EP4590942A1

EP4590942A1 - Agricultural vehicle with cooling system

Info

Publication number: EP4590942A1
Application number: EP23761593.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Markus Bräutigam; Stefan Hämmerle; Tobias BEISSWENGER
Original assignee: AGCO International GmbH
Current assignee: AGCO International GmbH
Priority date: 2022-09-21
Filing date: 2023-08-14
Publication date: 2025-07-30
Also published as: GB202213795D0; WO2024062299A1

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to an agricultural vehicle with a cooling system, example embodiments including an agricultural vehicle (100) comprising an enclosure (104) towards a front of the vehicle (100) and a driver compartment (105) towards a rear of the vehicle (100), the enclosure (104) encompassing an engine (201) and a cooling system (300) forward of the engine (201). The cooling system (300) has a plurality of radiators (302) arranged to form a corresponding plurality of sides of a cavity (401) and a fan (301) configured to draw cooling air (303) through the plurality of radiators (302). The fan (301) is disposed at an upper end of the cavity (401) and configured to provide a cooling airflow through the plurality of radiators (302) by ejecting heated air (304) upwards out of the enclosure (104).

Description

TITLE AGRICULTURAL VEHICLE WITH COOLING SYSTEM

FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to an agricultural vehicle with a cooling system.

BACKGROUND

[0002] FIG. 1 illustrates an example agricultural vehicle in the form of a tractor 100. The tractor 100 comprises a chassis 101 to which are mounted front wheels 102 and rear wheels 103 via front and rear axles. An enclosure 104 towards the front of the tractor encloses an engine and associated components including a cooling system (not shown). A driver compartment or cab 105 is located towards a rear of the tractor 100 behind the enclosure 104.

[0003] FIG. 2 illustrates a cutaway view of an example known cooling system 200 for an agricultural vehicle such as the tractor 100 of FIG. 1. The cooling system 200 comprises a fan 202 configured to provide a cooling airflow 206 through a plurality of radiators 203, 204, 205. Ambient air 206 is drawn in from the front and heated air 207 which has passed through the radiators is forced to flow through the enclosure 104 around the engine 201. Although the arrangement allows for a compact design of bonnet and a high efficiency, a disadvantage of the arrangement is that heated air 207 is pushed over the engine towards the driver compartment 105 and other components, such as a pneumatic or hydraulic storage tank 208. This can cause undesirable heating of the driver compartment and other components, which may need to be compensated for by further cooling system arrangements, for example by using air conditioning in the driver compartment. BRIEF SUMMARY

[0004] In an aspect of the invention there is provided an agricultural vehicle comprising an enclosure towards a front of the vehicle and a driver compartment towards a rear of the vehicle, the enclosure encompassing an engine and a cooling system forward of the engine, the cooling system comprising a plurality of radiators arranged to form a corresponding plurality of sides of a cavity and a fan configured to draw cooling air through the plurality of radiators, the fan being disposed at an upper end of the cavity and configured to provide a cooling airflow through the plurality of radiators by ejecting heated air upwards out of the enclosure.

[0005] The cooling arrangement according to the disclosure directs heated air from the radiators upwardly away from rather than towards the engine and driver compartment so that the engine and driver compartment are not heated by the air flow from the radiators.

[0006] In an embodiment, the arrangement is configured such that a flow of cooling air is drawn around at least a part of the engine before passing through one or more of the radiators. Drawing ambient air around the engine towards the radiators helps to further cool the engine. The enclosure may define an engine compartment in which the engine is located and a cooling compartment forward of the engine compartment in which the radiators and fan are located. The arrangement may be configured such that a flow of cooling air is drawn through at least part of the engine compartment before passing through one or more of the radiators.

[0007] In an embodiment, the fan is arranged to provide an airflow in a forward direction through at least part of the enclosure relative to a forward direction of travel of the vehicle. The at least part of the enclosure may comprise at least part of an engine compartment in which the engine is located.

[0008] The cooling system may comprise directional airflow vanes arranged to direct a portion of the airflow from the fan in a lateral direction relative to a forward direction of travel of the vehicle. Such directional air vanes may be arranged to direct portions of the airflow from the fan in left and right lateral directions relative to the forward direction of travel of the vehicle.

[0009] The plurality of radiators may comprise a first radiator for cooling fluid flowing through the engine, a second radiator, a third radiator, and a fourth radiator.

[0010] The first radiator may form a rear side of the cavity between the cavity and the engine.

[0011] The second, third and fourth radiators may form left, right and front sides of the cavity.

[0012] In an embodiment, one of the second, third and fourth radiators is configured for cooling oil flowing through the engine, one of the second, third and fourth radiators is configured for cooling a refrigerant flowing through an air conditioning system of the vehicle and one of the second, third and fourth radiators is a loading air cooler or intercooler.

[0013] The cavity may be sealed such that, during operation of the fan, substantially all of the airflow passing through the fan is drawn through one or more of the plurality of radiators.

[0014] The enclosure may have one or more air intake vents. Each vent may be located adjacent a respective one of the radiators.

[0015] Within the scope of this application it should be understood that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out herein, and individual features thereof may be taken independently or in any possible and compatible combination. Where features are described with reference to a single aspect or embodiment, it should be understood that such features are applicable to all aspects and embodiments unless otherwise stated or where such features are incompatible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] One or more embodiments of the disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic line drawing of a side view of an example agricultural vehicle; [0018] FIG. 2 is a schematic cutaway view of an example of a known cooling system for an agricultural vehicle;

[0019] FIG. 3 is a schematic cutaway view of an example cooling system for an agricultural vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing of an arrangement of a fan and a plurality of radiators of the example cooling system of FIG. 3;

[0021] FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of an example enclosure for a cooling system and engine of an agricultural vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] FIG. 6 is a drawing of a top view of the example enclosure of FIG. 5; and

[0023] FIG. 7 is a drawing of an example set of vanes comprising directional airflow vanes for directing airflow from a fan forming part of the example cooling system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Illustrations presented herein are not meant to be actual views of any particular vehicle, application system, agricultural implement, component, or system, but are merely idealized representations that are employed to describe embodiments of the disclosure. Additionally, elements common between figures may retain the same numerical designation for convenience and clarity.

[0025] The following description provides specific details of embodiments. However, a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced without employing many such specific details. Indeed, the embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced in conjunction with conventional techniques employed in the industry. In addition, the description provided below does not include all the elements that form a complete structure or assembly. Only those process acts and structures necessary to understand the embodiments of the disclosure are described in detail below. Additional conventional acts and structures may be used. The drawings accompanying the application are for illustrative purposes only, and are thus not drawn to scale. [0026] As used herein, the terms "comprising," "including," "containing," "characterized by," and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps, but also include the more restrictive terms "consisting of" and "consisting essentially of" and grammatical equivalents thereof.

[0027] As used herein, the singular forms following "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0028] As used herein, the term "may" with respect to a material, structure, feature, or method act indicates that such is contemplated for use in implementation of an embodiment of the disclosure, and such term is used in preference to the more restrictive term "is" so as to avoid any implication that other compatible materials, structures, features, and methods usable in combination therewith should or must be excluded.

[0029] As used herein, the term "configured" refers to a size, shape, material composition, and arrangement of one or more of at least one structure and at least one apparatus facilitating operation of one or more of the structure and the apparatus in a predetermined way.

[0030] As used herein, any relational term, such as "first," "second," "third," etc. is used for clarity and convenience in understanding the disclosure and accompanying drawings, and does not connote or depend on any specific preference or order, except where the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0031] As used herein, the term "substantially" in reference to a given parameter, property, or condition means and includes to a degree that one skilled in the art would understand that the given parameter, property, or condition is met with a small degree of variance, such as within acceptable manufacturing tolerances. By way of example, depending on the particular parameter, property, or condition that is substantially met, the parameter, property, or condition may be at least 90.0% met, at least 95.0% met, at least 99.0% met, or even at least 99.9% met.

[0032] As used herein, the term "about" used in reference to a given parameter is inclusive of the stated value and has the meaning dictated by the context (e.g., it includes the degree of error associated with measurement of the given parameter, as well as variations resulting from manufacturing tolerances, etc.).

[0033] As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0034] With reference to FIG. 3, an example cooling system 300 in accordance with the disclosure for use in an agricultural vehicle such as the tractor of FIG. 1 is illustrated. In this embodiment, a fan 301 and a plurality of radiators (heat exchangers) 302 are arranged so that the fan 301 draws ambient cooling air through one or more of the plurality of radiators 302 and ejects the air 304 which has passed through the radiators (referred to as heated air) out of the enclosure 104 in a generally upwards direction. In this arrangement, instead of heated air 304 which has passed through one or more of the radiators 302 being forced to flow rearward through the enclosure 104 towards the engine 201 and driver compartment 105, the heated air 304 is ejected upwardly without passing directly about the engine 210 and other components of the vehicle rearward of the cooling system 300. This arrangement allows the driver compartment 105 and other components 208 rearward of the cooling system 300 to be maintained at or around ambient temperatures rather than being heated by air having passed through the radiators 302.

[0035] FIG. 4 illustrates the cooling system 300 of FIG. 3 in more detail. In the illustrated example, the plurality of radiators 302 comprises first, second third and fourth radiators 302a-d arranged to form a corresponding plurality of sides of a cuboid cavity 401 with the fan 301 located in an upper face of the cavity. The base of the cavity is closed by a base portion 402. The fan 301, the plurality of radiators 302 and the base portion 402 are sealed against each other such that air drawn by the fan 301 is drawn only through and not around the radiators 302.

[0036] The first radiator 302a is located adjacent the engine 201, i.e. between the cavity 401 and the engine 201 (FIG. 3). The first radiator 302a thereby forms a rear side of the cavity 401 between the cavity 401 and the engine 201. The first radiator 302a may be a radiator for an engine cooling fluid, especially a water cooling radiator for cooling water or a water anti-freeze mixture flowing through the engine 201.

[0037] The second, third and fourth radiators 302b-d form front, left and right sides of the cavity 401. The second radiator 302b may be an oil cooler radiator. The third radiator 302c may be a loading air cooler or intercooler. The fourth radiator 302d may be a condenser for an air conditioning system of the vehicle 100. The position and function of the second, third and fourth radiators may differ from that disclosed and described herein. In some arrangements the total number of radiators may differ from the four radiators shown in FIG. 4. In each arrangement, however, the plurality of radiators 302 surround a cavity 401 with the fan 301 disposed at an upper end of the cavity such that heated air 304 ejected by the fan 301 flows upwards out of the enclosure 104. Any side or base of the cavity not closed by a radiator or heat exchanger is closed by a panel or other suitable means.

[0038] With the arrangement of radiators 302 as illustrated in FIG. 4, airflow through the radiators 302 is in parallel rather than in series, which has the advantages mentioned resulting from a similar arrangement disclosed in GB2336662. Arranging the fan 301 and radiators 302 according to the disclosure allows for a further increase in efficiency, resulting in lower fuel consumption and a higher useful output. The arrangement also allows for a more compact cooling system, allowing for a smaller bonnet. A further advantage is that the cooling system 300 can be made easier to access for maintenance and cleaning, for example by accessing the radiators 302 by removing or hinging open the front radiator 302d.

[0039] The enclosure 104 can be considered as defining an engine compartment 104a rearward of the cooling system 300, e.g. rearward of the first radiator 302a, in which the engine 201 is located and a cooling system compartment 104b containing the fan 301 and the radiators 302 forward of the engine compartment. In an embodiment, at least some of the cooling air 303 is drawn in a forwards direction to flow through some or all of the engine compartment 104a so as to flow about at least part of the engine 201 and possibly other components in the engine compartment. At least some of the cooling air 303 may be drawn into the engine compartment from the rear so as to create a flow of cooling air even about components rearward of the engine compartment, such as a pneumatic or hydraulic storage tank 208 in the embodiment illustrated.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 3, the engine compartment 104a surrounds the engine 201 so that a cooling airflow 303 is drawn around the engine and through one or more of the plurality of radiators 302. The cooling airflow 303 passing around the engine 201 may be directed solely through the first radiator 302a or may be partly directed through one or more of the other radiators 302b-d.

[0041] An advantage of drawing cooling air toward the radiators 302 around the engine 201 is that the engine 201 is cooled further, together with other associated components in the engine compartment 104a. The direction of air flow tends to draw warm air away from the driver compartment 105 rather than towards it so that there is less heating of the driver compartment 105. This results in a higher useful output and a more comfortable working environment for the driver. Heating of fuel and oil may also be significantly reduced. CFD simulation results indicate that this may result in reductions in temperature of various functional and temperature sensitive components of the vehicle by between around 30°C to 50°C compared to a conventional cooling arrangement in which air is forced into the enclosure and directed around the engine after passing through the radiators. Since the enclosure containing the engine is relatively large, the speed of air flow drawn through the enclosure 104 about the engine by the cooling fan 301 is relatively low. This reduces the amount of power required by the fan and reduces the risk of dust, debris, and other pollutants being entrained in the cooling airflow.

[0042] In some embodiments, no discrete air inlet vents are required as cooling air 303 is able to enter the enclosure 104 through gaps in the vehicle bodywork enclosing the engine compartment and cooling system. However, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the enclosure 104 may comprise one or more air inlet vents 501, 502, 503 through which ambient cooling air 303 is drawn from outside of the enclosure 104. In an embodiment, a first air inlet vent 501 may be positioned to provide the cooling airflow 303 for the first radiator 302a, while second and third vents 502, 503 may be positioned to provide cooling airflows for the other radiators 302b-d that do not pass around the engine 201. The first air inlet vent 501 might be positioned near the first radiator 302a so that a direct air flow from the inlet to the first radiator 302a is achieved or the inlet might be positioned near the engine 201 so that an airflow around the engine 201 towards the first radiator 302a is achieved. Whilst positioning air inlet vents 501, 502, 503 close to the radiators 302 may limit the amount of cooling air drawn through the engine compartment 104a, this arrangement still has the benefit that heated air 304 which has passed through the radiators is not forced to flow through the engine compartment towards the driver compartment 105. In a general aspect, the enclosure 104 may comprise one or more air intake vents 501, 502, 503 adjacent the first, second, third and/or fourth radiators 302a- d. In other embodiment, air inlet vents for the cooling air 303 may be provided elsewhere in the enclosure 104 and could, for example, be provided toward a rear end of the engine compartment 104a.

[0043] Referring again to FIG. 3, the heated airflow 304 directed upwards out of the enclosure 104 by the fan 301 may be directed forwards relative to a forward direction of travel 305 of the vehicle 100. Directing heated air upwards and forwards has the advantage of reducing or minimising the flow of heated air towards the driver compartment 105.

[0044] In some embodiments, as illustrated in FIGs. 5, 6 and 7, the cooling system 300 may comprise directional airflow vanes 504 arranged to direct a portion of the airflow from the fan 301 in a lateral direction relative to the forward direction of travel 305 while another portion of the airflow is directed in a vertical or slightly forward direction. Directing air vertically or forwardly and laterally has the advantage of diffusing the heated air and further reducing the flow of heated air towards the driver compartment 105. Directing the air flow laterally also helps to prevent dust or particles which might be flung into the air by the front wheels of the vehicle or by operating a forward implement from polluting the front windscreen of the driver compartment 105. The directional airflow vanes 504 may be arranged to direct portions of the airflow from the fan 301 in left and right lateral directions relative to the forward direction of travel 305 of the vehicle 100. [0045] In a general aspect, the arrangements disclosed herein allow for a smaller cooling system, requiring a smaller bonnet, and allow for more efficient overall vehicle operation.

[0046] All references cited herein are incorporated herein in their entireties. If there is a conflict between definitions herein and in an incorporated reference, the definition herein shall control.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. An agricultural vehicle comprising an enclosure towards a front of the vehicle and a driver compartment towards a rear of the vehicle, the enclosure encompassing an engine and a cooling system forward of the engine, the cooling system comprising a plurality of radiators arranged to form a corresponding plurality of sides of a cavity and a fan configured to draw cooling air through the plurality of radiators, the fan being disposed at an upper end of the cavity and configured to provide a cooling airflow through the plurality of radiators by ejecting heated air upwards out of the enclosure.

2. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1, wherein the arrangement is configured such that a flow of cooling air is drawn around at least a part of the engine before passing through one or more of the radiators.

3. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the fan is arranged to provide an airflow in a forward direction through at least part of the enclosure relative to a forward direction of travel of the vehicle.

4. The agricultural vehicle of any preceding claim, comprising directional airflow vanes arranged to direct a portion of the airflow from the fan in a lateral direction relative to a forward direction of travel of the vehicle.

5. The agricultural vehicle of claim 4, wherein the directional air vanes are arranged to direct portions of the airflow from the fan in left and right lateral directions relative to the forward direction of travel (305) of the vehicle .

6. The agricultural vehicle of any preceding claim, wherein the plurality of radiators comprises a first radiator for cooling fluid flowing through the engine, a second radiator, a third radiator and a fourth radiator.

7. The agricultural vehicle of claim 6, wherein the first radiator forms a rear side of the cavity between the cavity and the engine.

8. The agricultural vehicle of claim 7, wherein the second, third and fourth radiators form left, right and front sides of the cavity.

9. The agricultural vehicle of claim 8, wherein one of the second, third and fourth radiators is configured for cooling oil flowing through the engine, one of the second, third and fourth radiators is configured for cooling a refrigerant flowing through an air conditioning system of the vehicle and one of the second, third and fourth radiators is a loading air cooler or an intercooler.

10. The agricultural vehicle of any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the cavity is sealed such that, during operation of the fan, substantially all of the airflow passing through the fan is drawn through one or more of the plurality of radiators.

11. The agricultural vehicle of any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the enclosure comprises one or more air intake vents, the, or each, vent located adjacent a respective one of the radiators.