Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
  • B60K11/00—Arrangement in connection with cooling of propulsion units
  • B60K11/02—Arrangement in connection with cooling of propulsion units with liquid cooling
  • B60K11/04—Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60Y—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
  • B60Y2200/00—Type of vehicle
  • B60Y2200/40—Special vehicles
  • B60Y2200/41—Construction vehicles, e.g. graders, excavators
  • B60Y2200/415—Wheel loaders

Definitions

• the present invention concerns a conditioning box for a work vehicle, in particular a conditioning box for a work vehicles such as equipment construction vehicles.
• All vehicles comprise at least a hydraulic circuit for conditioning an operative fluid of a hydraulic circuit of a specific device of the vehicle, such as the operative fluid of AC circuit or the operative fluid of the engine cooling circuit of the vehicle.
• Work vehicles comprises usually more circuits using an operative fluid than a passenger vehicle because of the utilities whose they are provided. For sake of example it may be needed to condition the oil of power oil circuits or the operative fluid of an intercooler.
• the heat exchangers of work vehicle is known to use a conditioning box defining a closed shape having a plurality of faces on which at least one heat exchanger may be fixed.
• a conditioning box is placed in front of the motor of the vehicle and is known as "cooling box”.
• the conditioning box comprises moreover a single opening by which air is pumped or sucked thanks to a single fan which is hydraulically operated.
• the air may pass through the heat exchangers that are fixed on the faces of the conditioning box .
• n is the number of round of the fan and D is its diameter.
• n is the number of round of the fan and D is its diameter.
• the air flow is equal for each heat exchanger. Therefore, for example, if an heat exchanger needs the maximum of the air flow and the others heat exchanger do not need such a maximum flow, they are in any case subject to this latter. In this way the temperatures of fluids flowing in the heat exchangers cannot be optimized contemporarily for each heat exchanger.
• An aim of the present invention is to satisfy the above mentioned need in an optimal and economic way.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle comprising a conditioning box according to the present invention
• Figure 2 is a perspective view a conditioning box according to the present invention.
• Figures 3 and 4 are respective exploded views of the conditioning box of figure 2;
• Figures 5, 6, 7a, 8 and 9 are perspective views of different operative conditions of conditioning box of figure 2;
• Figure 7b is a graphic showing a fan velocity, in rounds per minute, in function of the air flow, in m 3 , passing through a fan according to the operation of figure 7a.
• Figure 1 discloses a work vehicle 10, e.g. in the described case an wheel loader, essentially comprising a body 10a defining a cabin 10b for accommodating the user, two pair of wheels 10c on which the body 10a is supported and at least one operating device lOd, e.g. a grab.
• a work vehicle e.g. in the described case an wheel loader, essentially comprising a body 10a defining a cabin 10b for accommodating the user, two pair of wheels 10c on which the body 10a is supported and at least one operating device lOd, e.g. a grab.
• Vehicle 10 moreover comprises, preferably placed in a rear portion of the body 10a, a conditioning box 1 configured to allow the conditioning of operative fluids of work vehicle 10 as described hereinafter in greater detail.
• conditioning box 1 is positioned to be in front of a motor of the vehicle.
• conditioning box 1 may comprise a structure 2 comprising a plurality of uprights 3 connected together to define a closed shape. More preferably uprights 3 of structure 2 are realized as one piece, e.g. by casting. Preferably structure 2 may comprise twelve uprights 3 defining a parallelepiped, preferably a cube, and therefore defining six faces, i.e. a bottom and a top face, a right and left lateral faces and a front and rear lateral faces .
• Conditioning box 1 further comprises fixation means 4 configured to allow the fixation of the structure on the work machine.
• fixation means 4 may comprise two brackets 5 fixed to the bottom face of the structure by which this latter may be fixed to work machine 10.
• Conditioning box 1 may comprise coupling means 7 configured to couple at least one heat exchanger in at most all but one of the faces defined by themselves.
• coupling means 7 may be threaded fasteners configured to be insert respective holes (not shown) realized in uprights 3.
• an heat exchanger 11 of the conditioning fluid of engine radiator circuit of the wheel loader 10 may be coupled on the uprights 3 which define left lateral face
• an heat exchanger 12 of the oil of transmission circuit and/or other hydraulic circuits of wheel loader 10 may be coupled on the uprights 3 which define right lateral face
• an heat exchanger 13 of the conditioning fluid of intercooler circuit and a heat exchanger 14 of the conditioning fluid of a condenser of the AC system of the wheel loader 10 may be coupled on the uprights 3 which define top face.
• conditioning box 1 may further comprise plates 15, 16 which may be coupled on the uprights 3 which define respectively rear and bottom faces, in particular so that such plates 15 and 16 that may occupy all the space defined by aforementioned uprights 3.
• structure 2 defines a closed shape, i.e. structure 2 define an inner volume 20 in particular externally delimited by uprights 3.
• Conditioning box 1 advantageously comprises a main opening 21 located on front face of structure 2.
• opening 20 occupies all the space of front face between the uprights 3.
• Opening 21 is configured to allow a fluidic communication between internal volume 20 and the environment.
• Advantageously opening 21 is placed in front of the motor of the vehicle.
• conditioning box 1 may be housed anywhere with respect to the vehicle.
• At least plate 16 may optionally be provided with a grid configured to increase the fluidic communication between internal volume 20 and the environment.
• conditioning box 1 further comprises, for each heat exchanger 11, 12, 13 and 14 at least one fan configured to force air passing through the respective heat exchanger 11, 12, 13 and 14 and said opening 21 via inner volume 20.
• the at least one fan is placed inside volume 20 and is fixed to structure 2 in front of the respective heat exchanger 11, 12, 13 and 14.
• the at least one fan of two different heat exchangers 11, 12, 13 and 14 are fixed on different faces of cooling box 1; more preferably such faces are opposite with respect to each other .
• the at least one fan is an electric fan and the at least one fan of the respective heat exchangers 11, 12, 13 and 14 may be controlled singularly.
• the at least one fan, being electric, may be operated as sucking or venting fan, simply by inverting the polarity of the power supply.
• Cooling box 1 may comprise connection means (not shown) configured to connect a control unit to the at least one fan and detection means (not shown) configured to detect at least one operative condition of the fluid flowing in the heat exchangers 11, 12, 13 and 14 and/or environment temperature.
• control unit is provided with elaboration means configured to elaborate the information detected by detection means and to operate the fan according to the method described below in greater detail.
• control unit is a ECU of the vehicle.
• fans 25 may be placed in front of the heat exchanger 11; preferably fans 25 are placed squarely around the center of the heat exchanger 11 and therefore comprises two upper fans 25a, 25b and two lower fans 25c, 25d.
• fans 26 may be placed in front of the heat exchanger 12; preferably fans 26 are placed squarely around the center of the heat exchanger 12 and therefore comprises two upper fans 26a, 26b and two lower fans 26c, 26d .
• fans 25, 26, 27, 28 comprise respective supports 30 configured to allow the fixation of fans 25, 26,
• Conditioning box may further comprise an oil tank (not shown), housed in the inner volume 20, and configured to collect oil from hydraulics circuits of the vehicle. This oil may be conditioned thanks to the air flow passing in inner volume 20 through the respective heat exchanger 11, 12, 13 and 14 and opening 21. A related pump may be used to make the oil circulate within the tank.
• an oil tank (not shown), housed in the inner volume 20, and configured to collect oil from hydraulics circuits of the vehicle. This oil may be conditioned thanks to the air flow passing in inner volume 20 through the respective heat exchanger 11, 12, 13 and 14 and opening 21.
• a related pump may be used to make the oil circulate within the tank.
• Conditioning box 1 may further comprise a cover 32 configured to protect structure 2 and the attached elements such as heat exchangers 11, 12, 13 and 14 and fans 25, 26, 27, 28 from the environment and to simultaneously allow the passage of air through heat exchangers 11, 12, 13 and 14.
• a cover 32 configured to protect structure 2 and the attached elements such as heat exchangers 11, 12, 13 and 14 and fans 25, 26, 27, 28 from the environment and to simultaneously allow the passage of air through heat exchangers 11, 12, 13 and 14.
• cover 32 may comprise a plurality of walls 33 connected together and configured to protect at most each of the faces defined by structure 2.
• cover 32 may comprise three walls 33 for covering upper, left and right faces.
• Each walls 33 comprises aeration means 34 configured to allow the passage of air through the covered heat exchanger.
• aeration means 34 may be realized as loopholes 35 placed together to define at least one aeration grid 36 which may extend up to the entire surface area of wall 33.
• the operation of the conditioning box 1 described above is the following, assuming that opening 21 is placed in front of the motor of the vehicle. Therefore the direction of flows of the air and "cold” and “warm” terminology are referred to this configuration in which a source of hot air is present in front of opening 21.
• each fan 25, 26, 27, 28 may be separately regulated to guarantee a sufficient air flow for each heat exchanger thanks to electronic control of the control unit.
• the air from inner volume 20 will further flow through the motor of the vehicle to decrease its temperature because, even if this air is hot, it is always colder than motor temperature and therefore it may cool this latter.
• a second operative condition i.e. a quick warm up condition for at least one heat exchanger
• at least one fan among fans 25, 26, 27, 28 is stopped, e.g. fans 25.
• This condition may be useful in certain conditions in which it is necessary to quick warm up an operative fluid, such as in winter.
• the fluid passing through the heat exchanger 11 is not conditioned by the air flow and therefore is warmed up each passage in heat exchanger 11 because of the absence of the air flow generated by fans 25.
• a third operative condition i.e. a modulated conditioning operation for at least one heat exchanger
• inlet (not shown) of heat exchanger 11 is provided in the top portion of the heat exchanger 11 with respect to plate 16 and outlet (not shown) of heat exchanger 11 is provided in bottom portion of heat exchanger 11 with respect to plate 16. Accordingly, the fluid flowing in exchanger 11 decreases its temperature from top portion (inlet) to bottom portion (outlet) during its passage into exchanger 11.
• upper fans 25a, 25b may rotate at a greater velocity than lower fans 25c, 25d. Accordingly, the air flow F generated by upper fans 25a, 25b will be greater than air flow F ' generated by lower fans 25c, 25d.
• the graphic shows the fan speed, in round per minute, in function of the air flow, in m3.
• two functions are disclosed, left (continue line) one represents the control law of upper fans 25a, 25b, and right (dotted line) one represents the control law of lower fans 25c, 25d.
• a fifth operative condition i.e. a maximized cooling down operation
• at least one fan among fans 25, 26, 27, 28, e.g. fans 25, is controlled to increase their speed up to reach their maximum speed while the remaining fans, e.g. fans 26, 27 and 28, reverse their operation from sucking to venting .
• the present invention is moreover directed to a method for controlling the at least one fan 25, 26, 27, 28 of conditioning box 1.
• the aforementioned method comprises essentially the steps of: • detecting a condition of the at least one heat exchanger 11, 12, 13, 14 of the conditioning box 1;
• control unit which, as aforesaid, comprises elaboration means configured to memorize and elaborate the information received by detection means according to the aforementioned steps of the control method so as to operate accordingly the at least one fan 25, 26, 27, 28.
• the detected condition of the at least one heat exchanger 11, 12, 13, 14 may be acquired thanks to detections means.
• Such condition may be one among the temperature or the flow of fluid flowing in the at least one heat exchanger 11, 12, 13, 14, or an operative condition of the operative circuit to which the at least one exchanger 11, 12, 13, 14 is coupled and/or environment temperature.
• Examples of such operative conditions may be the temperature of the coolant fluid of engine radiator, the oil temperature of transmission/ hydraulic circuits, the intake air temperature of the intercooler, the operation of AC system of the vehicle or the presence of dirty elements in volume 21 of cooling box 1.
• the equivalent air flow is defined by knowing the above mentioned detected condition and setting a target value of temperature/flow of the operative fluid flowing out the at least one heat exchanger 11, 12, 13, 14, or by an operative condition of the operative circuit to which the at least one exchanger 11, 12, 13, 14 is coupled.
• the detected condition may be an overheating of one heat exchanger, the equivalent air flow therefore has to be increased.
• increased air flow may be generated by controlling fans 25, 26, 27 and 28 by maximizing velocity of at least one fan 25 and by generating a depression in volume 21 by reverting the operation of the remaining fans 26, 27 and 28.
• the required air flow may be calculated while minimizing the power absorption of the at least one fan 25, 26, 27, 28 of conditioning box 1.
• the at least one fan 25, 26, 27, 28 such minimizing power absorption may be calculated by knowing the number, diameter and maximum velocity reachable by each of the at least one fan 25, 26, 27, 28.
• minimization may be realized thanks to known mathematically minimization methods, e.g. minimum square methods.
• the air flow may be efficiently optimized for each heat exchanger.
• power needs of all fans summed together is lower than the power need of a single hydraulic fan.
• the power need may be up to 50% less with respect to previous known solutions.
• fans are electric, their velocity may be regulated independently with respect to engine speed and they may be controlled easily via an electronic control unit; further their function, i.e. sucking or venting, may be changed quick and easily.
• each heat exchanger may be controlled singularly to define a gradient of heat transfer along the heat exchanger by modulating the air flow generated by each fan .
• conditioning box 1 may be placed anywhere in the vehicle 1 and therefore, since the source of hot air of the motor may not be present, the sucking or venting operation of fans 25, 26, 27, 28 may be reversed by consequence .
• fans 25, 26, 27, 28 may be placed externally with respect structure 2 and their venting may be simply inverted.
• fans 25, 26, 27, 28 may be each a hydraulic fan and the control may be realized hydraulically and separated by the engine, even if such control would be more expensive than the described electric one.
• Control unit may be a dedicated control unit which is connected to the ECU of the vehicle and connection means may be of any typology, e.g. electrical connection such as electrical wires or wireless means.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Air-Conditioning For Vehicles (AREA)
• Vehicle Step Arrangements And Article Storage (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=61873854

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Citations (4)

• 2018
  • 2018-01-24 IT IT201800001755A patent/IT201800001755A1/it unknown
• 2019
  • 2019-01-23 WO PCT/EP2019/051561 patent/WO2019145323A1/en unknown
  • 2019-01-23 EP EP19703954.8A patent/EP3743302A1/en not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (4)

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