System and method for controlling an engine cooling fan

• US 9,567,893 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2013
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Modine Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Modine Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Kis, Michael J, Boom, Derek R
• Primary Examiner(s): Russell, Devon
• Application Number:
  US14/139,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20150176469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 165/121, 318/454
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2005/105 Using two or more pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/026 Thermostatic control
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/048 using electrical drives
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 29/0456 Air cooled heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 29/0475 the intake air cooler being combined with another device, e.g. heater, valve, compressor, filter or EGR cooler, or being assembled on a special engine location
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 29/0493 Controlling the air charge temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/1038 for temperature or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A system and method of operating a cooling system for a vehicle engine, wherein one or more motors are operable to rotate one or more fans. Each of the one or more motors is controlled by a motor controller associated with the motor, in response to a control signal received from a system controller and an enable signal received from the vehicle. The motor controller operates the motor at a speed based upon the control signal if the control signal is received, and operates the motor at a predetermined speed if the control signal is not received but the enable signal is received.

Claims

1. A method of operating a cooling system for a vehicle engine, the cooling system including a motor operable to rotate a fan and a motor controller operable to drive the motor, the method comprising:

supplying electrical power to the motor controller from an electrical power source;

determining if a control signal has been received by the motor controller;

determining if an enable signal from a source separate from the source of the control signal has been received by the motor controller; and

operating the motor controller to drive the motor at a non-zero speed if at least one of the control signal and the enable signal is received,

wherein the control signal is a pulse-width modulated signal having a duty cycle ranging from 0% to 100% and wherein the non-zero speed is a predetermined speed if the control signal is received with a duty cycle that is less than a standby duty cycle and the enable signal is received by the motor controller, and wherein the standby duty cycle is 3%.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the enable signal is delivered by a vehicle ignition system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical power source is a vehicle battery and wherein the electrical power is supplied by a battery positive connection and a battery negative connection.

4. A method of operating a cooling system for a vehicle engine, the cooling system including a motor operable to rotate a fan and a motor controller operable to drive the motor, the method comprising:

supplying electrical power to the motor controller from an electrical power source;

determining if a control signal has been received by the motor controller;

determining if an enable signal from a source separate from the source of the control signal has been received by the motor controller; and

operating the motor controller to drive the motor at a non-zero speed if at least one of the control signal and the enable signal is received,

wherein the control signal is a pulse-width modulated signal having a duty cycle ranging from 0% to 100%, wherein the non-zero speed is proportional to the control signal if the control signal is received with a duty cycle that is greater than a standby duty cycle, and wherein the standby duty cycle is 3%.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the enable signal is delivered by a vehicle ignition system.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the electrical power source is a vehicle battery and wherein the electrical power is supplied by a battery positive connection and a battery negative connection.

7. A method of operating a cooling system for a vehicle engine, the cooling system including a system controller, one or more sensors, and a plurality of motor and fan assemblies, the method comprising:

supplying electrical power to the plurality of motor and fan assemblies from an electrical power source;

receiving one or more sensed characteristics from the one or more sensors at the system controller;

determining a desired operating speed for each of the plurality of motor and fan assemblies based on the one or more sensed characteristics;

sending, from the system controller to each of the plurality of motor and fan assemblies, a control signal having a pulse-width modulation duty cycle corresponding to the desired operating speed, the duty cycle ranging between a standby duty cycle and 100%, the standby duty cycle being greater than 0%;

sending an enable signal from a source other than the system controller to each of the plurality of motor and fan assemblies; and

operating any of the motor and fan assemblies receiving a control signal having a duty cycle equal to the stand-by duty cycle at zero speed, operating any of the motor and fan assemblies receiving a control signal having a duty cycle greater than the standby duty cycle at a non-zero speed corresponding to the duty cycle, and operating any of the motor and fan assemblies that receive the enable signal and that do not receive a control signal having a duty cycle at least equal to the standby duty cycle at a predetermined non-zero speed.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the standby duty cycle is 3%.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the enable signal is delivered by a vehicle ignition system.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the electrical power source is a vehicle battery and wherein the electrical power is supplied by a battery positive connection and a battery negative connection.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein operating any of the motor and fan assemblies that receive the enable signal and that do not receive a control signal having a duty cycle at least equal to the standby duty cycle at a predetermined non-zero speed further comprises:

determining that a control signal having a duty cycle at least equal to the standby duty has not been received;

waiting a predetermined time period; and

determining that a control signal having a duty cycle at least equal to the standby duty still has not been received.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the one or more sensed characteristics is a temperature.