Work Vehicle Having A Cooling System With A Reversible Airflow

• US 20130146377A1
• Filed: 12/11/2012
• Published: 06/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Adamson, William H., Morey, Daniel A., Prenger, Nicholas J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,452,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/02 with liquid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/04 Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds B60K11/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/06 with air cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/08 Air inlets for cooling; Shutters or blinds therefor radiator or grille guards B60R19/52
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2025/022 by a mechanical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/221 Tractors

Abstract

A work vehicle is disclosed that includes an engine and a hood enclosure at least partially surrounding the engine. The hood enclosure may include a front grille and a secondary grille spaced apart from the front grille. The hood enclosure may also at least partially define an airflow compartment. In addition, the work vehicle may include a heat exchanger disposed in the airflow compartment between the front grille and the engine and at least one cooling fan disposed in the airflow compartment between the heat exchanger and the engine. The at least one cooling fan may generally be configured to generate a reversible airflow within the airflow compartment between the front grille and the secondary grille.

Claims

1. A work vehicle, comprising:

an engine;

a hood enclosure at least partially surrounding the engine and extending between a forward end and an aft end, the hood enclosure including a front grille disposed at the forward end and a secondary grille spaced apart from the front grille, the hood enclosure at least partially defining an airflow compartment;

a heat exchanger disposed in the airflow compartment between the front grille and the engine; and

at least one cooling fan disposed in the airflow compartment between the heat exchanger and the engine, the at least one cooling fan being configured to generate a reversible airflow within the airflow compartment between the front grille and the secondary grille.

2. The work vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one fan is driven by an output shaft of the engine.

3. The work vehicle of claim 2, wherein the at least one fan comprises a first fan and a second fan, the first fan being configured to be selectively engaged with the output shaft such that the reversible airflow flows in a first direction and the second fan being configured to be selectively engaged with the output shaft such that the reversible airflow flows in a second direction.

4. The work vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one fan comprises a variable pitch fan.

5. The work vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a drive motor coupled to the at least one fan.

6. The work vehicle of claim 5, wherein the drive motor comprises a reversible drive motor.

7. The work vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control operation of the at least one fan based on an airflow parameter of the work vehicle.

8. The work vehicle of claim 6, wherein the airflow parameter comprises a direction of travel of the work vehicle.

9. The work vehicle of claim 7, wherein the airflow parameter comprises at least one of wind speed, wind direction and ambient air temperature.

10. The work vehicle of claim 9, further comprising at least one sensor communicatively coupled to the controller, the at least one sensor being configured to measure at least one of wind speed, wind direction and ambient air temperature.

11. The work vehicle of claim 1, wherein the engine is housed within an engine compartment at least partially defined by the hood enclosure and further comprising a baffle separating the airflow compartment from the engine compartment.

12. The work vehicle of claim 1, wherein the secondary grille forms part of a top wall of the hood enclosure.

13. The work vehicle of claim 1, wherein the secondary grille forms part of a sidewall of the hood enclosure.

14. The work vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary fan spaced part from the at least one cooling fan.

15. The work vehicle of claim 14, wherein the auxiliary fan is disposed at or adjacent to the secondary grille.

16. A method for improving the cooling performance of a heat exchanger of a work vehicle, the work vehicle having an engine and at least one fan disposed between the heat exchanger and the engine, the method comprising:

generating an airflow with the at least one fan that is directed through the heat exchanger between a front grill and a secondary grille of the work vehicle; and

reversing a direction of the airflow through the heat exchanger based on an airflow parameter of the work vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein reversing a direction of the airflow through the heat exchanger based on an airflow parameter of the work vehicle comprises reversing a rotational direction of the at least one fan based on the airflow parameter.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the work vehicle comprises a first fan configured to direct the airflow in a first direction and a second fan configured to direct the airflow in a second direction, wherein reversing a direction of the airflow through the heat exchanger based on an airflow parameter of the work vehicle comprises engaging one of the first fan and the second fan with an output shaft of the engine based on the airflow parameter.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein reversing a direction of the airflow through the heat exchanger based on an airflow parameter of the work vehicle comprises reversing the direction of the airflow through the heat exchanger based on a change in a direction of travel of the work vehicle.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein reversing a direction of the airflow through the heat exchanger based on an airflow parameter of the work vehicle comprises reversing the direction of the airflow based on at least one of a wind direction, wind speed and air temperature at or adjacent to the work vehicle.