Method and apparatus for moderating the temperature of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle

Abstract

In an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, in order to shorten the cold-starting phase, it is provided that upon a shut off of the engine, essentially the entire amount of coolant is pumped out of a cooling system into a normally empty heat insulated reservoir, from which the coolant is fed back into the cooling system again upon subsequent start up of the engine.

Description

FIELD OF THE PRESENT INVENTION [0001] The invention relates to a method for tempering an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, to which a cooling system with a coolant circulation for liquid coolant is assigned, and to a cooling system for the internal combustion engine. BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION [0002] After a cold start, until it reaches its operating temperature, an internal combustion engine has relatively poor properties, such as the release of major quantities of pollutants and high friction and hence wear. The deficiencies of a cold start can be avoided by adequately preheating the engine. The means proposed in the past for this purpose, particularly latent heat exchangers or heat insulated reservoirs built into the cooling systems, have so far not been deemed practical. [0003] German Patent Disclosure DE 1451890, discloses the use of a pressure equalizing or venting tank as a reservoir, which communicates with the intake side of a coolant pump via a bypass...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0004] The object of the invention is to enable preheating of an internal combustion engine in a cold start without having to increase the quantity of coolant in the cooling system.

[0006] As the reservoir is normally empty, no extra coolant is necessary to accommodate the reservoir and, therefore, so that the weight of the vehicle is not significantly increased. Also, the normally empty reservoir allows substantially the entire amount of coolant to be pumped into the reservoir, so that no coolant remains unused in the cooling system, thereby maintaining the temperature of the coolant that preheats the engine relatively high.

[0011] If desired, the feeding of liquid from the reservoir to the cooling system may temporarily bypass the radiator of the engine cooling system.

Problems solved by technology

After a cold start, until it reaches its operating temperature, an internal combustion engine has relatively poor properties, such as the release of major quantities of pollutants and high friction and hence wear.

The means proposed in the past for this purpose, particularly latent heat exchangers or heat insulated reservoirs built into the cooling systems, have so far not been deemed practical.

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