Patent Grant
11339707
This application is the U.S. National Phase of PCT Application No. PCT/EP2019/080310 filed on Nov. 6, 2019, which claims priority to German Patent Application No. DE 10 2018 219 006.2, filed on Nov. 7, 2018, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference herein.
The present disclosure relates to a fan assembly for cooling an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle.
The cooling system of an internal combustion engine, in particular of a motor vehicle, primarily discharges the heat that is dissipated on the combustion chamber or cylinder walls. Since excessively high temperatures would damage the engine, the internal combustion engine has to be cooled. Modern internal combustion engines, in particular four-cycle engines in motor vehicles, potentially with a few exceptions, are liquid cooled, wherein a mixture of water as well as anti-frost and anti-corrosion agents is typically used as a coolant for maintaining the operating temperature of the internal combustion engine as well as for operating an air-conditioning system.
One or more objects of the present disclosure is a fan assembly (fan module) for a motor vehicle, such as for a hybrid vehicle which is driven by an internal combustion engine and by an electric motor. Furthermore, a method for operating such a fan assembly is to be specified, said method operating in an effective manner (effective in terms of output) in all operating ranges of the motor vehicle. The generation of noise of the fan assembly (of the fan module) is to be as low as possible such as during the charging operation of the battery of a provided electric-motor drive, that is to say that said fan assembly is to operate in an ideally silent manner.
To this end, the fan assembly for cooling an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, for example of a hybrid vehicle with an internal combustion engine and an electric motor supplied by a rechargeable battery, has a first and a second cooling fan. The first cooling fan is a radial fan which axially suctions the cooling air passing through a radiator, that is to say a heat exchanger which is passed through by a coolant flow, and upon deflection (deflection by 90°) radially expels said cooling air, that is to say expels (exhausts) said cooling air in the radial direction toward the outside. The second cooling fan is an axial fan which axially suctions the cooling air and axially expels said cooling air, that is to say expels (exhausts) said cooling air in the axial direction toward the outside.
“Axial” herein is understood to be a direction parallel to (coaxial with) the rotation axis (axial direction) of the axial fan and/or radial fan, and “radial” is understood to be a direction perpendicular (transverse) to the rotation axis (radial direction) of the axial fan or radial fan, respectively. The rotation axes of the fans in turn run in the travel direction of the motor vehicle and are thus parallel to the travel direction.
The radiator, that is to say the heat exchanger which is passed by the coolant flow, in terms of the travel direction of the motor vehicle, that is to say in terms of the main direction of movement of said motor vehicle and in terms of the airstream generated on account thereof (airstream direction/airflow direction) has a front side and a rear side. The airstream which can be reinforced by means of the fan assembly impacts the radiator (heat exchanger) on the front side thereof, and upon passing through said radiator (heat exchanger) exits at the rear side. This leads to the coolant being cooled, and optionally to the internal combustion engine being additionally cooled.
According to one or more embodiments, a cooling fan module for cooling an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, for example of a hybrid vehicle with an internal combustion engine and the electric motor supplied by a rechargeable battery, having a first cooling fan which in an airflow direction is disposed behind a heat exchanger which is passed through by a coolant flow, and a second cooling fan, wherein the first cooling fan is a radial fan which axially suctions cooling air and radially expels cooling air, and wherein the second cooling fan is an axial fan which axially suctions cooling air and radially expels cooling air, the axial fan is disposed behind the heat exchanger so as to be laterally beside the radial fan in a plane which is parallel to the rear side of said heat exchanger.
According to another variant of the fan assembly for cooling an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, for example of a hybrid vehicle with an internal combustion engine and the electric motor supplied by a rechargeable battery, having a first cooling fan which in an airflow direction is disposed behind a heat exchanger which is passed through by a coolant flow, and a second cooling fan, wherein the first cooling fan is a radial fan which axially suctions cooling air and radially expels cooling air, and wherein the second cooling fan is an axial fan which axially suctions cooling air and radially expels cooling air, the axial fan in the airflow direction is disposed in front of the heat exchanger, preferably in a plane which is parallel to the front side of said heat exchanger.
In other words, the axial fan in the airflow direction of the cooling air is disposed behind the radiator or the heat exchanger, respectively, and hereby disposed in a plane which is parallel to the rear side of said radiator or heat exchanger, respectively, wherein the radial fan in this disposal of the axial fan is positioned in the plane which is parallel to the rear side of the heat exchanger (radiator) so as to be laterally beside the axial fan. Alternatively, the axial fan in the airflow direction is disposed in front of the heat exchanger (on the front side of the radiator), while the radial fan in turn is disposed behind the heat exchanger (on the rear side of the radiator). In both variants, the axial intake opening of the radial fan faces the radiator or the heat exchanger, respectively, that is to say the rear side of said radiator or heat exchanger, respectively.
A cooling module having an axial fan which in the travel direction (of the motor vehicle) is behind the radiator (thus on the rear side of the latter) and having a further fan is indeed known from DE 10 2004 028 697 A1. This here however is a crossflow fan having a functional principle which is fundamentally different from that of a radial fan. As opposed to the radial fan according to the present disclosure, the air in the crossflow fan is not suctioned in an axial but radial (or tangential) manner and, as opposed to the radial fan according to the present disclosure, the crossflow fan, upon deflecting the air by 90°, expels (exhausts) the air not in a radial but axial manner into the downstream radiator. Moreover, as opposed to according to the present disclosure, the crossflow fan in the known cooling module in the travel direction (of the vehicle) is disposed in front of the cooler (thus on the front side of the latter).
In one or more embodiments, the axial fan and the radial fan of the fan assembly according to the present disclosure are driven by an electric motor. For a particularly space-saving design of the axial fan and the radial fan, for example for an ideally small installation size of the cooling fans in the axial direction, the electric motors that serve for driving the fan wheels of said cooling fans are suitably disposed in a fan hub of a radial impeller of the radial fan and in a fan hub of an axial impeller of the axial fan.
As an example, when the axial fan and the radial fan are provided in the same plane behind the heat exchanger, the axial fan and the radial fan are advantageously disposed in a common fan frame. The rotation axis of the axial impeller of the axial fan and the rotation axis of the radial impeller of the radial fan hereby run so as to be parallel. If the radial fan and the axial fan are disposed behind one another with the radiator (heat exchanger) being disposed therebetween, the rotation axes of said radial fan and said axial fan expediently run so as to be coaxial.
By disposing the axial fan on the front side and the radial fan on the rear side of the radiator (heat exchanger), the area coverage (blockage) of the cooling area is minor in relation to a reversed order, specifically a disposal of the radial fan on the front side and the axial fan on the rear side of the radiator, since a sufficiently large area for a passing flow is provided by the axial fan even when only the radial fan is in operation, and the impeller of said axial fan can freely rotate without being driven, this further reducing drag.
In another embodiment, the latter is assigned a control device which is provided and specified for actuating the axial fan and the radial fan, or only the axial fan, or only the radial fan, so as to operate said axial fan and/or said radial fan as a function of the driving operation (driving cycle) or of the operating range of the motor vehicle. To this end, the electric motors of the axial impeller of the axial fan or of the radial impeller of the radial fan, respectively, which drive said axial impeller and said radial impeller, respectively, are correspondingly energized. The control device can be separate or else be integrated in the electric motors, such as by way of individual functional building blocks.
Expediently provided here is a threshold value of the vehicle speed, only the axial fan being operated above set threshold value, and only the radial fan being operated below set threshold value, such as during a charging operation of a battery for driving the motor vehicle by an electric motor. Operating only the radial fan at low vehicle speeds, and such as when said vehicle is stationary, and/or during the charging operation of the optionally present battery for driving a hybrid vehicle by an electric motor, is particularly advantageous because the radial fan is distinguished by a very low generation of noise, thus operates in a particularly silent manner. In the case of the radial fan driven by an electric motor, the ratio of (aerodynamic) cooling output and (electric) power consumption may be favorable during the charging operation, that is to say the radial fan operates in a particularly efficient manner.
At a higher, high and/or a maximum vehicle speed, that is to say during rapid travel or at a high load of the internal combustion engine, for example when travelling uphill and/or in the case of an additional stress by virtue of a trailer towed by the vehicle, the operation of the axial fan as well as the radial fan (dual operation of the fan assembly) is particularly suitable. The axial fan here can be conceived so as to be comparatively small (of a small construction with small dimensions), or so as to have a comparatively low output and may be optimized in terms of a characteristic curve. Moreover, the axial fan can be conceived with a view to only one (single) aerodynamic operating point to be met.
In the method for operating such a fan assembly, the axial fan and the radial fan are operated conjointly or individually as a function of the operating range, of the load on the internal combustion engine, of the respective driving cycle and/or of the speed of the motor vehicle. According to one advantageous refinement here, the axial fan and the radial fan can be operated above a threshold value of the speed of the motor vehicle, for example during rapid travel, and only the axial fan or only the radial fan can be operated below the threshold value, for example during slow travel of the vehicle, for example when the vehicle is stationary and/or during a charging operation of a battery of a hybrid vehicle in which the vehicle is driven by internal combustion engine and electric motor.
A number of advantages may be achieved by the present disclosure that, by providing a fan assembly having an axial fan and having a radial fan, practically all driving situations and operating ranges of a motor vehicle can be covered while providing a volumetric flow of the cooling air which is sufficient for reliable cooling. The axial fan and the radial fan here can operate in the range of the respective optimum efficiency of said fans at a simultaneously low noise emission, such as at a low vehicle speed. A combined operation using the axial fan and using the radial fan is suitable in the case of high-temperature requirements. A high degree of efficiency and, on account thereof, better cooling or improved exhaust emission values, respectively, are achieved by suitable shutting off or blocking in combination with different radiators.
In the case of a hybrid vehicle, the driving operation using only the axial fan is suitable, or at high-temperature requirements the driving operation using said axial fan and the radial fan is suitable, and in the case of a stationary vehicle, and such as in the battery-charging state, the operation of only the radial fan is suitable because the latter in this instance operates in an efficient and very silent manner.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail below by means of a drawing in which:
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
Equivalent parts are provided with the same reference signs in all figures.
The coolant which is directed in pipes that are incorporated in the radiator block of a radiator has in turn to be cooled, to which end cooling air flows across cooling ribs which act as a heat exchanger for the coolant. Since the airstream which serves as cooling air is usually insufficient for cooling, such as at low speeds of the motor vehicle, it is known, for example from DE 10 2013 006 499 U1, to dispose an axial fan within a radiator frame on the radiator that comprises the cooling ribs. The axial fan which may be driven by an electric motor generates an additional airflow, whereby the radiator frame has a number of dynamic pressure flap openings which can be closed by dynamic pressure flaps. In the case of opened dynamic pressure flaps and comparatively high vehicle speeds, a reduced coverage of the cooling area as well as a large area that can be freely passed through by a flow, and thus an increased cooling output, is enabled by virtue of a minor blockage.
The fan in the travel direction is typically disposed behind the radiator block of the radiator (heat exchanger). The air is suctioned through the radiator block with the aid of a fan wheel of the fan and directed onto the internal combustion engine. Should there also be a condenser block of a condenser of an air-conditioning system present in addition to the radiator block, the condenser block in the direction of the airstream (airflow direction) is usually disposed in front of the radiator block. The fan wheel of the fan is disposed in a circular clearance of the frame body of the fan frame, the air being directed through the radiator block by means of said circular clearance, whereby the frame body covers the radiator block in a substantially complete manner.
In order to achieve a high degree of efficiency of the fan, the frame body, with the exception of the circular clearance, is embodied so as to be substantially airtight. In this way, the pressure differential between the region in front of the radiator block and the region behind the frame body, in each case viewed in the travel direction of the vehicle, is comparatively large. In the case of a stationary vehicle, a comparatively large quantity of air is thus suctioned through the radiator block of the radiator by means of the axial fan. As soon as the motor vehicle is moved at a comparatively high speed, the airstream is held back by the frame body and the radiator block. Consequently, only a specific proportion of the airstream passes through the radiator block.
In order for this issue to be alleviated, the dynamic pressure flap openings which are in each case able to be closed by a dynamic pressure flap are incorporated in the frame body. When the fan is operated while the vehicle is stationary, the dynamic pressure flap openings are closed by means of the dynamic pressure flaps, this requiring a comparatively large pressure differential between the region in front of and behind the fan frame. As soon as the dynamic pressure flaps are impinged by an airstream, thus as soon as the motor vehicle is moved, the dynamic pressure flaps pivot to an opened state and the airstream, in addition to the clearance for the fan wheel, also flows through the dynamic pressure flap openings. The volume of air flowing through the radiator block is increased in this way.
A lateral illustration of a radiator or cooling fan system 1 of a motor vehicle (not visualized in more detail) is schematically illustrated in
The airstream is reinforced by means of a fan assembly 6, or in the case of a stationary motor vehicle generated by said fan assembly 6. The fan assembly 6 comprises a radial fan 6a and an axial fan 6b. The radial fan 6a and the axial fan 6b in one or more embodiments are disposed on the rear side 7 of the radiator 2, and there are situated beside one another in a plane which is parallel to the rear side 7 of the radiator 2, that is to say so as to be behind one another perpendicular to the drawing plane of
According to one alternative, the radial fan 6a in the airflow direction 5 is disposed behind the radiator 2 and thus again on the rear side 7 of the latter, while the axial fan 6b in the airflow direction 5 is disposed in front of the radiator 2 and there in turn disposed in a plane which is parallel to the front side 8 of said radiator 2. The radial fan 6a and the axial fan 6b are in each case driven by an electric motor 9 and 10, thus driven by electric motors.
A control device 11 sets the operation of the radial fan 6a and axial fan 6b. This means that the control installation 11 by way of corresponding control signals SR, SA sets in operation the radial fan 6a or the axial fan 6b, or the radial fan 6a as well as the axial fan 6b. This takes place as a function of the travel situation, the respective operating range, the operating load (for example in uphill travel and/or when driving with a trailer) and as a function of the speed of the vehicle. At a high or maximum vehicle speed (rapid travel) and/or at a particularly high temperature load (high-temperature requirement), the radial fan 6a as well as the axial fan 6b are thus suitably actuated for operation. To this end, the respective electric motor 9, 10 of said radial fan 6a and said axial fan 6b are correspondingly energized.
At a comparatively low vehicle speed, only the axial fan 6b can be operated, for example. During slow travel and when the vehicle is stationary, the operation of only the radial fan 6a may be suitable because the latter operates in an efficient and very silent manner.
In the case of a hybrid vehicle with a further propulsion machine in the form of the electric motor 12 in addition to the internal combustion engine 4, the operation of only the radial fan 6a may be required during a charging procedure of a battery 13 which then supplies the electric current required for operating the electric motor 12.
As an example, the operating mode of the fan assembly 6 is of such a type that only the axial fan 6b, or the latter and the radial fan 6a, are operated during the travel of the vehicle, while only the radial fan 6a is operated during a stoppage of the vehicle and/or a charging operation of the battery 13 for supplying the electric motor 12.
The radial fan 6a suctions the cooling air L by way of the radiator 2, deflects said cooling air by 90°, and radially expels (exhausts) the deflected cooling air L. This is visualized by the flow arrows 14. The axial fan 6b axially suctions the cooling air L and also axially expels (exhausts) said cooling air L. This is visualized by the flow arrows 15, 16.
As an example, in the embodiment having the radial fan 6a and the axial fan 6b disposed beside one another on the rear side 7 of the radiator 2, said radial fan 6a and said axial fan 6b are suitably disposed on a common fan frame 17. A suitable dual fan module having a radial fan 6a and an axial fan 6b can be provided in this way.
In the embodiment having the axial fan 6b and the radial fan 6a disposed behind one another in the airflow direction 5, a common radiator frame can likewise be provided. Said common radiator frame in this instance is constructed in such a manner that, in the case of an assembled radiator 2, the axial fan 6b is positioned on the front side 8 of said radiator 2, and the radial fan 6a is positioned on the rear side 7 of said radiator 2.
A wheel hub 25 of an axial impeller 26 of the axial fan 6b is aligned with the central, stationary hub 21. Proceeding from the external circumference of the wheel hub 25, a number of blades or vanes 27 which are disposed so as to be circumferentially distributed extend in a crescent-shaped and substantially radial manner. By virtue of the electric motor 10 being disposed in the region of the hubs 21 and 25, the axial installation size or installation depth of the axial fan 6b in the direction of the rotation axis 19 thereof is particularly minor.
The radial fan 6b, which on the rear side is or may be provided with a housing cover (not shown), has a motor electronics system 28 (on the rear side). The electric motor 9 and the motor electronics system 28 thereof are in turn disposed in a central, stationary hub 29 having substantially radial support stays 30 which are connected to the fan frame 17. An axial intake opening 31 of the radial fan 6a that is directed toward the rear side 7 of the radiator 2 can be seen in
The motor electronics system 20, 28 of the electric motors 9, 10 of the radial fan 6a or of the axial fan 6b, respectively, may contain functional building blocks of the control device 11. The control device 11 can also be completely integrated in the motor electronics system 20, 28 of the axial fan 6b and/or the radial fan 6a, respectively. The control signals SR and SA can thus be generated by the respective motor electronics system 20, 28. The electric motors 9, 10 of the two fans 6a, 6b in this instance are connected to the on-board vehicle electric system only by way of supply lines.
The claimed invention is not restricted to the exemplary embodiments described above. Rather, it is also possible for other variants of the invention to be derived therefrom in the scope of the disclosed claims by a person skilled in the art without departing from the subject matter of the claimed invention. As an example, it is also the case that all individual features in the scope of the disclosed claims described in conjunction with the various exemplary embodiments may also be combined with one another in some other way without departing from the subject matter of the claimed invention.
The following is a list of reference numbers shown in the Figures. However, it should be understood that the use of these terms is for illustrative purposes only with respect to one embodiment. And, use of reference numbers correlating a certain term that is both illustrated in the Figures and present in the claims is not intended to limit the claims to only cover the illustrated embodiment.
1 Radiator system/cooling fan system
2 Radiator/heat exchanger
3 Cooling pipe/cooling hose
4 Internal combustion engine
5 Airstream direction/airflow direction
6 Fan assembly
6
a Radial fan
6
b Axial fan
7 Rear side
8 Front side
9,10 Electric motor
11 Control device
12 Electric motor/Drive
13 Battery
14 Radial flow arrow
16 Axial flow arrow
17 Fan frame
18,19 Rotation axis
20 Motor electronics system
21 Hub
22 Stay
23 Opening periphery
24 Throughflow opening
25 Wheel hub
26 Axial impeller
27 Blade/vane
28 Motor electronics system
29 Hub
30 Support stay
31 Intake opening
32 Radial fan wheel
33 Blade/Vane
34 Outflow opening
K Coolant
L Cooling air
SA,R Control signal
While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2018 219 006.2 | Nov 2018 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2019/080310 | 11/6/2019 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2020/094676 | 5/14/2020 | WO | A |
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| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 69620912 | Nov 2002 | DE |
| 20211857 | Dec 2003 | DE |
| 102004028697 | Jan 2005 | DE |
| 602004000114 | Jul 2006 | DE |
| 102013006499 | Oct 2014 | DE |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20220003144 A1 | Jan 2022 | US |
