Construction machine with automatic fan rotational speed regulation

• US 9,376,954 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2012
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Follman, Brodie
• Assistant Examiner(s): CASSIDY, BRIAN L
• Application Number:
  US13/482,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20120305232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 123/41.12, 123/41.11, 192/85.02, 192/85.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 further comprises an adjustable viscous coupling that is connected on the input side to the drive unit and on the output side to the fan, wherein the cooling system comprises a controller connected to the viscous coupling, and to the drive unit to register a rotational speed of the drive unit, the controller comprises a mapping for determining a target fan rotational speed, a means for calculating an average value of the registered rotational speed of the drive unit and further comprises a memory for storing at least load factors of the drive unit and ambient temperatures of the drive unit, wherein the controller is configured to

(i) register a load factor and ambient temperatures of the drive unit and includes means for calculating an average value of the registered load factors and the registered ambient temperatures,

(ii) determine a target fan rotational speed based on the average value of the registered load factors and the average value of the registered ambient temperatures of the drive unit, and

(iii) determine the target fan rotational speed by means of the mapping based on averaged stored load factors and averaged stored ambient temperatures from the memory, and

wherein the target fan rotational speed is at a minimum when the controller registers that the drive unit is idling and wherein if there is a rotational speed jump of the drive unit during idling a start delay is set to delay calculation of the target fan rotational speed by the controller.

2. Construction machine according to claim 1 wherein the controller registers at least one operating temperature of the cooling system.

3. Construction machine according to claim 2 wherein the at least one operating temperature of the cooling system is a temperature of the charge air, hydraulic oil or cooling water.

4. Construction machine according to claim 3 wherein the controller is configured to register at least one operating temperature of the drive unit.

5. Construction machine according to claim 4 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.

6. Construction machine according to claim 4 wherein the controller comprises memory from which stored data can be retrieved for generating the target fan rotational speed.

7. Construction machine according to claim 4 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.

8. Construction machine according to claim 4 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.

9. Construction machine according to claim 1 wherein the viscous coupling comprises a sensor that registers an actual fan rotational speed.

10. Construction machine according to claim 1 wherein the controller comprises a means for calculating an average value of the registered operating temperatures of the cooling system.

11. Construction machine according to claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to register at least one operating temperature of the drive unit.

12. Method for the automatic regulation and control of a cooling system of a construction machine by means of an adjustable viscous coupling connected on the input side to a drive unit and on the output side to a fan of the cooling system which comprises regulating the viscous coupling depending on different operating parameters so that a certain fan rotational speed is set up at the viscous coupling on the output side, configuring a controller of the cooling system that is connected to the viscous coupling and to the drive unit to register a load factor, a rotational speed of the drive unit and ambient temperatures of the drive unit and the controller including means for calculating an average value of the registered load factors and the registered ambient temperatures, configuring the controller to store an average value of registered load factors and an average value of registered ambient temperatures on a memory of the controller, and further configuring the controller to determine a target fan rotational speed based on the average value of the stored registered load factors and the average value of the stored registered ambient temperatures of the construction machine using a mapping of the controller and wherein the target fan rotational speed is at a minimum when the controller registers that the drive unit is idling and wherein if there is a rotational speed jump of the drive unit during idling a start delay is set to delay calculation of the target fan rotational speed by the controller.