Designing an electric cooling package for a skid loader
Problem statement
Manitou’s Gehl RT185 skid loader currently uses a single belt-driven fan to cool the machine’s radiator, which only operates with a single speed and direction and does not provide ideal airflow. Additionally, the belt-driven system requires the radiator to be inconveniently placed inside the rear service door, complicating access for technicians working on these machines. Our team intends to retrofit an RT185 with a modularized electric cooling system that will allow for easy relocation of the fan, shroud, and radiator in future models. The Manitou team will then be able to design the engine bay to meet the needs of service technicians, giving their skid loaders a competitive advantage over comparable models from other manufacturers. While selecting the fan and designing the shroud, our team will aim to achieve 10-20% greater heat rejection than the current system. The improved accessibility will decrease assembly and service time, reducing costs. Electric cooling systems are very efficient and have been commercially used in the automotive industry with great success. However, electrical cooling system use in off-road vehicles still remains in the research and development phase [1]. A thorough research, design, and prototyping process will provide Manitou with the knowledge and data needed to include modularized electric cooling systems in future skid loader designs, so they can produce more efficient and serviceable machines for their customers. Bibliography [1] R. M. Babu, S. Manikandan, and P. Nageshwara Rao, “Electrical Operated Fan for Cooling System on Agricultural Tractors,” SAE Tech. Pap., vol. 2019-January, no. January, pp. 1–7, 2019, doi: 10.4271/2019-26-0079.
Team members
Nathan Berg – leader
Matt Horan – communicator
Ben Krimpelbein – accountant
Abraham Hernandez – admin
Client
Alex Prokopowicz & Tyler Handel, Manitou