Combine cooling control system

Abstract

A combine cooling control system that includes at least one cooler for exchanging heat from a medium flowing through at least one combine system and the at least one cooler and at least one fan having at least one rotatable blade for generating airflow. The control system also includes at least one movable air director in proximity to the at least one cooler for controlling the airflow. The control system further includes a controller configured to receive at least one sensed operating condition from at least one operating condition sensor and determine one or more of a desired state for the at least one moveable air director and a desired speed of the at least one fan based on the received at least one operating condition. The control system further includes at least one an actuation device configured to move the at least one movable air director.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A combine cooling control system, comprising:
 at least one cooler for exchanging heat from a medium flowing through at least one combine system and the at least one cooler;   at least one fan having at least one rotatable blade for generating airflow;   at least one movable air director in proximity to the at least one cooler for controlling the airflow;   at least one operating condition sensor for sensing at least one operating condition of the at least one combine system;   a controller configured to:
 receive the at least one sensed operating condition from the at least one operating condition sensor; and 
 determine one or more of: (i) a desired state for the at least one moveable air director; and (ii) a desired speed of the at least one fan based on the received at least one operating condition; and 
   at least one an actuation device configured to move the at least one movable air director as directed by the controller.   
     
     
         2 . The combine cooling control system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one operating condition comprises at least one of:
 a temperature of the at least one cooler;   a temperature within the at least one combine system; and   a temperature of the medium flowing through the at least one combine system and the at least one cooler.   
     
     
         3 . The combine cooling control system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one cooler further comprises:
 a first cooler configured to exchange heat from a medium flowing through the at least one combine system and the first cooler; and   a second cooler configured to exchange heat from another medium flowing through the at least one combine system and the second cooler,   the at least one movable air director is in proximity to the first cooler and the second cooler for controlling the airflow proximate to the first cooler and the second cooler; and   the controller is further configured to determine a first desired state for the first moveable air director and a second desired state for the second moveable air director based on the received at least one sensed operating condition.   
     
     
         4 . The combine cooling control system of  claim 1 , wherein
 the at least one cooler comprises:
 a first cooler configured to exchange heat from a medium flowing through the at least one combine system and the first cooler; 
 a second cooler configured to exchange heat from a second medium flowing through the at least one combine system and the second cooler; and 
 a third cooler configured to exchange heat from a third medium flowing through the at least one combine system and the third cooler; 
   the at least one movable air director comprises:
 a first movable air director in proximity to the first and second and third coolers for controlling the airflow proximate to the first, second and third coolers; and 
 a second movable air director in proximity to the first, second and third coolers for controlling the airflow proximate to the first, second and third coolers. 
   
     
     
         5 . The combine cooling control system of  claim 1 , wherein
 the at least one cooler comprises:
 a first cooler configured to exchange heat from a medium flowing through the at least one combine system and the first cooler; 
 a second cooler configured to exchange heat from a second medium flowing through the at least one combine system and the second cooler; and 
 a third cooler configured to exchange heat from a third medium flowing through the at least one combine system and the third cooler; 
   the at least one movable air director comprises:
 one or more first cooler moveable air directors in proximity to the first cooler for controlling the air flow proximate to the first cooler; 
 one or more second cooler moveable air directors in proximity to the second cooler for controlling the air flow proximate to the second cooler; 
 one or more third cooler moveable air directors in proximity to the third cooler for controlling the air flow proximate to the third cooler; 
   based on the received at least one sensed operating condition, the controller is further configured to determine:
 a first desired state for the one or more first cooler moveable air directors; 
 a second desired state for the one or more second cooler moveable air directors; and 
 a third desired state for the one or more third cooler moveable air directors. 
   
     
     
         6 . The combine cooling control system of  claim 1 , wherein
 the at least one cooler comprises:
 a first cooler configured to exchange heat from a medium flowing through the at least one combine system and the first cooler; 
 a second cooler configured to exchange heat from a second medium flowing through the at least one combine system and the second cooler; and 
 a third cooler configured to exchange heat from a third medium flowing through the at least one combine system and the third cooler; 
   the at least one movable air director comprises:
 one or more first combined cooler air directors coupled to the first and second coolers and configured to move at least one of the first and second coolers; and 
 one or more second combined cooler air directors coupled to the second and third coolers and configured to move at least one of the second and third coolers; 
   based on the received at least one operating condition, the controller is further configured to determine:
 a first desired state for the one or more first combined cooler air directors; and 
 a second desired state for the one or more second combined cooler air directors. 
   
     
     
         7 . The combine cooling control system of  claim 1 , wherein
 the at least one cooler comprises:
 a first cooler configured to exchange heat from a medium flowing through the at least one combine system and the first cooler; 
 a second cooler configured to exchange heat from a second medium flowing through the at least one combine system and the second cooler; and 
 a third cooler configured to exchange heat from a third medium flowing through the at least one combine system and the third cooler; 
   the at least one movable air director comprises:
 a first movable air director configured to move along an axis substantially parallel to a co-planar surface of the first, second and third coolers facing the first movable air director; and 
 a second movable air director configured to move along the axis substantially parallel to the co-planar surface of the first, second and third coolers facing the first movable air director; 
   the controller is further configured to determine a first desired state for the first moveable air director and a second desired state for the second moveable air director based on the received at least one sensed operating condition.   
     
     
         8 . The combine cooling control system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine at least one of: (i) a desired state for the at least one moveable air director; and (ii) a desired speed of the at least one fan based on a comparison of the at least one sensed operating condition to a predetermined threshold value. 
     
     
         9 . The combine cooling control system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 compare the determined desired state for the at least one moveable air director to a predetermined threshold state; and   increase the speed of the at least one fan when the determined desired state for the at least one moveable air director is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold state.   
     
     
         10 . A combine air controlling cooling system, comprising:
 a first cooler configured to exchange heat from a medium flowing through at least one component of a combine and the first cooler;   a second cooler configured to exchange heat from another medium flowing through another of the at least one component of a combine and the second cooler; and   at least one movable air director coupled to the combine and in proximity to the first and second coolers, the at least one movable air director configured to control airflow proximate to the first cooler and the second cooler; and   at least one actuation device configured to move the at least one movable air director.   
     
     
         11 . The combine air controlling cooling system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 at least one fan having at least one rotatable blade for generating the airflow proximate to the first cooler and the second cooler;   at least one operating condition sensor for sensing at least one operating condition of the at least one combine system; and   a controller configured for:
 receiving the at least one sensed operating condition; 
 determining at least one of: (i) a desired state for the at least one moveable air director based on the received at least one sensed operating condition; and (ii) a desired speed of the at least one fan based on the received at least one sensed operating condition; and 
 controlling the at least one actuation device to move the at least one movable air director to the desired state. 
   
     
     
         12 . The combine cooling control system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine at least one of: (i) a desired state for the at least one moveable air director; and (ii) a desired speed of the at least one fan based on a comparison of the at least one sensed operating condition to a predetermined threshold value. 
     
     
         13 . The combine air controlling cooling system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one fan comprises a first fan and a second fan, wherein
 the first fan is proximate to the first cooler for generating the airflow proximate to the first cooler,   the second fan is proximate to the second cooler for generating the airflow proximate to the first cooler, and   the controller is further configured to determine at least one of:
 (i) a desired state for the at least one moveable air director based on (a) the received at least one sensed operating condition and (b) the speed of the first fan and the speed of the second fan; and 
 (ii) a desired first fan speed of the first fan and a desired second fan speed of the second fan based on the received at least one sensed operating condition and the desired state of the at least one moveable air director. 
   
     
     
         14 . The combine air controlling cooling system of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one moveable air director is configured to rotate about an axis intersecting the at least one moveable air director. 
     
     
         15 . The combine air controlling cooling system of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one actuation device comprises at least one actuator; and
 the cooling system further comprises at least one actuation lever coupled to the at least one actuator and the at least one movable air director, the at least one actuation lever configured to rotate the at least one movable air director about a pivot mount intersecting the at least one moveable air director.   
     
     
         16 . The combine air controlling cooling system of  claim 10 , wherein
 the at least one cooler comprises:
 a first cooler configured to exchange heat from a medium flowing through the at least one combine system and the first cooler; and 
 a second cooler configured to exchange heat from another medium flowing through the at least one combine system and the second cooler; 
   the at least one movable air director is in proximity to the first cooler and the second cooler for controlling the airflow proximate to the first cooler and the second cooler.   
     
     
         17 . The combine air controlling cooling system of  claim 10 , wherein
 the at least one cooler comprises:
 a first cooler configured to exchange heat from a medium flowing through the at least one combine system and the first cooler; and 
 a second cooler configured to exchange heat from another medium flowing through the at least one combine system and the second cooler; 
   the at least one movable air director comprises:
 a first movable air director in proximity to the first cooler and configured to move along a first axis substantially parallel to a surface of the first cooler facing the first movable air director; and 
 a second movable air director in proximity to the second cooler and configured to move along a second axis substantially parallel to a surface of the second cooler facing the second movable air director. 
   
     
     
         18 . A method for controlling airflow in a combine cooling system, comprising:
 generating, by at least one fan, airflow proximate to at least one cooler that exchanges heat from a medium flowing through at least one combine system and the at least one cooler;   sensing at least one temperature of at least one medium flowing through a corresponding combine system and a corresponding cooler;   determining at least one of: (i) a desired state for at least one moveable air director in proximity to the at least one cooler based on the sensed temperature; and (ii) a desired speed of the at least one fan based on the sensed temperature; and   controlling the airflow proximate to the at least one cooler by at least one of:
 moving the at least one air director to the determined desired state; and 
 adjusting the speed of the at least one fan to the determined desired speed. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein determining at least one of: (i) a desired state for at least one moveable air director; and (ii) a desired speed of the at least one fan further comprises comparing the at least one sensed temperature to a predetermined temperature threshold temperature. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein
 sensing at least one temperature comprises:
 sensing a first temperature of a first medium flowing through the at least one combine system and a first cooler; 
 sensing a second temperature of a second medium flowing through the at least one combine system and a second cooler; 
 sensing a third temperature of a third medium flowing through the at least one combine system and a third cooler; 
   wherein determining at least one of (i) a desired state for at least one moveable air director and (ii) a desired speed of the at least one fan further comprises:
 determining the desired speed of the fan as less than the speed at the time of determination when the first, second and third sensed temperatures are less than corresponding predetermined threshold temperatures; 
 determining the desired states, for each of the at least one movable air director, as states for increasing the airflow proximate to the first, second and third coolers when the first, second and third sensed temperatures are equal to or greater than corresponding predetermined threshold temperatures; and 
 determining the desired states, for each of the at least one movable air director in proximity to the first and second coolers, as states for increasing the airflow proximate to the first and second coolers when the sensed temperatures of the mediums flowing through the first and second coolers is equal to or greater than corresponding predetermined threshold temperatures. 
   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein,
 when the desired states, for each of the at least one movable air director, are determined as states for increasing the airflow proximate to the first, second and third coolers:
 comparing each of the determined desired states to corresponding predetermined threshold states; 
 increasing the speed of the at least one fan when each of the determined desired states are greater than or equal to the corresponding predetermined threshold states; 
   when the desired states, for each of the at least one movable air director in proximity to the first and second coolers, are determined as states for increasing the airflow proximate to the first and second coolers:
 comparing each of the determined desired states to corresponding predetermined threshold states; and 
 determining the desired states, for each of the at least one movable air director in proximity to the third cooler, as states for decreasing the airflow proximate to the third cooler when each of the determined desired states are greater than or equal to the corresponding predetermined threshold states.