Cooling air flow system

• US 9,616,743 B1
• Filed: 11/30/2016
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BorgWarner Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BorgWarner Incorporated
• Inventors: Mays, Christopher J, Sutherland, Andrew D
• Primary Examiner(s): Elchanti, Hussein A.
• Application Number:
  US15/364,342
• Time in Patent Office: 132 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/06 with air cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/085 with adjustable shutters or blinds
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0676 Engine temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0688 Engine temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/165 Automatically following the path of a preceding lead vehicle, e.g. "electronic tow-bar"
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/14 Trucks; Load vehicles, Busses
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/145 Haulage vehicles, trailing trucks
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0293 Convoy travelling
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0295 by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses

Abstract

A first moving vehicle is maintained in a first position relative to a second moving vehicle. The first and second vehicles comprise a platoon. An engine compartment air-flow control apparatus is activated in the first vehicle, responsive to an indicator of engine temperature. The first vehicle is moved to a second position relative to the moving second vehicle or the temperature control apparatus is activated, responsive to the indicator of engine temperature.

Claims

1. A system, comprising a computing device including a processor and a memory, the processor configured to:

maintain a moving first vehicle associated with the processor in a first position relative to a moving second vehicle leading the first vehicle, the first and second vehicles comprising a platoon;

activate an engine compartment air-flow control apparatus in the first vehicle responsive to an indicator of an engine temperature; and

move the first vehicle to a second position relative to the moving second vehicle responsive to the indicator of the engine temperature.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first position is selected based on reducing a collective aerodynamic drag of the vehicles and further wherein the second position provides less of a reduction than the first position.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the air-flow control apparatus includes one of a fan and a grille shutter and an active side air intake.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the air-flow control apparatus is the fan.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the computing device is further programmed to:

activate the fan by one of selectively engaging a clutch drivingly connecting the fan to a vehicle engine, and energizing an electric fan motor.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further programmed to:

select the second position so as to deactivate the air-flow control apparatus.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first position is a spacing of the first vehicle behind the second vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first position is a lateral offset of the first vehicle relative to the second vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicles are linked to each other through vehicle to vehicle communications.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the vehicles are linked to a vehicle network beyond the vehicles.

11. A method of managing air flow for an engine compartment, the method comprising the steps of:

maintaining a moving first vehicle in a first position relative to a moving second vehicle leading the first vehicle, the first and second vehicles comprising a platoon;

activating an engine compartment air-flow control apparatus in the first vehicle responsive to an indicator of an engine temperature; and

moving the first vehicle to a second position relative to the moving second vehicle responsive to the indicator of the engine temperature.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first position is selected based on reducing a collective aerodynamic drag of the vehicles and further wherein the second position provides less of a reduction than the first position.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the air-flow control apparatus includes one of a fan and a grille shutter and an active side air intake.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the air-flow control apparatus is the fan.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of activating the fan by one of selectively engaging a clutch drivingly connecting the fan to a vehicle engine, and energizing an electric fan motor.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of selecting the second position so as to deactivate the air-flow control apparatus.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the first position is a spacing of the first vehicle behind the second vehicle.

18. The method system of claim 11, wherein the first position is a lateral offset of the first vehicle relative to the second vehicle.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the vehicles are linked to each other through vehicle to vehicle communications.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the vehicles are linked to a vehicle network beyond the vehicles.