Low flow cooling system and apparatus

Claim 2

A cooling system for an internal combustion engine having an oil cooler, said system operative in various modes and comprising a combination of a heat exchanger and a heat exchanger bypass passage in parallel connection, said combination being downstream of the oil cooler and serially connected to a discharge end of the oil cooler, pumping means for circulating a heat exchange medium through said cooling system and the oil cooler whereby the temperature potential across the heat exchanger is increased, thereby permitting a reduction in the size of the heat exchanger, and control means for sensing the temperature of the heat exchange medium at at least one predetermined location in the cooling system and in response to the temperature sensed, effecting flow of substantially all of the medium discharged from the oil cooler through only the combination heat exchanger when the cooling system is in a full cooling mode; effecting flow of substantially all of the medium discharged from the oil cooler through only combination bypass passage when the cooling system is in a full heating mode; and effecting predetermined proportioning of substantially all of the medium discharged from the oil cooler between the heat exchanger and the bypass passage of said combination when said cooling system is operating in a mode intermediate the full cooling and full heating modes.

Claim 3

The cooling system set forth in claim 1 wherein said control means sense the temperature of the heat exchange medium at the discharge end of the oil cooler.

Claim 4

The cooling system set forth in claims 2 or 1 further comprising a first flow circuit connected to said pumping means for circulating a predetermined first amount of the heat exchange medium to predetermined portions of the engine, and a second flow circuit connected to said pumping means for circulating a predetermined second amount of the heat exchange medium, the second circuit having included therein in serially connected relation the oil cooler, said combination of a heat exchanger and a bypass passage, and an aftercooler wherein substantially all the heat exchange medium from the combination is the input to the aftercooler.

Claim 5

The cooling system set forth in claim 3 wherein said first flow circuit further comprises a cab heater connected in parallel to the predetermined flow paths through the engine.

Claim 6

A logic control system for an internal combustion engine having a cooling system including a combination of a heat exchanger and a bypass passage in parallel connection, an aftercooler serially connected to the combination and disposed immediately downstream thereof and pumping means for circulating a heat exchange medium through said cooling system, said logic control system comprising: temperature sensing means for sensing the temperature of the heat exchange medium at one or more locations in the cooling system; bypass logic control means for effecting control of the flow of heat exchange medium through said bypass passage whereby maximum flow through the bypass passage is effected when the temperature sensed by said temperature sensing means at a first predetermined location in the cooling system is equal to or below a first setpoint temperature, and whereby no flow through the bypass passage is effected when the temperature sensed by said temperature sensing means at the first location is equal to or greater than a second setpoint temperature greater than said first setpoint temperature; cooling logic control means for effecting control of the flow of heat exchange medium through the heat exchanger whereby no flow through the heat exchanger is effected when the temperature sensed by said temperature sensing means at a second predetermined location is equal to or below a third setpoint temperature, and whereby maximum flow through the heat exchanger is effected when the temperature sensed by said temperature sensing means at the second location is equal to or greater than a fourth setpoint temperature greater than said third setpoint temperature; and wherein said third setpoint temperature is independent of said first setpoint temperature and said fourth setpoint temperature is independent of said second setpoint temperature.

Claim 7

A logic control system for an internal combustion engine having a cooling system including a combination of a heat exchanger and a bypass passage in parallel connection, an aftercooler serially connected to the combination and disposed immediately downstream thereof and pumping means for circulating a heat exchange medium through said cooling system, said logic control system comprising: temperature sensing means for sensing the temperature of the heat exchange medium at one or more locations in the cooling system; bypass logic control means for effecting control of the flow of heat exchange medium through said bypass passage whereby maximum flow through the bypass passage is effected when the temperature sensed by said temperature sensing means at a first predetermined location in the cooling system is equal to or below a first setpoint temperature, and whereby no flow through the bypass passage is effected when the temperature sensed by said temperature sensing means at the first location is equal to or greater than a second setpoint temperature greater than said first setpoint temperature; cooling logic control means for effecting control of the flow of heat exchange medium through the heat exchanger whereby no flow through the heat exchanger is effected when the temperature sensed by said temperature sensing means at a second predetermined location is equal to or below a third setpoint temperature, and whereby maximum flow through the heat exchanger is effected when the temperature sensed by said temperature sensing means at the second location is equal to or greater than a fourth setpoint temperature greater than said third setpoint temperature; and wherein said third setpoint temperature is independent of said first setpoint temperature and said fourth setpoint temperature is independent of said second setpoint temperature.

Claim 8

The logic control system set forth in claim 5 wherein said first location is the same as said second location.

Claim 9

The logic control means set forth in claim 6 wherein the ratio of the difference between the second setpoint temperature and the first setpoint temperature to the difference between the fourth setpoint temperature and the first setpoint temperature is in the range of about 0.1 to about 0.5.

Claim 10

The logic control system set forth in claim 6 or 7 wherein said third setpoint temperature is greater than said first setpoint temperature and said fourth setpoint temperature is greater than said second setpoint temperature.

Claim 11

The logic control system set forth in claim 7 wherein said temperature sensing means, said bypass logic control means, and said cooling logic control means comprise a dual valve thermostat.

Claim 12

The logic control system set forth in claim 9 wherein said dual valve thermostat comprises: a housing defining upper and lower bypass control chambers and upper and lower cooling control chambers; a bypass control valve engaging said upper and lower bypass control chambers, said bypass control valve selectively allowing communication between said upper and lower bypass control chambers only when the temperature of the heat exchange medium in the lower bypass control chamber is less than the second setpoint temperature; and a cooling control valve engaging said upper and lower cooling control chambers, said cooling control valve selectively allowing communication between said upper and lower cooling control chambers only when the temperature of the heat exchange medium in the lower cooling control chamber is greater than the third setpoint temperature.

Claim 13

The logic control system system set forth in claim 10 wherein said bypass control valve permits maximum communication between said upper and lower bypass control chambers when the temperature of the heat exchange medium in the lower bypass control chamber is less than the first setpoint temperature, and said cooling control valve permits maximum communication between said upper and lower cooling control chambers when the temperature of the heat exchange medium in the lower cooling control chamber is greater than the fourth setpoint temperature.

Claim 14

The logic control system set forth in claim 11 wherein said cooling system also includes an oil cooler serially connected to and upstream of said combination, and wherein the lower bypass control chamber is operatively connected to the oil cooler to receive the heat exchange medium discharged therefrom, the upper bypass control chamber is operatively connected to the heat exchanger to receive the heat exchange medium therefrom, the upper bypass control chamber is operatively connected to the aftercooler for delivering the heat exchange medium thereto, and the upper cooling control chamber is operatively connected to the heat exchanger for delivering the heat exchange medium thereto.

Claim 15

The logic control system set forth in claim 12 wherein the lower bypass control chamber and the lower cooling control chamber are in communication with each other.

Claim 16

A dual valve thermostat for an internal combustion engine having a cooling system including a combination of a heat exchanger and a bypass passage in parallel connection and pumping means for circulating a heat exchange medium through said cooling system, said dual valve thermostat comprising: a housing defining upper and lower bypass control chambers and upper and lower cooling control chambers; a bypass control valve engaging said upper and lower bypass control chambers, said bypass control valve allowing maximum communication between said upper and lower bypass control chambers when the temperature of the heat exchange medium in said lower bypass chamber is less than a first setpoint temperature, and selectively allowing communication between said upper and lower bypass control chambers only when the temperature of the heat exchange fluid is less than a second setpoint temperature; and a cooling control valve engaging said upper and lower cooling control chambers, said cooling control valve selectively allowing communication between said upper and lower cooling control chambers only when the temperature of the heat exchange medium in said lower cooling control chamber is greater than a third setpoint temperature, and allowing maximum communication between said upper and lower cooling control chambers when the temperature of the heat exchanger medium in said lower cooling chamber is greater than a fourth setpoint temperature.

Claim 17

A dual valve thermostat for an internal combustion engine having a cooling system including a combination of a heat exchanger and a bypass passage in parallel connection and pumping means for circulating a heat exchange medium through said cooling system, said dual valve thermostat comprising: a housing defining upper and lower bypass control chambers and upper and lower cooling control chambers; a bypass control valve engaging said upper and lower bypass control chambers, said bypass control valve allowing maximum communication between said upper and lower bypass control chambers when the temperature of the heat exchange medium in said lower bypass chamber is less than a first setpoint temperature, and selectively allowing communication between said upper and lower bypass control chambers only when the temperature of the heat exchange fluid is less than a second setpoint temperature; and a cooling control valve engaging said upper and lower cooling control chambers, said cooling control valve selectively allowing communication between said upper and lower cooling control chambers only when the temperature of the heat exchange medium in said lower cooling control chamber is greater than a third setpoint temperature, and allowing maximum communication between said upper and lower cooling control chambers when the temperature of the heat exchanger medium in said lower cooling chamber is greater than a fourth setpoint temperature.