DESC:FORM 2

THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENT RULES, 2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See Section 10 and Rule 13)

Title of invention:
COOLANT-OIL FUSION WARNING SYSTEM FOR AN ENGINE

Applicant:
BEML Limited
A company Incorporated in India under the Companies Act, 1956
Having address:
BEML Soudha, 23/1, 4th Main,
Sampangirama Nagar, Bengaluru - 560 027,
Karnataka, India

The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS AND PRIORITY

[001] The present invention claims priority from Indian patent Provisional Application 202041005908 filed on 11 February 2020.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[002] The present subject matter described herein, in general, relates to a warning system for an engine. More particularly the warning system for detection of a coolant and oil fusion.
BACKGROUND
[003] In the vehicle, Oil is meant to lubricate all rotating or moving parts in the engine and coolant is supposed to cool the engine, wherein the engine normally generates a heat at a high temperature when it is running. Due to several reasons, there are high chances of mixing of coolant into the oil. The reasons as damaged head gasket seal, cracked cylinder head due to overheating or an accident, liner pitting due to overheating & bad quality of coolant and many more.
[004] At present, there are few solutions like the filtration techniques and the blocking mechanisms, those are expensive and complex to design and install. The efficiency of filtration of the containment oil is less efficient and does not guarantee the safety of engine.
[005] Hence, there is necessity of cost effective and retrofit able solution for engine safety.

SUMMARY
[006] Before the present system and method are described, it is to be understood that this application is not limited to the particular machine or an apparatus, and methodologies described, as there can be multiple possible embodiments that are not expressly illustrated in the present disclosures. It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the particular versions or embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present application. This summary is provided to introduce aspects related warning system for detection of coolant and lube oil fusion. The aspects are further elaborated as below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify essential features of the proposed subject matter nor is it intended for use in determining or limiting the scope of the proposed subject matter.
[007] The present subject matter described herein, in general, relates to a warning system for an engine by detecting mixture of the coolant and the lube oil.
[008] In order to reach above-mentioned purpose of the present invention utilizes the fluid property sensor in the oil sump. The digital or analog output signal from the fluid property sensor is transmitted to the warning system, wherein the warning system generates the warning signal for the driver or co-passengers. In additionally the system generates the interlocking signal for the engine start system upon generating the warning signal. The interlocking signal is responsible for enabling and disabling the engine start system. The engine is only started upon receiving a clearance of the warning signal.
[009] The warning system is a preventive method to avoid engine seizing or jamming or damaging and the warning system is simple in design, highly efficient and cost effective.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawing. For illustrating the disclosure, there is shown in the present document example constructions of the disclosure, however, the disclosure is not limited to the specific methods and apparatus disclosed in the document and the drawing.
[0011] The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figure. In the figure, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the drawing to refer like features and components.
[0012] Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of a warning system for detection of a coolant and an oil fusion.
[0013] Figure 2 illustrates an oil sump configured with a fluid property sensor.
[0014] Figure 3 illustrates position of fluid property sensor.
[0013] Figure 4 illustrates a flowchart for coolant-oil fusion warning system for an engine.
[0015] The figure depicts various embodiments of the present disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] Some embodiments of this disclosure, illustrating all its features, will now be discussed in detail. The words "comprising", “having”, and "including," and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items. Although any systems and methods similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the present disclosure, the exemplary, systems and methods are now described. The disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the disclosure, which may be embodied in various forms.
[0017] Various modifications to the embodiment will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the generic principles herein may be applied to other embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments illustrated, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein.
[0018] The present subject matter relates a warning system 100 for detection of a coolant 109 and an oil 108 fusion. The system 100 detects the oil 108 and the coolant 109 fusion by using a fluid property sensor 102 and accordingly generates a warning signal and an interlocking signal in order to prevent the engine seizing and avoid major accident.
[0019] Referring now to figure 1 wherein the warning system 100 is shown. A controller 103 receives an output signal from the fluid property sensor 102. An oil sump 101 is configured with the fluid property sensor 102 in order to detect the fusion of the oil 108 and the coolant 109.
[0020] The controller 103 compares the fluid (engine oil) property detected oil properties by the fluid property sensor 102 with the predetermined acceptable limit values of oil properties in order to ensure the allowable values of engine oil in the oil sump 101.
[0021] After comparison if the controller 103 detects that the oil properties are not within the specified limits then the controller 103 transmits an audio visual signal to the driver in the form of warning signal buzzer through sound generating devices and visual signal through indicator or display device 107 in order to alert the driver regarding the contamination of the oil 108 in the oil sump 101. Simultaneously, the controller 103 also generates engine-interlocking signal and transmits to ECU 105 in order to disable engine start system 106.
[0022] Now referring to figure 2, in the oil sump 101, the fluid property sensor 102 is located to detect the properties of the oil or the containment oil.
[0023] Referring to figure 3, in the oil sump 101 the fluid property sensor 102 is configured at bottom to detect the properties of the oil or the containment oil. Upon sensing of the coolant 109, fluid property sensor 102 detects the changed oil properties value.
[0024] Now referring to figure 4, the warning system 100 power up upon receiving a key switch on signal, then the fluid property sensor 102 senses the oil properties and an output signal gets transmitted to the controller 103. Then the controller 103 compares the oil properties with the admissible values of oil properties, wherein the predetermined limit values are stored in the controller’s memory 104. The controller 103 upon detection of the oil property values well within permissible limit transmits a signal to enable the engine start system 106. Upon starting of the engine, the controller 103 continuously monitors the oil properties, at running condition and if the detected oil properties are within the predefined allowable limit then the engine continue to run until the sensor detects that the oil properties are beyond predefined limits. Once the sensor detection of the oil property values are beyond permissible allowable limits, controller 103 transmits the signal to ECU 105 in order to disable engine start system 106.
[0025] If the controller 103 detects the oil properties beyond predefined limits then the controller 103 transmits an audiovisual signal to the driver in the form of warning signal buzzer through sound generating devices and visual signal through indicator or display device to alert the driver of the contamination of the oil in the oil sump 101. Simultaneously, the controller 103 also generates engine-interlocking signal and transmits to ECU 105 in order to disable engine start system 106 until the contamination of the engine oil is not clear.
[0026] A warning system 100 for detection of coolant 109 and oil 108 fusion in the engine oil sump 101 comprises engine configured with oil sump 101 for storing engine oil, fluid property sensor 102 configured to be mounted at the bottom of the engine oil sump 101 to sense the fluid property of the engine oil 108; and controller 103 configured to receive the signal from said sensor 102 for processing, to alert an occupant through various audio-visual indicating devices 107 on detection of fluid property beyond predetermined acceptable limit and to simultaneously instruct ECU 105 to disable the engine start system 106.
[0027] The fluid property sensor 102 at the bottom of the engine sump is configured to sense the properties of the engine oil 108 to detect the coolant contamination and transmit to the controller 103. The controller 103 is configured to compare sump oil 108 properties received from sensor 102 with predefined permissible limits and to generate warning signal and interlocking signal for transmitting it to ECU 105 for disabling the engine start system 106 on detection of sump oil 108 properties beyond acceptable limit .
[0028] The controller 103 is configured to transmit a signal to enable the engine start 106 system upon detection of property values within limits. The engine is configured for running continuously upon detection of oil 108 property values are within acceptable limit. The system 100 comprises audio-visual indicating device 107, wherein the device may be indicator, buzzer, display device, dashboard or alerting device.
[0029] The warning system may include at least one controller 103 and the memory 104. The at least one controller 103 may be implemented as one or more microprocessor, microcomputer, microcontroller, digital signal processor, FPGA, central processing unit, state machine, logic circuit, and/or any system that manipulate signals based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, at least one controller 103 may be configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memory 104. The interconnection for signaling in the warning system 100 is implemented by using in-vehicle network. The indicator or display device may be LED, buzzer, LCD or other suitable indicator elements.
[0030] The warning system efficiently provides protection of engine against the adverse effect like seizing of engine causing due to coolant mixing with engine oil. The fluid property sensor 102 may sense quality of oil in terms of viscosity, density, pH value, and many more.
[0031] Part No. Part Name
101 Oil Sump
102 Sensor
103 Controller
104 Memory
105 ECU
106 Engine Start
107 Audio-visual indicating device
108 Oil
109 Coolant

,CLAIMS:
1. A warning system 100 for detection of coolant 109 and oil 108 fusion in an engine oil sump 101 comprises:
at least one engine configured with oil sump 101 for storing engine oil;
at least one sensor 102 configured to be mounted at the bottom of the engine oil sump 101 to sense the fluid property of the engine oil; and
a controller 103 configured to receive the signal from said sensor 102 for processing, to alert an occupant through various audio-visual indicating devices 107 on detection of fluid property beyond predetermined acceptable limit and to simultaneously instruct ECU 105 to disable the engine start system 106.
2. The system 100 as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sensor 102 at the bottom of the engine oil sump 101 is configured to sense the properties of the engine oil 108 to detect the coolant 109 contamination and transmit to the controller 103.
3. The system 100 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller 103 is configured to compare sump oil properties received from sensor 102 with predefined permissible limits and to generate warning signal and interlocking signal for transmitting it to ECU 105 for disabling the engine start system 106 on detection of sump oil properties beyond acceptable limit.
4. The system 100 as claimed in claim 1, wherein said controller 103 is configured to transmit a signal to enable the engine start system 106 upon detection of property values within limits.
5. The system 100 as claimed in claim 1, wherein said engine is configured for running continuously upon detection of engine oil 108 property values are within acceptable limit.
6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said controller 103 is to be one or more of a microprocessor, microcomputer, microcontroller, digital signal processor, FPGA, central processing unit, state machine, logic circuit, and/or any systems to manipulate signals based on operational instructions.
7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said audio-visual indicating device 107 is configured to be an indicator or buzzer or display device or dashboard or alerting device.