Fan powered by an alternating current generator associated with a liquid-cooled engine of an engine system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10995653-B2
Application number	US-201916238035-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 2, 2019
Priority date	Jan 2, 2019
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

A generator set is disclosed. The generator set may include a liquid-cooled engine and an alternating current (AC) generator coupled to the liquid-cooled engine. The generator set may include an AC fan associated with the liquid-cooled engine and connected to the AC generator via a relay and an engine control module (ECM) associated with the liquid-cooled engine and connected to the AC fan via the relay. The generator set may include an engine temperature sensor associated with the liquid-cooled engine and connected to the ECM via a first circuit and an engine air temperature sensor associated with the liquid-cooled engine and connected to the ECM via a second circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An engine system, comprising:
a liquid-cooled engine;
an alternating current (AC) generator coupled to the liquid-cooled engine;
an AC fan connected to the AC generator via a relay;
an engine control module (ECM) connected to the AC fan via the relay;
an engine temperature sensor connected to the ECM via a first circuit; and
an engine air temperature sensor connected to the ECM via a second circuit,
wherein the engine system is one of a plurality of engine systems of a machine,
wherein the plurality of engine systems further includes a different engine system, and
wherein the different engine system includes a different liquid-cooled engine and a different AC fan.

2. The engine system of claim 1 , wherein the AC fan is to direct airflow at a liquid coolant that cools the liquid-cooled engine.

3. The engine system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid-cooled engine is cooled using a liquid coolant,
wherein the engine temperature sensor is to determine a temperature of the liquid coolant.

4. The engine system of claim 1 , wherein the engine air temperature sensor is to determine a temperature of ambient air around the liquid-cooled engine.

5. The engine system of claim 1 , wherein the ECM is to control the relay to selectively operate the AC fan.

6. The engine system of claim 1 , wherein the ECM is to obtain engine temperature data from the engine temperature sensor and engine air temperature data from the engine air temperature sensor.

7. The engine system of claim 6 , wherein the ECM is to control, based on the engine temperature data and the engine air temperature data, operation of the AC fan.

8. A machine, comprising:
a first engine system; and
a second engine system,
wherein the first engine system includes:
a liquid-cooled engine,
an alternating current (AC) generator coupled to the liquid-cooled engine,
an AC fan associated with the liquid-cooled engine and connected to the AC generator via a relay,
an engine control module (ECM) associated with the liquid-cooled engine and connected to the AC fan via the relay,
an engine temperature sensor associated with the liquid-cooled engine and connected to the ECM via a first circuit, and
an engine air temperature sensor associated with the liquid-cooled engine and connected to the ECM via a second circuit, and

wherein the second engine system includes:
a different liquid-cooled engine, and
a different AC fan associated with the different liquid-cooled engine.

9. The machine of claim 8 , wherein the ECM is to control the liquid-cooled engine and the AC fan,
wherein the AC fan is to cool a liquid coolant of the liquid-cooled engine.

10. The machine of claim 8 , wherein the ECM is to selectively turn the AC fan on and off based on at least one of engine temperature data from the engine temperature sensor or engine air temperature data from the engine air temperature sensor.

11. The machine of claim 8 , wherein the ECM is to obtain engine temperature data from the engine temperature sensor and engine air temperature data from the engine air temperature sensor.

12. The machine of claim 11 , wherein the ECM is to activate the AC fan based on the engine temperature data indicating an engine temperature that satisfies a threshold.

13. The machine of claim 11 , wherein the ECM is to activate the AC fan based on the engine air temperature data indicating an engine air temperature that satisfies a threshold.

14. A generator set, comprising:
a first engine system comprising:
a liquid-cooled engine;
an alternating current (AC) generator coupled to the liquid-cooled engine;
an AC fan associated with the liquid-cooled engine and connected to the AC generator via a relay;
an engine control module (ECM) associated with the liquid-cooled engine and connected to the AC fan via the relay;
an engine temperature sensor associated with the liquid-cooled engine and connected to the ECM via a circuit; and
an engine air temperature sensor associated with the liquid-cooled engine and connected to the ECM via the circuit; and

a second engine system comprising:
a different liquid-cooled engine, and
a different AC fan associated with the different liquid-cooled engine.

15. The generator set of claim 14 , wherein the liquid-cooled engine is to use a liquid coolant to cool the liquid-cooled engine,
wherein the AC fan is to direct airflow at the liquid-cooled engine to cool the liquid-cooled engine and the liquid coolant.

16. The generator set of claim 14 , wherein the relay is an electromechanical relay that is to allow the ECM to send an activation signal to the AC fan.

17. The generator set of claim 14 , wherein the relay is a solid state relay that is to allow the AC generator to send AC electricity to the AC fan.

18. The generator set of claim 14 , wherein the ECM is to activate the AC fan based on receiving a signal from the engine air temperature sensor indicating that an engine air temperature associated with the liquid-cooled engine satisfies a threshold.

19. The generator set of claim 14 , wherein the ECM is to activate the AC fan based on receiving a signal from the engine temperature sensor indicating that an engine temperature of the liquid-cooled engine satisfies a threshold.

20. The generator set of claim 14 , wherein the ECM is to deactivate the AC fan upon receiving:
a signal from the engine temperature sensor indicating that an engine temperature of the liquid-cooled engine does not satisfy a first threshold; or
a signal from the engine air temperature sensor indicating that an engine air temperature associated with the liquid-cooled engine does not satisfy a second threshold.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Roplekar Jay
• Dris Antonis

Classifications

• F01P2025/30

  Engine incoming fluid temperature · CPC title

• F02B73/00

  Combinations of two or more engines, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• F01P7/16

  by thermostatic control · CPC title

• F02B63/042

  Rotating electric generators · CPC title

• F01P11/10 Primary

  Guiding or ducting cooling-air, to, or from, liquid-to-air heat exchangers · CPC title