Airflow control system of a work vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10933713-B2
Application number	US-201615391073-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2016
Priority date	Dec 27, 2016
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

An airflow control system of a work vehicle includes a controller having a memory and a processor. During an initialization phase, the controller is configured to instruct a blower to operate at an initialization capacity to provide an airflow from an external environment into an interior of a cab of the work vehicle. The controller is also configured to receive a first signal indicative of a pressure within the interior of the cab and to determine a restriction factor based at least in part on the first signal. In addition, during an operation phase, the controller is configured to receive a second signal indicative of the pressure within the interior of the cab and to determine an input flow rate of the airflow from the external environment into the interior of the cab based at least in part on the restriction factor and the second signal.

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 during an initialization phase, the controller is configured to:
instruct a blower to operate at an initialization capacity to provide an airflow from an external environment into an interior of a cab of the work vehicle at an output flow rate;
receive a first signal indicative of a pressure within the interior of the cab; and
determine a restriction factor based at least in part on the first signal, wherein the restriction factor is a quantitative representation of sealing efficiency of the cab; and

wherein during an operation phase, the controller is configured to:
receive a second signal indicative of the pressure within the interior of the cab;
determine an input flow rate of the airflow from the external environment into the interior of the cab based at least in part on the restriction factor and the second signal; and
instruct the blower, an airflow control assembly, or a combination thereof, to control the airflow from the external environment into the interior of the cab based at least in part on the input flow rate, wherein the airflow control assembly, upon receiving instructions from the controller, is configured to control the airflow from the external environment into the interior of the cab by adjusting a position of a door that controls mixing of external air from the external environment and recirculated air from the interior of the cab.

2. The airflow control system of claim 1 , comprising a pressure sensor configured to fluidly couple to the interior of the cab and to output the first and second signals indicative of the pressure within the interior of the cab.

3. The airflow control system of claim 1 , wherein during the operation phase, the controller is configured to instruct the blower, the airflow control assembly, or the combination thereof, to control the airflow from the external environment into the interior of the cab such that the input flow rate is within a threshold range of a target input flow rate.

4. The airflow control system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to automatically initiate the initialization phase during end-of-line testing of the work vehicle.

5. The airflow control system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is an element of an automatic temperature control system of the work vehicle.

6. The airflow control system of claim 1 , wherein the airflow control system does not include an airflow sensor.

7. The airflow control system of claim 1 , wherein during the initialization phase, the controller is configured to instruct the blower to operate at the initialization capacity by outputting or instructing a motor control system to output an initialization voltage.

8. An airflow control system of a work vehicle, comprising:
a controller having a memory and a processor, the memory having a stored pressure/flow rate relationship for varying restriction factors at a system initialization capacity;
wherein during an initialization phase, the controller is configured to:
instruct a blower to operate at the system initialization capacity to provide an airflow from an external environment into an interior of a cab of the work vehicle at an initialization flow rate;
receive a first signal indicative of a cab interior pressure within the interior of the cab; and
determine a restriction factor based on the first signal by selecting a constant restriction factor curve that intersects the stored pressure/flow rate relationship at the cab interior pressure, wherein the restriction factor is a quantitative representation of sealing efficiency of the cab; and

wherein during an operation phase, the controller is configured to:
receive a second signal indicative of the cab interior pressure;
determine a determined operation flow rate of the airflow from the external environment into the interior of the cab based on the restriction factor determined in the initialization phase and the second signal, and without input from an airflow sensor; and
control the blower, an airflow control assembly, or a combination thereof, such that the determined operation flow rate is within a threshold range of a target operation flow rate or such that the determined operation flow rate is greater than a minimum threshold operation flow rate, wherein the airflow control assembly, in response to input from the controller, is configured to control the airflow from the external environment into the interior of the cab by adjusting a position of an airflow control assembly door that controls mixing of external air from the external environment and recirculated air from the interior of the cab;

wherein the airflow control system does not include the airflow sensor.

9. The airflow control system of claim 8 , comprising a pressure sensor configured to fluidly couple to the interior of the cab and to output the first and second signals indicative of the cab interior pressure.

10. The airflow control system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to automatically initiate the initialization phase during end-of-line testing of the work vehicle.

11. The airflow control system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is an element of an automatic temperature control system of the work vehicle.

12. The airflow control system of claim 8 , wherein during the initialization phase, the controller is configured to instruct the blower to operate at the system initialization capacity by outputting or instructing a motor control system to output an initialization voltage.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Ferri Doriano
• Patel Jigarkumar N

Classifications

• B60H1/00849

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

• B60H1/00378 Primary

  for tractor or load vehicle cabins · CPC title

• B60H1/00828

  Ventilators, e.g. speed control (B60H1/00864 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F24F2011/0004

  to create overpressure in a room · CPC title