Airflow control system of a work vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10150348-B2
Application number	US-201615391581-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2016
Priority date	Dec 27, 2016
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

A controller of an airflow control system is configured to determine a target position of a door of an airflow control assembly, a first flow rate of a first airflow from a recirculated air blower, and a second flow rate of a second airflow from a fresh air blower based at least in part on a target total airflow rate into an interior of a and a target fresh airflow rate into the interior of the cab. The fresh air blower receives a mixture of fresh air and recirculated air based on a position of the door. The controller is further configured to instruct the airflow control assembly to move the door to the target position, instruct the recirculated air blower to output the first airflow at the first flow rate, and instruct the fresh air blower to output the second airflow at the second flow rate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An airflow control system of a work vehicle, comprising:
a controller having a memory and a processor, wherein the controller is configured to:
determine a target position of a door of an airflow control assembly, a first flow rate of a first airflow from a recirculated air blower, and a second flow rate of a second airflow from a fresh air blower based at least in part on a target total airflow rate into an interior of a cab of the work vehicle and a target fresh airflow rate into the interior of the cab, wherein the airflow control assembly is configured to provide the fresh air blower with a mixture of fresh air and recirculated air, and the mixture of the fresh air and the recirculated air is based on a position of the door of the airflow control assembly; and
instruct the airflow control assembly to move the door to the target position, instruct the recirculated air blower to output the first airflow at the first flow rate, and instruct the fresh air blower to output the second airflow at the second flow rate.

2. The airflow control system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the target fresh airflow rate based at least in part on a target pressure within the interior of the cab.

3. The airflow control system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to set the target pressure within the interior of the cab to a normal target during normal operation of the airflow control system and to a cool down phase target during a cool down phase of the airflow control system.

4. The airflow control system of claim 2 , comprising a pressure sensor configured to fluidly couple to the interior of the cab and to output a signal indicative of a determined pressure within the interior of the cab.

5. The airflow control system of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to compare the determined pressure to the target pressure to determine the target fresh airflow rate.

6. The airflow control system of claim 1 , wherein a lookup table is stored in the memory of the controller, and the lookup table comprises:
rows, each corresponding to a first respective value of a first input;
columns, each corresponding to a respective value of a second input; and
cells at the intersections between the rows and the columns, wherein the cells comprise outputs related to the first and the second inputs, wherein the first input is the target total airflow rate and the second input is the target fresh airflow rate, or the first input is the target fresh airflow rate and the second input is the target total airflow rate, and wherein the outputs comprise the target position of the door, the first flow rate of the first airflow, and the second flow rate of second airflow.

7. The airflow control system of claim 6 , comprising a chart corresponding to one row or one column of the lookup table, wherein for each respective value of the first input or each respective value of the second input, the chart comprises a relationship between the other input and the outputs.

8. An airflow control system of a work vehicle, comprising:
an airflow control assembly having a door, wherein the airflow control assembly is configured to provide a fresh air blower with a fresh airflow comprising a mixture of fresh air and recirculated air, and the mixture of the fresh air and the recirculated air of the fresh airflow is based on a position of the door;
the fresh air blower configured to establish the fresh airflow from the airflow control assembly;
a recirculated air blower configured to establish a recirculated airflow from an interior of a cab of the work vehicle;
a pressure sensor fluidly coupled to the interior of the cab and configured to send a first signal representative of the pressure within the cab to a controller of the airflow control system; and
a controller having a memory and a processor, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the pressure sensor, the recirculated air blower, the fresh air blower, and the airflow control assembly, wherein the controller is configured to:
determine a target position of the door, a first flow rate of the recirculated airflow from the recirculated air blower, and a second flow rate of the fresh airflow from the fresh air blower based at least in part on a target total airflow rate into the interior of the cab and a target fresh airflow rate into the interior of the cab; and
instruct the airflow control assembly to move the door to the target position, instruct the recirculated air blower to output the recirculated airflow at the first flow rate, and instruct the fresh air blower to output the fresh airflow at the second flow rate.

9. The airflow control system of claim 8 , comprising a user interface communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the user interface is configured to output a second signal indicative of the target total airflow rate.

10. The airflow control system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the target fresh airflow rate based at least in part on a target pressure within the interior of the cab.

11. The airflow control system of claim 8 , wherein a lookup table is stored in the memory of the controller, and the lookup table comprises:
rows, each corresponding to a first respective value of a first input;
columns, each corresponding to a respective value of a second input; and
cells at the intersections between the rows and the columns, wherein the cells comprise outputs related to the first and the second inputs, wherein the first input is the target total airflow rate and the second input is the target fresh airflow rate, or the first input is the target fresh airflow rate and the second input is the target total airflow rate, and wherein the outputs comprise the target position of the door, the first flow rate of the first airflow, and the second flow rate of second airflow.

12. The airflow control system of claim 8 , comprising a chart corresponding to one row or one column of the lookup table, wherein for each respective value of the first input or each respective value of the second input, the chart comprises a relationship between the other input and the outputs.

13. The airflow control system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to set the target pressure within the interior of the cab to a normal target during normal operation of the airflow control system and to a cool down phase target during a cool down phase of the airflow control system.

14. The airflow control system of claim 8 , wherein the airflow control system does not include an airflow sensor.

15. A method for controlling an airflow through an interior of a cab of a work vehicle, comprising:
determining, via a controller, a target position of a door of an airflow control assembly, a first flow rate of a first airflow from a recirculated air blower, and a second flow rate of a second airflow from a fresh air blower based at least in part on a target total airflow rate into an interior of the cab of the work vehicle and a target fresh airflow rate into the interior of the cab, wherein the airflow control assembly is configured to provide the fresh air blower with a mixture of fresh air and recirculated air, and the mixture of the fresh air and the recirculated air is based on a position of the door;
instructing, via the controller, the airflow control assembly to move the door to the target position;
instructing, via the controller, the recirculated air blower to output the first airflow at the first flow rate; and
instructing, via the controller, the fresh air blower to output the second airflow at

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Ferri Doriano
• Guitart Corominas Joaquim
• Salvini Tiziano
• Patel Jigarkumar N

Classifications

• B60H1/00864

  Ventilators and damper doors · CPC title

• B60H2001/00099

  comprising additional ventilating means · CPC title

• B60H1/00849 Primary

  for selectively commanding the induction of outside or inside air (B60H1/00842 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60H1/00378

  for tractor or load vehicle cabins · CPC title

• B60H1/00735

  Control systems or circuits characterised by their input, i.e. by the detection, measurement or calculation of particular conditions, e.g. signal treatment, dynamic models · CPC title