Patent Application
20230258111
Engine driven equipment or other mechanical equipment may encounter environmental conditions cold enough to impair efficient or safe operation of the equipment. For example and without limitation, for an engine with an oil lubrication system, low oil temperatures may result in high oil viscosity, which may cause insufficient lubrication, debris clearing, and sealing properties for the engine, which may result in damage to the engine at startup. Similarly, transmissions and other oil-lubricated devices may encounter similar difficulties while starting up in cold conditions before the oil heats up during operation of the tool.
The present application provides for a system. The system may include a fluid circuit, the fluid circuit including a circulating pump, a heat exchanger, and a fluid jacket coupled to a piece of equipment. The system may include a heater, the heater positioned to heat the fluid in the fluid circuit using the heat exchanger. The system may include a controller, the controller positioned to control the operation of the fluid circuit and the heater.
The present disclosure provides for a method of preheating a piece of equipment. The method may include engaging a heater; heating a fluid in a fluid circuit with the heater; pumping the fluid, through the fluid circuit, using a pump into a fluid jacket associated with the piece of equipment; and operating the heater and pump until the fluid temperature reaches a predetermined temperature.
The present disclosure is best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It is emphasized that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.
It is to be understood that the following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of various embodiments. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.
In some embodiments, with reference to
In some embodiments, fluid heating pre-start system 100 may include heat exchanger 109. Heat exchanger 109 may be fluidly coupled to fluid circuit 111 and may be used to heat fluid within fluid circuit 111 with heater 101. In some embodiments, fluid heating pre-start system 100 may include circulating pump 113. Circulating pump 113 may be used to circulate fluid through fluid circuit 111. In some embodiments, fluid heating pre-start system 100 may include temperature sensor 115, which may be a temperature switch, positioned to measure the temperature of fluid within fluid circuit 111 as it leaves equipment 10.
Fluid circuit 111 may extend to multiple parts of equipment 10, such that heated fluid within fluid circuit 111 may preheat components of equipment 10 before equipment 10 is operated. In some such embodiments, fluid circuit 111 may include one or more fluid jackets 117 positioned abutting components of equipment 10, such that heat from the fluid within fluid circuit 111 may be transferred to equipment 10.
In some embodiments, fluid heating pre-start system 100 may be powered by battery 119. In such an embodiment, equipment 10 may be operated remotely without the need to have an external power source to power fluid heating pre-start system 100.
In some embodiments, fluid heating pre-start system 100 may include controller 121. Controller 121 may be operatively coupled to components of fluid heating pre-start system 100 such that controller 121 may control the operation of fluid heating pre-start system 100.
In some embodiments, controller 121 may include electronics to control outputs 123, 125, 127 including, for example and without limitation, pump relay 129 and igniter driver 131.
In some embodiments, controller 121 may include temperature sensor input 133 positioned to receive signal from temperature sensor 115. In some embodiments, temperature sensor 115 may be used to control aspects of the operation of fluid heating pre-start system 100 including, for example and without limitation, controlling the operation of gas valve 105 and circulating pump 113. For example, in some embodiments, temperature sensor 115 may maintain the operation of fluid heating pre-start system 100 until a certain predetermined threshold temperature is reached, at which time heater 101 may be turned off, as equipment 10 has been brought to starting temperature.
The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that a person of ordinary skill in the art may better understand the aspects of the present disclosure. Such features may be replaced by any one of numerous equivalent alternatives, only some of which are disclosed herein. One of ordinary skill in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. One of ordinary skill in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and that they may make various changes, substitutions, and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
This application is a nonprovisional application which claims priority from U.S. provisional application No. 63/309,385, filed Feb. 11, 2022, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63309385 | Feb 2022 | US |
