DEVICE AND METHOD FOR COOLING A HEAT ENGINE CONTROL ELEMENT

摘要

The invention relates to a device for cooling a vehicle combustion engine control element comprising a principal coolant flow circuit which passes through the engine (1) and includes a circulation pump (3), a thermostatic valve (4) and a radiator (5). Said inventive device is characterised by the fact that a heat exchanger (14) that can cool the control element is mounted in a secondary circuit (13), downstream of the radiator, between said radiator (5) and the circulation pump (3). Furthermore, a restrictor (16) is mounted in the principal circuit in parallel with the exchanger (14). A branch (17) of the secondary circuit connects the exchanger (14) to the restrictor (16) and in this way the coolant can pass through said branch in either direction depending on whether the thermostatic valve (4) is open or closed.