Multiple plane recirculation fan control for a cooling package

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10450939-B2
Application number	US-201615140964-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2016
Priority date	Apr 28, 2016
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

A multiplane fan cooling system and method is disclosed for a cooling system with first, second and intake planes; a first fan and heat exchanger on the first plane, a second fan and heat exchanger on the second plane, and a shared air cavity bounded at least partially by these three planes. Each fan pulls air into the shared air cavity through the intake plane and across its associated heat exchanger. The first fan cools the first heat exchanger, and counteracts the second fan from drawing air into the shared air cavity through the first heat exchanger. The second fan cools the second heat exchanger. The second fan can be activated to counteract the first fan from drawing air into the shared air cavity through the second heat exchanger. All the air in the shared air cavity can be available to each of the fans.

First claim

We claim:

1. A multiplane fan cooling system for a vehicle having a plurality of heat exchangers to cool vehicle systems, the multiplane fan cooling system comprising:
a first plane;
a first heat exchanger on the first plane;
a first sensor that provides first temperature readings of a first vehicle system cooled by the first heat exchanger; and
a second plane;
a second heat exchanger on the second plane;
a second sensor that provides second temperature readings of a second vehicle system cooled by the second heat exchanger;
an intake plane;
a shared air cavity bounded at least in part by the first plane, second plane and intake plane;
a first fan on the first plane, the first fan configured to pull ambient air through the intake plane into the shared air cavity and move the ambient air across the first plane and the first heat exchanger when the first heat exchanger needs cooling;
a second fan on the second plane, the second fan configured to pull ambient air through the intake plane into the shared air cavity and move the ambient air across the second plane and the second heat exchanger when the second heat exchanger needs cooling; and
a controller configured to:
activate the first fan when the first heat exchanger needs cooling;
activate the second fan when the second heat exchanger needs cooling;
activate the first fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the first heat exchanger by the second fan;
activate the second fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the second heat exchanger by the first fan;
control a speed of the first fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the first heat exchanger by the second fan; and
control a speed of the second fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the second heat exchanger by the first fan;

wherein the controller determines a first fan speed for the first fan based on the first sensor readings, determines a second fan speed for the second fan based on the second sensor readings, determines a first fan command for the first fan based on the first and second fan speeds, determines a second fan command for the second fan based on the first and second fan speeds; transmits the first fan command to the first fan and transmits the second fan command to the second fan.

2. The multiplane fan cooling system of claim 1 , wherein all of the air in the shared air cavity is available to each of the first and second fans.

3. A multiplane fan cooling system for a vehicle having a plurality of heat exchangers to cool vehicle systems, the multiplane fan cooling system comprising:
a first plane;
a first heat exchanger on the first plane;
a second plane;
a second heat exchanger on the second plane;
a third heat exchanger on the first plane;
an intake plane;
a shared air cavity bounded at least in part by the first plane, second plane and intake plane;
a first fan on the first plane, the first fan configured to pull ambient air through the intake plane into the shared air cavity and move the ambient air across the first plane and the first and third heat exchangers when the first or third heat exchanger needs cooling;
a second fan on the second plane, the second fan configured to pull ambient air through the intake plane into the shared air cavity and move the ambient air across the second plane and the second heat exchanger when the second heat exchanger needs cooling; and
a controller configured to:
activate the first fan when the first heat exchanger needs cooling;
activate the first fan when the third heat exchanger needs cooling;
activate the second fan when the second heat exchanger needs cooling;
activate the first fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the first heat exchanger by the second fan;
activate the second fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the second heat exchanger by the first fan; and
control a speed of the first fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the first and third heat exchangers by the second fan; and
control a speed of the second fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the second heat exchanger by the first fan.

4. The multiplane fan cooling system of claim 3 , further comprising:
a first sensor that provides first temperature readings of a first vehicle system cooled by the first heat exchanger;
a second sensor that provides second temperature readings of a second vehicle system cooled by the second heat exchanger; and
a third sensor that provides third temperature readings of a third vehicle system cooled by the third heat exchanger;
wherein the controller is configured to:
determine a first fan speed for the first fan based on the first and third sensor readings;
determine a second fan speed for the second fan based on the second sensor readings;
determine a first fan command for the first fan based on the first and second fan speeds;
determine a second fan command for the second fan based on the first and second fan speeds;
transmit the first fan command to the first fan; and
transmit the second fan command to the second fan.

5. The multiplane fan cooling system of claim 3 , wherein all of the air in the shared air cavity is available to each of the first and second fans.

6. A multiplane fan cooling system for a vehicle having a plurality of heat exchangers to cool vehicle systems, the multiplane fan cooling system comprising:
a first plane;
a first heat exchanger on the first plane;
a second plane;
a second heat exchanger on the second plane;
a third heat exchanger on the first plane;
a first fan on the first plane, the first fan configured to pull ambient air through the intake plane into the shared air cavity and move the ambient air across the first plane and the first heat exchanger when the first heat exchanger needs cooling;
a second fan on the second plane, the second fan configured to pull ambient air through the intake plane into the shared air cavity and move the ambient air across the second plane and the second heat exchanger when the second heat exchanger needs cooling;
a third fan on the first plane, the third fan configured to pull ambient air through the intake plane into the shared air cavity and move the ambient air across the first plane and the third heat exchanger when the third heat exchanger needs cooling; and
a controller configured to:
activate the first fan when the first heat exchanger needs cooling;
activate the second fan when the second heat exchanger needs cooling;
activate the third fan when the third heat exchanger needs cooling;
activate the first fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the first heat exchanger by the second fan;
activate the second fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the second heat exchanger by the first fan;
control a speed of the first fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the first heat exchanger by the second fan or the third fan;
control a speed of the second fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the second heat exchanger by the first fan or the third fan; and
control a speed of the third fan to counteract air from being drawn into the shared air cavity through the third heat exchanger by the first fan or the second fan.

7. The multiplane fan cooling system of claim 6 , further comprising:
a first sensor that provides first temperature readings of a first vehicle system cooled by the first heat exchanger;
a second sensor that provides second temperature re

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• West Sean P
• Sass Steven R

Classifications

• F01P2005/025

  using two or more air pumps · CPC title

• F04D27/008 Primary

  Stop safety or alarm devices, e.g. stop-and-go control; Disposition of check-valves · CPC title

• F01P7/04

  by varying pump speed, e.g. by changing pump-drive gear ratio · CPC title

• F01P2003/182

  with multiple heat-exchangers · CPC title

• F01P3/18 Primary

  Arrangements or mounting of liquid-to-air heat-exchangers (such arrangements on cylinders or cylinder heads F01P3/04; relative to vehicles B60K11/04) · CPC title