GB2490939A - A Filtration and Cooling Module for an Engine Fluid - Google Patents

Abstract

A filtration and cooling module for an engine fluid, such as a lubricant, has a monolithic body 510 that incorporates an engine fluid inlet port 511 and a fluid outlet port 516. A conduit 512 connects the first inlet port to a tube bundle inlet port 521, and a further conduit connects a tube bundle outlet port 522 to a cavity 514 that can accommo­date a filter cartridge 530. The filter cartridge divides the cavity into a first chamber 518 and a second chamber 519, the second chamber communicating with the fluid outlet port on the monolithic body. The filtration and cooling module may be fixed to an engine body 121 such that the tube bundle is accommodated inside an engine body cavity 540. The engine body may include a coolant inlet port 541 and a coolant outlet port 542. In use, coolant flows within the cavity for heat exchange with the tube bundle. Engine fluid, such as a lubricant, passes through the tube bundle for heat exchange before passing through the filtering element so as to be filtered.

Description

WADULE FOR DITERNA.L CflUSTflT ENGINE IEQUIIaL FIED The present invention relates to a constructional module of an inter-nal combustion engine, in particular an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, such as for example a Diesel engine or a gasoline engine.

A conventional internal combustion engine comprises an engine block including a plurality of cylinders, each of which accommodates a re-ciprocating piston and is closed by a cylinder head that cooperates with the piston to define a combustion chamber. The pistons are coupled to a crankshaft, so that the reciprocating movements of the pistons is transformed in rotations of the crankshaft and vice versa.

The crankshaft is supported by a crankcase or by a bedplate that is fixed at the bottom of the engine block.

The internal combustion engine further comprises a lubrication system suitable for lubricating the rotating or sliding components of the engine.

The lubrication system generally comprises an oil pump driven by the engine crankshaft, which draws lubricating oil from an oil sunip that is fixed beneath the crankcase or bedplate, and delivers it under pressure to a main oil gallery that is realized in the engine block.

The main oil gallery is connected via respective channels with a plu- rality of exit holes so that the lubricating oil can lubricate crank- shaft bearings (main bearings and big-end bearings), camshaft bear-ings operating the valves, tappets, and many other engine components, before returning in the oil sump.

The lubrication system further comprises an oil cooler located be- tween the oil pump and the main gallery, which is designed for cool-ing the lubricating oil, and an oil filter located between the oil cooler and the main gallery, which is designed for removing contarrii-nants from the lubricating oil.

The oil filter schematically comprises a cup-shaped external casing having an oil inlet and an oil outlet, and a filter cartridge accom- modated inside the cup-shaped external casing, which divides the in-ternal volume thereof into a first chamber communicating with the oil inlet and a second chamber communicating with the oil outlet. The filter cartridge usually comprises a cylindrical filtering element, made of filtering material, which is held by a support lid that is provided for closing the cup-shaped external casing. The filter car-tridge is entirely removable from the cup-shaped external casing, thereby allowing a simple replacement of the filtering element when it is clogged.

The oil cooler schematically comprises an external casing having an inlet and an outlet for a coolant, and a tube bundle accommodated in- side the external casing, which in its turn has an inlet and an out-let for the lubricating oil, so that the lubricating oil flowing in the tube bundle is cooled by the coolant flowing inside the external casing.

The oil filter and the oil cooler generally have the drawback of re-quiring many external pipes and hydraulic connections to be connected with each other and with the other corronents of the lubrication sys- tern, thereby increasing the pressure drop as well as the service in-terventions due to possible oil leakages.

In addition, due to their overall dimensions, the oil filter and the oil cooler occupy a not negligible space within the engine corupart- ment of the motor vehicle, thereby causing packaging problems espe-cially in case of small sized motor vehicle equipped with small sized internal combustion engine.

An object of an embodiment of the present invention is therefore to solve, or at least to positively reduce, the above mentioned draw-backs related to the oil filter and the oil cooler. Mother object is to reach this goal with a simple, rational and rather inexpensive so-lution.

DISOSURE

These and other objects are achieved by the features of the embodi-ments of the invention as presented in the independent claims. The dependent claims recite preferred or particularly advantageous as-pects of the various embodiments of the invention.

In particular, an embodiment of the invention provides a module for an internal combustion engine, comprising a monolithic body that in-corporates: a first inlet port for an engine fluid, a first outlet port suitable to be connected with an inlet port of a tube bundle, a conduit connecting the first inlet port with the first outlet port, a second inlet port suitable to be connected with an outlet port of the tube bundle, a second outlet port for the engine fluid, and a cavity connecting the second inlet port to the second outlet port, wherein the cavity is suitable for accommodating a filter cartridge so that the filter cartridge divides an inner volume of the cavity in a first chamber in con-rnunication with the second inlet port and a second chamber in cormmunication with the second outlet port.

The monolithic body according to this embodiment of the invention ad- vantageously allows to realize a very compact module, which inte-grates both the oil cooling and the oil cleaning functions, and which is easy to assemble and to service.

In particular, this monolithic body advantageously reduces the number of external pipes and hydraulic connections needed to connect the oil cooler and the oil filter, thereby reducing the oil leakages and thus the service interventions.

In addition, the monolithic body reduces the overall dimensions of the oil cooler and the oil filter, thereby improving their packaging within the engine compartment.

According to an aspect of the embodiment of the invention, the module can advantageously furnished with the filter cartridge already accom- modated into the cavity of the monolithic body, so that the inner vo-lume of the cavity is divided by the filter cartridge in the first and the second chaither; and/or it can be furnished with the tube bun-dle already fixed to the monolithic body, so that the inlet port of the tube bundle is connected to the first outlet port of the mono-lithic body and the outlet port of the tube bundle is connected to the second inlet of the monolithic body.

This aspect of the invention has the advantage to provide an inclu- sive cooling and filtering module, which can be assembled, sold, in- stalled and serviced as a whole, thereby attaining production siripli-fication and cost saving.

Another embodiment of the invention provides an internal combustion engine assembly, comprising an engine body and the module fixed to the engine body, wherein the engine body incorporates an inlet port for a coolant, an outlet port for the coolant, and a cavity connect-ing the inlet port and the outlet port, and wherein the module is fixed to the engine body so that the tube bundle is accorrmodated in-side the engine body cavity.

According to an aspect of the invention, the above named engine body can be an engine crankcase or bedplate.

In this way, the cooling and filtering module is advantageously inte-grated in the engine body, e.g. in the crankcase or bedplate, thereby further simplifying its packaging within the engine compartment of the motor vehicle.

In addition, this solution does not requires external pipes and hy-draulic connections to connect the cooling and filtering module to the internal combustion engine, and also reduces the overall length of the lubrication circuit within the internal combustion engine, thereby reduoing pressure drops and improving both the lubrication circuit reliability and efficiency (leading to engine pollutant emis-sion reduction effects).

Still another embodiment of the invention provides a motor vehicle equipped with the internal combustion engine assembly described above.

This motor vehicle has the advantage of enjoying the benefits due to the cooling and filtering module integrated in the engine body (e.g. crankcase or bedplate).

BRIEF DESCRIPTICV OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows an automotive system of a motor vehicle.

Figure 2 is the section 11-Il of an internal combustion engine be-longing to the automotive system of figure 1.

Figure 3 is a prospective view of a cooling and filtering module ac-cording to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4 the section IV-IV of the cooling and filtering module of figure 3, when assembled to an engine bedplate.

Figure 5 is the section v-v of the assembly of figure 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTICfl As shown in Figures 1 and 2, some embodiments may include a motor ve- hicle 10 that comprises an automotive system 100 equipped with an in-ternal combustion engine (ICE) 110.

The ICE 110 comprises an assembly of various metal casting bodies, including a engine block 120, a cylinder head 130 fixed on top of the engine block 120, a bedplate 121 fixed at the bottom of the engine block 120, and an oil surnp 122 fixed at the bottom of the bedplate 121.

The engine block 120 defines at least one cylinder 125 having a reci-procating piston 140 coupled to rotate a crankshaft 145. As shown in Figure 2 and Figure 5, the supports of the crankshaft 145 are rea- lized partially in the lower portion of the engine block 120 and par-is tially in the bedplate 121.

The cylinder head 130 cooperates with the piston 140 to define a com-bustion chamber 150. A fuel and air mixture (not shown) is disposed in the combustion charter 150 and ignited, resulting in hot expanding exhaust gasses causing reciprocal movement of the piston 140. The fuel is provided by at least one fuel injector 160 and the air through at least one intake port 210. The fuel is provided at high pressure to the fuel injector 160 from a fuel rail 170 in fluid com-munication with a high pressure fuel pump 180 that increases the pressure of the fuel received from a fuel source 190. Each of the cy-linders 125 has at least two valves 215, actuated by a camshaft 135 rotating in time with the crankshaft 145. The valves 215 selectively allow air into the combustion chamber 150 from the port 210 and al- ternately allow exhaust gases to exit through a port 220. In some ex-arnples, a cain phaser 155 may selectively vary the timing between the camshaft 135 and the crankshaft 145.

The air may be distributed to the air intake port(s) 210 through an intake manifold 200. An air intake duct 205 may provide air from the ambient environment to the intake manifold 200. In other embodiments, a throttle body 330 may be provided to regulate the flow of air into the manifold 200. In still other embodiments, a forced air system such as a turbocharger 230, having a compressor 240 rotationally coupled to a turbine 250, may be provided. Rotation of the compressor 240 increases the pressure and temperature of the air in the duct 205 and manifold 200. An intercooler 260 disposed in the duct 205 may re-duce the temperature of the air. The turbine 250 rotates by receiving exhaust gases from an exhaust manifold 225 that directs exhaust gases from the exhaust ports 220 and through a series of vanes prior to ex-pansion through the turbine 250. The exhaust gases exit the turbine 250 and are directed into an exhaust system 270. This example shows a variable geometry turbine (VGT) with a VGT actuator 290 arranged to move the vanes to alter the flow of the exhaust gases through the turbine 250. In other embodiments, the turbocharger 230 may be fixed geometry and/or include a waste gate.

The exhaust system 270 may include an exhaust pipe 275 having one or more exhaust aftertreatment devices 280. The aftertreatment devices may be any device configured to change the composition of the exhaust gases. Some examples of aftertreatment devices 280 include, but are not limited to, catalytic converters (two and three way), oxidation catalysts, lean NOx traps, hydrocarbon adsorbers, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems, and particulate filters. Other embodiments may include an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system 300 coupled be-tween the exhaust manifold 225 and the intake manifold 200. The EGR system 300 may include an EGR cooler 310 to reduce the temperature of the exhaust gases in the EGR system 300. Pn EGR valve 320 regulates a flow of exhaust gases in the EGR system 300.

The automotive system 100 may further include an electronic control unit (ECU) 450 in conirnunication with one or more sensors and/or de- vices associated with the ICE 110. The ECU 450 may receive input sig- nals from varicus sensors configured to generate the signals in pro-portion to various physical parameters associated with the ICE 110.

The sensors include, but are not limited to, a mass airflow and tem-perature sensor 340, a manifold pressure and temperature sensor 350, a combustion pressure sensor 360, coolant and oil temperature and level sensors 380, a fuel rail pressure sensor 400, a cam position sensor 410, a crank position sensor 420, exhaust pressure and temper-ature sensors 430, an EGR temperature sensor 440, and an accelerator pedal position sensor 445. Furthermore, the ECU 450 may generate out-put signals to various control devices that are arranged to control the operation of the ICE 110, including, but not limited to, the fuel injectors 160, the throttle body 330, the EGR Valve 320, the VGT ac-tuator 290, and the cam phaser 155. Note, dashed lines are used to indicate corimunication between the ECU 450 and the various sensors and devices, but some are omitted for clarity.

Turning now to the ECU 450, this apparatus may include a digital cen-tral processing unit (CPU) in coirmunication with a memory system 460 and an interface bus. The CPU is configured to execute instructions stored as a program in the memory system 460, and send and receive signals to/from the interface bus. The memory system 460 may include various storage types including optical storage, magnetic storage, solid state storage, and other non-volatile memory. The interface bus may be configured to send, receive, and modulate analog and/or digi-tal signals to/from the various sensors and control devices.

The automotive system 100 further comprises a lubrication circuit suitable for lubricating the most of the rotating or sliding compo-nents of the ICE 110.

The lubrication circuit conventionally comprises an oil pump (not shown) driven by the crankshaft 145, for example a variable displace-ment oil pump (VDOP), which draws a lubricating oil from the oil surnp 122 and delivers it under pressure through a plurality of intercon-nected channels realized in the bedplate 121, engine block 120 and cylinder head 130.

In particular, the engine block 120 contains a main oil gallery (not shown), which receives the pressurized oil coming from the oil pump and delivers it, via respective channels, to a plurality of exit holes provided for the oil to lubricate crankshaft bearings (main bearings and big-end bearings), camshaft bearings operating the valves 215, tappets, and the like.

The main oil gallery is also generally connected with other important engine devices that necessitate of being lubricated, such as for ex-ample the turbocharger 230.

After having lubricated the various movable components of the ICE 110, the lubricating oil returns into the oil sump 122, thereby clos-ing the lubrication circuit.

According to an embodiment, the lubrication circuit further comprises an oil cooling and filtering module 500, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, which is hydraulically located between the oil pump and the main gal-lery.

The cooling and filtering module 500 essentially comprises a metal casting monolithic body 510, a tube bundle 520 and a filter cartridge 530.

As shown in Figure 4, the monolithic body 510 is machined so as to incorporate a first inlet port 511, an internal conduit 512 connect-ing the first inlet port 511 to a first outlet port 513, a cup-shaped cavity 514, a second inlet port 515 leading into the cup-shaped cavi-ty 514 and a second outlet port 516 leading out from the cup-shaped cavity 514.

The inlet ports 511, 515 and the outlet ports 513, 516 opens onto a flat surface 517 facing in the opposite direction with respect to the cup-shaped cavity 514.

The tube bundle 520 comprises an inlet port 521, an outlet port 522 and a stack of flat shaped tubes 523, mutually parallel and superim-posed, each of which is in communication with the inlet port 521 and the outlet port 522.

The tube bundle 520 is fixed on the flat surface 517 of the monolith-ic body 510, so that its inlet port 521 is in direct communication with the first outlet port 513 of the monolithic body 510, and its outlet port 522 is in direct communication with the second inlet port 515 of the monolithic body 510.

Gaskets can be provided to prevent leakages of lubricating oil from the hydraulic connections between the monolithic body 510 and the tube bundle 520.

The filter cartridge 530 comprises a cylindrical filtering element 531, made of filtering material such as for example a mass of non- woven polymeric fibers, and a supporting lid 532 that holds the fil-tering element 531.

The filter cartridge 530 is inserted in the cup-shaped cavity 514 of the monolithic body 510, so that the filtering element 531 is com-pletely accommodated therein while the supporting lid 532 closes the opening thereof.

More particularly, the supporting lid 532 is configured so that the inner volume of the cup-shaped cavity 514 is divided by the filtering element 531 in two separated chambers, including a first charter 518, defined outside the filtering element 531, which is in direct commu-nication with the second inlet port 515 of the monolithic body 510, and a second chamber 519, partially defined inside the filtering ele-ment 531, which is direct communication with the second outlet port 516 of the monolithic body 510.

Gaskets are provided between the supporting lid 532 and the cup-shaped cavity 514, for preventing leakages of lubricating oil from the first chamber 518 to the second chamber 519, and from the second chamber 519 to the outside.

As a consequence, the lubricating oil can flow from the first chanter 518 to the second chanter 519 only through the cylindrical filtering element 531.

The filter cartridge 532 is removable from the monolithic body 510 so as to allow a simple replacement of the filtering element 531, when it is clogged.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the cooling and filtering module 500 is coupled to the bedplate 121, thereby defining an internal combustion engine assembly 505.

In this regard, the bedplate 121 incorporates a cavity or slot 540, an inlet port 541 leading into the cavity 540, and an outlet port 542 leading out from the cavity 540. The cavity 540 opens on a lower flat surface 543 of the bedplate 121, which faces inside the oil sump 122.

The cooling and filtering module 500 is fixed to the bedplate 121, so that the tube bundle 520 is accorrrnodated inside the cavity 540, whe-reas the flat surface 517 of the monolithic body 510 rests against the lower flat surface 543 of the bedplate 121, closing the cavity 540.

The inlet port 541 and the outlet port 542 are in corrrnunication with a cooling circuit (not shown), so that a coolant flows in the cavity 540 lapping on the tube bundle 520.

Gasket can be interposed between the bedplate 121 and the cooling and filtering module 500 to prevent leakages of lubricating oil from the cavity 540.

The bedplate 121 further incorporates a first connecting conduit 544 that is in direct conirnunication with the first inlet port 511 of the monolithic body 510, so as to connect the first inlet port 511 with the oil punip, and a second connecting conduit 545 that is in direct corrununication with the second outlet port 516 of the monolithic body 510, so as to connect the second outlet port 516 to the main oil gal-lery.

Gaskets can be provided to prevent leakages of lubricating oil from these hydraulic connections between the bedplate 121 and the cooling and filtering module 500.

in this way, the lubricating oil coming from the first connecting conduit 544 enters the first inlet port 511 and is guided by the in-ternal conduit 512 into the tube bundle 520, where it is cooled by the coolant that flows in the cavity 540 from the inlet port 541 to the outlet port 542.

Once the lubricating oil exits the tube bundle 520, it enters the second inlet port 515 of the monolithic body 510 and it is guided thereby into the first chamber 518 of the cup-shaped cavity 514. The lubricating oil is then forced to pass through the filtering element 531, so as to be filtered before reaching the second chamber 519.

From the second chamber 519 the lubricating oil finally flows through the second outlet port 516 of the monolithic body 510, and it is guided by the second connecting conduit 545 toward the main oil gal-lery.

It should be noted that, in other internal combustion engines, the bedplate 121 and the lower portion of the engine block 120 as shown in figure 5 can be realized as a single metal casting body, globally indicated as 123, which is named crankcase and is separated from the engine block 120.

In this cases, the crankcase 123 can be provided with all the fea-tures of the bedplate 121 described above, so as to allow the cooling and filtering module 500 to be coupled therewith.

While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing surrnary and detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only exam- ples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or con- figuration in any way. Rather, the forgoing surrmary and detailed de-scription will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing at least one exemplary embodiment, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and ar-rangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope as set forth in the appended claims and in their legal equivalents.

REF.EMcES motor vehicle automotive system 110 internal combustion engine engine block 121 bedplate 122 oil sump 123 crankcase 125 cylinder cylinder head camshaft piston crankshaft 150 combustion chamber cain phaser fuel injector fuel rail fuel pump 190 fuel source intake manifold 205 air intake duct 210 intake port 215 valves 220 port 225 exhaust manifold 230 turbocharger 240 compressor 250 turbine 260 intercooler 270 exhaust system 275 exhaust pipe 280 aftertreatment devices 290 VGT actuator 300 exhaust gas recirculation system 310 EGR cooler 320 EGR valve 330 throttle body 340 mass airflow and temperature sensor 350 manifold pressure and temperature sensor 360 combustion pressure sensor 380 coolant and oil temperature and level sensors 400 fuel rail pressure sensor 410 cam position sensor 420 crank position sensor 430 exhaust pressure and temperature sensors 440 EGH temperature sensor 445 accelerator pedal position sensor 450 ECU 460 memory system 500 cooling and filtering module 505 internal combustion engine assembly 510 monolithic body 511 first inlet port 512 internal conduit 513 first outlet port 514 cup-shaped cavity 515 second inlet port 516 second outlet pert 517 flat surface 518 first chamber 519 second chamber 520 tube bundle 521 inlet port 522 outlet port 523 tube 530 filter cartridge 531 filtering element 532 supporting lid 540 cavity 541 inlet port 542 outlet port 543 flat surface 544 first connecting conduit 545 second connecting conduit aan

Claims (7)

1. A module (500) for an internal combustion engine (110), compris-ing a monolithic body (510) that incorporates: a first inlet port (511) for an engine fluid, a first outlet port (513) suitable to be connected with an inlet port (521) of a tube bundle (520), a conduit (512) connecting the first inlet port (511) with the first outlet port (513), a second inlet port (515) suitable to be connected with an outlet port (522) of the tube bundle (520), a second outlet port (516) for the engine fluid, and a cavity (514) connecting the second inlet port (515) to the second outlet port (516), wherein the cavity (514) is suitable for accommodating a filter cartridge (530) so that the filter cartridge (530) divides an inner volume of the cavity (514) in a first chamber (518) in communication with the second inlet port (515) and a second chain-ber (519) in communication with the second outlet port (516).

2. A module (500) according to claim 1, comprising the filter car-tridge (530) accommodated into the cavity (514) of the monolithic body (510), so that the inner volume of the cavity (514) is di-vided by the filter cartridge (530) in the first (518) and the second chamber (519).

3. A module (530) according to claim 1 or 2, comprising the tube bundle (520) fixed to the monolithic body (510), so that the in-let port (521) of the tube bundle (520) is connected to the first outlet port (513) of the monolithic body (510) and the outlet port (522) of the tube bundle (520) is connected to the second inlet port (515) of the monolithic body (510).

4. An internal combustion engine assembly (505), comprising an en-gine body (121, 123) and a module (500) according to any of the preceding claims fixed to the engine body (121, 123), wherein the engine body (121, 123) incorporates an inlet port (541) for a coolant, an outlet port (542) for the coolant, and a cavity (540) connecting the inlet port (541) and the outlet port (542), and wherein the module (500) is fixed to the engine body (121, 123) so that the tube bundle (520) is acconinodated inside the engine body cavity (540).

5. An internal combustion engine assembly (505) according to claim 4, wherein the engine body is a crankcase (123).

6. An internal combustion engine assembly (505) according to claim 4, wherein the engine body is a bedplate (121).

7. A motor vehicle (10) comprising an internal combustion engine as-sernbJ.y (505) according to any claim form 4 to 6.