A composite intercooling system for a crane engine

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of composite intercooling system for crane engine in the technical field of intercooling system, including engine cooling module and electrical control module;Engine cooling module includes water air cooler, air air cooler, water radiator, first fan and second fan;Water air cooler's air inlet is connected with the air outlet of engine supercharger, the air outlet of water air cooler is connected with the air inlet of air air cooler, the air outlet of air air cooler is connected with engine air inlet;Water air cooler's water inlet is connected with engine bypass water outlet, the water outlet of water air cooler and engine main water outlet are connected with the water inlet of water radiator, the water outlet of water radiator is connected with the thermostat of engine;First fan, second fan are respectively arranged below air air cooler, water radiator.The utility model satisfies engine air intake temperature requirement by water air cooling and air air cooling, improves intercooling system cooling efficiency, reduces device volume.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a composite intercooling system for crane engines, belonging to the technical field of intercooling systems. Background Technology

[0002] Cranes are an important part of the equipment manufacturing industry. Most of the engines used in cranes employ turbocharging technology. After the engine intake air is turbocharged, the temperature will increase significantly. The increased intake air temperature leads to a decrease in air density and a reduction in intake volume, resulting in a decrease in engine power, a decrease in combustion efficiency, an increase in nitrogen oxide content, and low emission efficiency. Therefore, the intercooler (or intercooler for short) is an essential part of the turbocharging system of crane engines.

[0003] The intercooler is located between the turbocharger and the engine intake. Its main function is to cool the hot air after turbocharging, increasing the intake air density and reducing the intake temperature of the boosted air. Common intercooling methods include water-to-intercooling and air-to-intercooling. Water-to-intercooling uses circulating cooling water to cool the high-temperature boosted air, offering advantages such as high cooling efficiency, small size, and flexible installation. Air-to-intercooling uses ambient air to cool the high-temperature boosted air. Air-to-intercoolers are simple in structure and easy to manufacture. Because the cooling medium is ambient air, they are generally installed in locations with lower air temperature and higher flow rates, such as in front of the engine compartment, where a fan mounted on the engine cools the boosted air. Alternatively, they can be placed on either side of the engine compartment, using hydraulically driven fans to cool the boosted air.

[0004] In recent years, with the diversification of crane applications and the enrichment of their functions, greater challenges have been posed to crane cooling systems. Existing cooling systems for off-road construction machinery often suffer from insufficient intercooler cooling capacity and excessively high engine intake air temperatures. Improving intercooler efficiency, however, often results in larger intercoolers and excessively high costs. Therefore, achieving higher cooling efficiency with a smaller intercooler and improving the overall cooling system performance has become a key focus of research in off-road machinery. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a composite intercooling system for crane engines, which meets the engine intake air temperature requirements through two-stage intercooling: water-to-air intercooling and air-to-air intercooling, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the intercooling system, reducing the size of the device, and lowering the system cost.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives / to solve the above technical problems, this utility model adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] This utility model provides a composite intercooling system for a crane engine, including an engine cooling module and an electrical control module;

[0008] The engine cooling module includes a water-to-intercooler, an air-to-intercooler, a water radiator, a first fan, and a second fan. The air inlet of the water-to-intercooler is connected to the outlet of the crane's engine turbocharger, the outlet of the water-to-intercooler is connected to the air inlet of the air-to-intercooler, and the outlet of the air-to-intercooler is connected to the crane's engine air inlet. The water inlet of the water-to-intercooler is connected to the engine bypass outlet, the outlet of the water-to-intercooler and the engine main outlet are connected together to the water inlet of the water radiator, and the outlet of the water radiator is connected to the engine thermostat. The air-to-intercooler and the water radiator are arranged side by side, with the first fan located below the air-to-intercooler and the second fan located below the water radiator.

[0009] The electrical control module is electrically connected to the first fan and the second fan.

[0010] Furthermore, the engine cooling module also includes a flow regulating valve, which is installed in the water circuit connecting the engine's main outlet to the water radiator.

[0011] Furthermore, the engine cooling module also includes an intake air temperature sensor, which is installed between the air-to-air intercooler and the engine intake manifold.

[0012] Furthermore, the engine cooling module also includes an inlet water temperature sensor, which is installed on the engine's water pump, and the water pump is connected to the thermostat.

[0013] Furthermore, the first and second fans are continuously variable speed electronic fans.

[0014] Furthermore, the first and second fans are powered by batteries connected to the engine's generator.

[0015] Furthermore, the electrical control module includes a control chip, a drive circuit, and a fault alarm; the input terminal of the control chip is electrically connected to the intake air temperature sensor and the intake water temperature sensor, the output terminal of the control chip is connected to the first fan and the second fan through the drive circuit, and the control chip is also electrically connected to the fault alarm.

[0016] Furthermore, the control chip is an MCU chip.

[0017] Furthermore, the driving circuit adopts an H-bridge driving circuit.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects achieved by this utility model are as follows:

[0019] This invention proposes a composite intercooling system for crane engines. The engine cooling module incorporates both water-to-intercooler and air-to-intercooler for separate heat dissipation, while a water radiator circulates water to the engine for cooling. This results in higher cooling efficiency, a smaller device size, and more flexible installation, effectively reducing the complexity of vehicle layout. Furthermore, the system connects to the engine cooling module's fan via an electrical control module, allowing for adjustments to fan speed to improve system efficiency and reduce engine power loss. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the engine cooling module in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0021] Figure 2 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the electrical control module in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0022] In the diagram, 1 is the engine, 2 is the engine main outlet, 3 is the engine bypass outlet, 4 is the flow control valve, 5 is the water-to-air intercooler, 6 is the turbocharger, 7 is the first fan, 8 is the water radiator, 9 is the air-to-air intercooler, 10 is the intake air temperature sensor, 11 is the water pump, 12 is the thermostat, 13 is the intake water temperature sensor, 14 is the generator, 15 is the second fan, 16 is the control chip, 17 is the drive circuit, and 18 is the fault alarm. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the embodiments of the present invention and the specific features therein are detailed descriptions of the present invention, rather than limitations thereof. In the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the technical features therein can be combined with each other.

[0024] This invention introduces a composite intercooling system for crane engines. The pressurized air undergoes two stages of intercooling to reach the required intake temperature before entering the engine. The first stage is a water-to-air intercooling system, using coolant to cool the high-temperature gas and rapidly reduce the temperature of the pressurized air. The coolant in the water-cooled intercooler comes from the engine's cooling water circulation system. The second stage is an air-to-air intercooling system, where the intercooler and water-cooled radiator are connected in parallel, and an electric fan removes heat from the pressurized air and coolant. Compared to standalone water-to-air or air-to-air intercooling systems, this invention employs a combined structural design with higher cooling efficiency, smaller overall size, and more flexible installation. It achieves higher heat dissipation efficiency with a smaller intercooler, improving the cooling performance of the entire cooling system.

[0025] The system mainly includes an engine cooling module and an electrical control module. The engine cooling module is used to achieve two-stage heat dissipation by cooling the pressurized air through equipment such as water-to-air coolers, air-to-air coolers, and water radiators. The electrical control module is used to output control signals and provide fault alarms.

[0026] The structure of the engine cooling module is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, it specifically includes a flow regulating valve 4, a water-to-air intercooler 5, a first fan 7, a water radiator 8, an air-to-air intercooler 9, an intake air temperature sensor 10, an intake water temperature sensor 13, and a second fan 15. Figure 2 The engine components include engine 1, engine main outlet 2, engine bypass outlet 3, turbocharger 6, water pump 11, thermostat 12, and generator 14. The turbocharger 6 outlet of engine 1 is connected to the inlet of water-to-air intercooler 5, the outlet of water-to-air intercooler 5 is connected to the inlet of air-to-air intercooler 9, and the outlet of air-to-air intercooler 9 is connected to the inlet of engine 1, forming an intake cycle. An intake air temperature sensor 10 is installed in the intake manifold between air-to-air intercooler 9 and engine 1 to measure the temperature of the gas entering engine 1. The engine bypass outlet 3 is connected to the inlet of water-to-air intercooler 5, and the outlet of water-to-air intercooler 5 and engine main outlet 2 are both connected to the inlet of radiator 8. A flow regulating valve 4 is installed in the water path connecting engine main outlet 2 and radiator 8. The outlet of radiator 8 is connected to engine 1's thermostat 12, and thermostat 12 is connected to water pump 11. An inlet water temperature sensor 13 is installed in the water circuit of the water pump 11 to measure the temperature of the antifreeze entering the engine block 1. The air-to-air intercooler 9 and the water radiator 8 are arranged side by side. Several first fans 7 are arranged below the air-to-air intercooler 9, and several second fans 15 are arranged below the water radiator 8.

[0027] In this embodiment of the invention, the fan is preferably an electronic fan with stepless speed regulation to achieve full coverage of cooling power.

[0028] The engine cooling module of this invention can achieve two-stage heat dissipation. The first stage is water-to-intercooling, where pressurized air first enters the water-to-intercooler and is rapidly cooled by the engine's circulating water. The second stage is air-to-intercooling, where gas, after passing through the water-to-intercooler, enters the air-to-intercooler, where the cooling medium, air, dissipates heat from the pressurized air until it reaches the engine's intake temperature requirements before entering the engine. In practical use, it is possible to choose to use only water-to-intercooling or to use both stages of intercooling simultaneously.

[0029] The structure of the electrical control module is as follows Figure 2As shown, the system specifically includes a control chip 16, a drive circuit 17, and a fault alarm 18. The input terminals of the control chip 16 are electrically connected to the intake air temperature sensor 10 and the intake water temperature sensor 13. The output terminals of the control chip 16 are connected to the first fan 7 and the second fan 15 via the drive circuit 17, driving the first fan 7 and the second fan 15 to rotate by outputting a PWM pulse width signal. The control chip 16 is also electrically connected to the fault alarm 18. After receiving the alarm signal output by the control chip 16, the fault alarm 18 will trigger an audible and visual alarm.

[0030] In this invention, the control chip 16 can be an existing MCN chip. The PWM signal output by the control chip 16 controls the start and stop of the thermostat 12, and also controls the start, stop, and speed of the first fan 7 and the second fan 15. The drive circuit is used to transmit and receive signals to drive the fans, and can be an H-bridge drive circuit or other conventional drive circuits.

[0031] Before the thermostat 12 is opened, the water passage through the water radiator 8 is blocked. Due to the action of the flow regulating valve 4, the water pressure at the main outlet 2 of the engine is low, and the coolant at the bypass outlet 3 of the engine flows through the water-air intercooler 5 and enters the main outlet 2 of the engine. When the thermostat 12 is opened, the water passage through the water radiator 8 is unobstructed, the water pressure at the main outlet 2 of the engine is high, and the coolant at the bypass outlet 3 of the engine flows through the water-air intercooler 5. Together with the coolant flowing out of the main outlet 2 of the engine, it flows into the water radiator 8 and then into the engine block of the engine 1.

[0032] Before the first fan 7 is turned on, the system only uses water-to-intercooling. The air pressurized by the turbocharger 6 flows through the water-to-intercooler 5, is cooled by the coolant, and then enters the air-to-intercooler 9. Since the first fan 7 is not turned on, the pressurized air is not cooled again in the air-to-intercooler 9 and returns directly to the engine. After the first fan 7 is turned on, the system uses two-stage intercooling. The pressurized air output by the turbocharger 6 first flows through the water-to-intercooler 5, is cooled by the coolant, and then enters the air-to-intercooler 9. The first fan 7 draws in cold air to cool the pressurized air in the air-to-intercooler 9 again. The pressurized air that has undergone two-stage cooling enters the engine.

[0033] In this embodiment of the invention, data transmission between the control chip, the various temperature sensors, and the fault alarm can be achieved via signal cables or a CAN bus. The control chip receives analog signals from the various temperature sensors and outputs a digital signal to control the fan speed based on the difference between the engine intake air temperature and the ambient temperature. Similarly, it outputs a digital signal to control the thermostat based on the engine inlet coolant temperature. The control logic of the control chip adopts all existing technologies.

[0034] In this embodiment of the invention, the fan is an intake fan that draws in cool air to provide pressurized air for the air-to-air intercooler and cooling water for the engine circulating water in the water-cooled radiator. The fan is powered by a battery, and a generator generates electricity to store the battery power. The fan's signal control and feedback terminals are connected to a control chip. To achieve independent control of the air-to-air intercooler and the water radiator, different PWM ports on the control chip output PWM pulse width signals. One PWM port can control at least two fans simultaneously. When a fan malfunctions and stops running, the fan fault port outputs a signal to the control chip, which then outputs a fault signal to a fault alarm, triggering an alarm to promptly detect system hardware failures.

[0035] This invention does not restrict the model of each component (intercooler, valve, fan, temperature sensor, alarm, etc.) in the system. Those skilled in the art can select appropriate components according to actual needs. As long as they are connected according to the connection method provided by this invention, the purpose of improving engine cooling efficiency and reducing device size can be achieved.

[0036] This invention features a water-to-intercooler and an air-to-intercooler for separate heat dissipation, while a water radiator circulates water to the engine for cooling. This results in higher overall cooling efficiency, a smaller device size, and more flexible installation, effectively reducing the complexity of vehicle layout. Structurally, the air-to-intercooler and water radiator are arranged in parallel without overlap, effectively reducing wind resistance and improving heat dissipation efficiency. The system uses an electric fan for cooling, offering flexible placement, saving space, reducing system weight, and significantly lowering costs. The electric fan is also quieter, meeting a wider range of application scenarios. It automatically adjusts its cooling capacity according to changes in engine load and operating environment, ensuring reliable engine operation within a suitable temperature range under any load, improving cooling system efficiency and reducing energy consumption.

[0037] The electrical control module of this system can perform PWM control on the speed of each fan according to the real-time engine coolant temperature and intake air temperature, with independent control of the intercooler and water cooling, which greatly improves system efficiency and reduces engine power loss. It also provides a fault alarm function to detect faults promptly.

[0038] The embodiments of the present utility model have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present utility model is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of the present utility model without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. All of these forms are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A composite intercooling system for a crane engine, characterized in that, This includes the engine cooling module and the electrical control module; The engine cooling module includes a water-to-intercooler, an air-to-intercooler, a water radiator, a first fan, and a second fan. The air inlet of the water-to-intercooler is connected to the outlet of the crane's engine turbocharger, the outlet of the water-to-intercooler is connected to the air inlet of the air-to-intercooler, and the outlet of the air-to-intercooler is connected to the crane's engine air inlet. The water inlet of the water-to-intercooler is connected to the engine bypass outlet, the outlet of the water-to-intercooler and the engine main outlet are connected together to the water inlet of the water radiator, and the outlet of the water radiator is connected to the engine thermostat. The air-to-intercooler and the water radiator are arranged side by side, with the first fan located below the air-to-intercooler and the second fan located below the water radiator. The electrical control module is electrically connected to the first fan and the second fan.

2. The composite intercooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The engine cooling module also includes a flow regulating valve, which is installed in the water passage connecting the engine's main outlet to the water radiator.

3. The composite intercooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The engine cooling module also includes an intake air temperature sensor, which is installed between the air-to-air intercooler and the engine intake manifold.

4. The composite intercooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The engine cooling module also includes an inlet water temperature sensor, which is installed on the engine's water pump and connected to the thermostat.

5. The composite intercooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first and second fans are electronic fans with continuously variable speeds.

6. The composite intercooling system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first and second fans are powered by batteries, which are connected to the engine's generator.

7. The composite intercooling system according to any one of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that, The electrical control module includes a control chip, a drive circuit, and a fault alarm. The input terminal of the control chip is electrically connected to the intake air temperature sensor and the intake water temperature sensor. The output terminal of the control chip is connected to the first fan and the second fan through the drive circuit. The control chip is also electrically connected to the fault alarm.

8. The composite intercooling system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The control chip is an MCU chip.

9. The composite intercooling system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The driving circuit uses an H-bridge driving circuit.

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