the cylinder head of the engine and the
smallest amount of coolant flows to the heater core or the LP EGR
cooler.
5. The engine cooling system of claim 1, wherein the water pump is
a mechanical water pump.
6. The engine cooling system of claim 1, wherein the water pump is
an electronically variable water pump.
7. The engine cooling system of claim 3, wherein, when the engine
is in a cold state in which the temperature of coolant is less than
or equal to a first temperature, the control unit controls the
solenoid valve to stop the operation of the water pump or close all
the first, second, and third passages, thereby stopping the flow of
coolant in the engine system.
8. The engine cooling system of claim 7, wherein, when the engine
is in a warm state in which the temperature of coolant exceeds the
first temperature and is less than or equal to a second
temperature, the control unit controls the solenoid valve to open
the first passage.
9. The engine cooling system of claim 8, wherein, when the engine
is in a high-temperature state in which the temperature of coolant
exceeds the second temperature and is less than or equal to a third
temperature, the control unit controls the solenoid valve to open
the first and second passages.
10. The engine cooling system of claim 9, wherein, when the engine
is in a hot state in which the temperature of coolant exceeds the
third temperature, the control unit controls the solenoid valve to
open all the first, second, and third passages.
11. The engine cooling system of claim 8, wherein: the first
passage is a coolant passage directed to the LP EGR cooler; and the
engine cooling system further comprises a flow control valve for
opening and closing a coolant passage through which some of the
coolant heated through the engine flows to the heater core.
12. The engine cooling system of claim 11, wherein, when the
temperature of coolant exceeds the first temperature and is less
than or equal to the second temperature, the control unit controls
the flow control valve such that some of the coolant heated through
the engine flows to the heater core.
13. The engine cooling system of claim 1, wherein the solenoid
valve is built in the outlet of the water pump.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to Korean Patent
Application No. 10-2018-0156338, filed on Dec. 6, 2018, which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
Field of the Disclosure
[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an engine
cooling system; and, particularly, to an engine cooling system
using a water pump and a solenoid valve.
Description of Related Art
[0003] In general, an engine cooling system for vehicles cools an
engine by a water-cooling method using coolant. To this end, as
disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-1786701, a water pump is used to
discharge the coolant stored in a coolant storage tank by rotating
a pump impeller and to supply the coolant to the constituent
components, such as a cylinder head, a cylinder block, and a
radiator, of an engine in an engine system.
[0004] Examples of the water pump include a mechanical water pump
that is driven in proportion to the number of revolutions of an
engine and an electronically variable water pump that is
electronically controllable according to the engine and
environmental factors regardless of the number of revolutions of
the engine. The mechanical water pump is disadvantageous in terms
of fuel efficiency because it cannot be controlled in various
manners according to the engine and environmental factors. On the
other hand, the variable water pump is disadvantageous in terms of
manufacturing costs and controllability because it uses a control
mechanism with a complex structure to control the flow rate.
[0005] FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 6 illustrate a conventional variable
control water pump and a cooling system using the same.
[0006] As illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B, in the case of the
conventional variable water pump, the flow of the coolant
discharged from the pump is controlled by a control unit, i.e., an
engine control unit (ECU) 250. The ECU 250 controls the degree of
closing of a shroud 2 using a solenoid valve 3 and a water pump
slide position sensor. Accordingly, when the engine is cold, the
flow of coolant is blocked for rapid warm-up as illustrated in FIG.
5A. After the warm-up, the flow of coolant is variably controlled
by controlling the degree of closing the shroud 2, as illustrated
in FIG. 5B.
[0007] In the cooling system illustrated in FIG. 6 using the
conventional variable water pump, the coolant discharged from a
coolant storage tank 500 by a water pump 100 is supplied to a
cylinder head 310 and a cylinder block 320 of an engine 300.
[0008] As described above, since the mechanical pump operates in
proportion to the number of revolutions of the engine, it is
impossible to actively control the flow of coolant.
[0009] The conventional variable water pump can improve fuel
efficiency since the flow rate is variably controllable. However,
the conventional variable water pump is problematic in that, due to
a complicated structure, it is difficult to secure durability and
it is costly to manufacture and subjected to restricted
installation space in the engine system and compartment.
[0010] Particularly, since only the flow of the coolant discharged
from the water pump 100 is controllable, it is impossible to
distribute the flow of the coolant discharged from the water pump
100. Accordingly, in order to separately cool the cylinder head 310
and the cylinder block 320 of the engine 300, a separate flow
control valve 40, such as a thermostat, should be provided at the
coolant outlet end of the engine 300.
SUMMARY
[0011] An embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to an
engine cooling system capable of rapidly and accurately controlling
a flow of coolant even without using an electronically variable
water pump having a complicated structure. The disclosed engine
cooling system is also capable of simultaneously controlling and
distributing the flow of the coolant discharged from a water pump
even without forming a flow distribution structure in a water pump
body.
[0012] Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure can
be understood by the following description and become apparent with
reference to the embodiments of the present disclosure. Also, it
will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art to which
the present disclosure pertains that the objects and advantages of
the present disclosure can be realized by the engine cooling system
as claimed and combinations thereof.
[0013] In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure,
an engine cooling system includes a water pump for supplying
coolant to an engine system, a plurality of coolant passages for
connecting the water pump to individual constituent components of
the engine system, a solenoid valve disposed between an outlet of
the water pump and corresponding inlets of the plurality of coolant
passages to integrally control a flow of coolant from the water
pump to the plurality of coolant passages, and a control unit for
controlling the solenoid valve.
[0014] The inlets of the respective plurality of coolant passages
may be adjacent to each other side by side in a width direction of
the outlet of the water pump. The inlets of the respective
plurality of coolant passages may be sequentially opened and closed
by moving a spool of the solenoid valve in the width direction,
thereby integrally controlling the flow of coolant from the water
pump to the plurality of coolant passages.
[0015] The plurality of coolant passages may have different widths
depending on the flow of coolant required to cool each
component.
[0016] The plurality of coolant passages may include a first
passage directed to a heater core or a low-pressure exhaust gas
recirculation (LP EGR) cooler, a second passage directed to a
cylinder head of an engine, and a third passage directed to a
cylinder block of the engine. The inlets of the respective first,
second, and third passages may be arranged so as to be opened in
order of the first, second, and third passages when the spool moves
in the width direction, thereby enabling the cylinder block and
cylinder head of the engine to be separately cooled with ease.
[0017] In consideration of the amount of coolant required to cool
each component, the widths of the first, second, and third passages
may be set such that the largest amount of coolant flows to the
cylinder head of the engine and the smallest amount of coolant
flows to the heater core or the LP EGR cooler.
[0018] The water pump used for the engine cooling system may be a
mechanical water pump or an electronically variable water pump.
[0019] When the engine is in a cold state in which the temperature
of coolant is less than or equal to a first temperature, the
control unit may control the solenoid valve to stop the operation
of the water pump or close all the first, second, and third
passages for rapid warm-up of the coolant, thereby stopping the
flow of coolant in the engine system.
[0020] When the engine is in a warm state in which the temperature
of coolant exceeds the first temperature and is less than or equal
to a second temperature, the control unit may control the solenoid
valve to first open the first passage in order to first supply the
coolant to the heater core or the LP EGR cooler.
[0021] When the engine is in a high-temperature state in which the
temperature of coolant exceeds the second temperature and is less
than or equal to a third temperature, the control unit may control
the solenoid valve to first open the first and second passages in
order to increase the flow of the coolant supplied to the cylinder
head.
[0022] When the engine is in a hot state in which the temperature
of coolant exceeds the third temperature, the control unit may
control the solenoid valve to open all the first, second, and third
passages in order to supply a large amount of coolant even to the
cylinder block.
[0023] When the first passage is a coolant passage directed to the
LP EGR cooler, the engine cooling system may further include a flow
control valve for opening and closing a coolant passage through
which some of the coolant heated through the engine flows to the
heater core.
[0024] When the temperature of coolant exceeds the first
temperature and is less than or equal to the second temperature,
the control unit may control the flow control valve such that some
of the coolant heated through the engine flows to the heater core
so as to be used to heat an interior of the vehicle.
[0025] The solenoid valve may be built in the outlet of the water
pump in order to reduce the amount of space occupied by the water
pump in the vehicle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an engine cooling system
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0027] FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating an engine system
to which an engine cooling system according to an embodiment of the
present disclosure is applied.
[0028] FIGS. 3A-3C are diagrams for explaining a method of
controlling and distributing a discharge flow rate of a water pump
100 according to the operation of a solenoid valve 200 in an engine
cooling system according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0029] FIGS. 4A-4E are diagrams illustrating a flow of coolant
according to the temperature of coolant in an engine cooling system
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0030] FIGS. 5A and 5B are views for explaining the operation of a
conventional electronically variable water pump.
[0031] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an engine cooling system to
which the conventional electronically variable water pump is
applied.
DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
[0032] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described below in
more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The
present disclosure may, however, be embodied in different forms and
should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth
herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this
disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the
scope of the present disclosure to those having ordinary skill in
the art. Throughout the disclosure, like reference numerals refer
to like parts throughout the various figures and embodiments of the
present disclosure.
[0033] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an engine cooling system
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0034] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the engine cooling system
according to the present disclosure includes a water pump 100, a
coolant passage 10 having a plurality of passages 11, 12, and 13,
and a solenoid valve 200.
[0035] The water pump 100 functions to discharge coolant from a
coolant storage tank 500 through an inlet 1 by rotating an impeller
110 and to supply the coolant to an engine 300 (see FIG. 2A) and
each constituent component of an engine system through an outlet
120. As the water pump 100, a mechanical water pump may be used
that rotates an impeller 110 by the driving force of a conventional
engine 300 or an electric water pump may be used that rotates an
impeller 110 by the driving force of an electric motor.
[0036] The solenoid valve 200 is provided at the outlet 120 of the
water pump 100. The solenoid valve 200 functions to distribute the
coolant discharged from the outlet 120 of the water pump 100 to a
plurality of coolant lines and to control the flow of coolant to
each of the coolant lines.
[0037] A housing 240 of the solenoid valve 200 is provided with an
electric motor 230 controlled by the control duty of an engine
control unit (ECU) 250, an actuator 220 for switching the rotary
motion of the electric motor 230 to a rectilinear motion, and a
spool 210 rectilinearly moved in the width direction of the coolant
passage 10 and the outlet 120 of the water pump 100 by the actuator
220.
[0038] The spool 210 is moved from its initial position (the
position illustrated in FIG. 1) to its maximum opening position
(see FIG. 3C) by the actuator 220. A portion of the spool 210 is
inserted into a spool hole 260 formed in the housing 240 of the
solenoid valve 200 at the maximum opening position as illustrated
in FIG. 3C. In order for the spool 210 to simultaneously close
inlets 11a, 12a, and 13a of the respective constituent passages 11,
12, and 13 of the coolant passage 10 when the spool 210 is at the
initial position, the spool 210 must have a larger width than the
sum of the widths of the inlets 11a, 12a, and 13a of the respective
passages 11, 12, and 13.
[0039] In an example illustrated in FIG. 1, the solenoid valve 200
is installed outside the outlet 120 of the water pump 100. In this
case, the conventional mechanical water pump or electronic water
pump is intactly usable in connection with the solenoid valve 200,
which is advantageous in terms of utilization of existing products.
However, the present disclosure is not limited to this embodiment,
and the solenoid valve 200 may be integrally formed in the outlet
of the water pump 100.
[0040] The outlet end of the solenoid valve 200 is provided with
the coolant passage 10, including the passages 11, 12, and 13,
through which coolant is delivered to each constituent component of
the engine system.
[0041] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2A, the coolant passage 10 includes
the first passage 11 directed toward an LP EGR cooler 700, the
second passage 12 directed toward the cylinder head 310 of the
engine 300, and the third passage 13 directed toward the cylinder
block 320 of the engine. The inlets 11a, 11b, and 11c of the
respective first, second, and third passages 11, 12, and 13 are
arranged side by side in the width direction of the coolant passage
10 and the outlet 120 of the water pump 100 when viewed from the
side. The inlets 11a, 11b, and 11c of the respective passages 11,
12, and 13 may be formed by partitioning the internal space of a
single integrated tube by partition walls. The passages 11, 12, and
13 have different widths or sizes depending on the flow of coolant
required to cool each component. With respect to the total
discharge amount of coolant from the water pump 100, in one
embodiment the width of the second passage 12 is set such that the
amount of the coolant toward the cylinder head 310 required for a
large amount of coolant is 65%, the width of the third passage 13
is set such that the amount of the coolant toward the cylinder
block 320 is 35%, and the width of the first passage 11 is set such
that the remaining amount of the coolant toward the LP EGR cooler
is 15%.
[0042] Although the coolant passage 10 is illustrated as having
three combined passages 11, 12, and 13 directed toward the LP EGR
cooler 700 and the cylinder head 310 and cylinder block 320 of the
engine 300 in FIGS. 1 and 2A, the present disclosure is not limited
thereto. The coolant passage 10 may have various numbers of
passages depending on the number of branched passages and
components to be cooled. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2B,
the first passage 11 may be directed to a heater core 710 instead
of the LP EGR cooler 700. An additional fourth passage 14 directed
to a high-pressure exhaust gas recirculation (HP EGR) cooler 620
may also be formed adjacent to the first passage 11 of the coolant
passage 10.
[0043] However, a passage through which coolant is first supplied
according to the temperature of the coolant, as described below,
must be disposed closest to the initial position of the spool 120.
Passages must also be arranged side by side in order of supply of
coolant according to the temperature of the coolant.
[0044] FIGS. 3A-3C are diagrams for explaining a method of
controlling and distributing a discharge flow rate of the water
pump 100 according to the operation of the solenoid valve 200 in
the engine cooling system of the present disclosure.
[0045] As described above, the width of the spool 210 is larger
than the sum of the widths of the inlets 11a, 12a, and 13a of the
respective passages 11, 12, and 13. Thus, in the state of FIG. 1 in
which the spool 210 is at the initial position, the inlets 11a,
12a, and 13a of the respective constituent passages 11, 12, and 13
of the coolant passage 10 are simultaneously closed by the spool
210.
[0046] As illustrated in FIG. 3A, when the motor 230 begins to
rotate by the control of the ECU 250, the spool 210 is
rectilinearly moved by a predetermined distance from the initial
position of the spool 210 to the left in the drawing by the
operation of the actuator 220. Thus, the first passage 11 disposed
at the leftmost position in the drawing is first opened. FIG. 3A
illustrates a state in which the solenoid valve 200 is controlled
to open only the first passage 11. In this state, coolant flows
only to the LP EGR cooler 700 connected to the first passage 11.
The flow of coolant to the first passage 11 may be regulated by
controlling the degree of opening of the inlet 11a of the first
passage 11 with the solenoid valve 200 according to the driving
state of the engine or the external environment.
[0047] When the motor 230 further rotates by the control of the ECU
250, the spool 210 is further rectilinearly moved by a
predetermined distance from the position illustrated in FIG. 3A to
the left in the drawing by the operation of the actuator 220. Thus,
the second passage 12 adjacent to the first passage 11 is opened.
FIG. 3B illustrates a state in which the solenoid valve 200 is
controlled to open the inlets 11a and 12a of the first and second
passages 11 and 12. In this state, coolant flows to the LP EGR
cooler 700 connected to the first passage 11 and the cylinder head
310 of the engine 300 connected to the second passage 12. In this
state, the flow of coolant to the second passage 12 may be
regulated by controlling the degree of opening of the inlet 12a of
the second passage 12 with the solenoid valve 200 according to the
driving state of the engine or the external environment.
[0048] When the motor 230 further rotates by the control of the ECU
250, the spool 210 is further rectilinearly moved by a
predetermined distance from the position illustrated in FIG. 3B to
the right in the drawing by the operation of the actuator 220.
Thus, the third passage 13 adjacent to the second passage 12 is
finally opened. In the state illustrated in FIG. 3C, coolant flows
to the LP EGR cooler 700 connected to the first passage 11, the
cylinder head 310 of the engine 300 connected to the second passage
12, and the cylinder block 320 connected to the third passage 13.
In this state, the flow of coolant to the third passage 13 may be
regulated by controlling the degree of opening of the inlet 13a of
the third passage 13 with the solenoid valve 200 according to the
driving state of the engine or the external environment. For
example, when the spool 210 is at the maximum opening position
illustrated in FIG. 3C, the flow of coolant to the third passage 13
is maximum.
[0049] As described below, coolant must be supplied to the LP EGR
cooler 700 or the heater core 710, from among the components of the
engine system, from when the engine is operated in a warm state. It
is necessary to supply coolant to the cylinder block 320 when the
engine is overheated so that the temperature of the coolant is
high. Accordingly, the opening timing of each passage and the flow
of coolant to each passage can be controlled by an integrated and
simple method of merely arranging three passages 11, 12, and 13,
which are directed to the LP EGR cooler 700 and the cylinder head
310 and cylinder block 320 of the engine 300, in the movement
direction of the spool 210 of the solenoid valve 200 and
controlling the rectilinear movement of the spool 210 as described
above.
[0050] FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating the engine system
to which the engine cooling system according to an embodiment of
the present disclosure is applied.
[0051] The engine system, which includes an engine 300, a radiator
400, a coolant storage tank 500, an oil cooler 610, an HP EGR
cooler 620, an LP EGR cooler 700, and a heater core 710, is cooled
by the engine cooling system.
[0052] In the engine system illustrated in FIG. 2A, the coolant
stored in the coolant storage tank 500 is pumped by the water pump
100 and flows to the LP EGR cooler 700 and the cylinder head 310
and cylinder block 320 of the engine 300 through first, second, and
third passages 11, 12, and 13, respectively, by the control of the
solenoid valve 200. The coolant introduced into the cylinder head
310 and cylinder block 320 of the engine 300 to cool the engine 300
is selectively supplied to the radiator 400, the oil cooler 610,
and the heater core 710 through a flow control valve 40 such as a
thermostat. The cylinder block 320 comprises a temperature sensor
30 and the flow control valve 40 comprises a temperature sensor 20
for measuring the temperature of cooling water or coolant.
[0053] Unlike the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2A, in the engine
system illustrated in FIG. 2B, the coolant supplied through the
first passage 11 is supplied to the heater core 710 and supplied to
the radiator through the fourth passage 14 additionally formed in
the coolant passage 10.
[0054] Here, the oil cooler 610 functions to cool or heat oil by
the coolant supplied thereto, and the heater core 710 functions to
heat the air inside the vehicle interior by the coolant supplied
thereto. The radiator 400 functions to discharge the heat of hot
coolant to the outside. The LP EGR cooler 700 and the HP EGR cooler
620 function to cool LP EGR gas and HP EGR gas, respectively,
before the gases are supplied to the intake system of the engine
300.
[0055] FIGS. 4A-4E are diagrams illustrating a flow of coolant
according to the temperature of coolant in the engine cooling
system of the present disclosure illustrated in FIG. 2A. The bold
line in the drawing refers to a portion in which coolant flows.
[0056] FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating a flow of coolant when the
engine 300 is operated under a cold condition. When the temperature
of coolant is less than or equal to a first temperature, namely in
the cold state of the engine (e.g., the temperature of coolant is
about 50.degree. C. or less), it is necessary to increase the
temperature of the coolant as fast as possible by stopping the flow
of the coolant for rapid warm-up. Accordingly, the ECU 250 stops
the operation of the water pump 100 or controls the solenoid valve
200 to close the entire coolant passage 10 and stop the flow of
coolant in the engine system.
[0057] FIG. 4B is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow of
coolant when the operating condition of the engine is changed from
a cold condition to a warm condition. This is a state in which the
temperature of coolant exceeds a first temperature and is less than
or equal to a second temperature (e.g., higher than 50.degree. C.
and less than or equal to 90.degree. C.). In this state, it is
necessary to recover exhaust heat by sending coolant to the LP EGR
cooler 700, but it is necessary to block supply of coolant to the
cylinder head 310 and cylinder block 320 of the engine 300 for
rapid warm-up of the engine 300. Accordingly, the ECU 250 controls
the solenoid valve 200 to be in the state illustrated in FIG. 3A.
That is, the solenoid valve 200 is controlled such that the spool
210 is positioned at a position where the first passage 11 is
opened and the second and third passages 12 and 13 are closed. As a
result, it is possible to reduce friction and improve fuel
efficiency when the engine 300 warms up.
[0058] When the temperature of coolant is in a warm state, the
heater core 710 is in an operable state. In this case, coolant, the
temperature of which is increased, is supplied to the heater core
710 for an improvement in heating performance and fuel efficiency.
When the temperature of coolant is in the warm state, the
temperature of oil is relatively low. In this case, the temperature
of coolant is increased and the coolant is supplied to the oil
cooler 610 in order to reduce the friction in the engine and
improve fuel efficiency and engine performance.
[0059] Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 4C, coolant is delivered
even to the oil cooler 610 and the heater core 710 using the
separate flow control valve 40, such as a thermostat, when the
operating condition of the engine is changed from the cold
condition to the warm condition. If one of the constituent passages
of the coolant passage 10 is connected to the heater core 710 as
illustrated in FIG. 2B, it is possible to supply coolant to the
heater core 710 by controlling the solenoid valve 200.
[0060] According to the driving state of the engine and the
external environment, the solenoid valve 200 is controlled such
that coolant flows to the cylinder head 310 under the warm
condition as illustrated in FIG. 4C. That is, the solenoid valve
200 is controlled such that the spool 210 is at a position where
the first and second passages 11 and 12 are opened and the third
passage 13 is closed. As a result, it is possible to effectively
cool the engine 300.
[0061] FIG. 4D is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow of
coolant when the operating condition of the engine is changed from
a warm condition to a high-temperature condition. This is a state
in which the temperature of coolant exceeds a second temperature
and is less than or equal to a third temperature (e.g., higher than
90.degree. C. and less than or equal to 105.degree. C.). In this
state, the ECU 250 controls the solenoid valve 200 to rapidly cool
coolant by supplying the coolant to the radiator 400 through the
flow control valve 40 while supplying a large amount of coolant to
the cylinder head 310. That is, the solenoid valve 200 is
controlled such that the spool 210 is at a position where the inlet
12a of the second passage 12 is further opened.
[0062] FIG. 4E is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow of
coolant when the operating condition of the engine is changed from
a high-temperature condition to a hot condition. This is a state in
which the temperature of coolant exceeds a third temperature (e.g.,
higher than 105.degree. C.). When the temperature of coolant is in
the hot state higher than that in FIG. 4D, the ECU 250 controls the
solenoid valve 200 to supply a large amount of coolant even to the
cylinder block 320. That is, the solenoid valve 200 is controlled
such that the spool 210 is at a position where the inlet 13a of the
third passage 13 is opened as illustrated in FIG. 3C.
[0063] In the engine cooling system according to the present
disclosure, it is possible to separately cool the cylinder head and
cylinder block of the engine through simpler structure and control
and to integrally control the flow distribution to the LP EGR
cooler, the heater cooler, or the oil cooler.
[0064] In accordance with the engine cooling system of the present
disclosure, it is possible to variably control the outlet flow rate
of the water pump through simple structure and control compared to
the electronically variable water pump. Therefore, it is
advantageous in terms of durability and manufacturing costs.
[0065] In addition, the present disclosure can simultaneously
control and distribute the outlet flow rate of the water pump,
unlike the electronically variable water pump, thereby achieving a
reduction in fuel efficiency and an improvement in performance.
[0066] In addition, it is possible to separately cool the cylinder
head and cylinder block of the engine through simpler structure and
control and to integrally control the flow distribution to the LP
EGR cooler, the heater cooler, or the oil cooler.
[0067] In addition, since the solenoid valve is provided outside
the body of the water pump to control and distribute the flow of
coolant, the conventional water pump can be applied as-is and it is
also possible to use the mechanical water pump as well as the
electronically variable water pump.
[0068] While the present disclosure has been described with respect
to the specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those having
ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications
may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
disclosure as defined in the following claims.
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