Vertical shaft engine cooling apparatus
AssigneeKohler Co.
InventorTerrence M. Rotter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a cooling apparatus for use with a liquid cooled vertical shaft internal combustion engine with a centrifugal fan having a central axis which is driven by the engine vertical shaft. A radiator having a coolant passing therethrough encircles the fan for an improved heat transfer rate. An air duct channels cooling air expelled by the fan toward the radiator to cool the coolant.
Claims29
A cooling apparatus for use with a liquid cooled internal combustion engine comprising:
- a centrifugal fan having a central axis, said fan being driven by said engine, wherein said fan draws air from a substantially axial direction and expels said air in a substantially radial direction;
- a radiator at least partially encircling said centrifugal fan in a path of said expelled air, said radiator having fluid heated by said engine flowing therethrough and airways extending outward from said centrifugal fan, wherein said expelled air passes through said airways to cool said fluid;
- and
- an air duct surrounding said radiator, wherein said fan draws said air into said duct and propels said air toward said airways, and said duct guides said propelled air toward said airways and guides said air exiting said airways away from said radiator.
A liquid cooled vertical shaft internal combustion engine having a cooling circuit for cooling said engine, said cooling circuit having a fluid flowing therethrough, said engine comprising:
- a cylinder block having a vertical shaft and passageways, said passageways being part of said cooling circuit;
- a centrifugal fan mounted adjacent the engine block and being driven by said vertical shaft for rotation about a vertical central axis, wherein said fan draws air from a substantially axial direction and expels said air in a substantially radial direction,
- a radiator mounted adjacent the cylinder block at least partially encircling said centrifugal fan in a path of said expelled air, said radiator being coupled to said cooling circuit for circulating cooling fluid therethrough;
- an air duct surrounding said radiator for channeling said expelled air from said centrifugal fan toward said radiator, wherein said air passing said radiator cools said cooling fluid passing therethrough, and said duct further directs said air which has passed said radiator away from said radiator.
The engine as recited in claim 20, wherein said different fluid is selected from the group consisting of oil, hydraulic fluid, transmission fluid, brake fluid, and combustion air.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.