CONTROLLER FOR WORK VEHICLE COOLING PACKAGE

• US 20120247752A1
• 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 8,967,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/287
• 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 controller and method for operating an air mover for a cooling system of a work vehicle. In one embodiment, engine coolant, hydraulic oil and charge air temperature data is measured. The temperature data is reconciled by using the largest required fan speed as the set point speed for cooling the heat exchangers with airflow. An air mover is operated at the set point speed to generate airflow across each of the heat exchangers.

Claims

1. A controller for an air mover of a work vehicle, said controller operable for:

receiving temperature input from each of a plurality of heat exchangers;

determining airflow requirements for each of said plurality of heat exchangers;

determining which of said heat exchangers requires the most airflow; and

activating the air mover to provide airflow across each of said heat exchangers based upon said heat exchanger requiring the most airflow.

2. The controller of claim 1 wherein said air mover generates single pass airflow across each of said heat exchangers.

3. The controller of claim 1 wherein said air mover is a fan and an output of said controller controls fan speed.

4. The controller of claim 1 wherein each said heat exchanger operates within a temperature range and said air mover is activated prior to one or more of said temperature inputs from said heat exchangers exceeding said temperature ranges.

5. The controller of claim 4 wherein said airflow from said air mover is generated in response to said heat exchanger operating furthest outside its temperature range.

6. The controller of claim 4 wherein said airflow from said air mover is generated in response to one of said heat exchangers operating outside its temperature range.

7. The controller of claim 6 wherein said air mover is activated until said one of said heat exchangers operates within its corresponding temperature range.

8. The controller of claim 1 wherein said temperature inputs comprise one or more absolute temperatures.

9. The controller of claim 1 wherein said temperature inputs comprise one or more temperature differences.

10. The controller of claim 1 wherein said temperature inputs comprise one or more absolute temperatures and one or more temperature differences.

11. The controller of claim 1 further operable for operating a fan without the use of a fan speed sensor.

12. A method for managing a plurality of cooling systems of a work vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a temperature input from each of a plurality of heat exchangers;

determining airflow requirements for each of said plurality of heat exchangers;

determining which of said heat exchangers requires the most airflow; and

generating airflow across each of said plurality of heat exchangers based on said heat exchanger requiring the most airflow.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said airflow across said heat exchangers is single pass airflow.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said airflow generating step is performed by activating an air mover.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said air mover is deactivated when said temperature inputs from each of said heat exchangers return to being within a desirable temperature range.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein said temperature inputs comprise one or more absolute temperatures.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said temperature inputs comprise one or more temperature differences.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein said temperature inputs comprise one or more absolute temperatures and one or more temperature differences.

19. A method for managing a cooling system for a work vehicle with a fan, said method comprising:

determining a required fan speed for each of a plurality of heat exchanger to maintain each of said heat exchangers within a respective temperature range;

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

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

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of determining a suggested fan speed based on the temperature of ambient intake air.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of operating the fan without the use of a fan speed sensor.

22. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of controlling fan speed as a function of time.