The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 10, 1998
Filed:
Feb. 06, 1996
Karsten Michels, Braunschweig, DE;
Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg, DE;
Abstract
A method for controlling a cooling circuit of an internal combustion engine which includes a coolant pump for adjusting a coolant flow rate, a radiator in which heat is exchanged between the coolant and an air flow which can be controlled by a fan, and a control unit which controls at least the speed of the coolant pump and of the fan as a function of a required temperature value of the coolant. In order to shorten the warm-up phase of the engine and to minimize the power consumption of the pump and of the fan when the coolant temperature is below a selected low level, the speed of the coolant pump and the speed of the fan are controlled based on maintaining a required temperature difference of the coolant between the inlet and the outlet of the engine and, after the selected low level has been reached, the speed of the coolant pump and of the fan are controlled both as a function of the required temperature difference and of a required coolant temperature level at the engine outlet.