Work Vehicle Shutter Device for Engine Warm-Up Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing work vehicles face difficulties in warming up the engine efficiently due to constant cooling air feed from the cooling fan during engine operation, which inhibits warm-up processes.
Innovation Solution
A work vehicle equipped with a shutter device at the ambient air inlet of the fan cover that is openable and closable, allowing for controlled feeding of cooling air from the cooling fan to the engine, with adjustable opening degrees and a compact design using two rotatable shutter plates, enabling efficient engine warm-up and cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the cooling fan is constantly driven during engine operation, then the engine cooling efficiency is improved, but the engine warm-up performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter device is made adjustable to change its opening degree dynamically. This allows the system to adapt between two states: closed state during warm-up to prevent cooling air from inhibiting engine heating, and open state during normal operation to enable efficient cooling. The dynamic adjustability resolves the contradiction by making the cooling system responsive to different operational requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The opening degree of the shutter device is changed as a control parameter to regulate cooling air intake. By adjusting the opening degree between fully closed and fully open positions, the system can control the amount of cooling air entering the engine, thereby optimizing both warm-up and cooling performance according to operational conditions.
2Device complexity
If the shutter device is made with two rotatable shutter plates, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adjustment precision may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter device is segmented into two separate rotatable shutter plates instead of using a single complex plate. This segmentation simplifies the overall structure and reduces manufacturing difficulty while still enabling precise control of the opening degree through the relative rotation and positioning of the two plates.
Solution Approach 2:
The shutter plates are rotated about the rotational axis of the cooling fan, utilizing the rotational dimension to achieve positioning. This approach allows for precise control of the opening degree by controlling the angular position of the plates relative to each other, while maintaining a simple plate-like structure that is easy to manufacture.
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
The shutter device allows for selective control of cooling air intake, preventing interference during engine warm-up and optimizing cooling efficiency after warm-up, thereby improving engine performance and reducing dilution of engine lubricant oil.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling fan (13) for feeding cooling air to the engine (10)
Implementation Method 2
a shutter device (16) provided at an ambient air inlet (14a) of the fan cover (14) and openable and closable
Data Source
AI summary
A work vehicle includes an engine, a cooling fan for feeding cooling air to the engine, a fan cover for covering the cooling fan, and a shutter device provided at an ambient air inlet of the fan cover and openable and closable.