Current active deaeration and degassing systems for automotive cooling systems utilize a coolant bottle having a degassing chamber through which a part of the engine cooling fluid is passed continuously for the purpose of accumulating and separating gas, i.e. air from the coolant. Such deaeration systems work best when there is a designated air space in the coolant bottle for collection of any air removed from the coolant. Such systems work with high efficiency when the coolant bottle is elevated significantly above the level of coolant in the rest of the cooling system particularly the coolant level in the engine so that any air collected is maintained in the coolant bottle. However, due to lower hood lines in modern automobiles, positioning a coolant deaeration bottle above the level of coolant in the rest of the cooling system circuit is usually impossible. When the coolant bottle is not located well above the rest of the circuit, air collected in the coolant bottle can back flow into the engine's coolant circuit after operation of the engine is terminated. Often when collected air is moved out of the coolant bottle it migrates as air bubbles to the vehicle's heater used to warm the vehicle's passenger compartment. These air bubbles may prevent desirable quantities of coolant flow through the heater core, particularly during engine idling. Decreased coolant flow through the heater core prevents the heater system from initially and rapidly warming the cabin of the vehicle. Accordingly, migration of air bubbles from the heater back to the coolant bottle requires an extended operating time of the engine including relatively great engine speeds and corresponding water pump speeds. This procedure repeats itself over and over with each engine start-up/termination cycle and has the effect of diminishing effective warming of the vehicle's interior.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved liquid cooling system for an automotive internal combustion engines and heater system for a vehicle's cabin which features a multi-celled deaeration bottle with a separate cell in which the location of the inlet and exit creates a liquid level defined air trap which prevents any significant flow of air collected in the bottle back into the engine or the beater.
2. Prior Art
Prior to the present invention, various vehicle engine cooling systems have employed a wide range of components for improving vehicle engine cooling. Pressurized deaeration or degassing bottles in liquid cooling systems have been used to remove suspended air from liquid coolant to improve heat transfer efficiency. Examples of such prior system are disclosed in: U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,889 issued to D. Caldwell for "Degas Tank for Engine Cooling System"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,596 issued to D. Splindleboech et al for "Expansion, Deaeration and Reservoir Tank For the Liquid Cooling System of Internal Combustion Engines"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,833 to G. Smith for "Combination Coolant Deaeration and Overflow Bottle".