Cooling assembly for service vehicle

A cooling assembly, for a service vehicle, includes a frame arranged to define an internal cavity, with the frame having six faces: a bottom face, a top face, and four side faces. The first face is configured to be mounted on the service vehicle. Three of the four side faces are each configured to have at least one cooler mounted thereon. A remaining one of the four side faces is positioned facing an engine of the service vehicle and has a barrier element to restrict drawing air through the remaining one of the four faces.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a cooling assembly, and more particularly to the cooling assembly for a service vehicle.

BACKGROUND

Service vehicles, for example gas or oil fracturing vehicles, have many components such as an engine, a transmission system, a hydraulic system, a fracturing pump, among others, that are present on the service vehicle, and that may heat up during operation. These components require cooling by means of heat exchange with suitable radiators or other coolers based on the type of the components.

A box type cooling package having multiple coolers present on each of the four side faces of the cooling package may be utilized to cool the heated components. A fan is mounted on a top face of the cooling package for cooling fluids running through the coolers by drawing cool ambient air from around the cooling package. Based on the design, these cooling packages may draw air from all four side faces of the cooling package.

However, some components of the service vehicle that are positioned proximate to the cooling package, for example an engine of the service vehicle that may be hot can cause the air surrounding that engine to heat up. Thus, hot air may be drawn into the cooling package from the side face proximate to the engine. This may affect an overall cooling performance of the system. Further, the placement of the coolers on each of the four side faces of the cooling package may lead to a bulky design requiring considerable space. Some service vehicles may have limited space for the installation of the cooling package, making it challenging to accommodate the cooling package.

United States Published Application Number 2003/057005 describes an engine enclosure for use on a vehicle having a cooling system for a vertical shaft type engine with a cooling air intake fan disposed above the engine. The engine enclosure comprises an upper hood for covering the engine from above, the upper hood having an upper surface and right and left side surfaces extending downward from the upper surface, a lower hood for covering lateral areas of the engine, and a cooling air intake opening formed in a position above a lower end of at least one of the right and left side surfaces of the upper hood for taking in ambient air. A partition wall member is disposed between the cooling air intake opening and the cooling air intake fan for restricting mixing of ambient air drawn by the fan and heat generating from the engine.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a cooling assembly for a service vehicle is provided. The cooling assembly includes a frame having a bottom face, a top face, and four side faces, all arranged to define an internal cavity. The bottom face is configured to be mounted on the service vehicle. The top face is opposite the bottom face and is configured to be fitted with a fan. Three of the four side faces are each configured to be fitted with at least one cooler. A remaining one of the four side faces is adjacent to and facing an engine of the service vehicle. The remaining face has a barrier element provided thereon. The barrier element is configured to restrict air from being drawn therethrough.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, a service vehicle is provided. The service vehicle includes a mainframe, an engine supported on the mainframe, and a cooling assembly. The cooling assembly includes a frame having a bottom face, a top face, and four side faces, all arranged to define an internal cavity. The bottom face is configured to be mounted on the service vehicle. The top face is opposite the bottom face and is configured to be fitted with a fan. Three of the four side faces are each configured to be fitted with at least one cooler. A remaining one of the four side faces is adjacent to and facing an engine of the service vehicle. The remaining face has a barrier element provided thereon. The barrier element is configured to restrict air from being drawn therethrough.

In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for cooling of components of a service vehicle is provided. The method includes aligning a frame having four side faces, a bottom face, and a top face on a mainframe of the service vehicle. The method includes attaching the bottom face of the frame to the mainframe. The method includes fitting a fan on the top face of the frame. The method includes fitting at least one cooler on three of the four side faces of the frame. The method includes providing a barrier element on a remaining one of the four side faces of the frame proximate to and facing an engine of the service vehicle to restrict drawing air therethrough. The method includes operating the fan for drawing an airflow from each of the three of the four side faces of the frame for cooling the at least one cooler.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or the like parts. Also, corresponding or similar reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or corresponding parts.

Referring toFIG. 1, an exemplary service vehicle100is illustrated. The machine is embodied as the service vehicle100is embodied as a trailer to serve at a gas or oil fracturing site. The service vehicle100includes a mainframe102having a number of components mounted thereon. An engine104is attached to the mainframe102of the service vehicle100. An operator cabin106is provided on the service vehicle100. A number of wheels108are positioned at a front end110and a rear end112of the service vehicle100for mobility. The service vehicle100additionally includes other components for example, a transmission system (not shown), a hydraulic system (not shown), a fracturing pump (not shown), and so on for performing fracturing operations.

To perform the fracturing operation, fracturing fluid may be pumped into a wellbore at high pressure. Inside the wellbore, the fracturing fluid is forced into a formation being produced. When the fracturing fluid enters the formation, the fracturing fluid fractures, or creates fissures, in the formation. Water, as well as other fluids, and some solid proppants, may then be pumped into the fissures to stimulate the release of oil and gas from the formation. In some cases, fracturing rock in the formation may require that the fracturing fluid be pumped into the wellbore at very high pressure. This pumping is typically performed by the relatively large diesel-powered fracturing pumps.

During operation, some of the components of the service vehicle100may get heated up, requiring the components to be cooled. For example, the engine104, the transmission system, the hydraulic system, the fracturing pump, and so on may need to be cooled. The present disclosure relates to a cooling assembly114associated with the service vehicle100. The cooling assembly114is a box type cooling system and will be explained in detail relating toFIGS. 2 and 3.

Referring toFIGS. 2 and 3, the cooling assembly114has a frame202. The frame202has a hollow box type shape. The frame202includes four side faces, that is204,206,208,210, a top face212, and a bottom face214that define an internal cavity216of the frame202. The top face212is opposite to the bottom face214. The four side faces204,206,208,210are positioned adjacent to one another. The frame202is formed by a number of support members218that are arranged to define the box shape of the frame202.

The bottom face214of the frame202is mounted on the service vehicle100. In some embodiments, one more support panels220may be provided on the bottom face214of the cooling assembly114for firmly connecting the cooling assembly114to the service vehicle100. In one example, the cooling assembly114is mounted on the mainframe202of the service vehicle100, proximate to the engine104. A fan222is mounted on the top face212. In some embodiments, the fan222is made of plastic, to reduce the weight of the fan222. The fan222may also be connected to a motor, a fan shroud, and other components associated therewith.

Three of the four side faces, that is204,206,208, hereinafter referred to as three side faces204,206,208, may have multiple coolers224installed thereon. More particularly, each of the three side faces204,206,208may include one or more coolers224. Further, the coolers224on each of the three side faces204,206,208may be of different types. For example, the coolers224may include any of a radiator, a fuel cooler, a hydraulic oil cooler, a power end lubrication cooler, and/or a charge air cooler. Additionally, or optionally, other coolers224for cooling of other components on the service vehicle100may also be accommodated on the frame202. Lines, pipes, and other connections, for example charge air lines, coolant and/or oil lines, associated with the coolers224may be housed within the internal cavity216of the frame202.

An exemplary arrangement includes providing radiators and a power end lubrication coolers on one of the three side faces204; charge air coolers224on another of the three side faces206; radiators, a fuel cooler, and a hydraulic oil cooler on yet another of the three side faces208. It must be noted that the arrangement of the coolers224on the three side faces204,206,208of the frame202may vary based on a length, a breadth, and/or a height of the frame202. The arrangement shown in the accompanying figures is exemplary and does not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

A barrier element226is provided on a remaining one of the four side faces, hereinafter referred to as the one side face210, of the cooling assembly114. The barrier element226is provided proximate to and facing the engine104of the service vehicle100. The barrier element226may be made of sheet metal. In one example, the one side face210may include channels (not shown) provided on an inner perimeter228thereof for receiving the barrier element226, such that the barrier element226is affixed in position using mechanical fasteners. The barrier element226is configured to restrict and block the drawing of air from areas proximate to the engine104. The barrier element226also causes sealing of the one side face210from ambient air, preventing air from entering the internal cavity216of the frame202when the fan222is switched on. The barrier element226includes a number of ports230provided thereon for fluidic connection between the coolers224and the other components of the service vehicle100, for example, the engine104and a hydraulic pump (not shown).

Additionally, the frame202may include other support structures, such as support arms, frames, panels, brackets and so on for firmly holding the components in place on the frame202. A core guard232is connected to the three side faces204,206,208via mechanical fasteners, such as bolts.

During operation, the fan222is switched on in suction mode, causing an airflow to be drawn from each of the three side faces204,206,208of the frame202, except for the one side face210which is located near the engine104. The barrier element226on the one side face210prevents, restricts, and blocks the air from being drawn through the one side face210and the areas proximate to the engine104. The operation of the fan222causes cooling of the coolers224by heat exchange therewith.

The frame202may be made of any suitable material, for example, metal. The design, construction, shape, and/or dimensions of the frame202may vary based on the requirements of the system. The arrangement of the coolers224on the three side faces204,206,208of the frame202may also vary based on the requirements of the system.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present disclosure provides the cooling assembly114for cooling of the components of the service vehicle100.FIG. 4illustrates a flowchart of a method for cooling of the components of the service vehicle100. At step402, the frame202having the four side faces204,206,208,210, the top face212, and the bottom face214is aligned on the mainframe202of the service vehicle100. At step404, the bottom face214is attached to the mainframe202. At step406, the fan222is mounted on the top face212of the frame202. At step408, one or more coolers224are fitted on the three side faces204,206,208of the frame202. At step410, the barrier element226is provided on the one side face210of the frame202proximate to and facing the engine104of the service vehicle100. The barrier element226restricts drawing air through the one side face210. At step412, the fan222is operated to draw the airflow from each of the three side faces204,206,208of the frame202for cooling the coolers224.

The present cooling assembly114provides an effective solution for cooling the coolers224associated with the components of the service vehicle100. The cooling assembly114has a box type cooling package design. When the fan222is operated in suction mode, the airflow is drawn from each of the three side faces204,206,208of the cooling assembly114having the coolers224installed thereon. The barrier element226mounted on the one side face210proximate to the engine104prevents the air from being drawn through the said side210.

By preventing drawing of the air from the one side face210that faces the engine104, an overall cooling performance of the system may be improved since the barrier element226blocks the heated air surrounding the engine104from entering the internal cavity216of the frame202when the fan222is operated in suction mode. Further, closing or blocking the one side face210by the barrier element226may assist in redistributing package restriction in such a way that the airflows with relatively higher velocity may be drawn through each of the three side faces204,206,208having the coolers224mounted thereon, further enhancing the cooling performance of the system.

The cooling assembly114offers a robust and compact solution having the coolers224mounted on each of the three side faces204,206,208of the cooling assembly114, allowing the cooling assembly114to be installed in environments having space constraints. Further, the cooling assembly114may be relatively light weight and may be easily retrofitted onto existing machines. In some situations, for example in case of inspection or servicing, the barrier element226may be removed to access the internal cavity216of the frame202, without having to go underneath the service vehicle100.

Although the cooling assembly114has been described in connection with the service vehicle100, the cooling assembly114may also be used in generator sets and other electric power applications.