Controller of fan coupling device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11434808-B2
Application number	US-202117214174-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2021
Priority date	Apr 28, 2020
Publication date	Sep 6, 2022
Grant date	Sep 6, 2022

Abstract

A controller includes: an acquisition unit that acquires a deviation between an estimated amount and a target amount of a working fluid in the labyrinth chamber, and a fluid amount parameter corresponding to the estimated amount; and a control unit that executes feedback control including at least integral control of the deviation so as to control a regulation mechanism. When the fluid amount parameter is equal to or greater than a threshold, the control unit executes the feedback control in a state where the integral control is stopped.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A controller of a fan coupling device, the fan coupling device including a drive shaft that is rotationally driven, a rotor coupled to the drive shaft, a housing configured to house the rotor, the housing being supported so as to be rotatable relative to the rotor, a fan fixed to the housing, a labyrinth chamber formed between the housing and the rotor in the housing and configured to transmit rotational motive power of the rotor to the housing through working fluid, and a regulation mechanism configured to regulate an amount of the working fluid in the labyrinth chamber, the controller comprising:
an acquisition unit configured to acquire a deviation between an estimated amount and a target amount of the working fluid in the labyrinth chamber, and a fluid amount parameter corresponding to the estimated amount; and
a control unit configured to execute feedback control including at least integral control of the deviation so as to control the regulation mechanism, wherein
when the fluid amount parameter is equal to or greater than a threshold, the control unit executes the feedback control in a state where the integral control is stopped.

2. The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is set such that the threshold increases as a rotation speed of the drive shaft increases in a range where a rotation speed of the drive shaft is equal to or less than a prescribed value.

3. The controller according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit is set such that the threshold lowers as the rotation speed of the drive shaft increases in a range where the rotation speed of the drive shaft is larger than the prescribed value.

4. The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition unit acquires the estimated amount by calculating the estimated amount based on a rotation speed of a drive shaft and the rotation speed of the fan in consideration of moment of inertia of the fan and the housing.

5. The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition unit acquires the estimated amount by calculating the estimated amount based on an engagement ratio obtained by dividing a rotation speed of the fan by a rotation speed of the drive shaft.

6. The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid amount parameter is the estimated amount.

7. The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid amount parameter is an engagement ratio obtained by dividing a rotation speed of the fan by a rotation speed of the drive shaft.

8. A controller of a fan coupling device, the fan coupling device including a drive shaft that is rotationally driven, a rotor coupled to the drive shaft, a housing configured to house the rotor, the housing being supported so as to be rotatable relative to the rotor, a fan fixed to the housing, a labyrinth chamber formed between the housing and the rotor in the housing and configured to transmit rotational motive power of the rotor to the housing through working fluid, and a regulation mechanism configured to regulate an amount of the working fluid in the labyrinth chamber, the controller comprising:
an acquisition unit configured to acquire a deviation parameter corresponding to a deviation between an actual rotation speed and a target rotation speed of the fan, and a fluid amount parameter corresponding to an estimated amount of the working fluid in the labyrinth chamber; and
a control unit configured to execute feedback control including integral control of the deviation parameter so as to control the regulation mechanism, wherein
when the fluid amount parameter is equal to or greater than a threshold, the control unit executes the feedback control in a state where the integral control is stopped.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Akiyama Shoichi
• Takagi Noboru
• Yamazaki Daichi
• Yamaguchi Masaaki

Classifications

• F01P2037/00

  Controlling · CPC title

• F01P7/042 Primary

  using fluid couplings (couplings or clutches of this type per se F16D35/00) · CPC title

• F01P5/04

  Pump-driving arrangements · CPC title

• B60K11/02

  with liquid cooling · CPC title

• B60K11/04

  Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds · CPC title