Patent ID: 7407046
Filing Date: 2008-08-05
Classification: F01P,F16D

Abstract:
1. An externally controlled fan device, comprising: an external controller for receiving inputs indicative of a target fan speed appropriate for the cooling needs of an engine; a fluid clutch for transferring torque to the fan device for achieving an actual fan speed, the fluid clutch including a valve for selectively controlling a flow of fluid to a torque transmission chamber; means for controlling a duty rate of opening and closing the valve to control the fluid in the torque transmission chamber and thereby controlling the actual fan speed; means for measuring and storing fluid control data at each of a plurality of intervals; means for measuring and storing the actual fan speed at each of a plurality of intervals; and adaptive control means for developing and sequentially updating an algorithm based on the measured and stored fluid control data and the measured and stored actual fan speeds and for producing a fluid control signal to adaptively control the fluid for substantially conforming the actual fan speed to the target fan speed.