Method and apparatus for cooling and deaerating internal combustion engine coolant

Claim 1

A method of cooling an internal combustion engine comprising: a. circulating a coolant comprising a mixture of ethylene glycol and water through coolant passages in the engine by an engine driven pump; b. communicating coolant exiting from the engine to a radiator header chamber via a radiator inlet; c. passing the coolant through a plurality of first radiator coolant passages extending from said header chamber at velocities which establish a minimum Reynolds number of about 5000 at the torque peak speed of the engine; d. exhausting coolant from projecting ends of said first radiator coolant passages into a second header chamber; e. progressively reducing the coolant velocity as the coolant flows in said second header chamber; f. establishing a region of substantially quiescent coolant in said second header chamber; g. providing a coolant reservoir; h. communicating said coolant reservoir with said substantially quiescent region; i. detraining gas from the coolant in said substantially quiescent region and directing the detrained gas to said coolant reservoir; j. fractioning off coolant from said second header chamber via a plurality of second radiator coolant passages opening into said second header chamber; k. passing coolant through said second radiator coolant passages at velocities for establishing a minimum Reynolds number of about 5000 at the torque peak speed of the engine; and, l. exhausting coolant from said second radiator coolant passages into a third header chamber.

Claim 2

A method of cooling an internal combustion engine comprising: a. circulating a coolant comprising a mixture of ethylene glycol and water through coolant passages in the engine by an engine driven pump; b. communicating coolant exiting from the engine to a radiator header chamber via a radiator inlet; c. passing the coolant through a plurality of first radiator coolant passages extending from said header chamber at velocities which establish a minimum Reynolds number of about 5000 at the torque peak speed of the engine; d. exhausting coolant from projecting ends of said first radiator coolant passages into a second header chamber; e. progressively reducing the coolant velocity as the coolant flows in said second header chamber; f. establishing a region of substantially quiescent coolant in said second header chamber; g. providing a coolant reservoir; h. communicating said coolant reservoir with said substantially quiescent region; i. detraining gas from the coolant in said substantially quiescent region and directing the detrained gas to said coolant reservoir; j. fractioning off coolant from said second header chamber via a plurality of second radiator coolant passages opening into said second header chamber; k. passing coolant through said second radiator coolant passages at velocities for establishing a minimum Reynolds number of about 5000 at the torque peak speed of the engine; and, l. exhausting coolant from said second radiator coolant passages into a third header chamber.

Claim 7

A method of deaerating and transferring heat from an internal combustion engine coolant comprising: a. directing coolant through a plurality of first radiator core tubes at a velocity which insures turbulent flow of the coolant in the tubes; b. transferring heat from the coolant flowing through said first core tubes; c. directing coolant from the first core tubes into a header chamber communicating said first core tubes with a plurality of second core tubes; d. reducing the velocity of coolant flowing in said header chamber from said first core tubes to said second core tubes to produce a region of substantially quiescent coolant in said header chamber; e. deaerating the coolant by collecting gas from the coolant at a location in the header chamber adjacent said quiescent region; f. venting gas from said location to a coolant reservoir; g. fractioning coolant from said header chamber through said second core tubes; h. flowing coolant through said second core tubes at a velocity which insures turbulent flow of the coolant through the second core tubes; i. transferring heat from the coolant flowing through said second core tubes.

Claim 8

A method of deaerating and transferring heat from an internal combustion engine coolant comprising: a. directing coolant through a plurality of first radiator core tubes at a velocity which insures turbulent flow of the coolant in the tubes; b. transferring heat from the coolant flowing through said first core tubes; c. directing coolant from the first core tubes into a header chamber communicating said first core tubes with a plurality of second core tubes; d. reducing the velocity of coolant flowing in said header chamber from said first core tubes to said second core tubes to produce a region of substantially quiescent coolant in said header chamber; e. deaerating the coolant by collecting gas from the coolant at a location in the header chamber adjacent said quiescent region; f. venting gas from said location to a coolant reservoir; g. fractioning coolant from said header chamber through said second core tubes; h. flowing coolant through said second core tubes at a velocity which insures turbulent flow of the coolant through the second core tubes; i. transferring heat from the coolant flowing through said second core tubes.

Claim 9

A method of cooling an engine utilizing a liquid coolant comprised of a substantial volume of ethylene glycol and an approximately equal volume of water comprising: a. pumping the coolant through cooling passages in the engine; b. directing the coolant from the engine to a radiator; c. flowing the coolant through a header chamber in the radiator and into a first plurality of radiator core tubes; d. directing the coolant through the first plurality of core tubes at a velocity which corresponds to a Reynolds number of at least 5000 and transferring heat from the coolant as it passes through the core tubes; e. flowing the coolant discharged from the first plurality of core tubes through a second header chamber to a second plurality of core tubes; f. reducing the velocity of coolant flowing in said second header chamber from said first plurality of core tubes; g. establishing a region of minimum coolant flow velocity in said second header chamber; h. directing gas entrained in said coolant to said region; i. directing the coolant through the second plurality of core tubes from said second header chamber at a velocity corresponding to a Reynolds number of at least 5000 and transferring heat from the coolant as it flows through said second plurality of core tubes; j. providing a coolant reservoir; k. communicating said coolant reservoir with said region of minimum coolant flow; and, l. moving gas from said region to said reservoir.

Claim 10

A method of cooling an engine utilizing a liquid coolant comprised of a substantial volume of ethylene glycol and an approximately equal volume of water comprising: a. pumping the coolant through cooling passages in the engine; b. directing the coolant from the engine to a radiator; c. flowing the coolant through a header chamber in the radiator and into a first plurality of radiator core tubes; d. directing the coolant through the first plurality of core tubes at a velocity which corresponds to a Reynolds number of at least 5000 and transferring heat from the coolant as it passes through the core tubes; e. flowing the coolant discharged from the first plurality of core tubes through a second header chamber to a second plurality of core tubes; f. reducing the velocity of coolant flowing in said second header chamber from said first plurality of core tubes; g. establishing a region of minimum coolant flow velocity in said second header chamber; h. directing gas entrained in said coolant to said region; i. directing the coolant through the second plurality of core tubes from said second header chamber at a velocity corresponding to a Reynolds number of at least 5000 and transferring heat from the coolant as it flows through said second plurality of core tubes; j. providing a coolant reservoir; k. communicating said coolant reservoir with said region of minimum coolant flow; and, l. moving gas from said region to said reservoir.