Work vehicle having a cooling system with a reversible airflow

• US 9,452,674 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2012
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walters, John
• Application Number:
  US13/711,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20130146377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.1, 180/68.2, 180/68.3, 180/68.4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 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. The work vehicle may also 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 an airflow within the airflow compartment between the front grille and the secondary grille, an operation of the at least one cooling fan being controlled so as to vary a flow direction of the airflow between the front grille and the secondary grille based on changes in an airflow parameter of the work vehicle,

wherein the airflow parameter includes at least one of wind speed, wind direction, air temperature at the work vehicle, or a direction of travel of the work vehicle.

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 airflow flows in a first direction from the front grille to the secondary grille and the second fan being configured to be selectively engaged with the output shaft such that the airflow flows in a second direction from the secondary grille to the front grille.

4. The work vehicle of claim 3, wherein the first and second fans are coupled to the output shaft via a coupling device.

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

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

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

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

9. The work vehicle of claim 8, further comprising at least one sensor communicatively coupled to the controller, the at least one sensor being configured to measure at least one of the wind speed, the wind direction, or the air temperature.

10. 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.

11. The work vehicle of claim 1, wherein the secondary grille forms part of at least one of:

a top wall of the hood enclosure;

or

a side wall of the hood enclosure.

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

13. The work vehicle of claim 12, wherein the auxiliary fan is disposed at or adjacent to the secondary grille.

14. A work vehicle, comprising:

an engine including an output shaft;

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

first and second fans disposed in the airflow compartment between the heat exchanger and the engine, the first and second fans being configured to generate an airflow within the airflow compartment between the front grille and the secondary grille,

wherein the first fan is configured to be selectively engaged with the output shaft of the engine such that the airflow generated by the first fan flows in a first direction from the front grille to the secondary grille,

wherein the second fan is configured to be selectively engaged with the output shaft of the engine such that the airflow generated by the second fan flows in a second direction from the secondary grille to the front grille.

15. The work vehicle of claim 14, wherein the first and second fans are coupled to the output shaft via a coupling device.

16. The work vehicle of claim 15, further comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the coupling device, the controller being configured to control an operation of the coupling device to selectively engage either the first fan or the second fan with the output shaft of the engine.

17. The work vehicle of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to control the operation of the coupling device based on changes in an airflow parameter of the work vehicle, the airflow parameter including at least one of wind speed, wind direction, air temperature at the work vehicle, or a direction of travel of the work vehicle.