Parallel Heat Exchangers for Windrower Tractor Cooling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cooling systems for windrower tractors, where heat exchangers are arranged in series, suffer from reduced efficiency due to preheated intake air from exhaust recirculation, leading to decreased heat transfer performance, especially in high crop debris conditions that increase cooling demands.

Innovation Solution

The cooling system positions heat exchangers between the operator cab and engine, with independent intake streams of ambient air for each heat exchanger, and directs exhaust air rearward to prevent recirculation, utilizing parallel airflow configurations and reversible fans for efficient cooling and debris removal.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Power

If heat exchangers are arranged in series to cool engine fluids, then the cooling system can handle high cooling demands, but the intake air temperature for each subsequent heat exchanger increases, reducing heat transfer efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling capacityVSAvoidintake air temperature

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling system is segmented into multiple parallel heat exchanger banks rather than a single series arrangement. Each bank operates independently with its own ambient air intake, allowing multiple cooling paths simultaneously. This segmentation enables the system to handle high cooling demands while maintaining low intake air temperatures in each bank.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from a one-dimensional series arrangement to a multi-dimensional parallel configuration with separate air intake paths. By introducing spatial separation and independent airflow dimensions, each heat exchanger bank receives fresh ambient air rather than preheated air from previous banks, maintaining thermal efficiency while providing cumulative cooling capacity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Duration of action of moving object

If exhaust air is discharged forward towards the direction of travel, then the cooling system operates continuously, but the exhaust air is recirculated back through the heat exchangers, reducing cooling efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontinuous cooling operationVSAvoidcooling efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The harmful recirculated exhaust air is extracted and separated from the fresh ambient air intake paths. By discharging exhaust air rearward away from the forward-moving tractor, the system prevents recirculation into the heat exchanger inlets, maintaining the purity and cooling effectiveness of the intake air while preserving continuous operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of discharging exhaust air forward in the direction of travel (conventional approach), the system inverts the discharge direction to rearward. This inversion eliminates the recirculation problem where exhaust air would be drawn back into the heat exchangers, while the tractor's forward motion continuously replaces the discharged air with fresh ambient air.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Power

If air velocity is increased through the heat exchangers to meet higher cooling requirements, then cooling capacity increases, but power consumption and noise increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling capacityVSAvoidfan power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple heat exchanger banks operate in parallel to combine their cooling capacities. Rather than increasing the airflow velocity through a single heat exchanger (which would require higher fan power), the system merges the cooling output of multiple units, each operating at optimal, lower velocities, achieving the same total cooling capacity with reduced energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This configuration enhances heat transfer efficiency by minimizing intake air temperature and reducing debris accumulation, improving cooling performance even in high debris conditions while conserving power through variable fan speed control.

Implementation Method 1

each heat exchanger being arranged to accept an independent intake stream of ambient air for cooling of the engine and associated fluids

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

draws two streams of ambient air in behind the cab for cooling of the engine and associated fluids

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentUS8936122B2Windrower tractor with parallel heat exchangers for cooling of engine and associated fluids

Publication Date: 2015.01.20 MACDON INDS

AI summary

An agricultural tractor having its engine longitudinally spaced along its frame from the operator cabin features at least two heat exchangers carried on the frame at a position located longitudinally between the operator cabin and the engine to perform air-cooling of at least one fluid associated with the engine. The two heat exchangers are arranged in parallel so as to each accept an intake stream of ambient air that is independent of a discharge stream of exhaust air from the other heat exchanger. Accordingly, each heat exchanger uses the coolest air possible to maximize the cooling potential of the system. The discharge stream of air from the heat exchangers is exhausted rearward to avoid recirculation of this heated air as the machine moves forward, and to direct the exhaust air past the engine for further cooling effect.