Exhaust Assembly Cooling System

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016356191-A1
Application number	US-201615174940-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 6, 2016
Priority date	Jun 4, 2015
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for cooling an exhaust system of a construction machine. The system has a compartment within which the exhaust system is contained. A first compartment wall forms an external boundary of the compartment and has a plurality of air inlets proximate the exhaust system. A fan assembly is also within the compartment and separated from the exhaust system by a barrier. A conduit crosses the barrier and has an inlet near the exhaust system and an outlet positioned between the barrier and the fan assembly. Air flows within the compartment along an air flow path that extends from the air inlets, around the exhaust system, through the conduit and into the fan assembly. The air flow path extends from the fan assembly through a plurality of air outlets formed in an external compartment wall.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
a compartment; a heat source within the compartment; a first compartment wall forming an external boundary of the compartment and having a plurality of air inlets proximate the heat source; a fan assembly within the compartment; a first barrier situated between the heat source and the fan assembly; and a conduit crossing the first barrier and having an inlet proximate the heat source and an outlet positioned between the first barrier and the fan assembly; wherein air flows within the compartment along an air flow path that extends from the air inlets, around the heat source, through the conduit and into the fan assembly.

2 . The system of claim 1 in which the heat source comprises an engine and an exhaust system for the engine.

3 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a radiator and in which the fan assembly comprises:
a cowling positioned to cover a first side of the radiator; and
a fan positioned within the cowling to pull air across the radiator and from the conduit outlet.

4 . The system of claim 3 comprising a second compartment wall forming an external boundary of the compartment, situated adjacent the radiator and having an air inlet formed therein for the fan to pull ambient air into the compartment between the barrier and the radiator and across the radiator into the fan assembly separate from the air flow path that extends from the plurality of air inlets, around the heat source, through the conduit and into the fan assembly.

5 . The system of claim 3 in which the conduit outlet is positioned within the cowling between the radiator and the fan.

6 . The system of claim 2 in which the exhaust system comprises a plurality of exhaust system sensors positioned within the air flow path.

7 . The system of claim 2 in which a second barrier is situated between the engine and the exhaust system to define an exhaust area and an engine area.

8 . The system of claim 7 in which the engine area and the first compartment wall are positioned on opposite sides of the exhaust area.

9 . The system of claim 8 in which the engine and engine area are not in the air flow path.

10 . The system of claim 7 comprising a third barrier situated within the compartment, in which the heat source has opposed first and second ends, and in which the first barrier is situated at the first end of the heat source and the third barrier is situated at the second end of the heat source.

11 . The system of claim 1 in which the first compartment wall has a plurality of air outlets proximate the fan assembly and in which the air flow path extends from the fan assembly through the air outlets.

12 . A horizontal directional drilling machine comprising:
a frame having opposed first and second ends; a rotary drive moveable along the frame between the first end and the second end; and a drill string having a first end and a second end, the first end being operatively connected to the rotary drive; a downhole tool connected to the second end of the drill string; and the system of clam 1 .

13 . The horizontal directional drilling machine of claim 12 in which the heat source is positioned on the frame substantially halfway between the first and second ends of the frame.

14 . The horizontal directional drilling machine of claim 13 further comprising a radiator and in which the fan assembly comprises:
a cowling positioned to cover a first side of the radiator; and
a fan positioned within the cowling to pull air across the radiator and move the air from both the conduit outlet and radiator toward the second end of the frame.

15 . The horizontal directional drilling machine of claim 14 comprising a second compartment wall forming an external boundary of the compartment, situated adjacent the radiator and having an air inlet formed therein to pull ambient air into the compartment between the barrier and the radiator.

16 . The horizontal directional drilling machine of claim 14 in which the conduit outlet is positioned within the cowling between the radiator and the fan.

17 . The horizontal directional drilling machine of claim 13 comprising:
an engine within the compartment;
an engine exhaust system within the compartment; and
a second barrier situated between the engine and the exhaust system to define an exhaust area and an engine area within the compartment.

18 . The horizontal directional drilling machine of claim 17 in which the conduit inlet is in the exhaust area.

19 . The horizontal directional drilling machine of claim 17 in which the engine and engine area are not in the air flow path.

20 . The horizontal directional drilling machine of claim 13 in which the first compartment wall has a plurality of air outlets and in which the air flow path extends from the fan assembly through the air outlets toward the second end of the frame.

Assignees

• Charles Machine Works

Inventors

• Campbell Philip David
• Mcvay Chester S
• Stanley Tyler J

Classifications

• F01N3/0205 Primary

  using heat exchangers · CPC title

• F01N3/2066

  Selective catalytic reduction [SCR] · CPC title

• F01N2570/14

  Nitrogen oxides · CPC title

• F01P3/18

  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

• E21B3/02

  Surface drives for rotary drilling · CPC title