Generator set cooling control system

• US 20110248511A1
• Filed: 10/05/2010
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins Power Generation IP, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cummins Power Generation IP, Inc.
• Inventors: Steffl, Leo T., Woody, Daniel, Midlo, Lee, Fedewa, Michael A., Marlenee, Alyssa, Punyko, Arthur J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,550,038 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/1.A
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 2101/45 for motor vehicles, e.g. car alternators
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/04 Control effected upon non-electric prime mover and dependent upon electric output value of the generator
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/10 Control effected upon generator excitation circuit to reduce harmful effects of overloads or transients, e.g. sudden application of load, sudden removal of load, sudden change of load
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/48 Arrangements for obtaining a constant output value at varying speed of the generator, e.g. on vehicle H02P9/04 - H02P9/46 take precedence

Abstract

A system includes a genset having an engine, an AC generator, and a radiator thermally coupled to the engine. The system includes an electric variable speed fan having an outlet flow, where the outlet flow passes at least partially through the radiator. The system includes a controller structured to functionally execute certain operations for cooling the genset. The controller interprets a genset identification parameter and selects a cooling algorithm from a predetermined set of cooling algorithms according to the genset identification parameter. The controller further interprets genset operating conditions according to the cooling algorithm, and provides a cooling fan command in response to the genset operating conditions and the cooling algorithm. The electric variable speed fan is responsive to the cooling fan command.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a genset including an engine, an AC generator, and a radiator thermally coupled to the engine;

an electric variable speed fan having an outlet flow, wherein at least a portion of the outlet flow passes through the radiator;

a controller, comprising;

a genset identification module structured to interpret a genset identification parameter;

a cooling fan logic module structured to select a cooling algorithm from a predetermined set of cooling algorithms in response to the genset identification parameter;

an operation conditions module structured to interpet at least one genset operating condition in response to the selected cooling algorithm; and

a cooling fan command module structured to provide a cooling fan command in response to the selected cooling algorithm and the at least one genset operating condition; and

wherein the electric variable speed fan is responsive to the cooling fan command.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the genset identification parameter comprises a genset frequency and a genset power rating.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the genset identification parameter comprises a genset model number.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined set of cooling algorithms comprises a plurality of genset identification parameter values, each of the genset identification parameter values corresponding to at least one lookup table, wherein each of the at least one lookup tables comprises a cooling fan output value as a function of a genset operating condition.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein each genset operating condition comprises a genset operating condition selected from the conditions consisting of:

a temperature of a control box, a coolant temperature, a genset compartment temperature, and an intake manifold temperature.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the selected cooling algorithm comprises a plurality of lookup tables, and wherein the cooling fan command module is further structured to provide the cooling fan command as a greatest cooling fan output value from the plurality of lookup tables.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of variable speed fans, and wherein the cooling fan command module is further structured to provide a cooling fan command for each of the variable speed fans in response to the selected cooling algorithm and the genset operating condition.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising an alternator loading module structured to adjust the cooling fan commands such that only one of the variable speed fans experiences a fan speed increase within a predetermined fan increase speed time window.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising an alternator loading module structured to adjust the cooling fan commands such that only one of the variable speed fans experiences a fan speed decrease within a predetermined fan decrease speed time window.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising three variable speed fans, wherein the cooling algorithm comprises controlling the first variable speed fan and the second variable speed fan as a first function of a coolant temperature of the engine and as a function of a control box temperature, and wherein the cooling algorithm further comprises controlling the third variable speed fan as a second function of the coolant temperature of the engine and as a function of an intake manifold temperature.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising four variable speed fans, wherein the cooling algorithm comprises controlling the first variable speed fan and the second variable speed fan as a first function of a coolant temperature of the engine and as a function of a control box temperature, wherein the cooling algorithm further comprises controlling the third variable speed fan as a second function of the coolant temperature of the engine and as a first function of an intake manifold temperature, and wherein the cooling algorithm further comprises controlling the fourth variable speed fan as the function of the control box temperature and as a second function of the intake manifold temperature of the engine.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising three variable speed fans, wherein the cooling algorithm comprises controlling each of the variable speed fans as a function of a coolant temperature of the engine, as a function of a control box temperature, and as a function of the intake manifold temperature of the engine.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the cooling algorithm further comprises a maximum allowable fan speed, and wherein the cooling fan command module is further structured to command the variable speed fan at the maximum allowable fan speed further in response to the genset operating condition being one of unavailable and in a fault condition.

14. A method, comprising:

interfacing a genset harness and a genset controller;

in response to the interfacing, interpreting a genset identification parameter;

selecting a cooling algorithm from a predetermined set of cooling algorithms in response to the genset identification parameter;

interpreting at least one genset operating condition in response to the cooling algorithm; and

operating a variable speed fan in response to the cooling algorithm and the at least one genset operating condition.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising operating the variable speed fan in response to at least one temperature selected from the temperatures consisting of a control box temperature, an engine coolant temperature, and an engine intake manifold temperature.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the interpreting at least one genset operating condition comprises determining an engine coolant temperature and a control box temperature, and wherein the operating the variable speed fan comprises looking up a first speed for the variable speed fan as a function of the engine coolant temperature, looking up a second speed for the variable speed fan as a function of the control box temperature, selecting a maximum speed of the first speed and the second speed, and wherein the operating the variable speed fan comprises controlling the variable speed fan to the maximum speed.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining a maximum allowable fan speed for the variable speed fan according to an audible noise limit for the genset, and wherein the operating the variable speed fan is further in response to the maximum allowable fan speed.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising operating a plurality of variable speed fans in response to the cooling algorithm.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising operating a first and second variable speed fan in response to a coolant temperature of an engine and a control box temperature.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising operating the first and second variable speed fans such that only one of the variable speed fans experiences a fan speed increase within a predetermined fan increase speed time window.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising operating the first and second variable speed fans such that only one of the variable speed fans experiences a fan speed decrease within a predetermined fan decrease speed time window.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising operating a third variable speed fan in response to the coolant temperature of the engine and an intake manifold temperature.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising operating a fourth variable speed fan in response to the control box temperature and the intake manifold temperature.

24. An apparatus, comprising:

a genset identification module structured to interpret a genset identification parameter;

a cooling fan logic module structured to select a cooling algorithm from a predetermined set of cooling algorithms in response to the genset identification parameter;

an operation conditions module structured to interpet at least one genset operating condition in response to the selected cooling algorithm; and

a cooling fan command module structured to provide a cooling fan command for a variable speed fan in response to the selected cooling algorithm and the at least one genset operating condition.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the predetermined set of cooling algorithms comprises a plurality of genset identification parameter values, each of the genset identification parameter values corresponding to at least one lookup table, wherein each of the at least one lookup tables comprises a cooling fan output value as a function of a genset operating condition.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein each genset operating condition comprises a genset operating condition selected from the conditions consisting of:

a temperature of a control box, a coolant temperature, a genset compartment temperature, and an intake manifold temperature.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the selected cooling algorithm comprises a plurality of lookup tables, and wherein the cooling fan command module is further structured to provide the cooling fan command as a greatest cooling fan output value from the plurality of lookup tables.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the cooling algorithm further comprises a maximum allowable fan speed, and wherein the cooling fan command module is further structured to provide the cooling fan command at the maximum allowable fan speed further in response to the genset operating condition being one of unavailable and in a fault condition.

29. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the cooling fan command module is further structured to provide a cooling fan command for each of a number of variable speed fans in response to the selected cooling algorithm and the genset operating condition.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising an alternator loading module structured to adjust the cooling fan commands such that only one of the variable speed fans experiences a fan speed increase within a predetermined fan increase speed time window.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the cooling algorithm comprises controlling a first variable speed fan and a second variable speed fan as a first function of a coolant temperature of the engine and as a function of a control box temperature, and wherein the cooling algorithm further comprises controlling a third variable speed fan as a second function of the coolant temperature of the engine and as a function of an intake manifold temperature.