Cooling fan arrangement at a vehicle

• US 8,015,954 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2007
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scania CV AB (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Scania CV AB (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Kardos, Zoltan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamen; Noah
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hung Q
• Application Number:
  US12/295,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20090159021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,609 Days
• Field of Search: 123/41.01, 123/41.51, 123/41.49, 123/41.48, 123/41.31, 123/41.29, 123/41.12, 123/41.11, 123/563, 605/99, 180/68.1, 180/68.2, 180/68.3, 180/68.4
• US Class Current: 123/41.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/04 Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds B60K11/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2003/185 arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2005/025 using two or more air pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2025/36 Heat exchanger mixed fluid temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 5/02 Pumping cooling-air; Arrangements of cooling-air pumps, e.g. fans or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/048 using electrical drives

Abstract

A radiator fan arrangement for a vehicle which is powered by a combustion engine. The radiator fan arrangement includes at least one cooling element for cooling a medium, and a first radiator fan for continuously generating a forced air flow through at least one first region of the cooling element in order to cool the medium during operation of the combustion engine. The radiator fan arrangement also includes at least one extra radiator fan for being activated to generate an increased air flow through at least one second region of said cooling element in situations where the first radiator fan cannot provide sufficient air flow to cool as necessary the medium in the cooling element.

Claims

1. A radiator fan arrangement for a vehicle powered by a combustion engine, the radiator fan arrangement comprising:

at least one cooling element configured to cool a medium flowing to the combustion engine to cool the combustion engine;

a second cooling element configured to cool gas or charge air before the gas or charge air is delivered to the combustion engine;

a first radiator fan operable for continuously generating a forced air flow through at least one first region of the cooling element in order to cool the medium and through at least the first region of the second cooling element in order to cool the gas or charge air during operation of the combustion engine;

at least one extra radiator fan selectively operable to generate an increased air flow through at least one second region of the cooling element and through at least the second region of the second cooling element in order to cool the gas or charge air, the first and second regions being at least partly different;

a coupling mechanism connecting between the combustion engine and the extra radiator fan for powering the extra radiator fan by means of the combustion engine;

the radiator arrangement further having an electric motor operable to continuously power the first radiator fan at a substantially constant speed when the combustion engine is activated; and

a control unit configured to activate the at least one extra radiator fan only when extra airflow to the cooling elements is required to provide cooling for the cooling elements.

2. A radiator arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first radiator fan and the extra radiator fan are situated relative to one another such that they provide substantially parallel air flows through the at least partly different respective first and second regions of the cooling element.

3. A radiator arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor operable to detect a parameter related to a temperature of the medium when the medium leaves the cooling element and for supplying the parameter as information to the control unit,

wherein the control unit is configured to activate the at least one extra radiator fan based on the information from the at least one sensor.

4. A radiator arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the cooling element comprises a radiator operable to cool the medium in the form of a coolant in the radiator,

wherein the radiator is in a cooling system for cooling the combustion engine.

5. A radiator arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the second cooling element comprises a charge air cooler operable to cool compressed air in the charge air cooler.

6. A radiator arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the cooling element, the first radiator fan and the extra radiator fan are fitted in a third region situated at a front portion of the vehicle.

7. The radiator fan arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first radiator fan and the at least one extra radiator fan are both positioned at a first side of the at least one cooling element.

8. The radiator fan arrangement according to claim 7, further comprising a third radiator fan configured to generate an increased air flow through the at least one second region of the cooling element,

the extra radiator fan being positioned to provide air flow through a first corner region of the cooling element and the third fan being positioned to provide air flow through a second corner region of the cooling element different from the first corner region.

9. The radiator fan arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first radiator fan and the at least one extra radiator fan are positioned to have longitudinal extents along a common plane.

10. The radiator fan arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to activate the at least one extra fan when a vehicle device cooled by the medium cooled by the at least one cooling element is activated, the vehicle device being a device other than the combustion engine.

11. A radiator fan arrangement for a vehicle powered by a combustion engine, the radiator fan arrangement comprising:

at least one cooling element configured to cool a medium flowing to the combustion engine to cool the combustion engine;

a second cooling element configured to cool gas or charge air before the gas or charge air is delivered to the combustion engine;

a first radiator fan operable for continuously generating a forced air flow through at least one first region of the cooling element in order to cool the medium and through at least the first region of the second cooling element in order to cool the gas or charge air during operation of the combustion engine;

at least one extra radiator fan selectively operable to generate an increased air flow through at least one second region of the cooling element and through at least the second region of the second cooling element in order to cool the gas or charge air, the first and second regions being at least partly different;

a coupling mechanism connecting between the combustion engine and the first radiator fan for powering the first radiator fan by means of the combustion engine;

the radiator arrangement having an electric motor operable to continuously power at least one of the first radiator fan and the extra radiator fan at a substantially constant speed when the combustion engine is activated; and

a control unit configured to activate the at least one extra radiator fan only when extra airflow to the cooling elements is required to provide cooling for the cooling elements.

12. The radiator fan arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the first radiator fan and the at least one extra radiator fan are both positioned at a first side of the at least one cooling element.

13. The radiator fan arrangement according to claim 12, further comprising a third radiator fan configured to generate an increased air flow through the at least one second region of the cooling element,

the extra radiator fan being positioned to provide air flow through a first corner region of the cooling element and the third fan being positioned to provide air flow through a second corner region of the cooling element different from the first corner region.

14. The radiator fan arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the first radiator fan and the at least one extra radiator fan are positioned to have longitudinal extents along a common plane.

15. The radiator fan arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the control unit is configured to activate the at least one extra fan when a vehicle device cooled by the medium cooled by the at least one cooling element is activated, the vehicle device being a device other than the combustion engine.