Vehicle Cooling Arrangement with Sealed Air Compartments

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Solution Overview

Problem

Agricultural vehicles face challenges in cooling due to high airflow resistance and overheating issues caused by the series arrangement of radiators under the bonnet, which restricts the size and efficiency of the heat dissipation system, especially with increasing engine power.

Innovation Solution

The cooling arrangement features a fan, radiator, and mounting plate with an extended fan shroud and sealing flange, creating two air compartments to optimize airflow and direct air to radiators, enhancing heat dissipation without increasing radiator size.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If radiators are arranged in series under the bonnet, then heat dissipation is achieved, but airflow resistance increases and overheating occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat dissipationVSAvoidairflow resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling system is divided into multiple independent radiator units (engine radiator, transmission radiator, hydraulic radiator) that are arranged in parallel rather than series. Each radiator has its own airflow path through the bonnet, allowing air to cool multiple radiators simultaneously without sequential resistance buildup. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by maintaining heat dissipation capability while eliminating the airflow resistance problem of series arrangement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The radiators are arranged in a parallel configuration across the bonnet width rather than stacking them vertically or arranging them in a linear series. This spatial reorganization allows air to flow through multiple radiators at the same time, effectively using the horizontal dimension to increase cooling capacity without increasing airflow resistance. The parallel arrangement transforms the airflow pattern from sequential (series) to simultaneous (parallel), resolving the heat dissipation versus airflow resistance contradiction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Temperature

If radiator size is increased for better heat dissipation, then cooling efficiency improves, but bonnet dimensions must increase affecting steering and visibility

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat dissipationVSAvoidbonnet area
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using one large radiator that would increase bonnet area, the system uses multiple smaller radiator units distributed across the bonnet. Each radiator is compact, but collectively they provide sufficient heat dissipation capacity. This segmentation allows the bonnet to maintain its compact dimensions for good steering and visibility while still achieving adequate cooling through the combined surface area of multiple radiators.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cooling capacity is increased by utilizing the horizontal width of the bonnet rather than increasing vertical height or overall bonnet length. By arranging multiple radiators in parallel across the width, the system achieves high heat dissipation without increasing the bonnet's frontal area or length, thus maintaining compact vehicle dimensions for better steering and driver visibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Productivity

If a larger fan is used to overcome airflow resistance, then air flow through radiators is maintained, but device complexity and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair flow through radiatorsVSAvoidfan size
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The airflow path is segmented into multiple parallel channels, each leading to a separate radiator. This segmentation reduces the resistance in each individual channel compared to a single series path, allowing a smaller fan to move the same total volume of air. The parallel configuration lowers overall airflow resistance, eliminating the need for an oversized fan and reducing device complexity and power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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 improves airflow efficiency, reducing the need for larger fans and minimizing overheating, while maintaining a compact bonnet design that allows for tighter steering and better visibility.

Implementation Method 1

air from a fan positioned at the front of the vehicle drives air through the series of radiators

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectForced Convection: Forced Convection

Implementation Method 2

radiators in order to cool working media, such as a water cooler for the engine, a transmission oil cooler

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat Exchange: Heat Exchanger

Data Source

PatentUS9676271B1Vehicle cooling arrangement
Publication Date: 2017.06.13 AGCO INT GMBH
  • US9676271B1 patent drawing
  • US9676271B1 patent drawing
  • US9676271B1 patent drawing

AI summary

A tractor has a front bonnet which houses an engine and a cooling arrangement, the cooling arrangement having a fan, a radiator, and a mounting plate. The bonnet has a hood and two opposing side parts. A grill is positioned at the front of the bonnet through which air passes and enters the cooling arrangement. An extended fan shroud has a lower part which extends from the bottom half of a fan ring in a forward direction and an upper part which extends rearwards from the upper half of the fan ring towards the radiator over the mounting plate. A flange extends from the lower part of the fan shroud diagonally along opposing sides of the upper part and across the upper part of the fan shroud. The flange has a sealing member. When the bonnet is closed and in contact with the sealing member, two air compartments are defined.