Air management system for heavy duty truck under-hood heat control

• US 7,537,072 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enviro-Cool, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Enviro-Cool, Inc.
• Inventors: Murray, Edward M., Sturmon, George R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis; Christopher P
• Assistant Examiner(s): SWENSON, BRIAN L
• Application Number:
  US11/932,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20080099261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 180/69.2, 180/69.21, 180/69.24, 180/68.1, 180/68.2, 180/68.4, 123/41.01, 123/41.66, 296/208, 296/193.11, 165/51, 165/122
• US Class Current: 180/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/08 Air inlets for cooling; Shutters or blinds therefor radiator or grille guards B60R19/52
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/14 Trucks; Load vehicles, Busses
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/142 Heavy duty trucks
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 1/06 Arrangements for cooling other engine or machine parts
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/10 Guiding or ducting cooling-air, to, or from, liquid-to-air heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2001/005 Cooling engine rooms

Abstract

A system for removing heat from the engine compartment (9) of a heavy duty truck. A first ventilating system removes heat from the radiator. It is isolated from a second ventilating system that removes heat from the engine compartment. The first system takes heat from the radiator through a plenum by centrifugal squirrel cage blowers, and is directs it out to ambient by ductwork. The second system draws ambient air generally from back to front of the engine compartment, preferably by cowl induction, without the use of ram air from the vicinity of the radiator. The exits of the two systems are into a slip stream of the heavy duty truck, and the exit of the second ventilating system is into a slip stream of the first, to scavenge air out of the engine compartment.

Claims

1. A vehicle capable of on-road highway travel, the vehicle comprising an operator compartment;

an engine compartment;

an engine in the engine compartment;

a radiator in front of the engine, the radiator receiving coolant from the engine;

a first ventilating system behind the radiator, the first ventilating system comprising ducting having an exhaust exit to ambient and at least one electric fan adapted to draw air through the radiator, through the ducting, and out the exhaust exit of the first ventilating system, the first ventilating system being constructed to prevent air drawn through the radiator from entering the engine compartment; and

a second ventilating system constructed to remove heat from the engine compartment, the second ventilating system being constructed to flow ambient air into a rear part of the engine compartment and to exhaust air heated by the engine compartment out of an exhaust exit toward a forward part of the engine compartment.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the second ventilating system further comprises air induction structure on at least one of the top or sides of the engine compartment, the air induction structure being adapted to flow ambient air into the engine compartment when the vehicle is moving forward.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the exhaust exit of the second ventilating system is positioned behind the exhaust exit of the first ventilating system, the system being so constructed and arranged that exhaust air from the first ventilating system draws air out the exit of the second ventilating system.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the vehicle has a gross vehicle weight of at least 6350 kilograms and is capable of a highway speed of ninety-seven kilometers per hour.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 wherein the vehicle is a heavy duty truck having a gross vehicle weight of at least 11,794 kilograms.

6. The vehicle of claim 5 wherein the vehicle is a vocational heavy duty truck adapted for off-road use as well as on-road highway travel.

7. The vehicle of claim 5 wherein the vehicle is a tractor portion of a tractor-trailer over-the-road rig.

8. A vehicle capable of on-road highway travel, the vehicle comprising an operator compartment, an engine compartment ahead of the operator compartment, an engine in the engine compartment, a radiator in front of the engine, the radiator receiving coolant from the engine, a first ventilating system behind the radiator forming an enclosure behind the radiator, the enclosure preventing air drawn through the radiator from entering the engine compartment, the first ventilating system comprising at least one centrifugal fan, and a second ventilating system comprising an air induction system constructed to flow air into a rear portion of the engine compartment independent of the fan while the vehicle is moving forward.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 wherein the second ventilating system comprises a windshield forming a part of a front wall of the operator compartment, the vehicle further comprising an induction cowl cooperative with the windshield.

10. A vehicle capable of on-road highway travel, the vehicle comprising an operator compartment, a windshield forming a part of a front wall of the operator compartment, an engine compartment ahead of the operator compartment, an engine in the engine compartment, a radiator in front of the engine, the radiator receiving coolant from the engine, a first ventilating system behind the radiator, the first ventilating system preventing air drawn through the radiator from entering the engine compartment, and a second ventilating system constructed to flow air into the engine compartment while the vehicle is moving forward, the second ventilating system comprising an air inlet adjacent a base of the windshield, the windshield forming a high pressure area at its base to flow air into an inlet of the second ventilating system while the vehicle is moving forward.

11. A heavy duty truck capable of on-road highway travel, the truck comprising a cab, an engine compartment, an engine in the engine compartment, a radiator in front of the engine, the radiator receiving coolant from the engine, a first ventilating system forming an enclosure behind the radiator, air blocking structure around the radiator constructed to block ram air from entering a front portion of the engine compartment, and a second ventilating system constructed to remove heat from the engine compartment, the second ventilating system comprising an air inlet on at least one of the top and sides of the engine compartment, the air inlet being constructed to bring air into a rear portion of the engine compartment.

12. The truck of claim 11 wherein the air inlet comprises induction structure, the induction structure comprising the windshield and an induction cowl cooperative with the windshield.

13. A heavy duty truck comprising a cab, an engine compartment, an engine in the engine compartment, a radiator in front of the engine, the radiator receiving coolant from the engine, a first ventilating system forming an enclosure behind the radiator, air blocking structure around the radiator constructed to block substantially all ram air from entering a front portion of the engine compartment, and a second ventilating system constructed to remove heat from the engine compartment, the second ventilating system comprising an air inlet on the top of the engine compartment, the air inlet being constructed to bring air into a rear portion of the engine compartment, the air inlet comprising induction structure, the induction structure comprising the windshield and an induction cowl cooperative with the windshield, the second ventilating system comprising an air outlet in a side wall of the engine compartment.

14. The truck of claim 13 wherein the air outlet is in a slip stream of an outlet of the first ventilating system.

15. The truck of claim 14 wherein the outlet of the first ventilating system comprises a channel extending along the outside of a side wall of the engine compartment.

16. The truck of claim 15 wherein the air outlet of the second ventilating system exhausts air into the channel.

17. A vehicle comprising an operator compartment;

an engine compartment;

an engine in the engine compartment;

a radiator in front of the engine, the radiator receiving coolant from the engine;

a first ventilating system behind the radiator, the first ventilating system comprising ducting having an exhaust exit into an ambient slip stream of the vehicle when the vehicle is moving forward and at least one electric fan adapted to draw air through the radiator, through the ducting, and out the exhaust exit of the first ventilating system into the slip stream; and

a second ventilating system constructed to remove heat from the engine compartment, the second ventilating system being constructed to draw ambient air into the engine compartment and to exhaust air heated by the engine compartment out of an exhaust exit behind the exit of the first ventilating system into the slip stream.

18. The vehicle of claim 17 wherein the second ventilating system further comprises induction structure on the top of the engine compartment, the induction structure being adapted to draw air into the engine compartment when the vehicle is moving forward.

19. The vehicle of claim 17 wherein the exhaust exit of the second ventilating system is so constructed and arranged that exhaust air from the first ventilating system draws air out the exit of the second ventilating system.

20. The vehicle of claim 19 wherein the exhaust exit of at least the first ventilating system comprises a channel extending along the outside of a side wall of the engine compartment.

21. The vehicle of claim 20 wherein the air outlet of the second ventilating system exhausts air into the channel.

22. The vehicle of claim 19 wherein the vehicle is a vocational heavy duty truck adapted for off-road use as well as on-road highway travel at a speed of ninety-seven kilometers per hour.

23. A heavy duty truck comprising an operator cab;

an engine compartment;

an engine in the engine compartment;

a radiator in front of the engine, the radiator receiving coolant from the engine;

a first ventilating system behind the radiator, the first ventilating system comprising ducting having an exhaust exit to ambient and at least one electric fan adapted to draw air through the radiator, through the ducting, and out the exhaust exit of the first ventilating system, the first ventilating system being constructed to prevent air drawn through the radiator from entering the engine compartment; and

a second ventilating system constructed to remove heat from the engine compartment, the second ventilating system being constructed to draw ambient air into a rear part of the engine compartment and to exhaust air heated by the engine compartment out of an exhaust exit toward a forward part of the engine compartment, the exhaust exit of the second ventilating system being positioned behind the exhaust exit of the first ventilating system, the system being so constructed and arranged that exhaust air from the first ventilating system draws air out the exit of the second ventilating system.

24. A method of handling air in an engine compartment ahead of an operator compartment of a forwardly moving vehicle, the method comprising directing ram air at the front of the vehicle entirely through a radiator and into a radiator-ventilating system isolated from the engine compartment, and cooling the engine compartment by cowl induction air moving generally from the rear to the front of the engine compartment.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the vehicle is a heavy duty truck, and wherein a windshield of the truck forms a high pressure area at its base to flow air into an inlet to the engine compartment adjacent the windshield.

26. A vehicle capable of on-road highway travel, the vehicle comprising an operator compartment;

an engine compartment;

a hood defining at least a part of the engine compartment, the hood being rotatably mounted to a body of the vehicle, an engine in the engine compartment;

a radiator in front of the engine, the radiator receiving coolant from the engine;

a ventilating system behind the radiator, the ventilating system comprising ducting having an exhaust exit to ambient through the hood, and at least one electric fan adapted to draw air through the radiator, through the ducting, and out the exhaust exit, the ducting comprising a first section fixed with respect to the radiator and a second section attached to the hood.

27. The vehicle of claim 26 further comprising a gasket between the first section and the second section of the ducting.

28. A vehicle having a gross vehicle weight of at least 6350 kilograms and capable of a highway speed of ninety-seven kilometers per hour, the vehicle comprising an operator compartment;

an engine compartment;

an engine in the engine compartment;

a radiator in front of the engine, the radiator receiving coolant from the engine;

a first ventilating system behind the radiator, the first ventilating system comprising ducting having an first exhaust exit through a side wall of the engine compartment to ambient and a plurality of electric centrifugal fans adapted to draw air through the radiator, through the ducting, and out the first exhaust exit;

air blocking structure around the radiator constructed to block ram air from entering a front portion of the engine compartment; and

a second ventilating system, constructed to remove heat from the engine compartment, the second ventilating system comprising an air inlet adjacent a base of the windshield, the windshield forming a high pressure area at its base to flow air into an inlet of the second ventilating system while the vehicle is moving forward.

29. The vehicle of claim 28 wherein the second ventilating system is constructed to exhaust air heated by the engine compartment out of a second exhaust exit in a side wall of the engine compartment toward a forward part of the engine compartment, the second exhaust exit being positioned behind the first exhaust exit, the system being so constructed and arranged that exhaust air from the first ventilating system draws air out the second exit.

30. The vehicle of claim 28 wherein the vehicle is a heavy duty truck having a gross vehicle weight of at least 11,794 kilograms.

31. The vehicle of claim 30 wherein the vehicle is a vocational heavy duty truck adapted for off-road use as well as on-road highway travel.

32. The vehicle of claim 30 wherein the vehicle is a tractor portion of a tractor-trailer over-the-road rig.