MXPA06006250A - Radiator fan shroud with flow directing ports - Google Patents

Abstract

A radiator fan shroud ( 100 ) is disclosed that is adapted to be attached to a vehicle radiator ( 96 )-for example, the radiator of a Class 8 truck. The fan shroud includes a peripheral cover portion ( 112 ) and a ring assembly ( 102 ) that encloses the blades of the engine-driven radiator fan ( 88 ). The ring assembly may be formed integrally with the peripheral cover portion or may include a separable ring extension ( 120 ). The ring assembly includes a plurality of ports ( 104 ) defined by vanes ( 106 ) at the rearward portion of the ring assembly. The ports are selectively positioned to manage the airflow in the engine compartment, directing the airflow towards selected locations. The vanes may be fluted. The fan shroud may be formed from two or more pieces that cooperatively form the fan shroud, to facilitate installation and maintenance of the fan shroud.

Description

PROTECTION OF THE RADIATOR FAN WITH FLOW ADJUSTMENT PORTS FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates in general terms to engine cooling systems for vehicles, such as, for example, trucks and, more particularly, it refers to components for the management of air flow through the radiator and in the compartment. the motor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In typical engine cooling systems, a coolant (mainly water) is circulated through the engine to transport heat away from the engine. Relatively cold water is transported through the channels in the engine and excess heat is transported away from the engine. The heated water then exits the engine and the relatively hot water circulates through a series of tubes in an external radiator located in the front of the vehicle. The tube series is usually provided with fins to improve heat transfer performance. An air flow through the radiator convector conveys heat away, cooling the circulating coolant. Then the coolant at a relatively low temperature leaves the radiator and is returned to the engine. Typically, a fan driven by a motor is provided on the back side (engine side) of the radiator in order to intensify the flow of air through the radiator, which significantly increases the heat transfer from the circulating coolant. . The fan is particularly important to maintain the flow of air through the radiator when the vehicle is not moving. The fan is oriented to draw the air to the rear through the radiator and passes the fan in the engine compartment. Radiator fan protection is often provided, the fan guard is attached to the back side of the radiator and includes a circular ring portion surrounding the fan blades. The coolant acts as a heat sink for the engine, removing waste heat and controlling the temperature of the engine. The more the coolant temperature is controlled, the better the engine's performance. In general, increasing the air flow through the radiator will increase the convective heat transfer away from the coolant and improve the efficiency of the radiator. For example, it is known that the performance of the fan is better if the clearance between the tips of the fan blades and the fan protection ring is minimized. For this reason, the protection ring is usually relatively rigid and is dimensioned so as to closely conform to the fan blades. In the vehicles of the prior art, little consideration has been given to the flow of air passing through the radiator and into the ventilator. Usually the air is located in the engine block just downstream of the fan and consequently, it rotates in the external direction inside the engine compartment, which creates a relatively high pressure region directly behind the fan. Of course, during operation the engine compartment is a relatively hot environment and certain components inside the engine compartment become particularly hot, either when receiving heat from other components or internally generated heat (for example, the alternator, oil cooler and the similar). Also, there are many components in the engine compartment that can be beneficial if exposed to the average temperature and / or maximum value, so that it decreases (for example, hoses, bands, cables, seals and the like). In addition, it will be appreciated that the conditions of lower average temperature and / or maximum value would allow the designer a wide range of materials choices for auxiliary components, leading to potential savings in weight, production costs and reliability. Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods to improve the efficiency of the radiator cooling, for example, the action of increasing the air flow through the radiator, in particular there is also a need to improve the cooling air flow directed to specific components or in certain directions in the engine compartment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A cooling system for a motor vehicle is described. The system is suitable for use in a range of different types of vehicles and the currently preferred embodiment described in this document is particularly suitable for commercial trucks. The vehicle's cooling system includes a conventional radiator to remove waste heat from the engine coolant. A radiator fan, usually driven by an engine, is located behind the radiator and is adapted to draw air through the radiator. A fan guard adheres to the rear face of the radiator and includes a ring portion that houses the fan blades, so that the air flow extracted by the fan is practically limited to the air drawn through the fan. The rear end of the ring portion of the fan includes a plurality of separate rear projections or pallets cooperatively defining a plurality of ports. Preferably, the ports are strategically positioned to direct the air flow backward of the fan blades in desired directions in order, for example, to provide complementary cooling to particular components in the engine compartment. The ports also provide an additional drainage area behind the fan blades (as opposed to a solid ring portion that has the same length), thereby reducing the pressure between the blades of the fan and the motor thereby improving the engine efficiency. In one embodiment of the invention, the ports are positioned to direct the flow of air toward or away from an alternator, gear, oil cooler, electrical control device, contamination control device and / or fluid receptacle. In one embodiment of the invention, the vanes in the ring portion of the fan guard do not all have the same length nor are all grooved. In one embodiment of the invention, the protective ring portion of the fan is formed integrally with the peripheral portion of the fan guard. In another embodiment of the invention, the ring portion includes an extension of the detachable ring. In one embodiment of the invention, the fan guard is formed of an upper portion that can be detached from the lower portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above aspects and many of the advantages that accompany this invention will be more readily appreciated as it is better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 1 is a schematic diagram of an engine compartment of a prior art truck showing the radiator, the fan guard, the fan and the engine block; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an engine compartment showing protection of the radiator fan according to the teachings of the present invention; Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the protection of the radiator fan of Figure 2 isolated; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the ring extension for fan protection shown in Figure 2; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a fan guard, made in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A currently preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the figures, wherein similar numbers indicate similar parts. Referring first to Figure 1, a schematic sketch of the engine compartment of the truck (80) is shown, a partial contour of the truck (80) is shown in dashed lines. Although the present invention can be applied to other vehicles, such as, for example, passenger cars, vans, sport utility vehicles, and the like, the preferred embodiment will be described with reference to a truck, for example, a Class 8 commercial truck. A conventional engine (82) is mounted shows in dashed lines) inside the engine compartment of the truck (80). In addition to the motor (82), several auxiliary components are generally placed in the engine compartment, indicated generically in Figure 1 as (84) and (86), such as an alternator, gear, oil cooler. , electrical control devices, contamination control devices and / or fluid receptacle, fluid receptacles and the like, and may include elements, such as hoses, bands, cables and seals. A radiator (96) is located near the front of the truck (80), the radiator (96) receives fluid refrigerant from the engine (82), cooling the fluid via air convection through the radiator (96), and returning the engine coolant (82). The protection (90) of the radiator fan is adhered to lie on top of a portion of the rear face of the radiator (96). The fan (88) which is driven by a motor behind the radiator (96) is located and includes a plurality of vanes which are substantially confined around its radial periphery by a ring portion (92) extending rearwardly from the protection of the radiator fan. The fan (88) is oriented so that during operation the fan (88) draws back air through the radiator 96, whose airflow can be further enhanced by the forward movement of the truck (80) (if any ), as indicated by arrows (98). After the air flow passes through the radiator (96) and along the fan (88), the air flow meets the motor (82), which creates a local region of relatively high pressure since the Air flow must rotate to be able to surround the motor (82). It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that this high pressure region behind the fan (88) prevents air flow, thereby decreasing the air flow that the fan (88) can produce through the radiator (96). ). Still further, in prior art systems, airflow induced by the blower driven toward the rear of the fan (88) is generally ignored, and no means is provided to productively manage the air flow. Now referring to Figure 2, which shows the same truck (80) having the same engine (82) and the auxiliary components (84), (86). The fan (88) and the radiator (96) may also be the same as the corresponding components identified in the prior art system shown in Figure 1. However, the radiator fan protection (100) is significantly different from the protection (90) of the fan of the prior art system described above. In particular, the fan guard (100) has a ring unit (102) that includes a plurality of openings or ports located between a plurality of vanes (106) and defined therein. The plurality of ports are selectively positioned to produce various airflow streams that can be directed, for example, toward or away from the particular auxiliary components (84), (86), eg, the auxiliary components. (84), (86) who would benefit from the additional convention of air, indicated with a diagram with the arrows (98 '). Figure 3 is an exploded view of the fan guard (100), which in this embodiment comprises two members, a main portion (110) of the guard having a peripheral portion of cover (112) and a main portion of the cover (112). ring (114), and an extension of the ring (120) that engages the ring portion (114). Accordingly, the ring unit (102) (see Figure 2) includes the main ring portion (114) and the ring extension (120). Although the cover portion 112 is shown as a substantially rectilinear member, it is contemplated that the cover portion 112 may be given a certain contour to improve the flow of air through the radiator and / or alternatively it may be formed for example, to provide a clearance for other components in the engine compartment. The main portion (110) of the shield can be, for example, conventional modified fan protection to reduce the main portion of the ring (114). An example of a prior art fan protection suitable for use as the main portion (110) of the protection is shown in US Pat. No. D440,929, which is incorporated herein by reference. . It is also contemplated that the main portion (110) of the protection can be formed of two or more pieces that are joined together, for example, with a joining accessory, in order to facilitate the installation and maintenance of the protection (100) of fan. As seen more clearly in Figure 3, the ribbed vanes (106) of the ring extension (120) defines a plurality of ports (104) that are located just downstream of the fan blades (88). The ports (104) are located in the region of relatively high pressure between the fan (88) and the motor (82) and, therefore, the ports (104) provide a relatively low pressure output for the air. With the judicious positioning of the ports (104), the air flow can be directed in a desired direction to optimize the air flow in the engine compartment. In addition, the ports (104) provide a larger area for the air flow behind the fan (88) (as compared to a conventional ring of the same length) and consequently, will release some of the pressure between the fan (88) and the motor (82), which increases the efficiency of the fan and which allows a greater flow of air through the radiator (96). In this embodiment, the extension of the ring (120) includes a circular flange (122) which can provide a friction fit with the main ring portion (114) to slidably adhere the extension of the ring (120) to the portion main (110) of the protection. The extension of the ring (120) may include one or more openings (124) for accommodating a joining fitting (not shown) to ensure extension of the ring (120) to the main ring portion (114). Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional side view of the extension of the ring (120) with the main portion (110) of the shield shown in dashed lines. As seen more clearly in this view, the vanes (106) of the ring extension (120) can optionally be ribbed or curved outwards to further manage the backward flow of air from the fan blades (88). ). Also, it is contemplated that the vanes (106) may extend at various distances backward to optimize the air flow for a particular vehicle. It will be appreciated that the use of the ring extension (120) allows a designer to optimize the flow in a particular vehicle configuration by changing a single, relatively expensive part, rather than having to redesign the complete protection of the fan. Another mode of a protection (200) of the radiator fan, in accordance with the present invention, is shown in Figure 5. It will be readily apparent to the skilled artisan that this fan guard (200) shares many of the aspects of the fan guard (100) discussed above and, for reasons of clarity , the common aspects will not be repeated in this document. In the fan guard (200), the ring unit (202) is formed integrally with the main portion (210) of the cover. It will be appreciated that integral construction has obvious advantages in manufacturing costs and in reliability. The ring unit (202) includes a plurality of ports (204) and vanes (206) to allow the designer to have better management of the air flow in the engine compartment, which provides improved air flow through the radiator ( 96) as well as allows you to direct the air flow to specific areas. The main portion (210) of the cover can be formed with an upper portion (211) and a separable lower portion (213). The upper portion (211) of the guard is provided with a flange (215) that overlaps the lower portion (213) to facilitate alignment and joining of the upper and lower portions (211), (213). It will be appreciated that the mechanical connection between the upper and lower portions (211), (213) can be carried out by any convenient mechanism, among which are the adjustment of the friction or various attachment fittings, as is well known. in the technique. It will also be appreciated that providing the fan guard (200) in two (or more) portions will facilitate the installation and / or removal of the fan guard (200), particularly in the common situation where the slack is limited. The lower portion (213) of the fan guard (200) shown in Figure 5 includes an optional lower baffle portion (217) which extends below the fan (88) and which broadly deflects the air flow backward. It is known that in certain circumstances, usually when the vehicle is stationary, a portion of the air flow from the fan (88) (see Figure 2) that is deflected downwardly through the engine (82) may travel under the the front of the vehicle and can be recirculated by the fan (88) through the radiator (96). Of course, this air is hotter than ambient air and it is therefore desirable to avoid recirculation through the radiator (96). The lower baffle portion 217 provides a barrier that tends to push the air backward to prevent or reduce this hot air circulation. The fan guard of the present invention may be made of any suitable material that is well known in the art for fan protection, including, by way of example, certain polymeric materials, composite materials (including glass fiber) or conformable metals. The fan guard must be strong enough to withstand prolonged periods of relatively hot and mechanically agitated environment in the engine compartment while having sufficient rigidity and dimensional stability to maintain a relatively close tolerance with the fan. It is also considered desirable that the fan guard has the lightest possible weight. Although it has been illustrated and described, in the preferred embodiment of the invention it will be appreciated that several changes can be made to it without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The embodiments of the invention in which the exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

Claims (19)

1. EIV INDICATIONS 1. A cooling system for a vehicle comprising: a radiator having a front side and a rear side; a fan having a plurality of blades; the plurality of blades is located near the rear side of the radiator; the fan can be operated to draw air in one direction from the front side of the radiator to the rear side of the radiator; and a fan having a peripheral portion that adheres to the radiator; a circular ring portion extending from the peripheral portion and surrounding the fan blades; wherein the ring portion includes a plurality of vanes defining a plurality of ports directing the air flow laterally. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of ports is positioned to direct an air flow to an auxiliary component in a vehicle engine compartment. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of ports is positioned to direct an air flow away from the auxiliary component in a vehicle engine compartment. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary component is selected from the following: alternator, gear, oil cooler, electrical control device, contamination control device and / or fluid receptacle. 5. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the vanes have various lengths. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral portion of the fan guard and the circular ring portion of the fan guard are formed integrally. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the ring portion of the fan guard comprises a main ring portion and a ring extension that adheres to the main ring portion. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the fan guard comprises an upper portion of the guard and a lower portion of the guard which adheres to the upper portion of the guard. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the fan guard further comprises a deflector of the air flow extending downwards. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of vanes are grooved. 11. A radiator fan protection comprising: a peripheral portion adapted to adhere to a radiator; and a tubular ring portion extending from the peripheral portion, wherein the tubular ring portion includes a plurality of vanes defining a plurality of ports directing the air flow laterally. The radiator fan protection according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the plurality of ports is positioned to direct a flow of air to an auxiliary component in a vehicle engine compartment. The radiator fan protection according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the plurality of ports is positioned to direct an air flow away from an auxiliary component in an engine compartment of a vehicle. 14. The radiator fan protection according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of vanes have various lengths. 15. The radiator fan protection according to claim 10, wherein the peripheral portion of the fan guard and the ring tubular portion of the fan guard are integrally formed. 16. The radiator fan guard according to claim 10, wherein the ring portion of the fan guard comprises a main ring portion and a ring extension that adheres to the main ring portion. 17. the radiator fan protection according to claim 10, wherein the fan guard comprises an upper portion of the guard and a lower portion of the guard which adheres to the upper portion of the guard. 18. The radiator fan protection according to claim 10, wherein the fan guard further comprises a deflector of the air flow extending downwardly. 19. The radiator fan protection according to claim 10, wherein at least some of the plurality of vanes are grooved.