SNOW GROOMER

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims the benefit of and priority to Italian Patent Application No. 102024000024411, filed on Oct. 31, 2024, the entire contents of which is incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a snow groomer.

BACKGROUND

Generally, a snow groomer comprises a frame, a propulsion system mounted on the frame, a plurality of drive wheels operated by the propulsion system and a cabin mounted in a front portion of the frame and designed to accommodate at least one operator in charge of driving the snow groomer. In certain instances, the propulsion system comprises an endothermic engine housed in an engine compartment arranged in a rear portion of the frame.

Furthermore, the snow groomer generally comprises tools, including a front shovel or blade and a rear tiller and trimmer. The blade can be raised, lowered and oriented to move desired amounts of snow, which can thus be removed, accumulated, distributed and shaped in accordance with needs. The rear tool with tiller and trimmer allows instead to obtain the desired trim of the surface of the snowpack. In certain instances, the movement of the tools is carried out by a hydraulic system operated by the endothermic engine.

The endothermic engines used by certain snow groomers have relatively high powers (use can be made for example of engines with powers of 500 hp) which produce a relatively high amount of heat that is released from the engine compartment to the external environment through the radiator and by irradiation and convection. Since the endothermic engine is arranged behind the driver's cabin and at a relatively short distance from it, there is a relatively high flow of thermal energy from the engine to the driver's cabin, which is heated in an unsolicited and uncontrolled manner.

Such an engine of a snow groomer operating in an environment characterised by low temperatures relatively close to or below zero significantly heats the driver's cabin in such a way that an air conditioning system configured to reduce the temperature of the driver's cabin must be provided. The use of an air conditioning system constitutes a waste of energy as the endothermic engine is required to generate additional power to power the compressor of the air conditioner. Additionally, a barrier of insulating material between the front cabin and the rear endothermic engine is not sufficient to prevent unwanted heating of the cabin.

SUMMARY

Certain aims of the present disclosure is to realize a snow groomer that mitigates certain of the drawbacks of certain of the prior art by realizing a snow groomer in which the flow of thermal energy from the engine to the cabin is controlled and it is not necessary to provide an air conditioning system.

In accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure, a snow groomer includes a cabin accommodating an operator, and a frame. The snow groomer of these embodiments includes a propulsion system mounted on the frame and including a heat engine housed in an engine compartment adjacent to the cabin, the heat engine including: a liquid cooling system including a first radiator coupled to a first fan configured to suck a first air flow into the engine compartment, the air contributes to reducing a temperature of engine cooling liquid; a liquid cooling system of a hydraulic system including a second radiator coupled to a second fan configured to suck a second air flow into the engine compartment, the air contributes to reducing an oil temperature of the hydraulic system; and an intercooler system in which a third radiator is configured to lower a temperature of air coming from a compressor before introducing the air into a cylinder of the heat engine, the third radiator coupled to a third fan configured to suck a third air flow into the engine compartment, the air reduces a temperature of air compressed by a turbocharger. The propulsion system also includes a sensor configured to send, to the electronic control unit, a control signal Tc relating to an amount of heat flow from the heat engine to the cabin; and an electronic control unit that controls an on/off cycle of at least one of the first fan, the second fan and the third fan, the electronic control unit configured to: receive a signal T_Water that is a function of a measured temperature of the engine cooling liquid in the first radiator, compare the received signal T_Water with a reference signal T_Water ref representing a target temperature, and send a difference signal ΔTW=(T_Water−T_Water ref) to a first regulator to control a motor of the first fan, receive a signal Toi that is a function of a measured oil temperature, compare the received signal Toi with a reference signal T_{Oil_ref} representing a target temperature, and send a difference signal ΔTO=(T_Oil−T_{Oil_ref}) to a second regulator to control a motor of the second fan; receive a signal T_Air that is a function of the temperature of the air of the third air flow, compare the received signal T_Air with a reference signal T_Air ref representing a target temperature, and send a difference signal ΔTA=(T_Air−T_Air ref) to a third regulator to control a motor of the third fan; and compare the control signal Tc with a reference signal Tcref to control a start-up of at least one of the motor of the first fan, the motor of the second fan and the motor of the third fan to decrease, as a whole, the heat flow from the engine to the cabin. The snow groomer of these embodiments also includes a plurality of drive wheels operated by the propulsion system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Further characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure will become clear from the following description of a non-limiting example of embodiment thereof, with reference to the attached Figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a snow groomer realized in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a snow groomer realized in accordance with the present disclosure; and

FIG. 3 shows the cabin temperature control system of the snow groomer realized according to the dictates of the present disclosure and shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, number 1 denotes as a whole a snow groomer comprising a frame 2, a propulsion system 3 (FIG. 2) mounted on the frame 2, a plurality of drive wheels 4 operated by the propulsion system 3 and a cabin 5 mounted in a front portion of the frame 2 and designed to accommodate at least one operator (not shown) in charge of driving the snow groomer vehicle 1.

In the example shown, there are provided two pairs of drive wheels 4 for each side of the frame 2 and a pair of tracks 6 each of which extends between the end drive wheels 4. A plurality of idle wheels 7 (four on each side but the number may be different, see FIG. 1) are arranged between the end drive wheels 4 and couple with the tracks 6.

The propulsion system 3 comprises an endothermic engine 8 (schematically represented in FIG. 2, for example a diesel engine) housed in an engine compartment and arranged in a rear portion of the frame 2. The motor 8 is connected with the drive wheels through a transmission (not shown).

The engine 8 is provided with a liquid cooling system provided with a first radiator 10 coupled to a fan 11 configured to suck an air flow LF into the engine compartment. The air taken in contributes to reducing the temperature of the engine cooling liquid.

The engine 8 is provided with a liquid cooling system of the hydraulic system provided with a second radiator 14 coupled to a fan 15 configured to suck an air flow LF into the engine compartment. The air taken in contributes to reducing the oil temperature of the hydraulic system.

The engine 8 is provided with an intercooler system in which a third radiator 18 (e.g., air-to-air or air-to-water), considerably lowers the temperature of the air coming from the compressor (e.g., turbo or volumetric) before introducing the air into the cylinders. The third radiator 18 is coupled to a fan 20 configured to suck an air flow LF into the engine compartment. The air taken in contributes to reducing the temperature of the air compressed by the turbocharger.

An electronic control unit 22 controls the on/off cycle of the first fan 11, the second fan 15 and the third fan 20.

The electronic control unit 22 receives a signal T_Water that is a function of the measured temperature of the cooling liquid in the radiator 10 and compares the received signal T_Water (FIG. 3, summing block S1) with a reference signal T_Water ref representing a target temperature. The difference signal ΔTW=(T_Water−T_Water ref) is sent to a first regulator R1 which controls (on/off by certain algorithms) the motor M1 of the first fan 11.

The electronic control unit 22 receives a signal T_Oil that is a function of the measured oil temperature in the radiator 14 and compares the received signal T_Oil (summing block S2) with a reference signal T_{Oil_ref} representing a target temperature. The difference signal ΔTO=(T_oil−T_{oil_ref}) is sent to a second regulator R2 which controls (on/off by certain algorithms) the motor M2 of the second fan 15.

The electronic control unit 22 receives a signal T_Air that is a function of the temperature of the air sucked into the engine and compares the received signal T_Air (summing block S3) with a reference signal T_Air ref representing a target air temperature. The difference signal ΔTA=(T_Air−T_Air ref) is sent to a third regulator R3 which controls (on/off by certain algorithms) the motor M3 of the third fan 20.

Furthermore, the snow groomer 1 generally comprises tools including a front shovel or blade 24 and a rear tiller 25 and trimmer 26.

The front shovel or blade 24 can be raised, lowered and oriented by actuators 27 to move desired amounts of snow, which can thus be removed, accumulated, distributed and shaped in accordance with needs.

The rear tool with tiller 25 and trimmer 26 enables obtaining the desired finish of the surface of the snowpack. The movement of the tools is carried out by the aforementioned hydraulic system.

The cabin 5 comprises two side walls 28 (only one is visible in FIG. 1) provided with glazed doors, a front wall 29 provided with a large windscreen 30, a bottom wall (not shown and constrained to the frame), a roof 31 and a rear wall 32 which is arranged facing the engine compartment. The rear wall 32 facing the engine compartment is covered with a layer of thermal insulation 33 configured to reduce thermal transfer by irradiation and convection from the engine 8 towards the cabin 5.

According to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, a sensor 40 is provided which sends to the electronic control unit 22 a further control signal Tc relating to the amount of heat flow from the engine 8 to the cabin 5. The sensor 40 includes a temperature sensor arranged inside the cabin 5 or a temperature sensor located in the space between the rear wall 32 and the motor 8.

In certain embodiments, the control signal Tc relating to the amount of heat flow from the engine 8 to the cabin 5 is estimated—for example by using Artificial Intelligence algorithms-based on other signals/parameters measured in the engine and in the vehicle 8 (i.e., cooling liquid temperature, snow groomer speed, engine load, room temperature etc.).

In various embodiments, the signal Tc is compared with a reference signal Tcref and the difference signal ΔTC=(Tc_TCref) is sent to a fourth regulator R4 which generates signals STRT1, STRT2, STRT3, for the start-up of the first motor M1, the second motor M2 or the third motor M3 to generate the intake of air at room temperature into the engine compartment and the expulsion of hot air from the engine compartment. Such a configuration decreases the thermal flow from the engine to the cabin.

In certain embodiments, the motors M1, M2 and M3 are used to control Tc in different combinations, depending on the operating status and configuration of the vehicle

In use, when the errors ΔTW=(T_Water−T_Water ref), ΔTO=(T_oil−T_{oil_ref}) and/or ΔTA=(T_Air−T_{Air_ref}) have reduced value, the respective fans 11, 15 and 20 are not in action. Under such conditions, although the temperature of the cooling liquid, of the oil of the hydraulic system and of the sucked air is acceptable, due to the heat flow sent by the engine towards the cabin the latter begins to heat up although a layer of thermal insulation 33 is present. When the temperature measured by the sensor 40 or the estimate obtained by the algorithm leads to having a signal Tc that significantly exceeds the threshold, the regulator switches on one or more fans 11, 15 and 20 to generate the intake of air at room temperature into the engine compartment and the expulsion of hot air from the engine compartment. Such a configuration decreases the thermal flow from the engine to the cabin.

It is clear that the present disclosure is also applicable in variants not expressly described and falling within the scope of protection of the appended claims. That is, the present disclosure also covers embodiments that are not described in the detailed description above as well as equivalent embodiments that are part of the scope of protection set forth in the claims. Accordingly, various changes and modifications to the presently disclosed embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art.