Apparatus for heating lubricating oil

Abstract

An apparatus is described for heating oil for an internal-combustion engine. The apparatus includes a heat-exchanger arranged within an oil sump of the internal-combustion engine, which is flowed through or capable of being flowed through by a thermal medium for the purpose of emitting heat to oil in the oil sump. The apparatus further includes a heat-source in fluidic communication with the heat-exchanger, which is designed to heat the thermal medium outside the oil sump and outside the internal-combustion engine.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for heating lubricating oil for an internal-combustion engine, comprising:
 a heat-exchanger arranged within an oil sump of the internal-combustion engine, which is flowed through or capable of being flowed through by a thermal medium for the purpose of emitting heat to lubricating oil in the oil sump; and   a heat-source in fluidic communication with the heat-exchanger, which is designed to heat the thermal medium outside the oil sump and outside the internal-combustion engine.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one sensor for registering at least one temperature. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a sensor for registering an actual temperature of the lubricating oil in the oil sump, a sensor for registering a forward-feed temperature in a forward feed of the heat-exchanger, or a sensor for registering the return-feed temperature in a return feed of the heat-exchanger. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising a regulation system which is designed to regulate a power output of the heat-source in a manner depending on the at least one registered temperature. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the power output of the heat-source is regulated in such a way that the registered forward-feed temperature or the registered return-feed temperature of the heat-exchanger is higher than the actual temperature or a desired temperature of the lubricating oil in the oil sump. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a reservoir of the thermal medium, arranged outside the oil sump, the heat-exchanger and the reservoir being in fluidic communication in a circuit of the thermal medium. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the return-feed temperature is registered between the heat-exchanger and the reservoir of the thermal medium. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the regulation system is further designed to reduce the power output of the heat-source if the return-feed temperature is higher than a predetermined maximal temperature of the reservoir. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a suction point of a lubricating-oil circuit spatially assigned to the heat-exchanger is arranged in the oil sump. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat-exchanger includes a plurality of heat-conducting plates arranged in parallel, with cavities in which the thermal medium flows. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the plates are spaced from one another for the purpose of forming interspaces between the plates, into which the lubricating oil flows. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the oil sump includes a peripheral connecting flange and the plates are arranged parallel to a plane of the connecting flange, and wherein the heat-exchanger includes connecting pipes and which are arranged within the peripheral connecting flange. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the oil sump includes a peripheral connecting flange and the plates are arranged perpendicular to a plane of the connecting flange, and wherein the heat-exchanger includes connecting pipes and which lead through a side wall of the oil sump and are screwed to the side wall. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the oil sump includes a peripheral connecting flange and the plates are arranged at an angle, different from 0° or 90°, relative to the plane of the connecting flange. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermal medium comprises cooling water of the internal-combustion engine.