GB2127487A

GB2127487A - Coolant heat exchanger arrangement on a lubricant cooled i.c. engine

Info

Publication number: GB2127487A
Application number: GB08325585A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mario Brighigna
Original assignee: STABILIMENTI MECCANICI VM SpA
Current assignee: STABILIMENTI MECCANICI VM SpA
Priority date: 1982-09-23
Filing date: 1983-09-23
Publication date: 1984-04-11
Also published as: GB8325585D0; IT8223010V0; DE8327406U1; JPS5988214U; BE897813A; FR2533624A1

Abstract

The heat exchanger 20 is mounted adjacent the cylinder head 11 at the outlet of a casing 18 which houses the flywheel 14. Flywheel vanes 15, 17, draw air into the casing 18 and direct it to the heat exchanger 20 which receives lubricant after passage through the cylinder cooling chamber 22. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An internal combustion engine with low-bulk heat-dissipation system In internal combustion engines, heat is removed from the walls of the combustion chambers by circulation of special coolants.

For the cooling of internal combustion engines a special fluid, for example water, is generally used to carry heat from the engine to a radiator which acts as an exchanger with the external atmosphere.

It has also been proposed to use the engine lube-oil itself as coolant, this bringing a variety of advantages as to the operation and structure of the engine.

However, such last-mentioned method entails passages between engine and radiator and the installing means adapted to rotate forced draught cooling fans.

All such factors increase the bulk and weight of the engine, and entail an increased cooling system volume calling for corresponding quantities of fluid.

The chief object of the present invention is to eliminate the aforesaid disadvantages and to embody an engine which comprises the cooling unit fitted thereon, thus producing a compact whole.

To attain this object the present invention embodies an internal combustion engine in which a pump supplies a pressurized fluid both to the cooling system and to the lubrication system, the said fluid being cooled by a heat exchange, characterized in that a centrifugal type vane rotor is solid with the engine crankshaft and is housed within a casing connected to the cylinder block, in which casing is formed a conveyor of air to the said heat exchanger which is positioned and supported on the upper end of said casing in the vicinity of the cylinder head.

The structural and functional characteristics of the present invention will be more clearly comprehended from the following description referred to the attached schematic drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a split schematic elevation of an oil-cooled engine with which a fan and a radiator according to the invention are combined; FIGURE 2 is a schematic plan view of said engine, and FIGURE 3 is a lateral view of the engine in the direction of the arrow F of FIGURE 1, where the positioning of the fan is shown.

With reference to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows an engine comprising a cylinder block 10 with cylinder liners and a cylinder head 11. The cylinder block 10, which is closed on its lower side by a sump 12, supports a crankshaft 13 with crankshaft bearings, which has at its extremity a flywheel 14 to which vanes 1 5 are fitted.

A closed centrifugal type vaned rotor 1 7 is stably connected to the flywheel 14.

Both the flywheel 14 and the rotor 1 7 are housed in a casing 18, connected to the cylinder block, which forms an air inlet 1 6 and the upper end 1 9 of which, shaped as an outlet conveyor, supports a heat exchanger 20.

The cooling oil, after being passed through the jacket 22 surrounding the cylinder, reaches the said exchanger 20 through a gallery 21.

The said oil contained in the sump 12 is in fact sent to the main oil gallery 24 and to the cooling circuit gallery 25, by a pump 23, in this latter case after passing through the pressure release valve 26, which ensures that the lubrication pressure is maintained as required.

A second oilway 27 allows return of the cooled oil leaving the exchanger 20 to the underlying sump 12.

As they are per se known in this type of application, the characteristics and components of the lubrication and cooling systems are not here described in detail.

The pump 23 draws the oil from the sump 12 and sends a portion of it to the lubrication system through the gallery 24.

The remaining part of the oil supplied by the pump 23 through the pressure release valve 26 and through the gallery 25 is sent to the jacket 22 surrounding the cylinders in order to remove heat.

The cooling oil then goes to the cylinder head 11 and, through the gallery 21 enters the exchanger 20, flow being regulated by suitable known thermostat means.

The vanes 1 5 and 1 7 solid with the crankshaft 13 send forced draught cooling air to the exchanger 20 through the conveyor 1 9.

The oil cooled in this way leaves the exchanger 20 through the oilway 27 and returns to the sump 12 for re-pumping into the lubrication system.

As this example of embodiment according to the invention makes evident, the engine so obtained is highly compact. This is achieved by positioning the cooling fan directly on the crankshaft and by placing the exchanger adjacent to the cylinder head, thus minimizing the bulk and volume of the cooling system galleries and oilways.

The embodiment described can have a large number of mechanically equivalent variants, in particular in order to adapt it to different engine configurations.

1. An internal combustion engine in which a pump supplies pressurized fluid both to the cooling system and to the lubrication system, said liquid being cooled by a heat exchanger, characterized in that a centrifugal type vaned rotor is solid with the engine crankshaft and is housed within a casing, connected to the cylinder block, in which casing is formed a conveyor of air to the said exchanger which is positioned and supported on the upper end of the said casing close to the cylinder head.

2. An engine according to Claim 1, characterized in that said rotor is structurally combined with a flywheel constituting a discoid element for at least partial support of the vaning.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION An internal combustion engine with low-bulk heat-dissipation system In internal combustion engines, heat is removed from the walls of the combustion chambers by circulation of special coolants. For the cooling of internal combustion engines a special fluid, for example water, is generally used to carry heat from the engine to a radiator which acts as an exchanger with the external atmosphere. It has also been proposed to use the engine lube-oil itself as coolant, this bringing a variety of advantages as to the operation and structure of the engine. However, such last-mentioned method entails passages between engine and radiator and the installing means adapted to rotate forced draught cooling fans. All such factors increase the bulk and weight of the engine, and entail an increased cooling system volume calling for corresponding quantities of fluid. The chief object of the present invention is to eliminate the aforesaid disadvantages and to embody an engine which comprises the cooling unit fitted thereon, thus producing a compact whole. To attain this object the present invention embodies an internal combustion engine in which a pump supplies a pressurized fluid both to the cooling system and to the lubrication system, the said fluid being cooled by a heat exchange, characterized in that a centrifugal type vane rotor is solid with the engine crankshaft and is housed within a casing connected to the cylinder block, in which casing is formed a conveyor of air to the said heat exchanger which is positioned and supported on the upper end of said casing in the vicinity of the cylinder head. The structural and functional characteristics of the present invention will be more clearly comprehended from the following description referred to the attached schematic drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a split schematic elevation of an oil-cooled engine with which a fan and a radiator according to the invention are combined; FIGURE 2 is a schematic plan view of said engine, and FIGURE 3 is a lateral view of the engine in the direction of the arrow F of FIGURE 1, where the positioning of the fan is shown. With reference to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows an engine comprising a cylinder block 10 with cylinder liners and a cylinder head 11. The cylinder block 10, which is closed on its lower side by a sump 12, supports a crankshaft 13 with crankshaft bearings, which has at its extremity a flywheel 14 to which vanes 1 5 are fitted. A closed centrifugal type vaned rotor 1 7 is stably connected to the flywheel 14. Both the flywheel 14 and the rotor 1 7 are housed in a casing 18, connected to the cylinder block, which forms an air inlet 1 6 and the upper end 1 9 of which, shaped as an outlet conveyor, supports a heat exchanger 20. The cooling oil, after being passed through the jacket 22 surrounding the cylinder, reaches the said exchanger 20 through a gallery 21. The said oil contained in the sump 12 is in fact sent to the main oil gallery 24 and to the cooling circuit gallery 25, by a pump 23, in this latter case after passing through the pressure release valve 26, which ensures that the lubrication pressure is maintained as required. A second oilway 27 allows return of the cooled oil leaving the exchanger 20 to the underlying sump 12. As they are per se known in this type of application, the characteristics and components of the lubrication and cooling systems are not here described in detail. The pump 23 draws the oil from the sump 12 and sends a portion of it to the lubrication system through the gallery 24. The remaining part of the oil supplied by the pump 23 through the pressure release valve 26 and through the gallery 25 is sent to the jacket 22 surrounding the cylinders in order to remove heat. The cooling oil then goes to the cylinder head 11 and, through the gallery 21 enters the exchanger 20, flow being regulated by suitable known thermostat means. The vanes 1 5 and 1 7 solid with the crankshaft 13 send forced draught cooling air to the exchanger 20 through the conveyor 1 9. The oil cooled in this way leaves the exchanger 20 through the oilway 27 and returns to the sump 12 for re-pumping into the lubrication system. As this example of embodiment according to the invention makes evident, the engine so obtained is highly compact. This is achieved by positioning the cooling fan directly on the crankshaft and by placing the exchanger adjacent to the cylinder head, thus minimizing the bulk and volume of the cooling system galleries and oilways. The embodiment described can have a large number of mechanically equivalent variants, in particular in order to adapt it to different engine configurations. CLAIMS

3. An internal combustion engine having a lubricating system, a cooling system incorporating a heat exchanger disposed adjacent the cylinder head, a pump for supplying a liquid to the lubricating system and to the cooling system, and a vaned rotor mounted on the engine crankshaft and housed within a casing adjacent the cylinder block, for drawing air into the casing and directing it towards the heat exchanger.

4. An internal combustion engine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.