Clutch control device for work machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10107341-B2
Application number	US-201715451455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2017
Priority date	Sep 29, 2016
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

Provided is a clutch control device for a work machine capable of controlling a fan to an appropriate rotational speed. In the clutch control device for the work machine, a controller includes a target fan rotational speed calculation module that calculates a target fan rotational speed for the fan, a clutch characteristic curve storage module that stores a plurality of clutch characteristic curves, a clutch command calculation module that outputs with reference to a clutch characteristic curve a first clutch control signal corresponding to the target fan rotational speed, a feedback control module that output a second clutch control signal based on the difference between the target fan rotational speed and an actual fan rotational speed, and an adder that adds the first clutch control signal and the second clutch control signal to output a third clutch control signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A clutch control device for a work machine comprising an engine, a wet clutch connected to the engine, a fan connected to an output shaft of the clutch, an engine rotational speed sensor adapted for detecting the rotational speed of the engine, an oil temperature sensor adapted for detecting a clutch oil temperature, a fan rotational speed sensor adapted for detecting the rotational speed of the fan, and a controller adapted for controlling the operation of the clutch,
wherein the controller includes:
a target fan rotational speed calculation module that is configured to calculate a target fan rotational speed for the fan based on a clutch connection demand inputted;
a clutch characteristic curve storage module that, in association with the oil temperatures of the clutch and the rotational speeds of the engine, is configured to store a plurality of clutch characteristic curves each prescribing the relation between the target fan rotational speeds and control signals for the clutch;
a clutch command calculation module that is configured to choose one clutch characteristic curve from the plurality of clutch characteristic curves based on detection signals outputted from the oil temperature sensor and the engine rotational speed sensor and output with reference to the chosen clutch characteristic curve a first clutch control signal corresponding to the target fan rotational speed;
a feedback control module that is configured to output a second clutch control signal based on the difference between the target fan rotational speed and an actual fan rotational speed of the fan outputted from the fan rotational speed sensor; and
an adder that is configured to add the first clutch control signal and the second clutch control signal to output a third clutch control signal to the clutch.

2. The clutch control device for the work machine according to claim 1 , wherein:
in the clutch characteristic curve storage module, a plurality of clutch characteristic curves in the situation of oil deterioration each prescribing the relation between the target fan rotational speed and the control signal for the clutch in the situation that the oil supplied to the clutch has deteriorated are beforehand stored in association with the clutch oil temperature and the rotational speed of the engine; and
the controller further includes an oil deterioration judging module that is configured to judge the deterioration of the oil in comparison of the clutch characteristic curve corresponding to the clutch oil temperature and the rotational speed of the engine with the clutch characteristic curve in the situation of oil deterioration.

3. The clutch control device for the work machine according to claim 2 , further comprising:
an alarm that is configured to issue information on the result of a judgment of the oil deterioration judging module.

4. The clutch control device for the work machine according to claim 1 , wherein the controller further includes
a clutch characteristic curve correction module that is configured to take as inputs the actual fan rotational speed, the clutch oil temperature, the rotational speed of the engine and the third clutch control signal and output a clutch characteristic curve correction signal for correcting the clutch characteristic curve stored in the clutch characteristic curve storage module, wherein
the clutch characteristic curve storage module is configured to correct the clutch characteristic curve stored in itself based on the clutch characteristic curve correction signal.

5. The clutch control device for the work machine according to claim 4 , wherein the controller further includes
a correction signal storage module that is configured to store the clutch characteristic curve correction signal created by the clutch characteristic curve correction module, wherein
the clutch characteristic curve correction module is configured to output the clutch characteristic curve correction signal stored in the correction signal storage module at the time of stopping of the engine.

Assignees

• Hitachi Construction Mach Co

Inventors

• Fukuda Naoki
• Osaka Tadashi
• Kouno Ryuji
• Arai Masatsugu
• Ikari Takanobu
• Tanaka Takaaki

Classifications

• F16D2500/30426

  Speed of the output shaft · CPC title

• F16D2500/3056

  Cooling oil temperature · CPC title

• F01P5/02

  Pumping cooling-air; Arrangements of cooling-air pumps, e.g. fans or blowers · CPC title

• F16D48/06 Primary

  Control by electric or electronic means, e.g. of fluid pressure · CPC title

• F16D2500/70446

  Clutch cooling parameters · CPC title