Air supply system for a work vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10625546-B2
Application number	US-201815883727-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2018
Priority date	Jan 30, 2018
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

An air supply system for a work vehicle includes a compressor configured to compress a first supply of ambient air and to output a compressed air supply via a compressed air line, an air induction assembly configured to receive the compressed air supply from the compressed air line and to flow the compressed air supply through a body of the air induction assembly to create a low pressure region sufficient to draw in a second supply of ambient air, wherein the body is configured to combine the second supply of ambient air with the compressed air supply to generate a combination air supply, and a tire inflation system fluidly coupled to the air induction assembly and configured to selectively increase and decrease an air pressure within a tire of the work vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air supply system for a work vehicle, comprising:
a compressor configured to compress a first supply of ambient air and to output a compressed air supply through a compressed air line;
an air induction assembly configured to receive the compressed air supply from the compressed air line and to flow the compressed air supply through a body of the air induction assembly to create a low pressure region sufficient to draw in a second supply of ambient air, wherein the body is configured to combine the second supply of ambient air with the compressed air supply to generate a combination air supply; and
a tire inflation system fluidly coupled to the air induction assembly and configured to selectively increase and decrease an air pressure within a tire of the work vehicle.

2. The air supply system of claim 1 , wherein the tire inflation system comprises a pressure valve and a distribution line, wherein the pressure valve is disposed along the distribution line and configured to control the increase and decrease of the air pressure within the tire.

3. The air supply system of claim 1 , comprising an air cooler fluidly coupled to the air induction assembly and configured to lower a temperature of the combination air supply.

4. The air supply system of claim 3 , comprising an air dryer fluidly coupled to the air cooler and configured to remove water, water vapor, or a combination thereof, from the combination air supply.

5. The air supply system of claim 1 , wherein the air induction assembly is configured in increase a total mass flow rate of the combination air supply such that the total mass flow rate of the combination air supply is greater than a mass flow rate of the compressed air supply.

6. The air supply system of claim 1 , wherein the body of the air induction assembly comprises an input region, a constricted region, and an output region, wherein the compressed air line extends into the constricted region and is configured to direct flow of the compressed air supply toward the output region, wherein a flow area of the of the output region is greater than a flow area of the constricted region, and wherein the flow of the compressed air supply from the compressed air line to the output region is configured to create the low pressure region within the constricted region as compared to the input region to draw in the second supply of ambient air.

7. The air supply system of claim 1 , wherein the body of the air induction assembly comprises an input region, a constricted region, and an output region, wherein the compressed air line extends to the constricted region and is configured to direct flow of the compressed air supply into the constricted region and toward the output region, wherein a flow area of the of the output region is greater than a flow area of the constricted region, and wherein the flow of the compressed air supply into the output region is configured to create the low pressure region within the constricted region as compared to the input region to draw in the second supply of ambient air.

8. The air supply system of claim 1 , wherein the air induction assembly comprises an orifice plate disposed within the body upstream of the compressed air line relative to a direction of flow of the second supply of ambient air, wherein the orifice plate comprises a disk comprising an opening configured to flow the second supply of ambient air into the air supply system, wherein a flow area of the body is greater than a flow area of the opening, and wherein the flow of the compressed air supply into the air induction assembly downstream of the orifice plate relative to the direction of flow of the second supply of ambient air is configured to create the low pressure region within the opening of the orifice plate as compared to the body of the air induction assembly upstream of the orifice plate.

9. The air supply system of claim 1 , comprising a priority valve disposed between the air induction assembly and the tire inflation system and a brake system of the work vehicle, wherein the priority valve is configured to prioritize distribution of the combination air supply to the brake system over the tire inflation system when it is determined that the brake system is in use.

10. An air supply system for a work vehicle, comprising:
a compressor configured to compress a first supply of ambient air and to output a compressed air supply through a compressed air line;
an air induction assembly configured to receive the compressed air supply from the compressed air line and to flow the compressed air supply through a body of the air induction assembly to create a low pressure region sufficient to draw in a second supply of ambient air, wherein the body is configured to combine the second supply of ambient air with the compressed air supply to generate a combination air supply, wherein a total mass flow rate of the combination air supply comprises a sum of a mass flow rate of the compressed air supply and a mass flow rate of the second supply of ambient air;
a tire inflation system fluidly coupled to the air induction assembly and configured to selectively increase and decrease an air pressure within a tire of the work vehicle, wherein the tire inflation system comprises a pressure valve and a distribution line, wherein the pressure valve is disposed along the distribution line and configured to control the increase and decrease of the air pressure within the tire;
a priority valve disposed between the air induction assembly and the tire inflation system; and
a controller comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the priority valve and configured to control distribution of the combination air supply from the air induction assembly between the tire inflation system of the work vehicle and a brake system of the work vehicle.

11. The air supply system of claim 10 , wherein the body of the air induction assembly comprises an input region, a constricted region, and an output region, wherein the compressed air line extends into the constricted region and is configured to direct flow of the compressed air supply toward the output region, wherein a flow area of the of the output region is greater than a flow area of the constricted region, and wherein the flow of the compressed air supply from the compressed air line to the output region is configured to create the low pressure region within the constricted region as compared to the input region to draw in the second supply of ambient air.

12. The air supply system of claim 10 , wherein the body of the air induction assembly comprises an input region, a constricted region, and an output region, wherein the compressed air line extends to the constricted region and is configured to direct flow of the compressed air supply into the constricted region and toward the output region, wherein a flow area of the of the output region is greater than a flow area of the constricted region, and wherein the flow of the compressed air supply into the output region is configured to create the low pressure region within the constricted region as compared to the input region to draw in the second supply of ambient air.

13. The air supply system of claim 10 , wherein the air induction assembly comprises an orifice plate disposed within the body upstream of the compressed air line relative to a direction of flow of the second supply of ambient air, wherein the orifice plate comprises a disk comprising an opening configured to flow the second supply of ambient air into the air supply system, wherein a flow area of the body is greater than a flow area of the opening, and wherein th

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Salzman Eran

Classifications

• F04B43/00

  Machines, pumps, or pumping installations having flexible working members (pumps or pumping installations specially adapted for elastic fluids F04B45/00) · CPC title

• B60C23/10 Primary

  Arrangement of tyre-inflating pumps mounted on vehicles · CPC title

• B60T2260/08

  Coordination of integrated systems · CPC title

• B60T17/02

  Arrangements of pumps or compressors, or control devices therefor · CPC title

• B60T13/26

  Compressed-air systems · CPC title