Heat exchangers with curved or L-shaped core areas and intended for use with agricultural pump trucks

Abstract

An embodiment of the hydraulic reservoir cooler includes a rearward-curved centrifugal fan located behind a vented front cover of the cooler, the centrifugal fan having a center point "c" and a radius "r"; a core region including fins and a manifold in fluid communication with a hydraulic fluid tank, the core region including a straight vertical portion extending less than the uppermost point of the centrifugal fan; a straight horizontal portion located above the uppermost point of the centrifugal fan; and an intermediate portion connecting the straight vertical portion and the straight horizontal portion. In some embodiments, the intermediate portion includes a bend having a center point "C" and a radius "R"; wherein C is above c and R is greater than r. The cooler is suitable for agricultural pump trucks.

Description

Cross-referencing of jointly pending applications

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of US 17 / 937,943, filed on October 4, 2022, which in turn claims priority to US Provisional Application 63 / 251,975, filed on October 4, 2021. Background Technology

[0002] This invention relates to systems and apparatuses designed for cooling and regulating hydraulic oil in hydraulically driven mobile equipment and transport applications. The mobile equipment may be a pump truck, which includes a hydraulic motor connected to a treatment pump for pumping liquid into or out of a truck's tank. The pump truck may be configured for agricultural use, and the pumped liquid may include agricultural products such as corn syrup. Figure 1 and 2 A prior art cooler and its installation are shown.

[0003] Agricultural pump trucks may include a hydraulic motor connected to a processing pump that pumps liquids such as corn syrup. A hydraulic reservoir cooler may be connected to the hydraulic motor to cool and regulate the hydraulic fluid returning to the cooler's tank. The cooled and regulated hydraulic fluid is then pumped back to the hydraulic motor of the processing pump. Figure 1 and 2 A prior art cooler and its installation are shown.

[0004] Hydraulic reservoir coolers are mounted on the side of trucks, and their installation space is limited. For these types of applications, heat dissipation requirements increase, but the amount of space available on the truck for the cooler remains constant. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Embodiments of the hydraulic reservoir cooler of the present invention include a backward-curved centrifugal fan located behind a vented front cover of the cooler, the centrifugal fan having a center point "c" and a radius "r" and configured to provide a substantially horizontal airflow through the vented front cover; and a core region including fins and a manifold in fluid communication with a hydraulic fluid tank, the core region being located between the vented front cover and the backward-curved centrifugal fan; the core region further includes: a straight vertical portion extending to a height less than the uppermost end of the backward-curved centrifugal fan; a straight horizontal portion located above the uppermost end of the backward-curved centrifugal fan; and a curved portion connecting the straight vertical portion and the straight horizontal portion, the curved portion having a center point "C" and a radius "R"; wherein C is above c and R is greater than r. In other embodiments, for manufacturability, the core may be L-shaped, with the straight vertical portion and the straight horizontal portion forming a right angle. The cooler is suitable for agricultural pump trucks. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Figure 1 A typical installation example of a prior art hydraulic reservoir cooler is shown. Embodiments of the hydraulic reservoir cooler of the present invention can be configured for the same or similar installations.

[0007] Figure 2 Another typical installation example of a prior art hydraulic reservoir cooler is shown, in which an installation without a directional control valve is performed. Embodiments of the hydraulic reservoir cooler of the present invention can be configured for the same or similar alternative installations.

[0008] Figure 3 This is a side view of an embodiment of the hydraulic reservoir cooler of the present invention. The cooler includes a heat exchanger having a curved core region between top and bottom manifolds (see...). Figure 7 and 8 ).

[0009] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A top view of the cooler.

[0010] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 Rear view of the cooler.

[0011] Figure 6 yes Figure 3 Bottom plan view of the cooler.

[0012] Figure 7 This is a side view cross-section.

[0013] Figure 8 This is another side view section.

[0014] Figure 9 yes Figure 3 An isometric view of the cooler. The cooler is adaptable for connection to one side of the pump truck.

[0015] Figure 10 yes Figure 3 Exploded assembly diagram of the cooler.

[0016] Figure 11 yes Figure 3 An isometric cross-sectional view of the cooler. The curved core region includes fins.

[0017] Figure 12 yes Figure 3 A front sectional view of the cooler.

[0018] Elements and reference numerals used in the accompanying drawings 10 Hydraulic reservoir cooler 11. Outer shell or enclosure 11F Front end of the casing or housing 11R Rear end of the housing or enclosure 11S Sidewall of the housing or enclosure 11T Top of the outer casing or housing 13. Perforations or ventilation covers on the housing or outer casing 15 Hydraulic tanks 17 Hydraulic filter assembly 19 Hydraulic Filter 21 Ventilation device 23 Installing studs 25 Air Inlet 27. Sight mirror 29. Inspection Panel 30 Heat Exchanger 40 core area 40A Core Region Lower Vertical Section 40B Core Region Bending Section The upper straight (horizontal) section of the 40C core region 41 lower header 43 Upper header 45 fins 47 manifold 50° backward-bending centrifugal fan 51. Centerline of the centrifugal fan 53 seats 55 The top of the fan 61 Suction Port 63 Suction Port 65 Return Port 67 Pressure Port 69 Metering Ports 71 Emission Port A airflow c. Center point of centrifugal fan C. Center point of the curved section in the core region r is the radius of the centrifugal fan. R is the radius of the curved section in the core region. Detailed Implementation

[0019] An embodiment of the hydraulic reservoir cooler 10 of the present invention includes a heat exchanger 30 having a curved core region 40 with fins 31. Hydraulic fluid flowing into the curved portion 40B of the core region 40 flows at a 90-degree angle relative to the path A of the air supplied by the backward-curved centrifugal fan 50, and fluid flowing out of the curved portion 30B flows substantially parallel to the air path A. The fluid flowing through the curved portion 30B flows at an angle inclined relative to the air path A.

[0020] The hydraulic reservoir cooler 10 of the present invention may have dimensions not exceeding 13 inches in width, not exceeding 22 inches (55.88 cm) in height, and not exceeding 22 inches in depth. The minimum fan clearance may be in the range of 1-1 / 2 to 2-1 / 2 inches (3.81 to 5.08 cm). In some embodiments, the minimum fan clearance may be 2 inches (5.08 cm). The cooler 10 may be installed in a space not exceeding 15 inches (38.1 cm) in width. The length, width, and height dimensions may be 22 inches × 12.6 inches × 22 inches (55.88 cm × 32 cm × 55.88 cm).

[0021] The embodiment may include only a low-pressure hydraulic hose 11. A rear pillar 21 may be included for side rail mounting. A bracket assembly (not shown) may be included for the rear of the cab mount. The cooler 10 may include all SAE ports and corresponding SAE fittings. In the embodiment, SAE-32 rear and bottom suction ports 61, 63, SAE-8 housing discharge port 71, SAE-24 return port 65, SAE-20 pressure port 67, and SAE-04 metering port 69, or equivalents thereof, are provided.

[0022] The cooler 10 can have a capacity of up to 60 gpm (227 Lpm); the tank 15 can be 6 gallons (22.7 L). A dual-target sight glass 13 can be provided. The hydraulic fluid filter assembly 15 may include a tank-top design with an integrated vent and a bypass 17. The bypass can be configured to 25 psi (172.4 kPa). The filter element 19 can be a 10-micron filter element.

[0023] Embodiments of systems using hydraulic cooler 10 can be configured or adapted to pressures up to 4,000 psi (27.6 MPa) and may include components such as hydraulic pumps, directional control valves, hydraulic motors, and prior art processing pumps or compressors, as well as suction, pressure (supply), and return lines. See, for example... Figure 2 The system may include a system safety valve configured to ensure that the maximum system pressure does not exceed the pressure set by the user. For example, the valve may be an adjustable safety valve ranging from 500 psi to 3,000 psi (3.4 MPa to 20.7 MPa). The system may also include a cold oil bypass valve. This valve may be set, for example, to 60 psi (413.7 kPa) to ensure that the low-pressure side of the hydraulic system remains at a low pressure and to protect the cooler 10 from over-pressurization due to cold oil.

[0024] Fan 50 can be a hydraulically driven fan. A flow control valve can be configured to ensure a consistent flow rate to the hydraulically driven cooling blower motor. The flow control valve can be factory-set to ensure the most efficient blower speed.

[0025] The fan 50 has a center point "c" and a radius "r". The curved portion 40B of the core region 40 may have a center point "C" and a radius "R" different from the center point "c" and radius "r" of the fan 50. In an embodiment, the lower straight portion 40A of the core region 40 extends at least in height to the horizontal centerline 51H of the fan 50. The lower straight portion 40A may extend across the horizontal centerline 51H up to the uppermost end 55 of the fan 50. The upper straight portion 40C of the core region 40 may begin at or behind the vertical centerline 51H of the fan. The total length of the upper straight portion 40C may be less than the total length of the lower straight portion 40A. The curved portion 40C of the core region 40 is located between the straight portions 40A and 40C. In an embodiment, the curved portion 40B may begin at a height between the centerline 51H and the uppermost end 55 of the fan 50. The upper manifold 43 is located at the upper end of the core region 40, and the lower manifold 41 is located at the bottom end. Each manifold 41, 43 is located on the opposite side of the vertical centerline 51V of the fan 50. In some embodiments, the lower straight portion 40A and the upper straight portion 40C are connected by a non-bent (intermediate) portion 40B. The core region 40 is L-shaped.

[0026] The inventors tested embodiments of the hydraulic tank cooler 10 of the present invention and a prior art hydraulic tank cooler under substantially the same conditions and measured their respective heat exchange performance. Table 1 shows the prior art hydraulic tank cooler (APSCO). TM ARC-60 TM Test results for the hydraulic tank cooler of the present invention (marked SUPERARC-60). Tables 2 and 3 show the test results for the hydraulic tank cooler 10 of the present invention.

[0027] Table 1. Heat dissipation performance of existing technology ARC-60, tests 1 and 2.

[0028] Table 2. Heat dissipation performance of embodiments of the present invention, Test 1.

[0029] Table 3. Heat dissipation performance of embodiments of the present invention, Test 2.

[0030] The hydraulic reservoir cooler 10 of the present invention provides increased heat dissipation within the same spatial envelope as prior art hydraulic reservoir coolers because the curved core region 40 provides a longer flow path. For example, the hydraulic reservoir cooler of the present invention (which may have heat dissipation in the range of 40 HP to 48 HP at 60 gpm (227.1 Lpm) and an inlet temperature difference of 80°F) provides heat dissipation greater than APSCO. TM ARC-60 TM Hydraulic reservoirs (with a heat dissipation of 28 HP at 60 gpm (227.1 Lpm) and an inlet temperature difference of 80°F) offer heat dissipation ranges of 43% to 71%, 45% to 69%, 47% to 67%, 49% to 65%, 51% to 63%, 53% to 61%, or 55% to 59% higher in the same space. In one test, the heat dissipation was 42.8 HP, an increase of 51%, compared to 28.2 for the ARC-60. In another test, the heat dissipation was 45.2, an increase of 60%, compared to 28.2 for the ARC-60. The wider ranges listed here may have narrower subranges and discrete values ​​within each wider range.

[0031] An embodiment of the hydraulic reservoir cooler 10 of the present invention includes a rearward-curved centrifugal fan 50 located behind a vented front cover 13 of the cooler 10, the centrifugal fan 50 having a center point “c” and a radius “r” and being arranged to provide a substantially horizontal airflow through the vented front cover 50; and a core region 40 including fins 41 and a manifold 47 in fluid communication with a hydraulic fluid tank, the core region 40 being located between the vented front cover 13 and the rearward-curved centrifugal fan 50; the core region 40 further includes: a straight vertical portion 41A extending in height less than the uppermost end 55 of the rearward-curved centrifugal fan 50; a straight horizontal portion 40C located above the uppermost end 55 of the rearward-curved centrifugal fan 50; and a curved portion 40B connecting the straight vertical portion 40A and the straight horizontal portion 40C, the curved portion 40B having a center point “C” and a radius “R”; wherein C is above c and R is greater than r. The cooler 10 can be adapted for agricultural pump trucks.

Claims

1. A hydraulic reservoir cooler suitable for use with a hydraulic fluid tank, said hydraulic reservoir cooler comprising: Ventilated front cover; A backward-curved centrifugal fan is located behind the vented front cover, the backward-curved centrifugal fan having a center point "c" and a radius "r" and being arranged to provide a substantially horizontal airflow through the vented front cover; as well as A core region, comprising fins and a manifold adapted for fluid communication with the hydraulic fluid tank, the core region being located between the vented front cover and the rearwardly curved centrifugal fan; the core region further comprising: The straight vertical section extends to a height less than the uppermost part of the backward-bending centrifugal fan; The straight horizontal portion, which is located above the uppermost end of the backward-curved centrifugal fan; and The middle section connects the straight vertical section and the straight horizontal section.

2. The hydraulic reservoir cooler as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate portion includes a curved section having a center point "C" and a radius "R"; Where C is located above c; and Where R is greater than r.

3. The hydraulic reservoir cooler as claimed in claim 1, wherein the core region is L-shaped.

4. A hydraulic reservoir cooler suitable for use with a hydraulic fluid tank, said hydraulic reservoir cooler comprising: The housing includes a ventilation cover; A backward-curved centrifugal fan located behind the ventilation cover, the centrifugal fan having a center point "c" and a radius "r"; as well as A manifold including fins, the manifold being located between the vent front cover and the rearwardly curved centrifugal fan; the manifold further comprising: The straight vertical section extends to a height less than the uppermost part of the backward-bending centrifugal fan; The straight horizontal portion is located above the uppermost end of the backward-curved centrifugal fan.

5. The hydraulic reservoir cooler of claim 4, further comprising an intermediate portion connecting the straight vertical portion and the straight horizontal portion.

6. The hydraulic reservoir cooler of claim 5, wherein the intermediate portion includes a curved section having a center point "C" and a radius "R"; Where C is located above c; and Where R is greater than r.

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