Abstract: A piston and a reciprocating expansion engine with a piston having a piston head, a piston neck, and a piston shaft are described. The piston head has at least one groove which runs in a circumferential direction suitable for receiving a piston ring, and the piston shaft has a pin boss and, at its outer circumference, a guide surface which is suitable for guiding the piston along a cylinder inner wall. An outer diameter of the piston neck is smaller than an outer diameter of the piston head and/or of the piston shaft, and the length of the piston neck approximately corresponds to the travel of the piston in the installed state.

Abstract: A cooling circuit and an independent heat recovery circuit are associated with an internal combustion engine. A coolant is circulated a pump in a first and a second cooling sub-circuit. An increase in pressure in a work medium is achieved within the heat recovery circuit by a pump. This work medium is changed from liquid aggregate state to vaporous aggregate state and back to the liquid aggregate state in heat exchangers. This work medium is divided after the pump into two parallel partial flows and is changed into vaporous state in a first parallel branch in an EGR heat exchanger through which recycle exhaust gas flows and in a second parallel branch in an exhaust gas heat exchanger through flow exhaust gas downstream of the low-pressure turbine flows. This vaporous work medium is then fed to an expander and is then conducted through a cooled condenser and, liquefied again.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus recover heat and convert the heat into mechanical power in a drive system for motor vehicles. A working medium carried in a working medium circuit is evaporated by an evaporator integrated into the working medium circuit by waste heat from an internal combustion engine. The vapor generated is fed to an expansion machine coupled to the internal combustion engine, and the exhaust vapor from the expansion machine is then converted back into the liquid phase in at least one condenser. Accordingly at least one valve, which can be subjected to control by a control device, and a vapor accumulator are integrated into the working medium circuit downstream of the evaporator such that the vapor generated is fed into the vapor accumulator. The vapor stored in the vapor accumulator is fed back at least in part into the working medium circuit to drive the expansion machine.

Abstract: A drive unit and a method for the operation thereof. The drive unit has an internal combustion engine in operative connection with a driven shaft and a reciprocating piston expansion engine in an operative connection with a crankshaft. The driven shaft is mechanically connected to the crankshaft by a clutch in such a way that torque is transmitted from the crankshaft to the driveshaft. The reciprocating piston expansion engine has at least one cylinder, and a fluid is guided from a fluid supply into an interior of the at least one cylinder at least occasionally via an inlet valve and a bypass valve which is arranged in parallel with the inlet valve.

Abstract: A method for engine braking of an engine operating preferably on the diesel principle. Here, the engine has at least one exhaust-gas turbocharger having an exhaust-gas turbine acted on by an exhaust-gas flow and having a charge air compressor, which exhaust-gas turbine and charge air compressor are arranged on a common shaft. The engine also has an exhaust manifold which conducts the exhaust-gas flow from outlet valves of the engine to the exhaust-gas turbocharger, and has a device for throttling the exhaust-gas flow arranged between the outlet valves and the exhaust-gas turbocharger, and also has at least one bypass line for conducting the exhaust-gas flow past the throttling device, the exhaust-gas flow being conducted through the at least one bypass line to a turbine wheel of the exhaust-gas turbine, the exhaust-gas flow being throttled and a pressure increase in the exhaust gas thus being generated upstream of the device for throttling the exhaust-gas flow.

Abstract: A method for engine braking of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine of a vehicle, which is preferably an engine operating on the diesel principle. The engine has at least one exhaust-gas turbocharger with an exhaust-gas turbine and a charge air compressor, and an exhaust manifold which supplies the exhaust-gas flow from outlet valves of the engine to the exhaust-gas turbocharger. A throttle device is connected between the outlet valves and the turbocharger for throttling the exhaust-gas flow and causing a pressure increase in the exhaust gas for engine braking upstream. An exhaust-gas counter-pressure and a charge air pressure are measured and, based on the measurement, a position of the throttle device can be determined to obtain a predetermined braking action. Then the exhaust-gas counter-pressure and the charge air pressure are closed-loop controlled by adjusting the throttle device corresponding to the previously determined position of the throttle device.

Abstract: A method and a system for cooling an internal combustion engine having charge air feed, which has a first and a second cooling loop, of which the first cooling loop is operated at a higher temperature level than the second cooling loop, and in which the charge air feed has at least one intercooling unit which is thermally coupled to the second cooling loop, having a controllable coolant throughput. The system includes at least one shutdown element in the second cooling loop for throttling the coolant throughput in the second cooling loop to 0 (zero). Coolant throughput may be shut down during the operation of the internal combustion engine as a function of an operating parameter of a vehicle component.

Abstract: A cooling circuit and an independent heat recovery circuit are associated with an internal combustion engine. A coolant is circulated a pump in a first and a second cooling sub-circuit. An increase in pressure in a work medium is achieved within the heat recovery circuit by a pump. This work medium is changed from liquid aggregate state to vaporous aggregate state and back to the liquid aggregate state in heat exchangers. This work medium is divided after the pump into two parallel partial flows and is changed into vaporous state in a first parallel branch in an EGR heat exchanger through which recycle exhaust gas flows and in a second parallel branch in an exhaust gas heat exchanger through flow exhaust gas downstream of the low-pressure turbine flows. This vaporous work medium is then fed to an expander and is then conducted through a cooled condenser and, liquefied again.

Abstract: A piston and a reciprocating expansion engine with a piston having a piston head, a piston neck, and a piston shaft are described. The piston head has at least one groove which runs in a circumferential direction suitable for receiving a piston ring, and the piston shaft has a pin boss and, at its outer circumference, a guide surface which is suitable for guiding the piston along a cylinder inner wall. An outer diameter of the piston neck is smaller than an outer diameter of the piston head and/or of the piston shaft, and the length of the piston neck approximately corresponds to the travel of the piston in the installed state.

Abstract: A drive unit and a method for the operation thereof. The drive unit has an internal combustion engine in operative connection with a driven shaft and a reciprocating piston expansion engine in an operative connection with a crankshaft. The driven shaft is mechanically connected to the crankshaft by a clutch in such a way that torque is transmitted from the crankshaft to the driveshaft. The reciprocating piston expansion engine has at least one cylinder, and a fluid is guided from a fluid supply into an interior of the at least one cylinder at least occasionally via an inlet valve and a bypass valve which is arranged in parallel with the inlet valve.

Abstract: In a commercial vehicle with an internal combustion engine, a muffler in the exhaust gas system, and a heat recovery system, including a medium-containing circuit having at least one pump, an evaporator, an expander, and a condenser, the evaporator present in the medium-containing circuit of the heat recovery system is placed so that the evaporator is integrated into the muffler, where it either is installed in the tailpipe or partially replaces it, or is attached externally to the muffler, and an end section of the tailpipe, or is integrated into the tailpipe, which extends from the muffler and proceeds vertically upward behind the driver's cab, the evaporator being either installed in the tailpipe or partially replacing it, or is integrated into a muffler, which is installed in an exhaust pipe proceeding vertically upward behind the driver's cab.

Abstract: A method for regenerating a soot-laden particle filter in the exhaust gas train of a diesel engine in a vehicle, wherein the engine is equipped with a fuel injection system having an injection valve for each cylinder and an exhaust braking device including a butterfly valve in the exhaust gas train upstream of the particle filter. An exhaust braking phase is initiated by closing the butterfly valve, thereby causing hot exhaust gas to be compressed upstream of the butterfly valve. Regeneration of the particle filter is then initiated by injecting diesel fuel into the cylinders substantially after the respective pistons pass top dead center, and allowing the hot exhaust gas mixture containing unburned fuel and air to flow past the butterfly valve so that the mixture ignites the soot and then supports combustion of the soot, thereby regenerating the particle filter.

Abstract: A drive unit of a motor vehicle, provided with an internal combustion engine, with a combustion air supply having a low-pressure compressor, a high-pressure compressor and a combustion air cooling unit, and with an exhaust gas withdrawal via which exhaust gas formed in the internal combustion engine is withdrawn. The drive unit has a cooling system with at least one cooling circuit in which are arranged a heat exchanger, through which flows a working medium and which can be cooled by atmospheric air, at least one exhaust gas cooler integrated into the exhaust gas withdrawal, and the combustion air cooling unit has a combustion air intercooler and a main combustion air cooler that are thermally coupled to the cooling circuit in such a way that in the direction of flow of combustion air, the combustion air intercooler is disposed between the low-pressure and the high-pressure compressors, and the main combustion air cooler is disposed downstream of the high-pressure compressor.

Abstract: A device for increasing the braking power of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine of a vehicle during engine braking operation includes a turbo supercharger and an exhaust gas turbine for each stage thereof. A respective bypass line branches off from a region of two exhaust gas header pipes that can be blocked by throttle valves. Each bypass line communicates with a nozzle bore in a turbine wall. During an engine braking operation, two partial exhaust gas streams are branched off by the bypass lines from exhaust gas retained in blocked header pipes and strike turbine wheel blades at high pressure and high speed, whereupon the turbo supercharger is driven in an accelerated manner and compressed air is supplied to combustion chambers of the engine and is there effective to increase braking power.

Abstract: Described is a drive unit of a motor vehicle that is provided with an internal combustion engine (10), with a combustion air supply (13, 14) having a low-pressure compressor (11), a high-pressure compressor (12) and a combustion air cooling unit (13, 14), and with an exhaust gas withdrawal via which the exhaust gas formed in the internal combustion engine (10) is withdrawn. Furthermore, the drive unit has a cooling system with at least one cooling circuit (1) in which are to arranged a heat exchanger, through which flows a working medium and which can be cooled by atmospheric air, at least one exhaust gas cooler integrated into the exhaust gas withdrawal, and the combustion air cooling unit.

Abstract: A method and a system for cooling an internal combustion engine (3) having charge air feed, which has a first (1) and a second (2) cooling loop, of which the first cooling loop (1) is operated at a higher temperature level than the second cooling loop (2), and in which the charge air feed has at least one intercooling unit (9) which is thermally coupled to the second cooling loop (2), having a controllable coolant throughput. The system includes at least one shutdown element (13) in the second cooling loop (2) for throttling the coolant throughput in the second cooling loop (2) to 0 (zero), i.e., the coolant throughput may be shut down during the operation of the internal combustion engine (3) as a function of an operating parameter of a vehicle component.

Abstract: A crankcase lower part for a supercharged internal combustion engine, wherein the crankcase lower part extends about a space below the crankshaft. The crankshaft lower part comprises an intercooler, which is cooled by coolant, and/or a charge air intermediate cooler, which is cooled by a coolant. The intercooler and/or the charge air intermediate cooler is integrated into the crankcase lower part.

Abstract: A device for increasing the braking power of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine of a vehicle during engine braking operation including a turbosupercharger and an exhaust gas turbine for each stage thereof. A respective bypass line branches off from a region of two exhaust gas header pipes that can be blocked by throttle valves. Each bypass line communicates with a nozzle bore in a turbine wall. The nozzle bores are in a plane perpendicular to a turbine wheel axis and extend either parallel next to one another or at an acute angle to and merging with one another. The nozzle bores open out into the turbine chamber directed tangentially onto the outer portion of the turbine wheel.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine with a 2-stage charge loading includes a connection conduit with a supercharger intercooler provided between the compressors of the low pressure stage and high pressure stage. The supercharger intercooler is configured via a cooling unit in the charge air guiding connection conduit between the compressor of the ATL-low pressure stage and the compressor of the ATL-high pressure stage having a cooling medium flowing therethrough as well as by a specially configured section of the connection conduit. The connection conduit in this section forms with its wall the outer wall of the supercharger intercooler and delimits an air through-put volume sufficient to effect, via a cooling medium flowing through the cooling unit, an acceptable cooling of charge air flowing through the cooling unit that is built into the connection conduit.

Abstract: A crankcase lower part for a supercharged internal combustion engine, wherein the crankcase lower part extends about a space below the crankshaft. The crankshaft lower part comprises an intercooler, which is cooled by coolant, and/or a charge air intermediate cooler, which is cooled by a coolant. The intercooler and/or the charge air intermediate cooler is integrated into the crankcase lower part.