System and method for capturing cleaner intake air for use within an air intake system of a work vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9957929-B2
Application number	US-201414325587-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2014
Priority date	Jul 8, 2014
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

A system for capturing cleaner intake air for use within an air intake system of a work vehicle may generally include an intake duct defining an inlet for receiving air and at least one actuator associated with the intake duct. The actuator(s) may be configured to move at least a portion of the intake duct so as to adjust a position of the inlet relative to a fixed reference location on the work vehicle. In addition, the system may include at least one sensor configured to monitor an air-related parameter associated with the work vehicle and a controller communicatively coupled to the actuator(s) and the sensor(s). The controller may be configured to actively control the operation of the actuator(s) such that the position of the inlet is adjusted based on the air-related parameter so as to reduce an amount of particulates received within the intake duct.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for capturing cleaner intake air for use within an air intake system of a work vehicle, the system comprising:
an intake duct defining an inlet for receiving air;
at least one actuator associated with the intake duct, the at least one actuator being configured to move at least a portion of the intake duct so as to adjust a position of the inlet relative to a fixed reference location on the work vehicle;
at least one sensor configured to monitor an air-related parameter associated with the work vehicle, wherein the air-related parameter corresponds to a particulate concentration of the particulates contained within the air received within the intake duct, and wherein the at least one sensor comprises a particulate sensor; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the at least one actuator and the at least one sensor, the controller being configured to:
determine whether the particulate concentration of the air received within the intake duct exceeds a predetermined particulate threshold;
responsive to a determination that the particulate concentration of the air received within the intake duct exceeds the predetermined particulate threshold, control the operation of the at least one actuator such that the position of the inlet is adjusted until the particulate concentration of the air received within the intake duct is less than the predetermined particulate threshold.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the position of the inlet corresponds to at least one of a vertical position or a rotational orientation of the inlet relative to the fixed reference location.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one actuator comprises at least one of a vertical actuator configured to adjust the vertical position of the inlet or a rotational actuator configured to adjust the rotational orientation of the inlet.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the particulate sensor is mounted within the intake duct.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the particulate sensor is positioned outside the intake duct.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the air-related parameter comprises a wind direction.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to control the operation of the at least one actuator such that a rotational orientation of the inlet is offset from the wind direction by at least 45 degrees.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to control the operation of the actuator that the rotational orientation of the inlet is offset from the wind direction by about 180 degrees.

9. A system for capturing cleaner intake air for use within an air intake system of a work vehicle, the system comprising:
an intake duct defining an inlet for receiving air;
at least one actuator associated with the intake duct, the at least one actuator being configured to move at least a portion of the intake duct so as to adjust at least one of a vertical position or a rotational orientation of the inlet relative to a fixed reference location on the work vehicle;
at least one particulate sensor mounted within the intake duct, the at least one particulate sensor configured to monitor a particulate concentration of particulates contained within the air received within the intake duct; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the at least one actuator and the at least one particulate sensor, the controller being configured to:
determine whether the particulate concentration of the air received within the intake duct exceeds a predetermined particulate threshold;
responsive to a determination that the particulate concentration of the air received within the intake duct exceeds the predetermined particulate threshold, control the operation of the at least one actuator such that the at least one of the vertical position or the rotational orientation of the inlet is adjusted until particulate concentration of the air received within the intake duct is less than the predetermined particulate concentration.

10. A method for capturing cleaner air for use within an air intake system of a work vehicle, the air intake system comprising an intake duct defining an inlet for receiving air, the method comprising:
monitoring, with a controller, an air-related parameter associated with the work vehicle, wherein monitoring the air-related parameter comprises receiving, with the controller, signals from a particulate sensor associated with a particulate concentration of the particulates contained within the air received within the intake duct;
determining whether the particulate concentration of the air received within the intake duct exceeds a predetermined particulate threshold;
responsive to a determination that the particulate concentration of the air received within the intake duct exceeds the predetermined particulate threshold, adjusting, with the controller, a position of the inlet relative to a fixed reference location on the work vehicle based on the monitored air-related parameter such that an amount of particulates received within the intake duct is reduced to below the predetermined particulate threshold.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one actuator comprises at least one of a vertical actuator for adjusting the vertical position of the inlet or a rotational actuator for adjusting the rotational orientation of the inlet.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the particulate sensor is mounted within the intake duct or outside the intake duct.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein monitoring an air-related parameter comprises receiving, with the controller, signals from a wind sensor associated with a wind direction.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein adjusting the position of the inlet comprises adjusting a rotational orientation of the inlet relative to the fixed reference location such that the rotational orientation is offset from the wind direction by at least 45 degrees.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc
• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Zeilenga Chad
• Chlystek Thomas

Classifications

• F02M35/10013

  Means upstream of the air filter; Connection to the ambient air · CPC title

• F02M35/164 Primary

  Heavy duty vehicles, e.g. trucks, trains, agricultural or construction machines · CPC title

• F02M35/0209

  comprising flexible, resilient, movable or rotatable elements, e.g. with vibrating or contracting movements; Springs; Valves; Flaps (F02M35/06, F02M35/08 take precedence) · CPC title

• F02M35/048

  Arranging or mounting on or with respect to engines or vehicle bodies · CPC title

• B01D46/442

  by measuring the concentration of particles · CPC title