AIR MOVER REVERSING FOR WORK VEHICLE COOLING PACKAGE

• US 20120247729A1
• Filed: 04/02/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AGCO Corporation
• Original Assignee: AGCO Corporation
• Inventors: Schertz, Rex, Johnson, Gerald R., Soldan, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,997,906 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/95
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00378 for tractor or load vehicle cabins
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/32 Cooling devices B60H1/00478, B60H1/005 take precedence; vehicles adapted to transport refrigerated goods B60P3/20
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3227 characterised by the arrangement or the type of heat exchanger, e.g. condenser, evaporator condensed liquid drainage means B60H1/3233
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/12 Filtering, cooling, or silencing cooling-air
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/14 Indicating devices; Other safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 5/02 Pumping cooling-air; Arrangements of cooling-air pumps, e.g. fans or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 5/04 Pump-driving arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/02 the coolant being cooling-air
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/026 Thermostatic control
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/04 by varying pump speed, e.g. by changing pump-drive gear ratio
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/0443 Combination of units extending one beside or one above the other F28D1/0452 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 19/01 by using means for separating solid materials from heat-exchange fluids, e.g. filters
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 27/00 Control arrangements or safety devices specially adapted for heat-exchange or heat-transfer apparatus control arrangements in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: F28G 13/00 Appliances or processes not covered by groups F28G1/00 - F28G11/00; Combinations of appliances or processes covered by groups F28G1/00 - F28G11/00
• CPC Class Codes: F28G 15/003 Control arrangements

Abstract

A method for reversing an air mover to remove debris from a cooling system of a work vehicle. In one embodiment, the largest required fan speed for cooling the engine coolant, hydraulic oil and the charge air is used as the set point speed for a fan. The fan is operated at the set point speed to generate airflow across each of the heat exchangers. Multiple conditions are evaluated for reversing the direction of the fan.

Claims

1. A method for removing debris from a cooling system with a fan, said method comprising:

determining a required fan speed for each said heat exchanger to cool each said heat exchanger;

determining a fan set point speed based on the highest said required fan speed;

operating the fan at said fan set point speed to generate airflow across each of said heat exchangers; and

evaluating conditions for reversing the direction of the fan.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of determining a suggested fan speed based on the temperature of ambient intake air.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of adding a temperature offset to said ambient air temperature to compensate for solar gain from a work vehicle in the ambient environment.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of adding a temperature offset to said ambient air temperature to compensate for conductive temperature gain from a work vehicle in the ambient environment.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of reversing the direction of said fan in response to said fan set point speed exceeding said suggested fan speed.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of reversing the direction of said fan in response to exceeding a maximum time interval between reversing the fan.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of reversing the direction of the fan in response to coolant temperature of an engine of a work vehicle exceeding a critical temperature of said coolant of said engine.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of delaying reversing of the fan until a minimum time period has elapsed.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of delaying reversing of the fan for a period of time between consecutive occurrences of reversing the fan.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of reversing the direction of the fan in response to hydraulic oil cooler temperature exceeding a critical temperature of said hydraulic oil.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of delaying reversing of the fan until a minimum time period has elapsed.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of reversing the direction of the fan in response to charge air temperature rise exceeding a predetermined amount of temperature rise.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of delaying reversing of the fan until a minimum time period has elapsed.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of reversing the direction of the fan in response to a user request to reverse the fan.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of shutting down a work vehicle and in response to said shutting down step reversing the direction of the fan.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of delaying reversing of the fan until a minimum time period has elapsed thereby ensuring said vehicle is being shut down.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said shutting down step comprises determining that an engine of said work vehicle has reduced its RPMs below a predetermined RPM for a period of time.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of controlling fan speed as a function of time.