Cooling system, in particular of a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention concerns a cooling system, in particular a motor vehicle cooling system comprising a cooling circuit, in which a cooling medium is circulated by means of a cooling medium pump; wherein the cooling medium pump or another work machine is driven by means of a drive machine via a hydrodynamic coupling, comprising a pump impeller driven by the drive machine and a turbine wheel driving the cooling medium pump, which together form a toroidal working chamber which can optionally be filled with working medium; wherein the working medium is the cooling medium; a compensating container, comprising a space filled with cooling medium and an air chamber above a cooling medium level in the space filled with cooling medium. The invention is characterised in that the working chamber of the hydrodynamic coupling is always connected to the air chamber or can optionally be connected to the latter via an air-conducting connection.

1 . Cooling system, in particular a motor vehicle cooling system, comprising
 a cooling circuit, in which a cooling medium is circulated by means of a cooling medium pump; wherein   the cooling medium pump or another work machine is driven by means of a drive machine via a hydrodynamic coupling comprising a pump impeller driven by the drive machine and a turbine wheel driving the cooling medium pump, which together form a toroidal working chamber which can optionally be filled with working medium; wherein   the working medium is the cooling medium;   a compensating container, comprising a space filled with cooling medium and an air chamber above a cooling medium level in the space filled with cooling medium;   characterised in that   the working chamber of the hydrodynamic coupling is always connected to the air chamber or can optionally be connected to the latter via an air-conducting connection.   
     
     
         2 . Cooling system according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the cooling system is designed as a pressure-tight sealed system to the surrounding atmosphere, in particular with an overpressure with respect to the surrounding atmosphere. 
     
     
         3 . Cooling system according to  claim 1 , characterised in that a shut-off valve is provided in the air-conducting connection, in particular in the form of a directional valve, in order to interrupt and release the air-conducting connection selectively. 
     
     
         4 . Cooling system according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the working chamber of the hydrodynamic coupling is always connected to the suction side of the cooling medium pump or can optionally be connected to the latter via an additional connection for conveying the working medium. 
     
     
         5 . Cooling system according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the working chamber of the hydrodynamic coupling can optionally be connected to the pressure side of the cooling medium pump via an additional connection for conveying the working medium, whereas said connection can optionally be interrupted, in particular by means of a valve. 
     
     
         6 . Cooling system according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the working chamber of the hydrodynamic coupling can optionally be connected to the space filled with cooling medium of the compensating container via an additional connection for conveying the working medium, whereas said connection can optionally be interrupted, in particular by means of a valve. 
     
     
         7 . Cooling system according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the working chamber of the hydrodynamic coupling has an inlet and an outlet, whereas said inlet can be shut off, in particular by means of a valve, and the outlet is connected to the inlet via a connection for conveying the working medium, so that working medium discharged from the working chamber via the outlet is returned at least partially or completely back to the working chamber via the inlet. 
     
     
         8 . Cooling system according to  claim 3 , characterised in that the valve provided in the air-conducting connection and/or the valve provided in a connection for conveying the working medium, which is connected to the working chamber, can be operated in a clocked manner so as to adjust the filling level of the working chamber with working medium variably and including partial fill-ups. 
     
     
         9 . Cooling system according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the turbine wheel of the hydrodynamic coupling is designed integrally with a rotor of the cooling medium pump and/or carries the same, and is mounted in particular relatively on the pump impeller or on a shaft driving the same. 
     
     
         10 . Cooling system according to  claim 2 , characterised in that a shut-off valve is provided in the air-conducting connection, in particular in the form of a directional valve, in order to interrupt and release the air-conducting connection selectively. 
     
     
         11 . Cooling system according to  claim 2 , characterised in that the working chamber of the hydrodynamic coupling is always connected to the suction side of the cooling medium pump or can optionally be connected to the latter via an additional connection for conveying the working medium. 
     
     
         12 . Cooling system according to  claim 3 , characterised in that the working chamber of the hydrodynamic coupling is always connected to the suction side of the cooling medium pump or can optionally be connected to the latter via an additional connection for conveying the working medium. 
     
     
         13 . Cooling system according to  claim 2 , characterised in that the working chamber of the hydrodynamic coupling can optionally be connected to the pressure side of the cooling medium pump via an additional connection for conveying the working medium, whereas said connection can optionally be interrupted, in particular by means of a valve. 
     
     
         14 . Cooling system according to  claim 3  characterised in that the working chamber of the hydrodynamic coupling can optionally be connected to the pressure side of the cooling medium pump via an additional connection for conveying the working medium, whereas said connection can optionally be interrupted, in particular by means of a valve. 
     
     
         15 . Cooling system according to  claim 4  characterised in that the working chamber of the hydrodynamic coupling can optionally be connected to the pressure side of the cooling medium pump via an additional connection for conveying the working medium, whereas said connection can optionally be interrupted, in particular by means of a valve. 
     
     
         16 . Cooling system according to  claim 2 , characterised in that the working chamber of the hydrodynamic coupling can optionally be connected to the space filled with cooling medium of the compensating container via an additional connection for conveying the working medium, whereas said connection can optionally be interrupted, in particular by means of a valve. 
     
     
         17 . Cooling system according to  claim 3 , characterised in that the working chamber of the hydrodynamic coupling can optionally be connected to the space filled with cooling medium of the compensating container via an additional connection for conveying the working medium, whereas said connection can optionally be interrupted, in particular by means of a valve. 
     
     
         18 . Cooling system according to  claim 4 , characterised in that the working chamber of the hydrodynamic coupling can optionally be connected to the space filled with cooling medium of the compensating container via an additional connection for conveying the working medium, whereas said connection can optionally be interrupted, in particular by means of a valve. 
     
     
         19 . Cooling system according to  claim 5 , characterised in that the working chamber of the hydrodynamic coupling can optionally be connected to the space filled with cooling medium of the compensating container via an additional connection for conveying the working medium, whereas said connection can optionally be interrupted, in particular by means of a valve. 
     
     
         20 . Cooling system according to  claim 2 , characterised in that the working chamber of the hydrodynamic coupling has an inlet and an outlet, whereas said inlet can be shut off, in particular by means of a valve, and the outlet is connected to the inlet via a connection for conveying the working medium, so that working medium discharged from the working chamber via the outlet is returned at least partially or completely back to the working chamber via the inlet.