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:
Dec. 16, 2008
Filed:
Mar. 07, 2007
Jan Vetrovec, Larkspur, CO (US);
Jan Vetrovec, Larkspur, CO (US);
Aqwest, LLC, Larkspur, CO (US);
Abstract
A cooling system for an internal combustion engine incorporating a heat accumulator to temporarily store heat during peak heat loads. In automotive vehicles, the heat accumulator may store excess heat generated during vehicle acceleration or hill climbing and it may dissipate stored heat during vehicle cruise, deceleration, or engine idle. The heat accumulator contains phase change material with a solid-to-liquid transition temperature higher than the normal operating temperature of the cooling system. The invention enables reducing the size and weight of engine cooling system without compromising its performance. This is particularly important for improving fuel economy and reduction of emission in automotive vehicles. In addition, the invention enables reducing the coolant inventory in the system thereby allowing for faster engine warm-up and reduced emissions of harmful pollutants during a cold engine start. The invention may be also used for thermal management of engine oil, transmission fluid, or hydraulic fluid.