Amphibious vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9869231-B2
Application number	US-201314436205-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2013
Priority date	Nov 30, 2012
Publication date	Jan 16, 2018
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018

Abstract

Provided is an amphibious vehicle with which it is possible to increase the driving power even when the engine rotational speed is low. When the engine rotational frequency is lower than a prescribed rotational frequency the fan flow volume of a fan is calculated on the basis of the fan outlet pressure (B 1 ), the amount of heat exchange of a heat exchanger is calculated on the basis of the fan inlet temperature, the fan outlet temperature, and the fan flow volume (B 2 ), a target fan rotational frequency is calculated on the basis of the engine rotational frequency and the heat exchange amount (B 3 ), the fan rotational frequency is reduced so as to achieve the target fan rotational frequency (B 4 , B 5 ), and the power transmitted to a travel device is increased, thereby increasing the drive torque (B 6 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An amphibious vehicle comprising: an engine configured to output power transmitted to a traveling device for traveling on land and a water propulsion device for propelling the amphibious vehicle on water; a heat exchanger configured to cool the engine; a fan configured to supply air to the heat exchanger; an engine rotation speed measuring device for measuring an engine rotation speed of the engine; a fan rotation speed measuring device for measuring a fan rotation speed of the fan; an entrance temperature measuring device for measuring an entrance temperature of the air on an entrance side of the heat exchanger; an exit temperature measuring device for measuring an exit temperature of the air on an exit side of the heat exchanger; a fuel injection amount measuring device for measuring a fuel injection amount of the engine; and a control device for controlling the fan rotation speed based on measurement values measured by the engine rotation speed measuring device, the fan rotation speed measuring device, the entrance temperature measuring device, the exit temperature measuring device, and the fuel injection amount measuring device, wherein when the engine rotation speed is lower than a predetermined engine rotation speed, the controlling device: calculates a fan flow rate of the fan from predetermined relationships among the engine rotation speed, the fuel injection amount and the fan flow rate; calculates a heat exchange amount of the heat exchanger based on the air entrance temperature, the air exit temperature, and the fan flow rate; calculates a target fan rotation speed of the fan from predetermined relationships among the engine rotation speed, the heat exchange amount and the target fan rotation speed; and the control device reducing the fan rotation speed such that the fan rotation speed becomes equal to the target fan rotation speed, thus reducing loss in the engine due to rotation of the fan, and increasing a driving force transmitted from the engine to the traveling device by the reduction of the loss.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Sato Shinichi
• Matsunaga Takashi

Classifications

• F01P7/02

  the coolant being cooling-air · CPC title

• B60F3/0053

  Particular devices for gas circulation, e.g. air admission, cooling, watertightness · CPC title

• F01P7/026 Primary

  Thermostatic control · CPC title

• F01P7/048 Primary

  using electrical drives · CPC title

• F01P7/04

  by varying pump speed, e.g. by changing pump-drive gear ratio · CPC title