Multiple plane recirculation fan control for a cooling package

• US 10,450,939 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2016
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: West, Sean P., Sass, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruppert, Eric S
• Application Number:
  US15/140,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20170314453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/10 Guiding or ducting cooling-air, to, or from, liquid-to-air heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/12 Filtering, cooling, or silencing cooling-air
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2003/182 with multiple heat-exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2005/025 using two or more air pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 3/18 Arrangements or mounting of liquid-to-air heat-exchangers such arrangements on cylinders or cylinder heads F01P3/04; relative to vehicles B60K11/04
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/04 by varying pump speed, e.g. by changing pump-drive gear ratio

Abstract

A multiplane fan cooling system and method is disclosed for a cooling system with first, second and intake planes; a first fan and heat exchanger on the first plane, a second fan and heat exchanger on the second plane, and a shared air cavity bounded at least partially by these three planes. Each fan pulls air into the shared air cavity through the intake plane and across its associated heat exchanger. The first fan cools the first heat exchanger, and counteracts the second fan from drawing air into the shared air cavity through the first heat exchanger. The second fan cools the second heat exchanger. The second fan can be activated to counteract the first fan from drawing air into the shared air cavity through the second heat exchanger. All the air in the shared air cavity can be available to each of the fans.

Claims

1. A multiplane fan cooling system for a vehicle having a plurality of heat exchangers to cool vehicle systems, the multiplane fan cooling system comprising:

a first plane;

a first heat exchanger on the first plane;

a first sensor that provides first temperature readings of a first vehicle system cooled by the first heat exchanger; and

a second plane;

a second heat exchanger on the second plane;

a second sensor that provides second temperature readings of a second vehicle system cooled by the second heat exchanger;

an intake plane;

a shared air cavity bounded at least in part by the first plane, second plane and intake plane;

a first fan on the first plane, the first fan configured to pull ambient air through the intake plane into the shared air cavity and move the ambient air across the first plane and the first heat exchanger when the first heat exchanger needs cooling;

a second fan on the second plane, the second fan configured to pull ambient air through the intake plane into the shared air cavity and move the ambient air across the second plane and the second heat exchanger when the second heat exchanger needs cooling; and

a controller configured to;

activate the first fan when the first heat exchanger needs cooling;

activate the second fan when the second heat exchanger needs cooling;

activate the first fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the first heat exchanger by the second fan;

activate the second fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the second heat exchanger by the first fan;

control a speed of the first fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the first heat exchanger by the second fan; and

control a speed of the second fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the second heat exchanger by the first fan;

wherein the controller determines a first fan speed for the first fan based on the first sensor readings, determines a second fan speed for the second fan based on the second sensor readings, determines a first fan command for the first fan based on the first and second fan speeds, determines a second fan command for the second fan based on the first and second fan speeds;

transmits the first fan command to the first fan and transmits the second fan command to the second fan.

2. The multiplane fan cooling system of claim 1, wherein all of the air in the shared air cavity is available to each of the first and second fans.

3. A multiplane fan cooling system for a vehicle having a plurality of heat exchangers to cool vehicle systems, the multiplane fan cooling system comprising:

a first plane;

a first heat exchanger on the first plane;

a second plane;

a second heat exchanger on the second plane;

a third heat exchanger on the first plane;

an intake plane;

a shared air cavity bounded at least in part by the first plane, second plane and intake plane;

a first fan on the first plane, the first fan configured to pull ambient air through the intake plane into the shared air cavity and move the ambient air across the first plane and the first and third heat exchangers when the first or third heat exchanger needs cooling;

a second fan on the second plane, the second fan configured to pull ambient air through the intake plane into the shared air cavity and move the ambient air across the second plane and the second heat exchanger when the second heat exchanger needs cooling; and

a controller configured to;

activate the first fan when the first heat exchanger needs cooling;

activate the first fan when the third heat exchanger needs cooling;

activate the second fan when the second heat exchanger needs cooling;

activate the first fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the first heat exchanger by the second fan;

activate the second fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the second heat exchanger by the first fan; and

control a speed of the first fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the first and third heat exchangers by the second fan; and

control a speed of the second fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the second heat exchanger by the first fan.

4. The multiplane fan cooling system of claim 3, further comprising:

a first sensor that provides first temperature readings of a first vehicle system cooled by the first heat exchanger;

a second sensor that provides second temperature readings of a second vehicle system cooled by the second heat exchanger; and

a third sensor that provides third temperature readings of a third vehicle system cooled by the third heat exchanger;

wherein the controller is configured to;

determine a first fan speed for the first fan based on the first and third sensor readings;

determine a second fan speed for the second fan based on the second sensor readings;

determine a first fan command for the first fan based on the first and second fan speeds;

determine a second fan command for the second fan based on the first and second fan speeds;

transmit the first fan command to the first fan; and

transmit the second fan command to the second fan.

5. The multiplane fan cooling system of claim 3, wherein all of the air in the shared air cavity is available to each of the first and second fans.

6. A multiplane fan cooling system for a vehicle having a plurality of heat exchangers to cool vehicle systems, the multiplane fan cooling system comprising:

a first plane;

a first heat exchanger on the first plane;

a second plane;

a second heat exchanger on the second plane;

a third heat exchanger on the first plane;

a first fan on the first plane, the first fan configured to pull ambient air through the intake plane into the shared air cavity and move the ambient air across the first plane and the first heat exchanger when the first heat exchanger needs cooling;

a second fan on the second plane, the second fan configured to pull ambient air through the intake plane into the shared air cavity and move the ambient air across the second plane and the second heat exchanger when the second heat exchanger needs cooling;

a third fan on the first plane, the third fan configured to pull ambient air through the intake plane into the shared air cavity and move the ambient air across the first plane and the third heat exchanger when the third heat exchanger needs cooling; and

a controller configured to;

activate the first fan when the first heat exchanger needs cooling;

activate the second fan when the second heat exchanger needs cooling;

activate the third fan when the third heat exchanger needs cooling;

activate the first fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the first heat exchanger by the second fan;

activate the second fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the second heat exchanger by the first fan;

control a speed of the first fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the first heat exchanger by the second fan or the third fan;

control a speed of the second fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the second heat exchanger by the first fan or the third fan; and

control a speed of the third fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the third heat exchanger by the first fan or the second fan.

7. The multiplane fan cooling system of claim 6, further comprising:

a first sensor that provides first temperature readings of a first vehicle system cooled by the first heat exchanger;

a second sensor that provides second temperature readings of a second vehicle system cooled by the second heat exchanger; and

a third sensor that provides third temperature readings of a third vehicle system cooled by the third heat exchanger;

wherein the controller is configured to;

determine a first fan speed for the first fan based on the first sensor readings;

determine a second fan speed for the second fan based on the second sensor readings;

determine a third fan speed for the third fan based on the third sensor readings;

determine a first fan command for the first fan based on the first, second and third fan speeds;

determine a second fan command for the second fan based on the first, second and third fan speeds;

determine a third fan command for the third fan based on the first, second and third fan speeds;

transmit the first fan command to the first fan;

transmit the second fan command to the second fan; and

transmit the third fan command to the third fan.

8. The multiplane fan cooling system of claim 6, wherein all of the air in the shared air cavity is available to each of the first, second and third fans.