US 12,228,067 B2
Fan speed control system for engine cooling
Wenling Babbitt, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc., Cleveland, OH (US)
Filed by Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc., Cleveland, OH (US)
Filed on Mar. 27, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/126,828.
Application 18/126,828 is a continuation of application No. 16/688,450, filed on Nov. 19, 2019, granted, now 11,614,020.
Application 16/688,450 is a continuation of application No. 15/975,486, filed on May 9, 2018, granted, now 11,619,161.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/561,831, filed on Sep. 22, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/503,576, filed on May 9, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0235694 A1, Jul. 27, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F01P 7/04 (2006.01); F04D 27/00 (2006.01); F04D 29/58 (2006.01)
CPC F01P 7/044 (2013.01) [F01P 7/048 (2013.01); F04D 27/004 (2013.01); F04D 29/5826 (2013.01); F04D 29/584 (2013.01); F01P 2023/08 (2013.01); F01P 2025/13 (2013.01); F01P 2025/30 (2013.01); F01P 2025/62 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A control system for controlling fan speed for use in engine cooling of an engine comprising:
a pump driven by the engine and fluidly coupled to a motor-driven fan, said motor-driven fan adapted to cool a cooling medium and maintain the cooling medium at a setpoint temperature range, said pump is a fixed pump or a variable pump; and,
a fan drive system that is configured to implement an algorithm to a) directly control said fan speed to facilitate in maintaining a cooling medium at a set temperature instead of an operating temperature range of the cooling medium, b) build a cooling safety margin in response to an engine output torque percentage that is below an output torque percentage set point, and c) predict an engine torque demand increase; said set temperature is a temperature determined within an operating range, said fan drive system is a hydraulic system and/or an electric system, said fan drive system includes a microcontroller that is used to run said algorithm, said fan drive system includes a single-direction fan or a bi-directional fan; said algorithm causes said fan speed to be maintained at a nominal fan speed until said cooling medium exceeds a maximum set point temperature,
wherein said fan drive system is configured to increase a speed of said motor-driven fan in response to low cooling demand by said engine, an increase in said speed of said motor-driven fan is configured to maintain said cooling medium at a minimum setpoint temperature and corresponding to an engine output that is below a threshold value,
wherein said fan drive system is configured to decrease said speed of said motor-driven fan in response to high cooling demand by said engine, said decrease in said fan speed corresponding to an engine output that is above said threshold value and occurring until said cooling medium reaches a maximum setpoint temperature, said minimum and maximum setpoint temperature are different temperatures,
wherein said engine output is torque and said torque not used by said pump is available for use by other working systems driven by said engine, and
wherein said algorithm compares a setpoint temperature to a temperature of said cooling fluid to 1) cause said controller to maintain said speed of said fan at a normal speed when said temperature of a said cooling fluid is not greater than said setpoint temperature, or 2) cause said controller to increase said speed above said normal speed of said fan when said temperature of a said cooling fluid is greater than said setpoint temperature.