WO2024121279A1

WO2024121279A1 - Fan control unit for a modular cooling system

Info

Publication number: WO2024121279A1
Application number: PCT/EP2023/084643
Authority: WO
Inventors: Johan Olson; Rodrigo Caus MARTINS
Original assignee: Volvo Penta Corporation
Priority date: 2022-12-08
Filing date: 2023-12-07
Publication date: 2024-06-13
Also published as: SE2251438A1

Abstract

A fan electronic control unit (61) for a cooling system (50) comprising a plurality of modular heat exchanger modules (1), where each modular heat exchanger module (1) is provided with a cooling fan (33), where the fan electronic control unit (61) is provided with an input for receiving a fan control signal from a power source (101), where the fan electronic control unit (61) is arranged to control the cooling fans (33) in dependency of the fan control signal and the number of cooling fans (33).

Description

FAN CONTROL UNIT FOR A MODULAR COOLING SYSTEM

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an electronic fan control unit for a modular cooling system to be used with a power source, e.g. a combustion engine. The electronic fan control unit is arranged to control at least two cooling fans independently.

BACKGROUND ART

Combustion engines and other power sources are mostly provided with a cooling system comprising a radiator through which a cooling liquid is flowing. The cooling liquid is normally water based consisting of water and an anti-freeze component, such as an alcohol, but oil-based cooling liquids are also used in some installations. The radiator is often provided with a cooling fan that can increase the air flow through the radiator in order to increase the cooling capacity of the radiator and thus of the cooling system. The cooling system may also be provided with a temperature sensor of some type that can start the cooling fan when an increased cooling capacity is required.

A cooling system is often designed for a worst-case scenario such that the cooling system will be able to allow the combustion engine to run at full load over the complete specified temperature range. For a standard vehicle, the size of the radiator is fixed and cannot be changed, and the vehicle is delivered with an installed cooling system comprising a radiator with a fixed size and cooling capacity. For a standard vehicle, such a solution is mostly useful, since e.g. a truck is used in different conditions, where some conditions will resemble a worst-case scenario, e.g. at summer or when driving uphill steep inclines. For other types of vehicles, such as container handlers or terminal tractors, a standard cooling system including a standard radiator may be over-dimensioned since the vehicle is only used with a low load or under short time intervals. For other installations, e.g. for industrial installations where a power system comprising an internal combustion engine or another type of power source is used to drive a generator as a back-up system for electricity or for driving a pump at a remote location, the power system is often sold as a complete package with a combustion engine, a cooling system comprising a radiator and an engine control system. The radiator is adapted for the size and power output of the engine, and for the complete temperature range for the installation. Depending on the intended use of the power system and on the intended location, the cooling system may be over-dimensioned. In some cases, the customer engine may e.g. only use part of the available output power, and the engine may e.g. never deliver more than 50% of the maximum power. In another example, the engine may be used intermediately such that it delivers peak power for a few minutes and then run on idle for most of the time. In such power systems, the standard radiator is often too large for the actual use, and will induce unnecessary weight, size and cost.

The producer or original equipment manufacturer can in such a case design the radiator and the power system himself, by buying parts for the power system from different suppliers. This may be cost-effective but may result in a power system that is not working optimal since it may be difficult for the designer to dimension the cooling system adequately. Often, this results in a cooling system that is over-dimensioned since the designer of the system wants to be on the safe side. There may also be a risk that the selected radiator is too small such that the engine does not run within specifications.

In order to increase the air flow through the heat exchanger and thus to increase the cooling capacity of the cooling system, the radiator is often provided with a cooling fan that is controlled to run when the cooling liquid is above a specified temperature. The cooling fan is often controlled by a fan control signal from the combustion engine, such that the cooling fan is started when the temperature of the cooling liquid in the combustion engine is above a specified temperature.

Even if these systems often function well, there is room for an improved fan control unit for a cooling fan in a cooling system.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

An object of the invention is therefore to provide an improved fan electronic control unit for a cooling system. A further object of the invention is to provide an improved cooling system comprising such a fan electronic control unit. A further object of the invention is to provide a vehicle comprising such a cooling system.

The solution to the problem according to the invention is defined by the features of the main claims. The other claims contain advantageous further developments of the fan electronic control unit and the cooling system.

In a fan electronic control unit for a cooling system comprising a plurality of modular heat exchanger modules, where each modular heat exchanger module is provided with a cooling fan, where the fan electronic control unit is provided with an input for receiving a fan control signal from a power source, the object of the invention is achieved in that the fan electronic control unit is arranged to control the cooling fans in dependency of the fan control signal and the number of cooling fans.

By this first embodiment of the fan electronic control unit for a cooling system, an electronic control unit arranged to control a plurality of cooling fans of a cooling system comprising a modular heat exchanger is provided. The fan electronic control unit can be seen as a standard component that can be used in cooling systems comprising different numbers of heat exchanger modules and thus different numbers of cooling fans. A user is thus not bound to use a single cooling fan adapted for a single standard radiator, but can assemble a modular heat exchanger from a number of heat exchanger modules such that the modular heat exchanger is adapted to the actual needs of the power system. The number of cooling fans can also be selected freely, and must not be identical to the number of heat exchanger modules or to the number of radiator sections in each heat exchanger module. Several heat exchanger modules can be assembled in parallel, such that the effective cooling surface of the radiator can be selected freely, and the number of cooling fans can be selected to the actual needs, as can the size of the cooling fans.

A heat exchanger module comprises a first end part, a radiator section and a second end part, and may also comprise an intermediate part and a second radiator section. The parts and the radiator sections of a heat exchanger module are releasably connected to each other, such that the heat exchanger can be assembled in an easy way. A heat exchanger module can also be disassembled in an easy way, e.g. if a radiator section needs to be replaced. Heat exchanger modules can be mounted to each other in parallel, such that the effective radiator surface can be increased if required. By arranging radiator sections both in series and in parallel, the flow through the heat exchanger can be controlled.

In one example, the first end part and the second end part are identical and are made in the same tooling, e.g. injection moulded in the same plastic tool. The first radiator section and the second radiator section are also the same and are identical. In this way, a modular heat exchanger module can be assembled by using only three different part numbers, and a complete radiator having any size can be assembled by three different part numbers. This will allow for flexible cooling systems adapted to the actual use of the power source.

In one example, each radiator section is provided with one or more cooling fans, depending on the size of the radiator section. The cooling fans are enclosed by a shroud that ensures the air flow is forced through the radiator section. In one example, each radiator section is provided with a shroud, but it is also possible to use a shroud that covers e.g. two radiator sections mounted above each other, such that a larger cooling fan can be used.

The fan electronic control unit (FECll) is adapted to control a plurality of cooling fans. The fan electronic control unit is thus provided with a plurality of cooling fan outputs, where each output is arranged to power one cooling fan or a number of cooling fans arranged in series. The outputs are adapted to the type of cooling fan, or can be configured to different types of cooling fans. A cooling fan may be driven by a DC signal, an analogue AC signal or a PWM signal. The FECll may control the cooling fans in a simple on/off mode, in a three-state mode, on/medium/off, or can control the speed of the cooling fans continuously from zero to full speed.

In on example, the fan electronic control unit is provided with four separate output ports, where each output port can drive one cooling fan or several cooling fans arranged in series. Each output port can be configured to correspond to the connected cooling fan. The output ports are activated depending on the number of connected cooling fans. If two separate cooling fans are used, two output ports are activated.

The fan electronic control unit is also provided with at least one input port. With one input port, the input port is adapted to receive a standard fan control signal from a combustion engine. The fan control signal is an on/off- signal, indicating if the cooling fan should be on or off. In this case, the fan electronic control unit will drive the cooling fans as in a regular cooling system. The fan electronic control unit is preferably provided with more input ports, and at least one additional input port receiving a temperature signal. The temperature signal may correspond to the ambient temperature, such that the cooling fans can be adapted to the actual cooling need for the power source. A further temperature signal may be a signal indicating the temperature of the cooling liquid exiting the heat exchanger, or indicating the temperature in a buffer tank. By using more input signals, the cooling fans can be driven in a more efficient manner, and with a varying speed. It is also possible to only drive one or some of the cooling fans when the cooling need is reduced.

The FECll is arranged to adapt to the number of cooling fans such that the same FECll can be used regardless of the number of modular heat exchanger modules used in the cooling system. The FECll is also arranged to control different types of cooling fans. A cooling system may e.g. comprise heat exchangers that are adapted to cool different parts of a power system. In a combustion engine system, one heat exchanger may be used to the engine cooling, one heat exchanger may be used for the charge air cooler, and one heat exchanger may be used for the climate control. The FECU can control the fans of these different heat exchangers, where the size and type of the fans may vary. Some fans may be controlled with a DC signal and some fans may be controlled with a PWM signal.

In a cooling system for a power source, the cooling system comprises a modular heat exchanger comprising a plurality of modular heat exchanger modules and a plurality of cooling fans, and a fan electronic control unit arranged to control the cooling fans in dependency of a fan control signal and the number of cooling fans.

The cooling system further comprises an inlet tubing for transferring heated cooling liquid from the power source to the cooling system, an outlet tubing for transferring cooled cooling liquid to the power source, and an expansion vessel for compensating for pressure changes in the cooling system. The number of modular heat exchanger modules is selected in dependency of the rated power of the power source and on the anticipated use of the power source.

The cooling system may also comprise a buffer tank arranged in the outlet tubing between the modular heat exchanger and the power source, downstream of the modular heat exchanger. The size of the buffer tank is selected in dependency of the anticipated use of the power source, and will act as a heat buffer for short high load conditions. The buffer tank will increase the volume of the cooling system such that it will take a longer time to overheat the cooling liquid. When the power source is only used for short durations, the buffer tank will allow for a smaller heat exchanger, which will save cost and space. With a buffer tank, the use of the cooling fans can be reduced which saves energy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention will be described in greater detail in the following, with reference to the attached drawings, in which

Fig. 1 shows a schematic vehicle provided with a modular heat exchanger according to the invention,

Fig. 2 shows an example of a modular heat exchanger,

Figs. 3a-d show a first example of a modular heat exchanger module,

Figs. 4a-d show a second example of a modular heat exchanger module, and

Fig. 5 shows a schematic example of a fan electronic control unit.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The embodiments of the invention with further developments described in the following are to be regarded only as examples and are in no way to limit the scope of the protection provided by the patent claims.

Fig.1 shows a vehicle 100 provided with a cooling system 50 comprising a modular heat exchanger 51. The shown vehicle is powered by a power source 101 , in the shown example an internal combustion engine. The power source may also be an electric motor or a power cell. Regardless of the used power source, the power source will produce excessive heat that needs to be removed by the cooling system 50. The cooling system may be mounted on a vehicle, as shown in Fig. 1 , or may be used in a stationary power installation, e.g. for pumps or power generators.

The cooling system 50 comprises a modular heat exchanger 51 , an inlet tubing 56, an outlet tubing 57, an expansion vessel 58 and a fan electronic control unit (FECll) 61 . The inlet tubing is connected to the outlet port of the power source and forwards the heated cooling liquid from the power source to the heat exchanger. The outlet tubing is connected to the inlet port of the power source and forwards the cooled cooling liquid from the heat exchanger to the power source. The expansion vessel will compensate for pressure changes in the cooling system. The modular heat exchanger 51 consists of one or more modular heat exchanger modules 1 . The FECll 61 is arranged to control the cooling fans 33 of the cooling system.

A modular heat exchanger module 1 , as shown in Figs. 3a-3d, comprises a first end part 2, a first radiator section 18 and a second end part 10. The first end part 2 is provided with an inlet opening 3, a first outlet opening 6 and a second outlet opening 9. In the shown example, the inlet opening 3 is provided with a protruding sleeve 4 having a sealing 5. The inlet opening is adapted to be connected to an inlet tubing or to a second outlet opening of another first end part. The first outlet opening 6 is provided with a protruding sleeve 7 having a sealing 8. The first radiator section 18 is provided with an inlet opening 19 and an outlet opening 20. The cross section of the first radiator section is preferably rectangular. The inlet opening and the outlet opening are preferably identical, such that the mounting direction of the first radiator section is not critical. This makes it easier to assemble a modular heat exchanger and simplifies the exchange of a damaged radiator section. The inlet opening 19 is dimensioned to cooperate with the first outlet opening 6 of the first end part, such that a releasable and water tight connection between the first end part and the first radiator section is obtained. The second end part 10 is provided with a first inlet opening 11 , a second inlet opening 14 and an outlet opening 15. The first inlet opening 11 is provided with a protruding sleeve 12 having a sealing 13. The second outlet opening 15 is provided with a protruding sleeve 16 having a sealing 17. The first inlet opening 11 is adapted to cooperate with the outlet opening 20 of the first radiator section, such that a releasable and watertight connection between the second end part and the first radiator section is obtained. The outlet opening 15 is adapted to be connected to an outlet tubing or to second inlet opening of another second end part.

The first end part and the second end part are preferably identical. This reduces the number of part numbers and reduces cost and storage. In this case, the inlet opening 3 of the first end part corresponds to the outlet opening 15 of the second end part, the first outlet opening 6 of the first end part corresponds to the first inlet opening 11 of the second end part, and the second outlet opening 9 of the first end part corresponds to the second inlet opening 14 of the second end part.

A modular heat exchanger module also comprises an end cap 31 adapted to be inserted in the second outlet opening 9 of the first end part 2 and/or the second inlet opening 14 of the second end part 10. The end cap is in the shown example a separate part provided with a sealing 32 adapted to provide a watertight connection to a first end part and a second end part. It is also possible to block the second outlet opening 9 and the second inlet opening 14 in the production tool, such that the end cap is not necessary. This will instead mean that two different end parts are necessary, which creates a further part number for an end part.

A modular heat exchanger module 1 consists of a first end part 2 releasably connected to a first radiator section 18, which is releasably connected to a second end part 10. The modular heat exchanger module may be held together in different ways. In one example, the parts of the modular heat exchanger module are held together by the friction coupling between the parts and the sealings. It is also possible to provide the sleeves and/or the receiving openings with some kind of locking features, such that the parts can snap together. Internal or external clips may also be used. The same applies when attaching modular heat exchanger modules to each other. The cooling system is primarily intended to be used in stationary installations or in vehicles that are not exposed to large vibrations. It may thus be sufficient to hold the parts together with friction force. It is also possible to attach the different parts with e.g. external clips or screws.

In another example, as shown in Figs. 4a-4d, a modular heat exchanger module also comprises an intermediate part 24 and a second radiator section 21. The intermediate part is provided with an inlet opening 25 and an outlet opening 28. The inlet opening 25 is provided with a protruding sleeve 26 having a sealing 27, and the outlet opening 28 is provided with a protruding sleeve 29 having a sealing 30. The second radiator section 21 is provided with an inlet opening 22 and an outlet opening 23. The cross section of the second radiator section is preferably rectangular. The inlet opening and the outlet opening are preferably identical, such that the mounting direction of the second radiator section is not critical. The first radiator section 18 and the second radiator section 21 are preferably identical, such that they may be interchanged, which reduces the part numbers of a modular heat exchanger module.

In this example, a modular heat exchanger module will consist of a first end part 2 releasably connected to a first radiator section 18, which is releasably connected to an intermediate part 24, which is releasably connected to a second radiator section 21 , which is releasably connected to a second end part 10. It is also possible to connect more than two radiator sections in series in a modular heat exchanger module, by using more intermediate parts and radiator sections, such that the effective radiator surface can be increased. Heat exchanger modules can also be assembled in parallel, such that the effective radiator surface can be further increased if required. In this case, several first end parts are attached to each other, where a second outlet opening 9 of a first end part 2 is attached to an inlet opening 3 of another first end part 2, and several second end parts are attached to each other, where an outlet opening 15 of a second end part 10 is attached to a second inlet opening 14 of another second end part 10.

In one example, a first end part is also provided with an additional outlet opening for attaching a radiator section. The additional opening may be arranged perpendicular to the first outlet opening, and will allow radiator sections to be attached to the first end section in two directions, e.g. with a 90-degree angle. This may be advantageous for saving space. The additional outlet opening is identical to the first outlet opening 6, and is also provided with a protruding sleeve having a sealing such that it can be releasably attached to a radiator section.

Fig 2 shows an example of a cooling system 50 where a modular heat exchanger 51 consists of four modular heat exchanger modules, a first modular heat exchanger module 52, a second modular heat exchanger module 53, a third modular heat exchanger module 54 and a fourth modular heat exchanger module 55. Each modular heat exchanger module is provided with at least one cooling fan 33, in the shown example two cooling fans 33, arranged in a shroud 34. The shroud covers the complete surface of a radiator section, such that the fan controls the complete airflow through the radiator section. It would also be possible to arrange a larger cooling fan over e.g. two parallel modular heat exchanger modules, with the shroud covering both radiator sections.

The cooling fans 33 are controlled by the fan electronic control unit (FECll) 61 . A first example of a FECll 61 is shown in Fig. 5. The FECll comprises in the shown example a first input port 62, a second input port 63, a power input port 64, a communication port 65, a first output port 66, a second output port 67, a third output port 68 and a fourth output port 69. Other input ports and output ports are of course possible if required, depending on the used configuration.

The first input port 62 is adapted to receive a fan control signal from a power source, e.g. a combustion engine. The fan control signal is an on/off-signal, indicating if the cooling fan should be on or off. The fan control signal indicates that the power source requires cooling of the cooling liquid, but not the amount of required cooling. The first input port could also be an analogue input adapted to receive a temperature signal. The second input port 63 receives an analogue temperature signal that gives the FECll more information such that the FECll can control the cooling fans in an efficient manner. The temperature signal may e.g. indicate the ambient temperature which can be used to control the cooling fans in dependency of the cooling air. A low air temperature will require less cooling capacity. The temperature signal may also indicate the temperature of the cooling liquid exiting the heat exchanger, or the temperature in a buffer tank. With this information, the FECll can control the cooling fans to the actual need of the power source, such that the cooling liquid is held at an optimal temperature.

More input ports are also possible. In one example, input ports for controlling a charge air cooler and an air condition cooler is also provided. In this case, the radiators are arranged separate from each other, such that the respective cooling fan can be controlled separately. In a regular cooling system, the charge air may e.g. be too cool when the cooling fan for the cooling liquid is running at full speed, since the two radiators are positioned in series.

The power input port 64 is connected to the electrical system of the vehicle or the power system, and receives the power for the cooling fans. The input may be 24 Volts or higher, such as for instance 48 V, depending on the voltage of the system. The input power may come from a direct current circuit or an alternating current circuit. The communication port 65 is used for communication to the FECU and for the FECU to communicate with the control system of the vehicle. The communication may e.g. be CAN and can be used to configure the FECll to the actual number of cooling fans, the type of used fans etc.

The first output port 66, the second output port 67, the third output port 68 and the forth output port 69 are used to power the cooling fans 33. Each output port is connected to a single cooling fan or to several similar cooling fans connected in series. Each output port can be configured to the used cooling fan with regards to output voltage, type of output and output current. When active, the output port will output the required power to control the cooling fan in the desired manner. The output ports are activated depending on the number of connected cooling fans. If two separate cooling fans are used, two output ports are activated. In one example, the first output port controls the cooling fans for cooling the power source while the second output port controls the cooling fans for another system requiring cooling, such as a charge air cooler or a cooler for a hydraulic system, if present.

One advantage of using a modular heat exchanger is that it can be assembled from any number of modular heat exchanger modules, where the modular heat exchanger modules may comprise one or more radiator sections. In this way, a heat exchanger adapted to the actual cooling needs of the power source can be obtained, depending on how the power source is used. The FECll can be configured to correspond to the used number of modular heat exchanger modules, and thus to the number of cooling fans.

In one example, the power source is used in a stationary installation powering a pump. The pump runs constantly at a predefined speed, such that the power output from the power source is relatively constant. This means that the required cooling for the power source is relatively constant, and will mostly vary with the ambient temperature. In this case, the size of the modular heat exchanger can be dimensioned for the actual used power of the power source, and must not be dimensioned for the maximum output power that the power source can deliver. The power source may e.g. be an internal combustion engine running at half the maximum speed. The number of cooling fans and the size of the cooling fans can be adapted to the actual cooling need, and the FECll can control the cooling fans. In this example, the cooling system can be dimensioned such that the cooling fans are not required at a normal ambient temperature of e.g. 20 degrees Celsius, and will only be required at higher temperatures.

In another example, the power source is an internal combustion engine (ICE) mounted on a vehicle handling containers. The vehicle will lift a container and will then transport the container to a new location, where it is unloaded. The lifting of a loaded container may require full power from the ICE for a short time, whereas the transporting of the container requires only a small fraction of the full power. In this case, the heat exchanger can be dimensioned to allow the temperature of the cooling system to exceed the maximal allowed temperature for a short interval, since the FECll knows the temperature behaviour of the cooling liquid. During the lifting of the container, the FECll can control the cooling fans to run at maximal speed during the lifting action. In this way, the cooling liquid will be cooled to a lower temperature than normal at the beginning of the lifting action, which allows the cooling liquid to collect more heat when the power source runs at full power. In this case, the FECU may also receive a signal corresponding to the engine speed, e.g. from the vehicle control unit.

It one example, the cooling system is also provided with a buffer tank 59 arranged downstream of the modular heat exchanger. The buffer tank 59 may be provided with a temperature sensor 60 that sends a temperature value to the FECU. The buffer tank will increase the heat capacity of the cooling system, such that the cooling liquid can absorb short heat bursts from the power source without overheating the cooling system. Using a buffer tank may allow the cooling system to use a reduced number of radiator sections in power installations where the power source is used intermittent, with short intervals of maximum power between longer periods of low power output. One such example is the above described container handling vehicle. With a buffer tank, the modular heat exchanger can be dimensioned for the low power output case, and the buffer tank will absorb the heat created during the maximum power output. This will save both cost and space. The volume of the buffer tank is in one example 50% of the total volume of the cooling system, but may be up to 75% of the total volume.

Figure 6 schematically shows a second example of a FECU 61 . The FECU comprises in the second example a CAN port 70 and a diagnostic port 71 . Similar to the FECU 61 of the first example, the FECU 61 of the second example comprises a first output port 66, a second output port 67, a third output port 68 and a fourth output port 69. Additional input ports and output ports are of course possible if required, depending on the used configuration.

As an example, the first output port 66 may be connected to a first modular heat exchanger 52 working as a power source cooler, a second output port 67 may be connected to a second modular heat exchanger 53 working as a charge air cooler, a third output port 68 may be connected to a third modular heat exchanger 54 working as an air condition cooler, and a fourth output port 69 may be connected to a fourth modular heat exchanger 55 working as a cooler for a system from an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), such as a hydraulic system cooler. To each of the modular heat exchangers 52, 53, 54, 55 one or more fans 33 are connected in series to control the cooling of the respective modular heat exchangers 52, 53, 54, 55. Thus, the first output port 66, the second output port 67, the third output port 68 and the forth output port 69 are used to power the cooling fans 33 for each respective modular heat exchanger 52, 53, 54, 55. Each output port is connected to a single cooling fan or to several similar cooling fans connected in series. Each output port can be configured to the used cooling fan with regards to output voltage, type of output and output current. When active, each respective output port will output the required power to control the corresponding cooling fan in the desired manner.

The output ports are activated depending on the number of connected cooling fans. If two separate cooling fans are used, two output ports are activated. In one example, the first output port controls the cooling fans for cooling the power source while the second output port controls the cooling fans for another system requiring cooling, such as a charge air cooler.

The CAN port 70 is adapted to communicate with one or more electronic control units attached to a CAN bus. In the example above, the electronic control units are a power source control unit, a charge air cooler control unit, an air condition cooler control unit and a hydraulic system control unit. In some instances, one electronic control unit may control more than one cooler. The CAN port 70 can be used to configure the FECll to the actual number of cooling fans, the type of used fans etc. Configuration can also be made by using a separate USB port (not shown).

Communication from the electronic control units include a fan control signal from each of the electronic control units such that the FECU 61 receives information from all of the various systems of their respective desired fan power. In this way, the FECU 61 may provide different power to each of the fans of modular heat exchangers 52, 53, 54, 55 such that each modular heat exchangers 52, 53, 54, 55 will provide the desired cooling power. In this way, the cooling system can be made flexible and reduce the overall fan power need as each fan will be provided with the desired power as requested by the respective ECU.

The FECU 61 further comprises one or more sensor input ports, in the example of figure 6 four sensor input ports 72, 73, 74, 75 adapted to receive sensor data from temperature sensors. Temperature sensor inputs may for instance comprise ambient temperature which can be used to control the cooling fans in dependency of the cooling air, where a low ambient air temperature will require less cooling capacity. Further sensor input may also be a temperature of the cooling liquid exiting each modular heat exchanger, or the temperature in a buffer tank. With this information, the FECU can control the cooling fans to the actual need of the power source, such that the cooling liquid in each modular heat exchanger is held at an optimal temperature. If required, additional sensor input ports can be implemented in the FECU 61.

In figure 2, it can be seen the buffer tank temperature sensor 60 arranged inside the buffer tank 59 is connected to the FECU 61 , for instance to first sensor input port 72.

Configuration of the FECU 61 may include which parameters to include in the control of the power output from each output port. Configuration may also include setting conditions for when and how much power certain output ports should provide to their respective fans. As a non-limiting example, if a temperature sensor input from the buffer tank exceeds 60° C, the power to the cooling fan from the corresponding output port is set to 40 %.

One current example that is used for motorcycles today is ezCAN. ezCAN listens to inputs from the CAN bus and reacts accordingly. However, ezCAN does not have the ability to connect to external sensors, which the FECU of the present invention is able to do. The FECU 61 can be seen as a power electronics with the ability to listen and transmit on an internal CAN communication unlike ezCAN. The FECll 61 of the present application is further not limited to one type of vehicle.

It is possible to have two or more of the output ports 66, 67, 68, 69 be connected to a larger fan that requires more power than can be provided by a single output port.

The power input port 64 is connected to the electrical system of the vehicle or the power system, and receives the power for the cooling fans. The input may be 24 Volts or higher, such as for instance 48 V, depending on the voltage of the system. The input power may come from a direct current circuit or an alternating current circuit. In this way, the FECll 51 does not need to be provided with power from the power source but can be provided from for instance a battery pack or similar.

It is of course possible to have two or more FECUs 61 in order to provide power to a greater number of cooling fans. Alternatively, or complementary, the number of output ports for each FECll 51 can be increased.

In one example embodiment, a buffer tank heat exchanger is arranged inside the buffer tank 59. During periods with higher temperatures in the cooling liquid in the buffer tank 59, it is possible to extract heat therefrom in order to provide heat to other systems.

In a vehicle, it is possible to for instance extract heat to a cabin heating system during times when the power source is not in operation. This can for instance be valuable when the power source is turned off using a start-stop system. In this way, the power source does not need to be turned on again during longer stops, such as in queues, in order to heat the cabin or other parts of the vehicle, thus saving fuel and reducing the environmental impact. A buffer tank heat exchanger temperature sensor may be connected to the FECU 61 in order to provide additional sensor input for the control of the optimal temperature of the cooling liquid in each modular heat exchanger. The invention is not to be regarded as being limited to the embodiments described above, a number of additional variants and modifications being possible within the scope of the subsequent patent claims.

REFERENCE SIGNS

1 : Modular heat exchanger module

2: First end part

3: Inlet opening

4: Sleeve

5: Sealing

6: First outlet opening

7: Sleeve

8: Sealing

9: Second outlet opening

10: Second end part

11 : First inlet opening

12: Sleeve

13: Sealing

14: Second inlet opening

15: Outlet opening

16: Sleeve

17: Sealing

18: First radiator section

19: Inlet opening

20: Outlet opening

21 : Second radiator section

22: Inlet opening

23: Outlet opening

24: Intermediate part

25: Inlet opening

26: Sleeve

27: Sealing

28: Outlet opening

29: Sleeve

30: Sealing

31 : End cap

32: Sealing

33: Fan

34: Shroud : Cooling system : Modular heat exchanger : First modular heat exchanger module: Second modular heat exchanger module: Third modular heat exchanger module: Fourth modular heat exchanger module: Inlet tubing : Outlet tubing : Expansion vessel : Buffer tank : Temperature sensor : Fan electronic control unit : First input port : Second input port : Power input port : Communication port : First output port : Second output port : Third output port : Fourth output port 0: Vehicle 1 : Power source

Claims

1 . A fan electronic control unit (61 ) for a cooling system (50) comprising a plurality of modular heat exchanger modules (1 ), where each modular heat exchanger module (1 ) is provided with a cooling fan (33), where the fan electronic control unit (61 ) is provided with an input for receiving a fan control signal from a power source (101 ), and with one or more separate output ports (66, 67, 68, 69), where each output port can drive one cooling fan (33) or several cooling fans (33) arranged in series, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the fan electronic control unit (61 ) is arranged to control the cooling fans (33) in dependency of the fan control signal and the number of cooling fans (33) by the output ports (66, 67, 68, 69) being activated depending on the number of connected cooling fans (33).

2. Fan electronic control unit according to claim 1 , wherein the fan electronic control unit (61 ) comprises a first input port (62) adapted to receive a fan control signal, a second input port (62) adapted to receive a temperature value, a power input port (64) adapted to receive inlet power, a first output port (66) adapted to control a first cooling fan, and a second output port (67) adapted to control a second cooling fan.

3. Fan electronic control unit according to claim 2, wherein the fan electronic control unit (61 ) further comprises a third output port (68) adapted to control a third cooling fan, and a fourth output port (69) adapted to control a fourth cooling fan.

4. Fan electronic control unit according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fan electronic control unit (61 ) comprises a communication port (65) adapted to receive messages and to transmit messages.

5. Fan electronic control unit according to claim 4, wherein the fan electronic control unit (61 ) is adapted to receive a speed signal value corresponding the rotational speed of a combustion engine.

6. Fan electronic control unit according to any of claims 2 to 5, wherein the first output port (66) and the second output port (67) can be configured to output different output signals.

7. Fan electronic control unit according to claim 6, wherein one output signal is a DC signal and one output signal is a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal.

8. Fan electronic control unit according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the fan electronic control unit (61 ) is arranged to control each cooling fan independently.

9. Cooling system (50) for a power source, comprising a plurality of modular heat exchanger modules (1 ) and a fan electronic control unit (61 ) according to any of claims 1 to 8.

10. Cooling system according to claim 9, wherein the cooling system (50) further comprises an inlet tubing (56), an outlet tubing (57) and an expansion vessel (58).

11. Cooling system according to claim 10, wherein the cooling system (50) further comprises a buffer tank (59).

12. Cooling system according to claim 11 , wherein the buffer tank (59) comprises a temperature sensor (60).

13. Vehicle, comprising a cooling system (50) according to any of claims

9 to 12.