KR20200141433A - Automotive Thermal Management Module - Google Patents

Abstract

In one aspect, a vehicle thermal management module is provided, comprising a module housing defining a pump chamber, a pumping element movable to drive a coolant flow, a first position occluding a first cross-sectional flow area of the pump chamber and a first position of the pump chamber. And a pump flow restricting member movable to a second position occluding the two-sectional flow area, a first control port on the module housing, an aperture plate, and a motor. The opening plate has a port side facing the first control port, a pump chamber side facing the pump chamber, and a first opening extending therebetween. The opening plate is movable to a first position and a second position providing a first opening area size or a second opening area size for the first control port. The motor is operably connected to the pump flow limiting member and the aperture plate.

Description

Automotive Thermal Management Module

The present specification relates generally to a thermal management module for controlling coolant flow in a vehicle.

Thermal management modules (TMMs) are known to be employed for use in coolant flow control in coolant systems. While the TMM is useful in that it incorporates some control over the flow of coolant through the coolant system, the TMM can suffer from one or more problems. For example, a TMM controlling many valves can be expensive because, depending on the number of valves, multiple motors are required to drive these valves. Such TMMs may also require complex control systems to control the operation of these valves. In addition, such a TMM can be physically large due to its many components.

It would be beneficial to provide a TMM that alleviates one or more of the aforementioned and/or other problems.

In one aspect, a thermal management module for a vehicle coolant system is provided. The thermal management module includes a module housing defining a pump chamber; A pumping element located within a pump chamber, comprising: a pumping element movable to drive a flow of coolant through the pump chamber; A pump flow limiting member, wherein the pump flow limiting member is movable to a position of a first pump flow limiting member that blocks a first cross-sectional flow area size of the pump chamber, and the pump flow limiting member is a second cross-sectional flow area of the pump chamber. A pump flow limiting member movable to a position of a second pump flow limiting member that occludes a size, and wherein the second cross-sectional flow area size is different from the first cross-sectional flow area size; A first control port provided in the module housing; Aperture plate; And a motor. The aperture plate has a port side facing the first control port and a pump chamber side facing the pump chamber, and a first aperture plate opening extending from the port side to the pump chamber side. The opening plate is movable from the first opening plate opening to a position of the first opening plate that provides the first opening area size to the first control port, and the opening plate is the first opening plate opening to the second opening area size. It is movable to the position of the second opening plate provided to the control port. The size of the second opening area is different from the size of the first opening area. The motor is operably connected to the pump flow restricting member and the aperture plate to drive the aperture plate between the first aperture plate position and the second aperture plate position by the motor, and the first pump flow restricting member position and the second pump Drives the pump flow restricting member between the flow restricting member positions.

In another aspect, a thermal management module is provided for a vehicle coolant system, which includes a module housing, an impeller, a first control inlet port, and an aperture plate. The module housing has a first wall, a second wall and a third wall, forming an aperture plate chamber between the first and second walls, and forming a pump chamber between the second and third walls. The second wall has a pump chamber facing side facing the pump chamber and an aperture plate chamber facing side facing the aperture plate chamber. The impeller is rotatably supported in the pump chamber so as to rotate about the impeller axis, and has an impeller inlet. A first control inlet port is provided in the first wall of the module housing. The aperture plate is located inside the aperture plate chamber. The aperture plate has a port side facing the first control inlet port and a pump chamber side facing the pump chamber, and the first aperture plate opening extends from the port side to the pump chamber side. The opening plate is movable from the first opening plate opening to the position of the first opening plate providing the first opening area size to the first control inlet port, and the opening plate determines the second opening area size from the first opening plate opening. It is movable to the position of the second opening plate provided at the control inlet port. The size of the second opening area is different from the size of the first opening area. The aperture plate extends in a plane generally perpendicular to the impeller axis. The first aperture plate opening and the second wall are shaped to direct coolant to the impeller inlet.

For a better understanding of the various embodiments described herein and to more clearly show how they may be practiced, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings by way of example only.
1 shows a schematic layout of a coolant system of an engine for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
2A is a perspective view of a thermal management module for use in the coolant system shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 2B is another perspective view of the thermal management module shown in FIG. 1 for explaining the flow into and out of the thermal management module.
3 is a side view of the thermal management module shown in FIG. 2A showing the impeller.
4A is an exploded perspective view of the thermal management module shown in FIG. 2A.
4B is another exploded perspective view of the thermal management module shown in FIG. 2A.
5A and 5B are perspective views of an opening plate that is a part of the first valve of the thermal management module shown in FIG. 2A.
6A and 6B are perspective views of the aperture plate shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, showing the valve element of the second valve and other components driven by the main gear of the aperture plate, including the pump flow limiting member.
7A is a perspective view of the aperture plate shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B forming a seal with a port from a thermal management module.
7B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the opening plate and the port shown in FIG. 7A.
Fig. 8A is a side view of the thermal management module showing the thermal management module in a first state with components removed to show the aperture plate.
8B is a side view of the thermal management module showing the thermal management module in a first state with components removed to show the pump flow restricting member.
Fig. 8C is a side cross-sectional view of the thermal management module showing the thermal management module in a first state, showing the valve element of the second valve.
9A is a side view of the thermal management module showing the thermal management module in a second state with components removed to show the aperture plate.
9B is a side view of the thermal management module showing the thermal management module in a second state, with components removed to show the pump flow restricting member.
9C is a side cross-sectional view of the thermal management module showing the thermal management module in a second state, showing the valve element of the second valve.
Fig. 10A is a side view of the thermal management module showing the thermal management module in a third state, with components removed to show the aperture plate.
10B is a side view of the thermal management module showing the thermal management module in a third state, with components removed to show the pump flow restricting member.
10C is a side cross-sectional view of the thermal management module showing the thermal management module in a third state, showing the valve element of the second valve.
Fig. 11A is a side view of the thermal management module showing the thermal management module in a fourth state with components removed to show the aperture plate.
11B is a side view of the thermal management module showing the thermal management module in a fourth state, with components removed to show the pump flow restricting member.
11C is a side cross-sectional view of the thermal management module showing the thermal management module in a fourth state, showing the valve element of the second valve.
12A is a side cross-sectional view of a thermal management module having a modification of the pump flow limiting member shown in FIGS. 4A to 11C in a first position.
12B is a side cross-sectional view of the thermal management module with a modification of the pump flow limiting member shown in FIG. 12A in a second position.
13 is a graph showing curves representing flow rates through various components of the coolant system, relative to the location of the aperture plate.
14 is a perspective view of an alternative structure for operatively connecting a motor to a pump flow limiting member that is part of the thermal management module shown in FIG. 2A.
15 is a perspective view of an alternative portion of the module housing, not including the provision of a pump flow limiting member.
16 is a perspective view of an optional feature on a module housing for directing flow to an impeller inlet.
17 is a cross-sectional side view of a port of the module housing illustrating the flow into the channel of the wall of the module housing.
18 is a plan view of the wall of the module housing to show the alignment between the inner channel and some ports.

For simplicity and clarity of illustration, where deemed appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the drawings to indicate corresponding or similar elements. In addition, a number of specific details are set forth in order to thoroughly understand the embodiments described herein. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the embodiments described herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments described herein. In addition, this description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein.

Orientation terms such as “up”, “down”, “front”, “rear” and the like are used to correlate the positions of parts with reference to the drawings discussed herein; These terms are to be understood in a relative sense and are not intended to limit the arrangement of components or parts to the specific embodiments exemplified herein.

Various terms used throughout this specification may be read and understood as follows, unless the context dictates otherwise: "or" used throughout is inclusive, even when written as "and/or" ; Singular articles and pronouns used throughout include their plurals, and vice versa; Similarly, since gender pronouns include their relative pronouns, pronouns should not be understood as limiting anything described herein with respect to use, implementation, performance, etc. by that single gender; “Exemplary” should be understood as “illustrative” or “exemplifying”, and is not necessarily understood as “preferred” over other embodiments. Additional definitions of terms may be described herein; In order to be able to read and understand this description, it may apply before and after examples of using the term.

General layout

1 shows a vehicle coolant system 10. In the illustrated example, the coolant system 10 includes a plurality of conduits 12 and a plurality of heat loads, the heat loads including: an engine block 14, a cylinder head. ) (16), engine oil heat exchanger (50), surge tank (52), radiator (54), turbo (58), transmission oil heat exchanger (56), and cabin heat Exchange 68. The coolant system 10 further includes a thermal management module 30 that controls the flow of coolant for all of the aforementioned heat loads. It will be appreciated that the heat loads mentioned above are only examples. The coolant system 10 may alternatively include different heat loads and may have less or more heat loads. The function of this heat load will be readily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

2A, 2B, 3, 4A and 4B show the thermal management module 30 in more detail. The thermal management module 30 comprises a module housing 32 forming a pump chamber 34 (FIGS. 3 and 4A), in which a pumping element ( 36) is placed. The module housing 32 has a plurality of ports 40 (Fig. 2B), which includes at least one inlet port and at least one outlet port. This port 40 is further described below. In this embodiment, the thermal management module 30 includes a pump flow restriction member 38 (FIGS. 3 and 4A ).

In this embodiment, the thermal management module 30 comprises two valves: a first disc-shaped valve with an aperture plate 42 as valve element and FIGS. 4A, 4B, 6A, 6B and 8C. To 62 of FIGS. 11C and having a valve element 65. The first valve, described in more detail below, uses an opening plate 42 to control the flow into the pump chamber 34 through the plurality of ports 40. In this example, the second valve 62 is a ball valve, and thus the valve element 65 is a ball-shaped valve element. The second valve 62 includes a plurality of ports (FIG. 6B) including a first inlet port 60a, a second inlet port 60b, and an outlet port 60c in this example, and a module like the first valve It is fluidly connected to the housing 32.

Motor 44 controls the thermal management module 30 as described in more detail below.

In the illustrated example, the module housing 32 is made of a first module housing portion 32a, a second module housing portion 32b, and a third module housing portion, the module housing portion having a suitable gasket therebetween. They are placed and sealed together using bolts or the like. In an alternative embodiment, the module housing 32 may be made of two or more module housing parts that are joined or welded together in any other suitable manner.

Port 40 communicates with conduit 12 associated in coolant system 10. In the illustrated example, the port 40 is a first port identified in 40a, a second port identified in 40b, a third port identified in 40c, a fourth port identified in 40d, a fifth port identified in 40e, And a sixth port identified at 40f. The first port 40a is an inlet port, which is connected to the first conduit 12a of the coolant system 10 and from the engine (specifically, from the conduit shown in Figs. 1 and 4A, 12J). ) Move the coolant into. In this example, the conduit 12j is connected to the engine block 14, but it is alternatively possible to connect to any other suitable part of the engine. The second port (40b) is an inlet port, which is connected to the second conduit (12b) of the coolant system (10) and moves coolant from the engine oil heat exchanger (50) into the module housing (32), and the engine oil heat exchanger Itself moves the coolant from the engine block 14. The third port 40c is an inlet port, which is connected to the third conduit 12c of the coolant system 10 and moves coolant from the surge tank 52 for the coolant system 10 into the module housing 32. The fourth port 40d is an inlet port, which is connected to the fourth conduit 12d of the coolant system 10 and moves coolant from the radiator 54 into the module housing 32. The fifth port 40e is an outlet port, which is connected to the fifth conduit 12e of the coolant system 10 and from the module housing 32 several heat loads (transmission oil heat exchanger 56, engine block 14 and The coolant is directed to the cylinder head 16, turbo 58, engine oil heat exchanger 50, cabin heat exchanger 68 and surge tank 52]. A sixth port 40f (FIGS. 2A and 2B) can be seen, which is an inlet port, a sixth conduit 12f for receiving coolant from several sources, including turbo 58 and transmission oil heat exchanger 56. ). In addition, the conduit 12g of the coolant system 10 is from the engine (specifically the engine block 14 in this case, but may be any part of the engine) from the first second-valve port of the second valve 62 ( It can be seen conveying coolant to 60a) (as described above, this is the inlet port). The conduit 12h of the coolant system 10 (FIG. 3) (in this example, inside the module housing 32) is a second second valve port of the second valve 62 from the pump chamber 34. Transport coolant to (60b) (as described above, this is the inlet port). The outlet port 60c of the second valve 62 carries coolant from the second valve 62 to the transmission oil heat exchanger 56 along the conduit 12i. The second valve 62 comprises a second valve housing 63 (FIGS. 6A and 6B ), with a valve element 65 inside the second valve housing. In this example, the second valve 62 is a ball valve (and valve element 65 is thus a ball), but it could be any other suitable type of valve.

Completely, the conduit 12j leading from the engine to the inlet port 60a of the second valve 62 also leads through the conduit 12k to the inlet of the radiator 54, and to heat the cabin of the vehicle. 12m) can be seen leading to the cabin heat exchanger (68). The coolant system 10 shown is for illustrative purposes only, and many heat loads can be altered or eliminated, and the routing of the coolant delivery conduit 12 is specific to the particular application in which the coolant system 10 is used. It will be understood that it can be changed as needed on the basis of.

2B includes dashed arrows indicating the flow into and out of the thermal management module 30.

General structure of the pump

The module housing 32 of this example includes four controlled inlet ports 40a to 40d for a first disc-shaped valve, an uncontrolled inlet port 40f, and an outlet port 40e, but the module housing 32 May alternatively have any suitable number of inlet and outlet ports. For example, in some alternative embodiments, the module housing 32 may have a single inlet port and a single outlet port. In yet other embodiments, the module housing 32 may have more than four control inlet ports and/or more than four outlet ports.

The pumping element 36 is shown more clearly in FIG. 3. The pumping element 36 is located within the pump chamber 34 and is movable so as to be able to drive the flow of coolant through the pump chamber 34 and at least the flow of coolant exiting through the port 40e. The pumping element 36 in this example is an impeller 70, an impeller inlet 72 configured to suck in liquid while the impeller 70 rotates, and an impeller outlet configured to discharge liquid in a generally radial direction ( 74). Thus, the module housing 32 and the impeller 70 together form a centrifugal pump. The module housing 32 has an impeller outlet receiving chamber 76, which is a pump chamber radially outside the impeller 70 for conveying the coolant from the impeller outlet 74 to the outlet port 40e. It is part of (34).

In this example, the impeller 70 is connected with a toothed pulley 77 (Fig. 4A) to be driven by a timing belt (not shown) from the engine. In an alternative embodiment, the impeller 70 may be driven by an electric motor.

It will be appreciated that the pumping element 36 can be any other suitable type of element that moves the coolant. For example, in an alternative embodiment, the pumping element 36 may be a movable piston to form a module housing 32 and a positive-displacement pump.

The pump flow restricting member 38 is movable to a plurality of pump flow restricting member positions to control the amount of coolant flow through the pump chamber 34. In this example, the pump flow restricting member 38 is a tongue 78, from the tongue 78 to the receiving opening 49 of the module housing 32 (one of which is shown in FIG. 4B). It is pivotally mounted to the module housing 32 by means of an extending shaft 48 (Fig. 4A). The tongue 78 is pivotable to a first tongue position (the tongue 78 is a position to block the flow area size of the first cross section of the pump chamber 34), and the second tongue position (the tongue 78 is the pump chamber) (34) is a position to block the second cross-sectional flow area size], and the second cross-sectional flow area size is larger than the first cross-sectional flow area size. For example, the tongue position of FIG. 10B may be regarded as the first tongue position, and the solid line 80a represents the size of the first cross-sectional area of the pump chamber 34 that is occluded by the tongue 78, and the tongue of FIG. 8B The position 78 may be regarded as the second tongue position, and the solid line 80b represents the size of the second cross-sectional area of the pump chamber 34 that is occluded by the tongue 78. As can be seen, in the position shown in FIG. 8B, the tongue 78 occludes the entire cross-sectional area of the pump chamber 34 so that only leakage flow exiting the pump chamber 34 is present. In some embodiments, if the tongue 78 and module housing 32 are properly configured, the leakage flow is substantially zero. In some embodiments, the leakage flow may be less than some selected value, such as 100 ml/min, or 50 ml/min.

In another example, the position of the tongue 78 in FIG. 11B may be regarded as the first position of the tongue 78 (in this case it occludes a cross-sectional area of the size of zero in the pump chamber 34), and the tongue of FIG. 10B ( 78) The position may be considered the second position of the tongue 78.

Discussing volute

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the tongue 78 is similar to a component referred to as a diverter in PCT Publication No. WO2017/124198, the contents of which are fully incorporated herein by reference. The tongue 78 thus forms at least a portion of the volute 82 around at least a portion of the impeller 70. The volute is the area of the impeller outlet receiving chamber 76 having a gradually increasing cross-sectional area from the upstream end 84 to the downstream end 85 (as shown in FIG. 3). In the presently shown embodiment, the volute 82 substantially occupies the entire impeller outlet receiving chamber 76, in addition to the outlet area shown at 86. In some embodiments, the volute 82 has a cross-sectional area that gradually increases from the upstream end 84 of the tongue 78 toward the downstream end 85 of the tongue 78, which is through the volute 82. It is sufficient that the speed of the flowing coolant remains substantially constant while the impeller 70 rotates at a selected rpm. It should be noted that the velocity of the coolant flowing through the volute 82 (or through substantially any passage) will vary depending on the cross-sectional area of the volute 82. However, at any point along the length of the volute 82, the coolant has an average velocity that takes into account the velocity profile over the cross-sectional area. Thus, when it is mentioned that the velocity of the coolant flowing through the volute 82 is kept substantially constant, this is the volute so that the average velocity of the liquid remains substantially constant along the circumferential length of the volute 82. It means that 82 can be formed.

The advantages of this configuration for the tongue 78 are described in PCT Publication No. WO2017/124198. In particular, the flow rate through the centrifugal pump provided with the tongue 78 can be varied over a wide range of flow rates with little impact on the efficiency of the pump.

In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, the pump flow restricting member 38 may be a tongue 87 that does not form part of the volute around the impeller 70. For example, the tongue 87 may be generally straight and thus limit the coolant flow through the module housing 32 to gradually reduce the efficiency of the pump.

Discussion of port and aperture plate openings

5A, 5B, 6A and 6B, the aperture plate 42 has a port side portion 88 facing and engaging the first, second, third and fourth ports 40a to 40d. . Based on this coupling, the ports 40a, 40b, 40c and 40d can be referred to as control ports, since the flow through these ports is controlled by the aperture plate 42, while the remaining ports 40e, 40f) may be referred to as an uncontrolled port. The aperture plate 42 further has a pump chamber side 90 facing the pump chamber 34, and a plurality of aperture plate openings 92 extending from the port side 88 to the pump chamber side 90. The aperture plate opening 92 controls the flow of coolant through the port 40. In other words, each of the aperture plate openings 92 controls the flow of coolant through at least one of the ports 40. In the illustrated example, the opening plate 42 includes a first opening plate opening 92a, a second opening plate opening 92b, a third opening plate opening 92c, and a fourth opening plate opening 92d. It has four aperture plate openings 92. However, for the purposes of the present disclosure, any aperture plate opening 92 may be considered a first aperture plate opening; It should be noted that any aperture plate opening may be considered a second aperture plate opening or the like. Likewise, any port 40 can be considered a first port; Any port can be considered a second port or the like.

There are four aperture plate openings 92 and four ports 40a to 40d that engage the aperture plate 42, but the same number of aperture plate openings 92 as the ports 40 that engage the aperture plate 42. It should be noted that) does not have to exist. In the exemplary embodiment, each of the aperture plate openings 92 is not in a one-to-one relationship with one of the ports 40. As described in more detail below, the aperture plate opening 92a controls the flow through the ports 40a and 40b. The aperture plate opening 92b controls the flow through the port 40d, and the aperture plate openings 92c, 92d both control the flow through the port 40c. Therefore, no special relationship is required between the number of aperture plate openings 92 and the number of ports 40 that engage the aperture plate 42.

Each of the aperture plate openings 92 can have any suitable size and shape, which need not match the size and shape of one or more ports 40 through which the aperture plate opening 92 allows flow. 5A and 6B, the ports 40a to 40d are both circular, while the openings 92a, 92b both have semicircular ends and tapered ends and have different degrees of elongation. And the openings 92c and 92d are both elongate but have two semicircular ends.

In the illustrated embodiment, the aperture plate 42 is in a single flow position for a selected one of the aperture plate openings 92 (the first of the aperture plate openings 92 allows flow through a single port 40). , And a plurality of flow positions (a selected one of the openings 92 allows flow through the plurality of ports 40) may be rotated. This example is shown in Figs. 8A and 9A, where the aperture plate opening 92a allows flow through a single of the ports 40 (i.e., 40a) when in the position shown in Fig. 8A, and When in the position shown in 9a, it enables flow through a plurality of ports (ie, 40a, 40b) of the ports 40.

Advantageously, as shown in Fig. 5A, the aperture plate openings 92c are spaced radially inward from the aperture plate openings 92a, 92b. This facilitates an increase in the number of ports 40 that can be fitted to the aperture plate, thereby allowing the thermal management module 30 to handle a relatively large number of ports while maintaining a compact size compared to other conventional thermal management modules. Make it possible.

The opening plate 42 is movably mounted in the module housing 32. In the example shown, in order to rotatably support the aperture plate 42 on the module housing 32, the aperture plate 42 extends from the module housing 32 through the hole 98 of the aperture plate 42. It is rotatably mounted to the module housing 32 using a stub shaft 96. The aperture plate 42 is thus rotatable about the aperture plate rotation axis A.

Face seal between port and aperture plate

While the aperture plate 42 is moving, the port side 88 of the aperture plate 42 slides against the face seal 99 (Figs. 7A and 7B) at each end of the port 40, At least a portion of at least one of the openings 92 is provided in at least one of the ports 40. The port side 88 and face seal 99 substantially prevent coolant flow between them, such that the flow to the pump chamber 34 through one arbitrarily given port 40 overlaps between the aperture plate openings 92. Depends on the size.

More specifically, each of the ports 40 includes a tubular port body 100 that is movably positioned in the recess 102 of the module housing 32. The port body 100 has a port body through opening 104 that communicates with an associated housing through opening 106 of the base 108 of the recess 102 of the module housing 32. The housing through opening 106 then communicates with an associated one of the conduits 12.

The port body 100 has an outer surface 110 with a peripheral sealing member 112 that seals between the port body 100 and the wall 114 of the recess 102. Perimeter sealing member 112 may be, for example, an O-ring or some similar polymeric sealing member having a selected cross-sectional profile.

The port body 100 may be made of any suitable material such as PTFE so that it can be sealed while maintaining relatively low friction during slide movement with the aperture plate 42. Alternatively, the port body can be made of some other suitable material. The face seal 99 of the free end of the port body 100 is itself formed directly from the material of the port body 100, or alternatively, from a suitable sealing member such as an O-ring or other profiled sealing member. I can.

A port biasing member 115 urges the port body 100 toward a sealing engagement between the face seal 99 and the port side 88 of the aperture plate 42. The port biasing member 115 may be a compression spring, which acts between the base 108 of the recess 102 and the port body 100 to move the port body 100 away from the base 108. Pressurized and made to engage with the opening plate (42).

Connection between motor and aperture plate, second valve and pump flow limiting member

The opening plate 42 is movable using the main gear 116, and the main gear is integral with the opening plate 42 and is provided at its periphery. The main gear 116 can be driven by the motor 44 (Figs. 8A, 9A, 10A, 11A). In this embodiment, the motor 44 drives a pinion 118, which in turn drives the main gear 116. In this embodiment, the motor is bidirectional and is an electric motor, or any other suitable type of motor (e.g., a hydraulic motor, a pneumatic motor, a multi-position linear solenoid). solenoid) or rotary solenoid], which is intended to be considered a motor type for the purposes of this disclosure.

The aperture plate 42 drives a pump cam 120, which can be seen in FIGS. 4A, 4B, 6A and 6B. In this embodiment, the pump cam 120 is integral with the opening plate 42. A pump cam follower 122 engages the pump cam 120 and is driven by the pump cam 120 to pivot through various positions. A pump cam follower shaft 124 extends through a through opening 125 (a small portion is shown in Fig. 4B) of the second housing portion 32b. The pump cam follower shaft 124 is connected to a pump flow restriction member driver 126 on the opposite side of the second housing portion 32b. The pump flow restricting member driver 126 engages the pump flow restricting member 38. In this example, the pivot drive of the pump cam follower 122 by the pivot drive of the pump cam 120 in the first rotational direction is directed to a position where the flow through the module housing 32 is closed. 38). In the second rotational direction, the pivot drive of the pump cam follower 122 by the pivot drive of the pump cam 120 drives the pump flow limiting member driver 126 to move away from the pump flow limiting member 38. The fluid flow in the module housing 32 presses the pump flow restricting member 38 toward the fully open position and thus engages the pump flow restricting member driver 126, and the pump flow restricting member driver then proceeds to the pump cam ( It is possible to drive the pump cam follower 122 in a state engaged with 120). Optionally, the pump flow restriction member 38 further comprises a pump flow restriction member biasing member 127, which is, for example, towards the fully open position shown in FIG. It may be a cantilever leaf spring that presses the pump flow restricting member 38. As a result, being urged from the coolant flow in the pump chamber 34 and from the pump flow limiting member biasing member 127, the pump flow limiting member driver 126 serves as a limiter for the pump flow limiting member 38. Works effectively Nevertheless, it can still be considered that the pump cam follower 122 is operably connected to the pump flow limiting member 38, and the pump cam follower can move the pump flow limiting member 38 to a plurality of pump flow limiting member positions. It can be said to be driven.

The pump cam 120 is shown to be integral with the aperture plate 42, but it is alternatively possible for the pump cam 120 to be driven by a main gear, or to be a separate member parallel to the main gear 116. .

The opening plate 42 may further comprise a valve member driver that drives the valve element 65 of the second valve 62. In this embodiment, the valve member driver includes a plurality of sector gears 130 spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the axis A center. The sector gear 130 is positioned to engage a valve input gear 132 on the valve element 65. The sector gear 130 changes the position of the valve element 65 between one of three positions, as shown in FIGS. 8C, 9C, 10C and 11C. The position shown in FIG. 8C is the closed position, and there is no flow to the transmission oil heat exchanger 56 through the second valve 62. The position shown in Fig. 9c is the transmission oil heat exchanger heating position, with the second valve 62 directing flow from conduit 12g (and thus from engine through conduit 12j) to transmission oil heat exchanger 56. And this is to heat the transmission oil. This helps to quickly raise the transmission oil to a temperature at which its viscosity becomes relatively low, thereby reducing the power loss that occurs during the shifting of the vehicle. The positions shown in FIGS. 10C and 11C are the transmission oil heat exchanger cooling position, with the second valve 62 directing flow from the conduit 12h (and thus from the pump) to the transmission oil heat exchanger 56, which This is to cool the transmission oil. This can be done, for example, if the coolant is conveyed from the radiator 54 into the pump chamber 34 via conduit 12d. This helps to prevent overheating of the transmission oil and allows the operating life of the transmission oil to be extended. Optionally, to enable partial flow from conduits 12g and 12j and/or from conduits 12h and 12d, and/or from other conduit 12 of coolant system 10, the second valve ( 62) additional locations may be provided.

6A and 5A, the aperture plate 42 includes a rim region 131, and the rim region extends circumferentially between regions on the periphery where the sector gear 130 is located. do. Until the next sector gear 130 is rotated by the input gear 132 to rotate the input gear 132, thereby rotating the valve element 65 to a new position, this rim region 131 is the input gear ( The aperture plate 42 is rotated while cooperating with the gear teeth of the input gear 132 so that 132 remains in place.

The motor 44 passes through a plurality of gears to the opening plate 42, through a plurality of gears to the second valve 62, and through a plurality of gears, as well as a pump cam and a pump cam follower, as well as a pump flow limiting member 38. Although described as being operatively connected to the motor 44 and the aperture plate 42, the second valve 62 and the pump flow limiting member 38, the operable connection may be made by any suitable alternative means. I can. For example, the connection between the motor 44 and the pump flow limiting member 38 may be made solely by a plurality of gears. This embodiment is shown in FIG. 14. In Fig. 14, a motor (not shown) drives the pinion 118, and the pinion then drives the main gear 116 of the aperture plate 42. In FIG. The aperture plate 42 further includes a plurality of sector gears 200, and the sector gear drives the pump flow limiting member input gear 202. The pump flow limiting member input gear 202 is connected to the shaft 204, the shaft passes through the opening of the module housing 32, is connected to the pump flow limiting member driver 126, and the pump flow limiting member drive is The pump flow restricting member 38 is then driven in the same manner as shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 6A and 6B.

Description of exemplary locations of aperture plate, second valve and pump flow restriction member

The opening plate 42 is movable to a plurality of positions, some examples of which are shown in Figs. 8A to 11C. In the position shown in FIG. 8A, the aperture plate opening 92a allows flow through the port 40a, while the aperture plate openings 92b, 92c, 92d are the total flow through the ports 40b, 40c, 40d. Can be seen to prevent. It can also be seen that the pump flow limiting member 38 (FIG. 8B) remains in the closed position and only leakage flow (preferably greater than zero in this case) is allowed through the pump chamber 34. Some flow selectively passes from the engine to the cabin heat exchanger 68 to transfer heat to the cabin of the vehicle when requested by the vehicle occupant. Additionally, the second valve 62 (FIG. 8C) is shown with the valve element 65 placed in a position that prevents flow through the second valve 62. The location of this aperture plate 42, or more broadly speaking, the location of this thermal management module 30 is from the thermal management module 30 to the engine through the port 40e and then from the engine through the port 40a. It generates a small amount of flow (ie, non-zero leakage flow) back to the management module 30. The location of this thermal management module 30 can be used during engine start-up when the engine is at low temperature, allowing the engine to preheat to a desired temperature at which combustion occurs more efficiently within the cylinder, which creates greater power and more Produces less emissions. The position of this thermal management module 30 may thus be referred to as an engine preheating position.

In the position shown in Fig. 9A, the aperture plate opening 92a allows full flow through the port 40a and allows partial flow through the port 40b (i.e., a portion of the total flow), while the aperture plate It can be seen that the openings 92b, 92c, 92d prevent flow through the ports 40c, 40d. The pump flow restricting member 38 (FIG. 9B) is only slightly open to allow less flow (greater than the leakage flow) through the pump chamber 34. Additionally, the second valve 62 (FIG. 9C) is shown with the valve element 65 placed in a position that allows flow from the engine through the second valve 62. The location of this aperture plate 42, or more broadly speaking, the location of this thermal management module 30 is from the thermal management module 30 to the engine through the port 40e and then from the engine through the port 40a. It generates some flow back to the management module 30, whereby some of the flow from the engine passes through the second valve 62 and is conveyed to the transmission oil heat exchanger 56. Some of the flow selectively passes from the engine back to the cabin heat exchanger 68 to transfer heat to the cabin of the vehicle if requested by the vehicle occupant. This position of the thermal management module 30 continues to heat the engine, and when the engine is preheated to some extent, it starts to heat the transmission oil, and, as described above, raises the transmission oil to a temperature at which its viscosity is significantly reduced. It can be used to get you started. The position of this thermal management module 30 may thus be referred to as an engine and transmission preheating position.

In the position shown in Fig. 10A, the aperture plate opening 92a allows partial flow through the port 40a, and allows full flow through the port 40b; While the aperture plate opening 92c allows full flow from the surge tank 52 through the port 40c, the aperture plate opening 92d allows partial flow from the radiator 54 through the port 40d. can see. The pump flow limiting member 38 (FIG. 10B) is opened almost close to its fully open position so that flow (corresponding to most of the flow when in the fully open position) is allowed through the pump chamber 34. Additionally, the second valve 62 (FIG. 9C) is shown with the valve element 65 placed in a position that allows flow through the second valve 62 from the port 40e of the module housing 32. . The location of this aperture plate 42, or more broadly speaking, the location of this thermal management module 30 is from the thermal management module 30 to the engine through the port 40e and then from the engine through the port 40a. It generates a flow returning to the management module 30, whereby a part of the flow from the engine passes through the radiator 54 and returns to the thermal management module 30 through the port 40d, whereby the port 40e A portion of the flow exiting the pump chamber 34 through the through passes through the transmission oil heat exchanger 56 to cool the transmission oil instead of going to the engine. Some flow from the engine passes through the engine oil heat exchanger 50 to cool the engine oil to prevent overheating of the engine oil. Some flow selectively passes from the engine back to the cabin heat exchanger 68 to transfer heat to the cabin of the vehicle, if requested by the vehicle occupant. This position of the thermal management module 30 can be used to control the temperature of the engine, and can also be used to cool the transmission oil when the transmission oil reaches the maximum permissible threshold. The position of this thermal management module 30 may thus be referred to as an engine temperature control and transmission cooling position.

In the position shown in Fig. 11A, the aperture plate opening 92a does not allow flow through the port 40a, but allows the total flow through the port 40b; While the aperture plate opening 92c allows the full flow from the surge tank 52 through the port 40c, the aperture plate opening 92d allows the full flow from the radiator 54 through the port 40d. can see. The pump flow restricting member 38 (FIG. 10B) is opened to the fully open position so that the entire flow is allowed through the pump chamber 34. Additionally, the second valve 62 (FIG. 9C) is shown with the valve element 65 placed in a position that allows flow through the second valve 62 from the port 40e of the module housing 32. . The location of this aperture plate 42, or more broadly speaking, of this thermal management module 30 is from the thermal management module 30 to the engine through the port 40e, then from the engine to the radiator 54, and then It generates a flow back to the thermal management module 30 through the port 40d. Some of the flow exiting the pump chamber 34 through port 40e passes through the transmission oil heat exchanger 56 to cool the transmission oil instead of going to the engine. Some flow from the engine passes through the engine oil heat exchanger 50 to cool the engine oil to prevent overheating of the engine oil. Some flow selectively passes from the engine back to the cabin heat exchanger 68 to transfer heat to the cabin of the vehicle, if requested by the vehicle occupant. This position of the thermal management module 30 can be used to provide as much cooling to the engine as possible, and can also be used to cool the transmission oil when the transmission oil reaches its maximum permissible threshold. The position of this thermal management module 30 may be referred to as a maximum engine and transmission cooling position.

It will be noted that the locations shown in FIGS. 8A-11C constitute some exemplary locations of the thermal management module 30, although a number of other locations may be possible for the thermal management module 30.

Based on the above description, the opening plate 42 is moved to the first opening plate position (the opening plate 42 provides the first opening area size to the first port 40a from the first opening plate opening 92a). Possible (eg, rotatable) and movable to a second aperture plate position (the aperture plate 42 provides a second aperture area size from the first aperture plate opening 92a to the first port 40a) (Eg, rotatable), and the second opening area size is different from the first opening area size. For example, the first position of the opening plate 42 may be the position shown in FIG. 11A (the flow through the first port 40a is zero), and the position of the second opening plate of the opening plate 42 is It may be the position shown in Fig. 10A, and there is some flow through the first port 40a at the position of the second opening plate. The first position and the second position of the opening plate 42 may be referred to as a first opening plate position and a second opening plate position, respectively. Further, the pump flow restricting member 38 is in a different position in FIG. 10B to that in FIG. 11B. Thus, when the opening plate 42 is moved from a first position (eg, a position shown in FIG. 11A) to a second position (eg, a position shown in FIG. 10A), the motor 44 Move the flow limiting member 38 from the position of the first pump flow limiting member (the pump flow limiting member 38 occludes the first cross-sectional flow area size of the pump chamber 34) to the second pump flow limiting member position [pump flow The limiting member 38 occludes the second cross-sectional flow area size of the pump chamber 34, and the second cross-sectional flow area size is different from the first cross-sectional flow area size].

Thus, the motor 44 is operably connected to the pump flow limiting member 38 and the opening plate 42, by means of the motor 44, the opening plate 42 between the first opening plate position and the second opening plate position. ), and driving the pump flow restricting member 38 between the first pump flow restricting member position and the second pump flow restricting member position.

Graph of flow rate and aperture plate position

As described herein, it can be seen that the flow of coolant occurring through the various components within the coolant system 10 varies depending on the location of the aperture plate 42. The graph shown in FIG. 13 shows the cross-sectional flow area from or to the various components with respect to the position of the aperture plate 42. More specifically, curve 150 represents the cross-sectional flow area at port 40d, which represents the flow from radiator 154. Curve 152 represents the cross-sectional flow area at the downstream end of the pump flow restricting member 38. Curve 154 represents the cross-sectional flow area at port 40b, which represents the flow through engine oil heat exchanger 50. Curve 156 represents the cross-sectional flow area at port 40c, which represents the flow from surge tank 52. Curve 152 represents the cross-sectional flow area at port 40a, which represents the flow from the engine to the pump. Curve 160 represents the flow through port 60b for coolant used for transmission oil cooling. Curve 162 represents the flow through port 60a for coolant used to heat the transmission oil. It will be understood that the position of the aperture plate 42 affects the position of the pump flow restricting member 38 and the position of the valve element 65 of the second valve 62 and thus indicates their position.

Lines 164a, 164b, 164c, and 164d indicate the position of the aperture plate 42 at the positions shown in Figs. 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D, respectively.

Alternative without pump flow restriction member

Although the thermal management module 30 is shown to have a pump flow limiting member to control the flow through the pump chamber 34, it is alternatively possible for the thermal management module 30 to omit that element. In this alternative, the thermal management module 30 may lack a method of throttling the flow through the pump chamber 34. Alternatively, a suitable valve may be provided downstream from the port 40e, which valve controls the flow out of the pump and thus the flow through the pump chamber 34. As yet another alternative, the impeller (or more broadly, the pumping element) can be driven by an electric motor and control the speed of the electric motor to provide the pump with the ability to control flow through the pump chamber 34. . Fig. 15 shows a part of the module housing, in particular a part 32b of the housing, which has been modified so as not to include the area of the pump flow limiting member, and also through openings for the shaft of the pump flow limiting member driver. In this example, a fixed volute 170 is shown around the impeller. In embodiments where there is no pump flow limiting member, the aperture plate 42 will not need to have a cam thereon, and thus a cam follower will not be required. The motor 44, if provided, will control the rotational position of the aperture plate 42 and the second valve 62.

Reduced pressure drop in channel and pump impeller inlet in the second wall of the module housing

As described above, the arrangement of the aperture plate 42 and the axially oriented ports 40a to 40d has a reduced amount of coolant flow entering the pump impeller 70 compared to some of the prior art thermal management modules. Provides a pressure drop. To further reduce the pressure drop, the module housing 32 includes some additional optional features. As can be seen in particular in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the module housing portions 32a, 32b and 32c form a first wall 172a, a second wall 172b, and a third wall 172c, respectively. The module housing 32 forms an aperture plate chamber 174 between the first wall 172a and the second wall 172b, and the pump chamber 34 between the second wall 172b and the third wall 172c. ) To form. 4A and 4B, the second wall 172b has a pump chamber facing side 176 facing the pump chamber 34 and an aperture plate chamber facing side 178 facing the aperture plate chamber 174. Has. The impeller 70 is rotatably supported in the pump chamber 34 so as to rotate about the impeller shaft (which may be the same shaft as the opening plate shaft A), as described above.

As can be seen in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the aperture plate 42 is located within the aperture plate chamber 174. Considering that the impeller shaft is the same as the aperture plate axis A, it will be understood that the aperture plate 42 extends in a plane generally perpendicular to the impeller axis. As can be seen in FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 16, the first aperture plate opening 92a and the second wall 172b have a shape to guide coolant to the impeller inlet 72. In this example, it shapes the aperture plate opening 92 to allow flow through the aperture plate 42 in the axial direction, and the aperture plate facing side 178 of the second wall 172b is at least one inside. It is provided by configuring a second wall 172b to have a channel 180, the channel having a first end 182 facing (and aligned with) the first control inlet port 40a, and the pump chamber 34 ) And a second end 184 in the chamber through opening 186 of the second wall 172b between the aperture plate chamber 174.

FIG. 17 shows a cross-sectional view of a port 40 that is axially oriented and conveys coolant through an aperture plate opening 92, the aperture plate opening extending axially and the first end of one of the channels 180 Faces (182).

FIG. 18 is a plan view of the module housing portion 32b, showing the channels 180 and the dotted circles representing the ports 40a and 40b together. 17 and 18 illustrate that the first end of the channel faces and is aligned with the port 40.

Advantages of the thermal management module

Many advantages can be realized by the thermal management module 30 described herein. For example, the aperture plate 42 provided in the pump allows significant flow control over multiple conduits while maintaining a small overall size compared to at least some of the prior art thermal management modules. The aperture plate 42 facilitates the use of a complex aperture shape, which is more difficult to provide on the cylindrical or ball-like members found in some valves of the prior art. The flow direction of the coolant entering the thermal management module 30 is generally axially oriented, which has a reduced pressure drop compared to some of the prior art thermal management modules. In the embodiment in which the tongue 78 forms part of the volute 82, the efficiency of the pump remains very high even when the flow from the pump changes. Providing a single actuator (which drives the aperture plate 42, the second valve 62 and the pump flow limiting member 38 through a series of positions during operation of the vehicle) is for a controller such as an ECU. It is computationally very easy, since all the components (pump, aperture plate 42 and second valve 62) are moved by the movement of a single component (motor 44). The motor 44 may include an encoder or some other means to detect its movement, and the ECU may include an aperture plate 42, a valve element 65 of the second valve 62 and a pump flow limiting member. Allows you to determine the location of (38). Even if only a single component moves (motor 44), this is the result of a plurality of flow control members (opening plate 42, valve element 65 of second valve 62, and pump flow limiting member 38). Driving the movement, the thermal management module 30 allows the engine to preheat to an efficient operating temperature, allows the transmission oil to be preheated to an efficient operating temperature, and during the heating and cooling process of other elements in the coolant system. It provides excellent performance in terms of allowing the transmission oil to be heated and cooled, and in other respects.

Note that the control ports 40 (ie, ports 40a to 40d) of the thermal management module 30 shown in the figure are all inlet ports. However, it is alternatively possible to provide a thermal management module in which the control ports are all outlet ports, or that the control ports consist of a combination of one or more inlet ports and one or more outlet ports. For example, the coolant system 10 may be composed of an aperture plate 42 mounted on the outlet port 40e, and induce the flow of coolant through a plurality of additional conduits to heat the radiator 54, engine, and engine oil. It may be used to direct the flow of coolant to any one of several components, such as exchanger 50, cabin heat exchanger 68, and/or other components.

It will be noted that although the second valve 62 is shown in the example shown in FIGS. 1-11C, the second valve 62 is optional. In other words, it is alternatively possible to provide a coolant system 10 with a valve similar to valve 62 but controlled by a dedicated actuator separate from the motor 44. As another alternative, the coolant system 10 can be configured to completely omit this valve.

It will also be noted that other valves may be provided to the coolant system for flow control as needed or desired, which is based on the specific parameters of the application.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that many more alternative implementations and modifications are possible, and that the above examples are merely illustrative of one or more implementations. Accordingly, its scope is limited only by the claims appended hereto and any modifications thereto.

Claims (17)

It is a thermal management module for vehicle coolant system,
A module housing forming a pump chamber;
A pumping element located within a pump chamber, comprising: a pumping element movable to drive a flow of coolant through the pump chamber;
A pump flow limiting member, wherein the pump flow limiting member is movable to a position of a first pump flow limiting member that blocks a first cross-sectional flow area size of the pump chamber, and the pump flow limiting member is a second cross-sectional flow area of the pump chamber. A pump flow limiting member that is movable to a position of the second pump flow limiting member that occludes a size, and wherein the second cross-sectional flow area size is different from the first cross-sectional flow area size;
A first control port provided in the module housing;
An opening plate having a port side facing the first control port and a pump chamber side facing the pump chamber, wherein the first opening plate opening extends from the port side to the pump chamber side, and the opening plate is formed from the first opening plate opening. 1 is movable to a position of the first opening plate providing the size of the opening area to the first control port, and the opening plate is moved from the first opening plate opening to the position of the second opening plate providing the second opening area size to the first control port. An opening plate that is movable and has a size of the second opening area different from that of the first opening area; And
A motor operably connected to the pump flow limiting member and the opening plate, wherein the motor drives the opening plate between the first opening plate position and the second opening plate position, and the first pump flow limiting member position and the second pump Thermal management module including; a motor for driving the pump flow restriction member between the flow restriction member positions. The column according to claim 1, wherein when the opening plate is positioned at one of the first opening plate position and the second opening plate position, the size of the first opening area from the opening of the first opening plate provided to the first control port is zero. Management module. The thermal management module according to claim 1, wherein the first control port has a predetermined cross-sectional size and cross-sectional shape, and the first opening plate opening has a cross-sectional shape different from the cross-sectional size and cross-sectional shape of the first control port. The method of claim 1. The module housing further comprises a second control port, wherein at at least one of the first aperture plate position and the second aperture plate position, the aperture plate provides a first portion of the first aperture plate opening relative to the first control port, and a second A thermal management module providing a second portion of the first aperture plate opening to the control port. The method of claim 1, wherein the motor drives the main gear,
The main gear is integral with the aperture plate, and the aperture plate is rotatable about the aperture plate rotation axis to a first aperture plate position and a second aperture plate position. The thermal management module of claim 1, wherein the opening plate further comprises a second opening plate opening spaced radially inwardly from the first opening plate opening. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermal management module further comprises a second valve, wherein the second valve comprises a second valve housing, a first second valve on the second valve housing, and a second second valve on the second valve housing. A two-valve, and a third second-valve on the second-valve housing, the valve element of the second-valve housing and a first second-valve, a second second-valve, and a third second-valve Induces a flow of coolant between the first 2-valve, the second 2-valve, and the third 2-valve,
The motor is operably connected to the valve element, so that the driving of the opening plate between the position of the first opening plate and the position of the second opening plate by the motor drives the movement of the valve element, A thermal management module for changing the flow between the second second valve and the third second valve. The thermal management module of claim 1, wherein the pump flow restricting member is a tongue pivotable between the first pump flow restricting member position and the second pump flow restricting member position. The method of claim 1, wherein the motor drives the pump cam, and the thermal management module further comprises a pump cam follower, wherein the pump cam follower engages with the pump cam and is operably connected to the pump flow limiting member to provide a first pump flow. A thermal management module for driving the pump flow restricting member to the restricting member position and the second pump flow restricting member position. The thermal management module of claim 9, wherein the pump cam is integral with the aperture plate. The thermal management module of claim 1, wherein the pumping element is an impeller rotatable to drive a flow of coolant through the pump chamber. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first control port and the second control port,
A port body movably positioned in a recess of the module housing, the port body having a face seal thereon; And
Including; a port biasing member for pressing the port body toward the sealing engagement between the face seal and the port side of the opening plate,
The port body has an outer surface with a peripheral sealing member sealing between the wall of the recess and the port body. The method of claim 12, wherein the port biasing member is a compression spring that presses the port body away from the base of the recess, and the base of the first recess is in fluid communication with one end connected among the first conduit and the second conduit. Thermal management module having a housing through opening. The method of claim 1, wherein the motor drives the main gear,
The main gear is integral with the aperture plate, and the aperture plate is rotatable about the aperture plate rotation axis to the first aperture plate position and the second aperture plate position,
The thermal management module further includes a second valve, wherein the second valve comprises a second valve housing, a first second valve on the second valve housing, a second second valve on the second valve housing, and a second valve. A third second valve on the two-valve housing, the valve element of the second valve housing and the first second valve, the second second valve, and the third second valve are Inducing a flow of coolant between the valve, the second second valve, and the third second valve,
The motor is operably connected to the valve element, so that the driving of the opening plate between the position of the first opening plate and the position of the second opening plate by the motor drives the movement of the valve element, thereby A thermal management module for changing the flow between the second valve and the third second valve. The thermal management module according to claim 1, wherein the pump flow restricting member is a tongue that forms part of the volute of the pump chamber at one of the first pump flow restricting member position and the second pump flow restricting member position. It is a thermal management module for vehicle coolant system,
A module housing having a first wall, a second wall and a third wall, forming an aperture plate chamber between the first wall and the second wall, and forming a pump chamber between the second wall and the third wall, the second The wall includes a module housing having a pump chamber facing side facing the pump chamber and an aperture plate chamber facing side facing the aperture plate chamber;
An impeller rotatably supported in a pump chamber to rotate about an impeller shaft, comprising: an impeller having an impeller inlet;
A first control inlet port provided in the first wall of the module housing; And
An opening plate inside the opening plate chamber, wherein the opening plate includes a port side facing the first control inlet port, a pump chamber side facing the pump chamber, and a first plate extending from the port side to the pump chamber side. Has a spherical opening, the opening plate is movable from the first opening plate opening to a position of the first opening plate providing the first opening area size to the first control inlet port, and the opening plate is the second opening from the first opening plate opening The area size can be moved to a position of the second opening plate providing the first control inlet port, and the second opening area size is different from the first opening area size, and the opening plate is substantially perpendicular to the impeller axis. Including; an opening plate extending in the plane,
The thermal management module, wherein the first aperture plate opening and the second wall are shaped to direct coolant to the impeller inlet. The method of claim 16, wherein the aperture plate facing side of the second wall has at least one channel therein, the channel having a first end that is aligned with and facing the first control inlet port, and between the pump chamber and the aperture plate chamber. The thermal management module, having a second end in the chamber through opening of the second wall.

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