CONSTRUCTION MACHINE WITH AUTOMATIC FAN ROTATIONAL SPEED REGULATION

• US 20120305232A1
• Filed: 05/29/2012
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph Vã¶Gele AG (Deere & Company)
• Original Assignee: Joseph Vã¶Gele AG (Deere & Company)
• Inventors: Noll, Tobias, Weiser, Ralf, Riedl, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,376,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/287
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/042 using fluid couplings couplings or clutches of this type per se F16D35/00

Abstract

The present invention describes a construction machine with a drive unit and with a cooling system that comprises a fan. The fan is connected to the drive unit by means of a controllable viscous coupling, whereby the viscous coupling can be adjusted in such a way that a required fan rotational speed is set on the output side. The invention furthermore describes a method for the automatic fan rotational speed regulation for a cooling system in a construction machine.

Claims

1. Construction machine having automatic fan rotational speed regulation, comprising a drive unit and a cooling system with a fan in order to generate a cooling airflow, wherein the cooling system furthermore comprises an adjustable viscous coupling that is connected on the input side to the drive unit and on the output side to the fan.

2. Construction machine according to claim 1, wherein the cooling system comprises a controller connected to the viscous coupling and/or to the drive unit.

3. Construction machine according to claim 2, wherein the controller registers at least one operating temperature of the cooling system.

4. Construction machine according to claim 3, wherein the at least one operating temperature of the cooling system is a temperature of the charge air, hydraulic oil and/or cooling water.

5. Construction machine according to claim 4 wherein the controller is formed to register at least one operating temperature of the drive unit.

6. Construction machine according to claim 5 wherein, characterised in that the controller is connected to the drive unit in order to register a nominal rotational speed and/or a load factor of the drive unit.

7. Construction machine according to claim 6 wherein the controller comprises a means for calculating an average value of the registered operating temperatures of the cooling system, of the operating temperatures of the drive unit, of the registered nominal rotational speed and/or of the registered load factor.

8. Construction machine according to claim 2 wherein the controller is formed to register a target fan rotational speed.

9. Construction machine according to claim 8, wherein the controller comprises a control unit that is connected to the viscous coupling and that generates an actuating variable by means of the target fan rotational speed, wherein the viscous coupling can be driven by means of this actuating variable.

10. Construction machine according to claim 8 wherein the controller comprises memory from which stored data can be retrieved for generating the target fan rotational speed.

11. Construction machine according to claim 8 wherein the target fan rotational speed is at a maximum when the controller registers that one of the operating temperatures has reached an upper limiting temperature.

12. Construction machine according to claim 8 wherein the target fan rotational speed is at a minimum when the controller registers that one of the operating temperatures has reached a lower limiting value.

13. Construction machine according to claim 8 wherein the target fan rotational speed is at a minimum when the controller registers that the drive unit is idling.

14. Construction machine according to claim 2 wherein the viscous coupling comprises a sensor that registers an actual fan rotational speed.

15. Method for the automatic regulation and control of a cooling system of a construction machine by means of a viscous coupling, which is connected on the input side to a drive unit and on the output side to a fan of the cooling system, and wherein the viscous coupling is regulated depending on different operating parameters in such a way that a certain fan rotational speed is set up at the viscous coupling on the output side.