WO2020018479A1

WO2020018479A1 - Cooling vehicle electronics with intake air

Info

Publication number: WO2020018479A1
Application number: PCT/US2019/041914
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jeffrey Carter; Ryan Thomas HOWELL; Brian Edward HANDLON
Original assignee: Borgwarner Inc.
Priority date: 2018-07-16
Filing date: 2019-07-16
Publication date: 2020-01-23
Also published as: WO2020018479A9

Abstract

A system of cooling vehicle electronics with intake air includes a turbocharger having a compressor intake that receives a flow of intake air and a compressor turbine compressing the flow of intake air for supply to an internal combustion engine on the vehicle; and an intake radiator that receives a portion of liquid coolant in a liquid cooling system of the internal combustion engine and lowers the temperature of the portion of liquid coolant using the flow of intake air received by the turbocharger.

Description

COOLING VEHICLE ELECTRONICS WITH INTAKE AIR

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to internal combustion engines and, more particularly, to using intake air supplied to an internal combustion engine for cooling electronics at a vehicle.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Vehicles use a range of electronics to carry out vehicle functions.

These electronics include vehicle systems modules, such as engine control modules or body control modules, that monitor and control engine performance or regulate access to the vehicle, respectively. These modules have electrical components that are robust and perform well under a variety of different environmental conditions. However, modern vehicles increasingly include electronics that operate optimally when the temperature in which they operate is within an upper and lower boundary. While vehicles typically have a liquid cooling system that maintains an internal combustion engine (ICE) at or below an optimum temperature, this cooling system may operate at a temperature that is too warm to be useful for cooling some vehicle electronics. As a result, modern vehicles often include fans or other similar types of cooling devices that can selectively lower the temperature of the vehicle electronics if the ambient temperature rises above the upper boundary. But the use of a fan or other cooling device in addition to the liquid cooling system of the vehicle can increase the cost and complexity of the vehicle. It would be helpful to cool the existing vehicle electronics using the liquid cooling system of the vehicle.

SUMMARY

[0003] In one implementation, a system of cooling vehicle electronics with intake air includes a turbocharger having a compressor intake that receives a flow of intake air and a compressor turbine compressing the flow of intake air for supply to an internal combustion engine on the vehicle! and an intake radiator that receives a portion of liquid coolant in a liquid cooling system of the internal combustion engine and lowers the temperature of the portion of liquid coolant using the flow of intake air received by the turbocharger.

[0004] In another implementation, an intake radiator used in a system of cooling vehicle electronics with intake air includes an intake air pathway having a first opening that is configured to be in fluid communication with an air intake of the ICE and a second opening that is configured to receive ambient air! an inwardly-facing surface having one or more cooling features that contact intake air flowing through the intake air pathway! an outwardly-facing surface positioned radiallyoutwardly from the inwardly-facing surface! and a manifold between the inwardly-facing surface and the outwardly-facing surface that receives a portion of liquid coolant used in a liquid cooling system of an internal combustion engine (ICE) on a vehicle, wherein the intake radiator receives the portion of liquid coolant, reduces the temperature of the portion of the liquid coolant in response to flow of intake air through the intake air pathway, and communicates the portion of liquid coolant to the vehicle electronics.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] Figure 1 is a block diagram depicting an implementation of a system of cooling vehicle electronics with intake air! and

[0006] Figure 2 is a perspective exploded view depicting a portion of an implementation of a system of cooling vehicle electronics with intake air.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0007] A system of cooling vehicle electronics lowers the temperature of a portion of the liquid coolant in a liquid cooling system and cools electronics in a vehicle with that portion of the liquid coolant. Typically, an ICE includes a liquid cooling system that circulates liquid coolant from the ICE to an external radiator, which lowers the coolant temperature, and returns the coolant to the ICE. The liquid coolant is output from the radiator too warm to effectively cool vehicle electronics when the ICE is at a normal operating temperature. However, the liquid coolant could be used to cool vehicle electronics if the temperature of the coolant was lowered by a relatively modest amount, such as approximately 10 degrees Celsius (C).

[0008] The liquid cooling system can include a primary cooling circuit that flows liquid coolant within the ICE at a normal operating temperature and passes the coolant through an external radiator to help maintain the normal operating temperature. In addition, the liquid cooling system can also include a secondary cooling circuit that receives a portion of the liquid coolant circulating in the primary coolant circuit and passes that coolant through an intake air radiator in contact with a flow of air ultimately received by the intake of the ICE. The secondary cooling circuit may not flow the entire volume of the liquid coolant included in the liquid cooling system, but instead only flow a portion of the coolant through the secondary cooling circuit. The secondary cooling circuit can flow the portion of the liquid coolant near the air intake of the ICE to lower the temperature of the portion of coolant before it is used to cool vehicle electronics.

[0009] There are a variety of different implementations in which this could be accomplished. In one of those implementations, liquid coolant can flow near a compressor intake of a turbocharger used with the ICE. In this implementation, an intake radiator can include a manifold having fins that extend radially inwardly into the ICE air intake so that air flow passes the fins. The intake radiator may function in the opposite way of a charge cooler because the flow of air into the ICE intake or the inlet of a turbocharger compressor can cool the liquid coolant. In contrast, charge coolers typically remove heat from the air using a liquid.

[0010] Turning to FIGS. 1-2, an implementation of a system 10 of cooling vehicle electronics using intake air flow is shown. The system 10 includes an internal combustion engine 12 included with a vehicle (not shown) that is cooled by a liquid cooling system 14. In this embodiment, the ICE 12 uses forced induction in the form of a turbocharger 16 that compresses intake air and directs the compressed air into an intake manifold of the ICE 12. The liquid cooling system 14 comprises a primary cooling circuit 18 and a secondary cooling circuit 20. The primary cooling circuit 18 includes a quantity of liquid coolant that flows between the ICE 12 and a radiator 22. Liquid coolant in the radiator 22 can be pumped through the primary cooling circuit 18 using a water pump driven by an endless loop, such as a belt or chain, that connects a crankshaft sprocket to an input of the pump. The radiator 22 lowers the temperature of the liquid coolant received from the ICE 12 in response to air passing over and through the radiator 22, either created by vehicle motion or by a fan powered by the ICE 12. Liquid coolant from the radiator 22 then flows to the ICE 12 where it maintains or lowers the temperature of the ICE 12 by absorbing heat emitted by the ICE 12 before the liquid coolant returns to the radiator 22. The primary cooling circuit 18 can maintain the liquid coolant at a primary coolant temperature. In one implementation, the primary coolant temperature can be approximately 110 degrees C.

[0011] The secondary cooling circuit 20 receives a portion of the liquid coolant included in the primary cooling circuit 18 and directs the liquid coolant into an intake radiator 24 that is cooled by intake air flowing past or through the intake radiator 24 before it reaches the turbocharger 16. The liquid coolant from the intake radiator 24 can then flow to an electronics housing 26 that surrounds one or more electronic modules at the vehicle. The electronics housing 26 can include a manifold created by an outer wall and an inner wall of the housing 20 that permits liquid coolant to flow through the housing 26 and carry heat generated by the electronics with it. After passing through the manifold of the electronics housing 26, the liquid coolant can flow through the turbocharger 16 and then return to the primary cooling circuit 18. As liquid coolant is received by the secondary cooling circuit 20 from the primary cooling circuit 18 and passes through the intake radiator 24, the temperature of the coolant can be lowered from the primary coolant temperature to a secondary coolant temperature. In one implementation, the temperature of the liquid coolant entering the intake radiator at a primary coolant temperature can be 110 degrees C and after exiting the intake radiator 24 the liquid coolant can exist at a secondary coolant temperature of 100 degrees C.

[0012] The primary cooling circuit 18 includes the ICE 12 and the radiator

22 along with fluid conduits connecting these elements. A first primary conduit 28 transports liquid coolant to the ICE 12 from the radiator 22 and a second primary conduit 30 transports liquid coolant to the radiator 22 from the ICE 12. The secondary cooling circuit 20 can include a first secondary conduit 32 that is in fluid communication with the first primary conduit 28 and communicates a portion of the liquid coolant flowing from the radiator 22 to the ICE 12 into the secondary cooling circuit 20. The first secondary conduit 32 fluidly communicates the portion of the liquid coolant to the intake radiator 24. After passing through the intake radiator 24, the portion of liquid coolant flows through a second secondary conduit 34 to the housing 26 of vehicle electronics. A third secondary conduit 36 communicates the portion of the liquid coolant from the electronics housing 26 to the turbocharger 16 and a fourth secondary conduit 38 fluidly communicates between the turbocharger 16 and the second primary conduit 30 returning the portion of liquid coolant to the primary cooling circuit 18.

[0013] The intake radiator 24 can be annularly shaped having an inwardly-facing surface 40 and an outwardly-facing surface 42 as is shown in FIG. 2. The intake radiator 24 may be constructed from a metallic material having good thermal conductivity, such as steel alloy or aluminum. A fluid manifold that can receive the portion of liquid coolant can be positioned radially in between the inwardly-facing surface 40 and the outwardly-facing surface 42 of the intake radiator 24. The inwardly-facing surface 40 can define an intake airflow pathway 44 having a first opening 40 that may attach to a compressor intake 50 of the turbocharger 16 and a second opening 40 through which intake air can be received. The inwardly-facing surface 40 can include a plurality of fins 52 that extend radiallyinwardly from the inwardly-facing surface 40 into the intake airflow pathway 44. The plurality of fins 52 can create an increased amount of surface area relative to a smooth annular inwardly -facing surface thereby increasing the amount of heat transfer between intake air flowing through the airflow pathway 44 and the portion of liquid coolant. The fins 52 can be mounted to the inwardly-facing surface 40 of the intake radiator 24 such that they thermodynamically communicate heat away from the portion of liquid coolant in the fluid manifold. In another implementation, the radiator may be mounted on an outwardly-facing surface of an intake pipe such that the inwardly-facing surface of the radiator closely conforms to and contacts the intake pipe creating a pathway of thermal conduction between the intake pipe and the radiator. In this implementation, the intake pipe can be metallic so that it has low thermal resistance to the intake air.

[0014] The temperature of intake air flowing into the intake airflow pathway 44 is below the primary coolant temperature and the secondary coolant temperature. In one implementation, the intake air temperature can be 60 degrees C. As intake air flows from the first opening 46 through the airflow pathway 44 it can contact the inwardly-facing surface 40 thereby cooling the inwardly-facing surface 40. The temperature of the portion of liquid coolant may thereby be lowered from the primary coolant temperature as it enters the fluid manifold to the secondary coolant temperature before the liquid coolant leaves the fluid manifold.

[0015] After leaving the intake radiator 24, the portion of liquid coolant can be communicated to the housing 26 of the vehicle electronics. The electronics housing 26 can surround one or more electronics components. These electronics components can include electronic drive and control electronics used for various actuators mounted on or near the engine. The actuators can include turbine wastegate valves, variable turbine geometry vanes, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valves, electronically- driven compressors, or electrically-assisted turbochargers. The housing 26 can include a manifold created by an outer wall and an inner wall of the housing 26 that permits liquid coolant to flow through the housing 26 and carry heat generated by the electronics with it. After passing through the manifold of the electronics housing 26, the portion of liquid coolant can then flow through the third secondary conduit 36 to a manifold in the turbocharger 16. From the turbocharger 16, the portion of liquid coolant can return to the primary cooling circuit 18 via the fourth secondary conduit 38, which can fluidly link with the second primary conduit 30.

[0016] It is to be understood that the foregoing is a description of one or more embodiments of the invention. The invention is not limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed herein, but rather is defined solely by the claims below. Furthermore, the statements contained in the foregoing description relate to particular embodiments and are not to be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention or on the definition of terms used in the claims, except where a term or phrase is expressly defined above. Various other embodiments and various changes and modifications to the disclosed embodiment(s) will become apparent to those skilled in the art. All such other embodiments, changes, and modifications are intended to come within the scope of the appended claims. [0017] As used in this specification and claims, the terms "e.g. " “for example,” “for instance,” “such as,” and “like,” and the verbs “comprising,” “having,”“including,” and their other verb forms, when used in conjunction with a listing of one or more components or other items, are each to be construed as open-ended, meaning that the listing is not to be considered as excluding other, additional components or items. Other terms are to be construed using their broadest reasonable meaning unless they are used in a context that requires a different interpretation.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A system of cooling vehicle electronics with intake air, comprising:

a turbocharger having a compressor intake that receives a flow of intake air and a compressor turbine compressing the flow of intake air for supply to an internal combustion engine (ICE) on a vehicle! and

an intake radiator that receives a portion of liquid coolant in a liquid cooling system of the ICE and lowers the temperature of the portion of liquid coolant using the flow of intake air received by the turbocharger.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an electronics housing that includes a manifold in fluid communication with the intake radiator.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the intake radiator further comprises an inwardly-facing surface, an outwardly-facing surface, and an intake airflow pathway.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the intake airflow pathway is defined by a first opening and a second opening.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of cooling features attached to the intake radiator.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the cooling features further comprise a plurality of radially-extending fins.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the portion of liquid coolant is received from a primary coolant circuit included in the liquid cooling system.

8. An intake radiator used in a system of cooling vehicle electronics with intake air, comprising:

an intake air pathway having a first opening that is configured to be in fluid communication with an air intake of the ICE and a second opening that is configured to receive ambient air!

an inwardly-facing surface having one or more cooling features that contact intake air flowing through the intake air pathway! an outwardly-facing surface positioned radiallyoutwardly from the inwardly-facing surface! and

a manifold between the inwardly-facing surface and the outwardly-facing surface that receives a portion of liquid coolant used in a liquid cooling system of an internal combustion engine (ICE) on a vehicle, wherein the intake radiator receives the portion of liquid coolant, reduces the temperature of the portion of the liquid coolant in response to flow of intake air through the intake air pathway, and communicates the portion of liquid coolant to the vehicle electronics.

9. The intake radiator of claim 8, further comprising an electronics housing that includes a manifold in fluid communication with the intake radiator.

10. The intake radiator of claim 8, wherein the intake airflow pathway is defined by a first opening and a second opening.

11. The intake radiator of claim 8, wherein the cooling features further comprise a plurality of radially- extending fins.

12. The intake radiator of claim 8, wherein the portion of liquid coolant is received from a primary coolant circuit included in the liquid cooling system.

13. The intake radiator of claim 8, further comprising a turbocharger having a compressor input and a compressor output in fluid communication with the ICE.