Patent Application

App. No. 11/856,229

Abstract

Claims (14)

1 . Apparatus for heating transmission fluid, comprising:

a heat exchanger effective to transfer heat between transmission fluid of a transmission assembly and an exhaust gas feed stream of an engine; and

a flow valve for selectively controlling flow of said exhaust gas feed stream through said heat exchanger based upon temperature of said transmission fluid.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said flow valve is electrically actuated.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said flow valve is mechanically actuated.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said heat exchanger is thermally coupled to a sump of said transmission assembly.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said exhaust gas feed stream comprises an exhaust gas recirculation feed stream.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said heat exchanger is thermally coupled to an exhaust pipe.

7 . A method for heating transmission fluid with an exhaust gas feed stream from an engine, comprising:

selectively operating an exhaust gas flow valve based upon temperature of transmission fluid from a transmission assembly; and

diverting with said flow valve some portion of the exhaust gas feed stream from the engine into a heat exchanger to thermally couple said exhaust gas feed stream to said transmission fluid.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein operation of said flow valve is accomplished electronically.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein operation of said flow valve is accomplished mechanically.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the portion of the exhaust gas feed stream diverted into the heat exchanger is recirculated into an intake manifold of the engine.

Assignments (11)