Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

James Thomas Gooden

Michael Joseph Giunta

Norman Jerry Bird

Thomas George Leone

David Karl Bidner

Bradley Dean Riedle

Steven Anatole Frait

John Edward Brevick

John W Kimes

Amey Y Karnik

Bradley Ronald Heuver

Jacob Martin Povirk

Brian Michael O'Neil

Jianping Zhang

John Smiley, Iii

David Curtis Ives

Anthony Paskus

Leo Joseph Esper

Shaun Gordon Knowles

William Ralph Simpson

Antonio Stranges

Troy Smith

Chip Hartinger

Donald Peter Schneider, Iii

Steve A Frait

David Spuller

Kenneth Gerald Brown

Ernest Russell Shedd

Norm Jerry Bird

Scott Russo

Thomas Joseph Hrubovsky

Steven Keith Plumb

Andrew Christopher Posa

Hamish Macwillson

Dragos Catalin Iliescu

Ronald V Cornacchia

Methods and systems are provided for controlling coolant flow through parallel branches of a coolant circuit including an AC condenser and a charge air cooler. Flow is apportioned through each of an air-conditioning condenser, a charge air cooler (CAC), and a transmission oil cooler (TOC) of the coolant circuit to maintain an estimated transmission oil temperature (TOT) below a threshold. The TOT is estimated from a torque converter slip ratio.

Methods and systems for control of coolant flow through an engine coolant system

A vehicle cooling system includes an internal combustion engine, a transmission having a cooler, a coolant pump, a first coolant loop, a second coolant loop, and a flow regulator. The first coolant loop fluidly connects the coolant pump to the engine and returns to the coolant pump. The second coolant loop fluidly connects the coolant pump to the transmission cooler and returns to the coolant pump, bypassing the engine. The flow regulator is configured to selectively restrict coolant flow through the second coolant loop.

Automatic transmission fluid thermal conditioning system

A transmission oil cooler transfers heat between Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) and engine coolant. During initial vehicle warm-up, heat is transferred from the engine coolant to the ATF, assisting the transmission warm-up. A priority valve may limit the flow of coolant to the transmission oil cooler until the coolant temperature is sufficient to ensure adequate cabin heating performance. After both the engine and transmission have reached normal operating temperatures, heat is transferred from the ATF to the engine coolant. An auxiliary radiator pre-cools the engine coolant before it enters transmission oil cooler. This increases the cooling of the ATF and avoids coolant temperature increase during aggressive maneuvers. When the ATF temperature is below a threshold, a coolant control valve diverts coolant around the auxiliary radiator.

Engine and transmission temperature control system

A thermostatic bypass valve has an intentional flow resistance through a bypass passageway when fluid is at a normal operating temperature. This flow resistance, of between 10 and 20 psi at a flow rate of 10 liters per minute, is achieved by limiting a radial clearance within the bypass passageway to less than 1.0 mm. The flow rate through the bypass passageway is at least half of the flow resistance of the cooler. This bypass flow resistance is beneficial because it limits the flow rate of lubrication fluid during bypass, reducing the parasitic losses of the gearbox.

Thermostatic bypass valve

A system for transferring heat between a transmission fluid and a coolant in a transmission, such as in a motor vehicle, includes a transmission pump for circulating the transmission fluid and an oil pan having a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger has at least one transmission fluid layer and at least one coolant layer. The heat exchanger is located on a high-pressure side of the transmission pump and is configured to receive a pressurized flow of the transmission fluid from the transmission pump. Preferably, the heat exchanger receives the pressurized flow directly from either the transmission pump or a hydraulic control system.

System and method of transferring heat between transmission fluid and coolant in oil pan

A thermostatic bypass valve functions to regulate fluid temperature and also to act as a pressure relief valve using a single valve bore. The poppet valve includes a cylinder with a chamber that is thermally immersed in a source passageway such that the valve state is determined by the temperature of the fluid flowing through the source passageway as opposed to the fluid flowing through a return passageway. When the fluid in the source passageway is hot, a poppet is forced against the return passageway side of a valve seat. The poppet may either be rigidly attached to the cylinder or may slide with respect to the cylinder and be forced against the valve seat by a spring. A piston may either be rigidly attached to the housing or may be forced toward the valve seat by a spring.

A service warm-up feature warms transmission fluid to normal operating temperature faster than normal idle without requiring continuous technician attention. This facilitates checking the transmission fluid level. The feature increases the warm-up rate by commanding an increased line pressure and an increased idle speed, which causes more heat to be generated as the fluid flows through restrictions at an increased flow rate with an increased pressure drop. The warm-up rate may be further increased by holding the turbine shaft stationary to increase torque converter heat generation. Various precautions prevent accidental vehicle movement.

Transmission service warm-up feature

A hydraulic system for supplying fluid to a torque converter of an automatic transmission for a vehicle driven by a power source includes a torque converter including an impeller, a turbine, and an impeller clutch for alternately engaging and disengaging a drive connection between the impeller and the power source, a hydraulic control system producing line pressure and converter charge pressure that communicates with the impeller clutch, a discharge line communicating with the impeller clutch and through which hydraulic fluid discharges from the torque converter at a discharge pressure similar to the first pressure, thereby minimizing a pressure differential across the impeller clutch tending to disengage the impeller clutch, and an oil cooler to which fluid is supplied from at least one of the source of line pressure and the converter discharge line and from which fluid returns to the control system.

Hydraulic supply system for torque converter impeller clutch

An assembly includes a rotatable member formed with a recess, a first component, a snap ring located in the recess for limiting axial displacement of the first component, and a bearing located between the first component and a second component, including a finger extending from a race of the bearing toward the bearing and able to limit radial movement of the snap ring.

Thrust bearing snap ring retainer

The present disclosure relates to a multiple zone vehicle radiator, including: a housing; a first zone included in the housing; a second zone included in the housing; a baffle between the first and second zone, located in an outlet manifold of the housing; and a zone modifier configured to regulate coolant distribution between the first zone and second zone according to predetermined conditions.

Multi-zone vehicle radiators

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for controlling a flow regulator, such as a diverter valve, that is configured to guide air through a transmission housing before entering an engine intake manifold. In certain arrangements, the flow regulator operates according to predetermined conditions, e.g., meeting an engine intake manifold air temperature threshold.

Powertrain thermal management system for a dry-clutch transmission

A method for controlling the temperature of transmission fluid in a motor vehicle includes operating in an automatic transmission fluid cooling mode, a heater priority mode entered by disabling automatic transmission fluid heating, and an automatic transmission fluid heating mode which includes sending hot engine coolant to a heat exchanger for heating the automatic transmission fluid by transferring heat from the hot engine coolant to the automatic transmission fluid. The method switches to from a heater priority mode to a transmission heating mode base on a number of sensed conditions including sensed automatic fluid transmission temperature. The method also includes an automatic transmission fluid temperature regulating mode including measuring an automatic transmission fluid temperature and switching between the cooling mode and the heating mode based measured temperature.

Transmission fluid warming and cooling method

A system for cooling a power transfer unit includes a case enclosing said unit and including an outer surface, a chamber bounded by said outer surface, an inlet for carrying coolant from a source of pressurized coolant into the chamber, and an outlet for carrying coolant from the chamber.

Cooling a power transfer unit

A thermal management system for a vehicle powertrain includes a heater core, a transmission fluid warmer selectively in thermal communication with the heater core, a bypass valve between the heater core and transmission fluid warmer configured to control fluid flow therebetween, a control module configured to control the bypass valve, and a timer linked to the control module configured to delay deactivation of the bypass valve.

Powertrain thermal management system

A system for heating and cooling the transmission fluid including a heat exchanger adapted to transfer heat between an engine coolant and a transmission fluid and a controller for controlling a valve to place the system into a select one of three modes including a heater core priority mode wherein no engine coolant flows to the heat exchanger, a heating mode wherein hot engine coolant flows directly to the heat exchanger from the engine and a cooling mode wherein cool engine coolant flows directly to the heat exchanger from the radiator, whereby the transmission fluid is heated in an efficient manner with minimal impact on passenger compartment heating.

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Canton, MI, United States of America

James Thomas Gooden