Multiport fluid pump with reserve capacity impeller

Inventor: David S. Malone (Attica, MI)

Assignee: Cooper-Standard Automotive Inc.

F04D15/0005 F04D1/00 F04D15/0022 F04D29/4246 F04D29/4293

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12698778
App. No.: 17/894,388
Granted: Aug 4, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

An apparatus and process for distributing coolant through first and second coolant loops comprising a pump having a first outlet port connected to the first coolant loop and a second outlet port connected to the second coolant loop. A valve switches coolant to the first or second outlet port individually or to the first and second outlet ports concurrently. Coolant pumped by the pump at an unrestricted rate of flow is circulated at a rate of flow less than the unrestricted rate of flow when the valve connects the first outlet port and circulated at a rate of flow less than the unrestricted rate of flow when the valve connects the second outlet port. When the valve connects the first and the second outlet ports concurrently coolant is circulated through the first and the second coolant loops at a rate of flow equal to the unrestricted rate of flow.

Claims (16)

1 . An apparatus for distributing coolant fluid through first and second coolant loops comprising:

a pump having a housing including an inlet port connected to a source of coolant fluid and a first outlet port connected to the first coolant loop and a second outlet port connected to the second coolant loop the second outlet port offset at an angular orientation relative to the first outlet port;

a valve located in the pump housing having a wall and an opening extending through the wall, wherein an interior surface of the wall is spirally voluted from a thicker wall section at a first end of the opening to a thinner wall section at a second end of the opening, the valve switchable to align the wall or the opening at the first outlet port or the second outlet port to direct coolant fluid from the inlet port to either the first or the second outlet port individually or the first and second outlet ports concurrently; and

an impeller located in the pump housing that has an impeller capacity equal to an inlet port capacity and which rotates at a setpoint RPM that pumps the coolant fluid received from the inlet port at an unrestricted rate of flow, wherein,

the coolant fluid is circulated through the first coolant loop at a rate of flow less than the unrestricted rate of flow at the setpoint RPM when the valve opening connects the first outlet port to the first coolant loop and the wall blocks the second outlet port disconnecting the second outlet port from the second coolant loop; and

the coolant fluid is circulated through the second coolant loop at a rate of flow less than the unrestricted rate of flow at the setpoint RPM when the valve opening connects the second outlet port to the second coolant loop and the wall blocks the first outlet port disconnecting the first outlet port from the first coolant loop; and

the coolant fluid is circulated through the first and the second coolant loops at the unrestricted rate of flow at the setpoint RPM when the valve opening connects the first and the second outlet ports concurrently to the first and second coolant loops.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pump includes a motor connected to the impeller, the motor arranged to rotate the impeller at the setpoint RPM.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the impeller is located in the pump housing between the inlet port and the valve.

4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the pump inlet port is connected to a heat dissipating device that supplies the source of coolant fluid.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the heat dissipating device is fluidically connected to the first coolant loop and the second coolant loop.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first coolant loop includes at least one heat generating component and the pump circulates coolant fluid through the first outlet port to the at least one heat generating component in the first coolant loop and to the heat dissipating device.

7 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the second coolant loop includes at least one heat generating component and the pump circulates coolant fluid through the second outlet port to the at least one heat generating component of the second coolant loop and the heat dissipating device.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the impeller pumps the coolant fluid at the unrestricted rate of flow that is greater than the rate of flow applied through the first outlet port and circulated through the first coolant loop, wherein the rate of flow of the coolant fluid returned to the inlet port is less than the unrestricted rate of flow produced by the impeller at the setpoint RPM.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the impeller pumps the coolant fluid at the unrestricted rate of flow that is greater than the rate of flow applied through the second outlet port and circulated through the second coolant loop, wherein the rate of flow of the coolant fluid returned to the inlet port is less than the unrestricted rate of flow produced by the impeller at the setpoint RPM.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pump impeller pumps the coolant fluid at the unrestricted rate of flow that is greater than the rate of flow applied to the first and the second outlet ports concurrently and circulated through the first and the second coolant loops, wherein the rate of flow of the coolant fluid returned to the inlet port is equal to the unrestricted rate of flow produced by the impeller at the setpoint RPM.