Automatic fan curve selection

• US 8,825,284 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2008
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins Industries Incorporated (Cummins Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Inventors: Hwang, Long-Kung, Vawter, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, SHARDUL D
• Application Number:
  US12/185,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20090164061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,223 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/36, 701/33, 701/54, 702/85
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/00 Control, e.g. regulation, of pumps, pumping installations or pumping systems specially adapted for elastic fluids
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/02 Surge control surge detection F04D27/001

Abstract

A method and system for use in a vehicle. The method includes providing a plurality of fan curves in a vehicle, requesting vehicle information, and selecting a fan curve from the plurality of fan curves based on the vehicle information.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a system comprising a vehicle, a vehicle controller configured to control one or more aspects of operation of the vehicle, an engine, an engine controller configured to control one or more aspects of operation of the engine, and a communication link operatively coupled with the vehicle controller and operatively coupled with the engine controller;

operating the engine controller to request first vehicle identifying information from the vehicle controller;

if said first vehicle identifying information is received by the engine controller, operating the engine controller to select a fan torque curve based upon said first information, estimate a fan torque based upon the fan torque curve, adjust a friction torque of the engine based upon the estimated fan torque, and transmit adjusted friction torque information over the communication link;

if said first information is not received by the engine controller, operating the engine controller to read second vehicle identifying information from an electronic data plate of the engine controller;

if said second vehicle identifying information is read by the engine controller, operating the engine controller to select a fan torque curve based upon said second information, estimate a fan torque based upon the fan torque curve, adjust a friction torque of the engine based upon the estimated fan torque, and transmit adjusted friction torque information over the communication link; and

if said second vehicle identifying information is not read by the engine controller, operating the engine controller to select a generic fan torque curve, estimate a fan torque based upon the generic fan torque curve, adjust a friction torque of the engine based upon the estimated fan torque, and transmit adjusted friction torque information over the communication link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the engine controller is configured to estimate each of said fan torques based upon at least one operation selected from the operations consisting of:

selecting a fan curve from a plurality of fan curves, setting a fan curve parameter with an index corresponding to a selected fan curve, scaling a fan curve, and operating an in-service fan power estimation algorithm.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said acts of estimating a fan torque comprises selecting a fan curve comprising at least one parameter selected from the parameters consisting of a fan make, a fan model, a drive ratio, a number of blades, and a fan diameter.

4. A method, comprising:

operating a system comprising a vehicle controller an engine controller, a transmission controller, and a communication link in operative communication with the vehicle controller, the engine controller, and the transmission controller;

operating the engine controller to request first vehicle make and model information from the vehicle controller;

if said first vehicle make and model information is received by the engine controller, operating the engine controller to select a fan torque characteristic based upon said first information, estimate a fan torque based upon the fan torque characteristic, adjust a friction torque of the engine based upon the estimated fan torque, and transmit adjusted friction torque information over the communication link;

if said first information is not received by the engine controller, operating the engine controller to attempt to read second vehicle make and model information from a non-transitory memory device of the engine controller;

if said second vehicle make and model information is read by the engine controller, operating the engine controller to select a fan torque characteristic based upon said second information, estimate a fan torque based upon the fan torque characteristic, adjust a friction torque of the engine based upon the estimated fan torque, and transmit adjusted friction torque information over the communication link;

if said second vehicle make and model information is not read by the engine controller, operating the engine controller to select a default fan torque characteristic, estimate a fan torque based upon the default fan torque characteristic, adjust a friction torque of the engine based upon the estimated fan torque, and transmit adjusted friction torque information over the communication link;

wherein the transmission controller is configured to execute a transmission control routine based at least in part on the adjusted friction torque.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the the engine controller is configured to estimate each of said fan torques based upon at least one operation selected from the operations consisting of:

selecting a fan curve from a plurality of fan curves, setting a fan curve parameter with an index corresponding to a selected fan curve, scaling a fan curve, and operating an in-service fan power estimation algorithm.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein each of said acts of estimating a fan torque comprises selecting a fan curve comprising at least one parameter selected from the parameters consisting of a fan make, a fan model, a drive ratio, a number of blades, and a fan diameter.

7. A method, comprising:

providing a vehicle s system comprising a vehicle controller an engine controller a transmission controller, and a communication link operatively coupled with the vehicle controller, the engine controller, and the transmission controller;

operating the engine controller to request first vehicle identifying information from the vehicle controller;

if the engine controller receives the first vehicle first vehicle identifying information, operating the engine controller to perform a torque determination operation based upon the first vehicle identifying information;

if the engine controller does not receive the first vehicle identifying information, operating the vehicle controller to attempt to obtain second vehicle identifying information from an electronic data plate of the engine controller;

if the engine controller obtains the second vehicle identifying information, operating the engine controller to perform the torque determination operation based upon the second vehicle identifying information;

if the engine controller does not obtain the second vehicle identifying information, operating the engine controller to perform the torque determination operation based upon generic information; and

providing an output of the torque determination as a control input to the transmission controller effective to control operation of the transmission controller;

wherein the torque determination operation comprises selecting a fan torque curve based upon one of the first vehicle identifying information, the second vehicle first vehicle identifying information and the default information, setting a fan curve parameter based upon the fan torque curve, determining fan torque based upon the fan torque parameter, determining a friction torque of the engine, and determining the output of the torque determination based upon the fan torque and the friction torque.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the selected one of the plurality of fan curves comprises a parameter selected from the parameters consisting of a fan make, a fan model, a drive ratio, a number of blades, and a fan diameter.

9. A method, comprising:

providing a system comprising a vehicle, a vehicle cab controller, an engine, an engine control module (ECM), a transmission, a transmission control module (TCM), and a communication link structured to provide communication between the vehicle cab controller, the ECM and the TCM;

requesting with the ECM first vehicle make and model information from the vehicle cab controller;

if the ECM receives the first vehicle first vehicle make and model information, operating the ECM to perform a torque determination operation based upon the first vehicle first vehicle make and model information;

if the ECM does not receive the first vehicle make and model information, attempting to read with the ECM second vehicle make and model information stored in a non-transitory memory device of the ECM;

if the ECM reads the second vehicle make and model information, operating the ECM to perform the torque determination operation based upon the second vehicle make and model information;

if the ECM does not read the second vehicle make and model information, operating the ECM to perform the torque determination operation based upon default information; and

providing an output of the torque determination as a control input to the TCM effective to influence operation of the TCM in controlling the transmission;

wherein the torque determination operation comprises selecting a fan torque curve based upon one of the first vehicle make and model information, the second vehicle first vehicle make and model information and the default information, setting a fan curve parameter based upon the fan torque curve, determining fan torque based upon the fan torque parameter, determining a friction torque of the engine, and determining the output of the torque determination based upon the fan torque and the friction torque.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the selected one of the plurality of fan curves comprises a parameter selected from the parameters consisting of a fan make, a fan model, a drive ratio, a number of blades, and a fan diameter.