DESC:FORM 2
The Patent Act 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
The Patent Rules, 2005

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(SEE SECTION 10 AND RULE 13)

TITLE OF THE INVENTION

“A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THERMAL MANAGEMENT IN A VEHCILE”

APPLICANTS :

Name Nationality Address
Mahindra & Mahindra Limited Indian Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.,
MRV, Mahindra World City (MWC),
Plot No. 41/1, Anjur Post, Chengalpattu,
Kanchipuram District – 603 004 (TN) INDIA

The following specification particularly describes and ascertains the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed:-

TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The embodiments herein generally relate to managing thermal energy produced in vehicles, and more particularly to a system and method for thermal management in vehicles by controlling a heat release from engine to coolant.

BACKGROUND
[002] Typically, an engine, such as an internal combustion engine, or many other types of engines, operates most efficiently at a high temperature. A thermostat is provided to maintain a minimum operating temperature in an engine. The thermostat senses a coolant temperature at predetermined intervals in coolant flow channel so that when the coolant reaches a certain temperature, a main valve in the thermostat is released, allowing coolant from a radiator to flow into the engine through a coolant flow channel.
[003] In conventional thermal management systems, when the engine is cold started, the coolant temperature rises and may eventually reach an optimal level. However, for the coolant to reach optimal level, it takes a long time because the main valve in the thermostat to the radiator is opened and cooler coolant is allowed to flow through the coolant flow channels to the engine block. In some of the existing thermal management system, an engine outflow of the coolant is regulated using thermostat near to the radiator inlet position to control the temperature and avoid thermal energy loss. The coolant in such thermal management system flows through oil cooler from engine block, cabin heater and exhaust gas recirculation cooler, herein after referred as EGRC, from cylinder head and radiator and then bypass from the cylinder head. However, with the aforementioned methods, the thermal energy losses are higher during the cold start due to unnecessary flow through oil cooler, EGRC and engine bypass, and further, such methods increase internal friction and emission.
[004] Several other thermal management systems have been proposed to control the temperature at an optimum level. However, such systems control the coolant flow through electric signals to rotor wheel thereby making it complex in implementation and increase in the cost.
[005] Therefore, there exists a need for a system and a method for thermal management in vehicles that can eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks.

OBJECTS
[006] The principal object of an embodiment of this invention is to provide a system for thermal management in a vehicle.
[007] Another object of an embodiment of this invention is to provide a method for thermal management in a vehicle.
[008] These and other aspects of the embodiments herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[009] The embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, through out which like reference letters indicate corresponding parts in the various figures. The embodiments herein will be better understood from the following description with reference to the drawings, in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 depicts a thermostat housing, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0011] FIG. 2a depicts a thermostat housing configuration for better warm up in cold phase, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0012] FIG. 2b depicts a coolant flow in a thermostat housing configuration of FIG. 2a, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0013] FIG. 3a depicts a thermostat housing configuration for better warm up in hot phase, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0014] FIG. 3b depicts a coolant flow in a thermostat housing configuration of FIG. 3a, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0015] FIG. 4 depicts a flow circuit of coolant in a vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein; and
[005] FIG. 5 depicts a flow chart illustrating a process for thermal management in vehicles according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
[0017] The embodiments herein achieve a system and a method for thermal management in a vehicle. Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 5, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown embodiments.
[0018] FIG. 1 depicts a thermostat housing 100 having a thermostat 102. The thermostat housing 100 further includes a plurality of inlets 20 and 22, and a plurality of outlets 24, 26, 28 and 29. The inlet 20 is provided from a cylinder head and the inlet 22 is provided from an engine block. Each of the outlets 24, 26, 28 and 29 are in fluid communication with a cabin heater 15, a radiator 12, a water pump 14 and an oil cooler 13, respectively. For the purpose of this description and ease of understanding, the thermostat housing 100 is mentioned to include one thermostat 102. However, it is also within the scope of this invention to have a plurality of thermostats 102 accommodated and operational inside the thermostat housing 100 without otherwise deterring the intended purpose of the system as is apparent from this description and drawings.
[0019] Further, FIG. 2a depicts a thermostat housing configuration for better warm up in cold phase, to embodiments as disclosed herein. The thermostat housing 100 according to the embodiment as disclosed in FIG. 2a is directly connected to the engine block near to coolant outlet. The lower flange F of the thermostat 102 is in a closed position, where the lower flange F is in direct contact with the housing 100.
[0020] In the cold phase, the coolant is allowed to flow through the EGRC and cabin heater 15. The flow through the radiator 12 and the oil cooler 13 is blocked since the lower flange F is in closed position.
[0021] Further as shown in FIG. 2b, the thermostat housing 100, in cold phase, is configured to allow the coolant to flow only through the EGRC or the cabin heater 15. The coolant flow through oil cooler 13 is bypassed and radiator bypass is blocked which allows the engine to warm up faster. Further, a restricted flow of coolant to oil cooler 13 decreases the oil warm up time thereby reducing oil viscosity.
[0022] In an embodiment a pressure release valve V is provided in the housing 100 to help in reducing the back pressure on water pump under high load demand in the cold phase. In an embodiment the pressure release valve V is configured to be provided outside the housing 100. The pressure release valve V is configured to incorporate with a spring to allow the valve V to open if the desired pressure is developed in the cold phase.
[0023] FIG. 3a depicts a thermostat housing 100 configuration for better warm up in hot phase, according to embodiments. The thermostat housing 100 according to the embodiment as disclosed in FIG. 3a is directly connected to the engine block near to coolant outlet. As the temperature of the coolant increases and reaches a threshold temperature, the thermostat 102 pushes the lower flange F outward to an open position, where the lower flange is positioned away from the housing 100. As shown in FIG. 3b, as the temperature of coolant reaches the threshold temperature, a pressure inside the engine decreases. The coolant is circulated to radiator 12 and oil cooler 13 thereby reducing the oil temperature.
[0024] FIG. 4 depicts a flow circuit of coolant in a vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. Working of an example embodiment and the method is discussed herein below. The status of the thermostat during cranking and temperature variation as well as the coolant flow through the thermostat housing is given in the below table.

Step Status Oil cooler EGRC/Cabin Heater Radiator
1 Cranking of vehicle Off On Off
2 Temp of coolant up to 92 deg C Off On Off
3 Temp of coolant reaching 92 deg C to 97 deg C Partially On On Off
4 Temp of coolant reaching up to 97 deg C On On Partially On
5 Temp of coolant > 97 deg C On On On

[0025] During a cold start of the vehicle, water circulation in engine is not required which helps in increasing coolant and oil temperature reducing internal friction. However, there is back pressure produced which is taken off by circulating coolant through EGRC or cabin heater 15. The oil cooler water circulation is bypassed till coolant temperature reaches around 92 deg C. The coolant is allowed to flow to EGRC through engine out via thermostat 102 which will help in maintaining optimum exhaust gas recirculation out gas temperature in cold phase.
[0026] A warm up phase will occur when the coolant temperature reaches around 92 deg C. During the warm up phase, the coolant is allowed to flow to EGRC via cabin heater and oil cooler bypass. In a hot phase, the engine is hot enough to activate thermostat completely and help coolant to cool in radiator 12. The HC and CO emission and internal friction are reduced. In hot phase, hot engine out coolant will flow to oil cooler 13 to maintain optimum viscosity of oil. Hot engine out coolant is allowed to flow to EGRC or cabin heater 15 and the coolant is allowed to circulate in radiator 12 to cool down.
[0027] FIG. 5 depicts a flow chart illustrating a process for thermal management in vehicles according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. At step 201, a thermostat housing 100 is provided. A lower flange F is in a closed position at step 203 when a coolant temperature is less than a threshold temperature. The flange F is in an open position at step 205 when the coolant temperature reaches the threshold temperature. At step 204, the coolant is allowed to circulate to an EGRC or a cabin heater 15. At step 206, the coolant is allowed to circulate through a radiator 12 and an oil cooler 13.
[0028] In an embodiment the threshold temperature is in the range between 89 degree Celsius and 95 degree Celsius.
[0029] The various actions, units, steps, blocks, or acts described in the method 200 can be performed in the order presented, in a different order, simultaneously, or a combination thereof. Further, in some embodiments, some of the actions, units, steps, blocks, or acts listed in the FIG. 5 may be omitted, added, skipped, or modified without departing from the scope of the invention.
[0030] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.

CLAIMS
We claim,
1. A system for thermal management in a vehicle, said system comprising:
a thermostat housing having a plurality of inlet, a plurality of outlet and a thermostat, wherein one of said inlet is provided from a cylinder head and another said inlet is provided from an engine block and each of the said outlets are provided in fluid communication with a cabin heater, a radiator, a water pump and an oil cooler respectively and said thermostat includes a lower flange configured to move between a closed position and an open position, wherein said lower flange is in contact with said housing during the closed position and said lower flange is positioned away from said housing during the open position.
2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said thermostat housing is connected to said engine block.
3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said thermostat housing is provided in fluid communication with at least one of an exhaust gas recirculation cooler and said cabin heater in closed position.
4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said thermostat housing is provided in fluid communication with said radiator and said oil cooler in open position.
5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said thermostat is adapted to move said lower flange outward to the open position when the temperature of a coolant reaches a threshold temperature.
6. A method for thermal management in a vehicle, said method comprising:
providing a thermostat housing;
moving a lower flange in a closed position and an open position in the thermostat housing, wherein the lower flange is in contact with the thermostat housing in the closed position and the lower flange is positioned away from the thermostat housing in the open position;
allowing a coolant to flow through at least one of an exhaust gas recirculation cooler and a cabin heater during the closed position of the lower flange; and
allowing the coolant to flow through a radiator and an oil cooler during the open position of the lower flange.
7. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a step of bypassing said oil cooler water circulation until a temperature of the coolant reaches a threshold temperature.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a step of activating a thermostat completely from an engine’s heat.

Dated this 20th January 2016
Signature:
Name of the Signatory : Kalyan Chakravarthy

ABSTRACT
A system and method for thermal management in a vehicle, includes a thermostat housing having a thermostat, a plurality of inlets and a plurality of outlets. The inlets are provided from a cylinder head and an engine block, respectively. Each of the outlets are in fluid communication with a cabin heater, radiator, water pump and oil cooler, respectively. Further, in a thermostat housing configuration for better warm up in cold phase the thermostat housing is directly connected to the engine block near to coolant outlet and a lower flange F of the thermostat is in a closed position. The thermostat housing, in cold phase, is configured to allow the coolant to flow only through the exhaust gas recirculation cooler (EGRC) or the cabin heater. The coolant flow through oil cooler is bypassed and radiator bypass is blocked which allows the engine to warm up faster.
FIG. 1
,CLAIMS: CLAIMS
We claim,
1. A system for thermal management in a vehicle, said system comprising:
a thermostat housing having a plurality of inlet, a plurality of outlet and a thermostat, wherein one of said inlet is provided from a cylinder head and another said inlet is provided from an engine block and each of the said outlets are provided in fluid communication with a cabin heater, a radiator, a water pump and an oil cooler respectively and said thermostat includes a lower flange configured to move between a closed position and an open position, wherein said lower flange is in contact with said housing during the closed position and said lower flange is positioned away from said housing during the open position.
2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said thermostat housing is connected to said engine block.
3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said thermostat housing is provided in fluid communication with at least one of an exhaust gas recirculation cooler and said cabin heater in closed position.
4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said thermostat housing is provided in fluid communication with said radiator and said oil cooler in open position.
5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said thermostat is adapted to move said lower flange outward to the open position when the temperature of a coolant reaches a threshold temperature.
6. A method for thermal management in a vehicle, said method comprising:
providing a thermostat housing;
moving a lower flange in a closed position and an open position in the thermostat housing, wherein the lower flange is in contact with the thermostat housing in the closed position and the lower flange is positioned away from the thermostat housing in the open position;
allowing a coolant to flow through at least one of an exhaust gas recirculation cooler and a cabin heater during the closed position of the lower flange; and
allowing the coolant to flow through a radiator and an oil cooler during the open position of the lower flange.
7. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a step of bypassing said oil cooler water circulation until a temperature of the coolant reaches a threshold temperature.

8.The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a step of activating a thermostat completely from an engine’s heat.