US 12,146,448 B2
System and method for managing piston temperature in a vehicle
Sebastien Thibault, Sherbrooke (CA); Bruno Schuehmacher, Richmond (CA); Felix Labonte, Roxton Pond (CA); Luc Champigny, Racine (CA); Frederic Desjardins, Orford (CA); Michael Seyrl, Wels (AT); Roland Ennsmann, Gunskirchen (AT); and Roland Wimmer, Eberstalzell (AT)
Assigned to BRP-ROTAX GMBH & CO. KG, Valcourt (CA)
Appl. No. 18/019,428
Filed by BRP-ROTAX GMBH & CO. KG, Gunskirchen (AT)
PCT Filed Aug. 4, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/071821
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 2, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/029208, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 10, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0358185 A1, Nov. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. F02D 35/02 (2006.01); F02D 41/00 (2006.01)
CPC F02D 35/026 (2013.01) [F02D 41/0007 (2013.01); F02D 2200/022 (2013.01); F02D 2200/023 (2013.01); F02D 2200/0404 (2013.01); F02D 2200/0406 (2013.01); F02D 2200/101 (2013.01); F02D 2200/703 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle comprising:
a frame;
an engine supported by the frame, the engine having at least one engine air inlet;
a turbocharger fluidly connected to the engine, the turbocharger including a compressor fluidly connected to the at least one engine air inlet, the compressor having a compressor inlet and a compressor outlet,
an intake air flow path of the vehicle being defined from air entering the vehicle, passing through the compressor inlet into the compressor, passing out of the compressor through the compressor outlet, and flowing into the at least one engine air inlet;
a coolant container assembly supported by the frame, the coolant container assembly comprising a coolant container for holding cooling liquid, the coolant container assembly being fluidly connected to the intake air flow path at at least one connection point; and
a controller communicatively connected with the coolant container assembly,
at least one coolant-injection collar fluidly connected to the at least one engine air inlet;
at least one injection nozzle connected to and extending through the at least one coolant-injection collar, the at least one injection nozzle being fluidly connected to the coolant container assembly; and
wherein:
the at least one connection point is defined by the at least one nozzle,
the controller is communicatively connected to the engine; and
the controller is configured to:
determine an estimated piston temperature based at least in part on at least one engine operation value received from the engine, and
selectively cause of an amount of cooling liquid to flow from the coolant container into the intake air flow path via the at least one nozzle based on at least the estimated piston temperature.