Dedicated alternator cooling system for automotive vehicles
AssigneeBosch Automotive Motor Systems, Inc.
InventorsRobert J. Van Houten, Steven W. Day
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cooling system for an automotive vehicle of the type having a radiator through which a coolant fluid flows includes a fan motor for driving a fan which moves air through the radiator; an alternator for supplying an output voltage to the fan motor; and a voltage regulator which selectively excites the alternator's field winding in response to a control signal, determined on the basis of at least one operational parameter of the vehicle indicative of the cooling requirements of the engine which powers the vehicle to control the output voltage of the alternator, thereby controlling the speed of the fan motor.
Claims42
A cooling system for an automotive vehicle, the vehicle including an engine that powers the vehicle, a radiator through which a coolant fluid flows that cools the engine, a controller, and a first alternator for supplying a substantially fixed voltage, the system comprising:
- a fan motor for driving a fan which moves air through the radiator;
- a second alternator for supplying a variable output voltage to the fan motor, the alternator having a field winding;
- a voltage regulator which selectively excites the field winding in response to a control signal from the controller, determined on the basis of at least one operational parameter of the vehicle indicative of the cooling requirements of the engine which powers the vehicle to vary the output voltage of the second alternator, thereby varying the speed of the fan motor.
A cooling system for an automotive vehicle, the vehicle including an engine that powers the vehicle, a radiator through which a coolant fluid flows that cools the engine, and a controller, the system comprising:
- a fan motor for driving a fan which moves air through the radiator;
- a dedicated alternator for supplying a variable output voltage to the fan motor, the dedicated alternator having a field winding;
- a voltage regulator which selectively excites the field winding in response to a control signal from the controller, determined on the basis of at least one operational parameter of the vehicle indicative of the cooling requirements of the engine, to vary the output voltage of the dedicated alternator, thereby varying the speed of the fan motor.
The system of claim 24 wherein the field winding of the dedicated alternator receives current from the primary electric system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.