VEHICLE OR STATIONARY POWER PLANT HAVING A TURBOCHARGED INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE AS A DRIVE SOURCE
A vehicle or stationary power plant having an internal combustion engine as a drive source and having components adapted to be supplied with heat from a medium accommodated in a closed loop. The turbine of the exhaust gas turbocharger provided for turbocharging the internal combustion engine acts as a heat source. A heat exchanger is disposed externally on the turbine housing and can be incorporated or switchable into the medium loop. The medium can be conveyed directly or channeled through the interior of the heat exchanger, and the medium is adapted to be heated up in such interior utilizing at least thermal radiation energy from the hot turbine housing
This specification for the instant application should be granted the priority date of Mar. 15, 2006, the filing date of the corresponding German patent application 10 2006 011 797.2.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a vehicle or a stationary power plant.
In a vehicle or a stationary power plant, an array of components and units, such as crankcase, cylinder heads, radiators, and containers, which have a medium that is accommodated in a closed loop flowing through them, is disposed on the internal combustion engine which forms a drive or motive power source, and in its surroundings. In the case of a cooling bop, providing electrical auxiliary units, via which the coolant is heatable, is known for improving the cold start behavior of the internal combustion engine and for more rapid availability of heating warmth. These electrical auxiliary heaters are typically relatively expensive and load the energy-providing battery because of their high energy demand. Such electrical auxiliary heaters are also provided, for example, for those cases when the coolant loop of the internal combustion engine is also used for thawing a urea-water solution (used as an ammonia provider for NOX reduction in SCR catalytic converters) which is stored in a container and freezes at temperatures below approximately −12° C. Because the battery is particularly strongly loaded in the event of low negative temperatures which exist over a long period of time or, in specific areas of the world, always, electrical auxiliary heaters for coolant water heating are to be put into operation only as long as absolutely necessary if possible. For the remainder of the internal combustion engine or vehicle operating time, they are not needed.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide means for a vehicle or a stationary power plant of the aforementioned general type according to the species which allow electrical auxiliary heaters for heating a medium accommodated in a closed loop to be dispensed with.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThis object is achieved according to the present invention by a vehicle or stationary power plant having an internal combustion engine as a drive or motive power source, and having components that may be supplied with heat by a medium that is accommodated in a closed I medium loop or circuit, wherein an exhaust gas turbocharger is provided for turbocharging the internal combustion engine, wherein the turbine of the exhaust gas turbocharger is used and/or implemented as a heat source and, for this purpose, a heat exchanger is externally situated on the turbine housing, which is incorporated or switchable in the medium loop and in whose interior the medium, which is conducted through directly or channeled, is heatable using at least the thermal radiant energy of the hot turbine housing.
The present Invention is directed to the fact that the turbine of the exhaust gas turbocharger of an internal combustion engine is the assembly which becomes warm and/or hot and radiates heat most rapidly after its cold start. Until now, the waste heat of the turbine has been viewed as rather troublesome, in particular when it is nearly red-hot in full-load operation. Vehicle parts situated in the surroundings of the hot turbine are partitioned from the effect of heat which is too strong by insulating walls or heat shields, in addition, the turbine is intensively cooled. In contrast, the present invention makes use of the rapid heating of the turbine, by using it entirely intentionally as a heat source for a medium that is to be heated. This is performed via a heat exchanger which is situated externally on the turbine housing. The medium to be heated may be conducted through its interior either directly or channeled. When conducted through directly, the medium absorbs heat from the hot turbine housing, more or less depending on the dwell time in the heat exchanger interior or on the flow velocity, if the medium to be heated is conducted channeled through the interior of the heat exchanger, the possibility exists of additionally feeding or conducting exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine into the heat exchanger interior, so that the heat content of the exhaust gas is additionally usable for heating the medium, in addition to the radiant energy of the turbine housing.
The heat exchanger may be implemented and/or situated on the turbine housing in various ways. The drawing and associated description of the figures provide information about some of these embodiments.
The way according to the present invention of warming or heating the medium permits greatly varying usages of this medium heated in this way because of the high possible energy introduction—even connected with a change of the physical state from liquid to vaporous. Such an application is, for example, the rapid warming up of the liquid coolant (water or coolant water mixed with antifreeze) of an internal combustion engine after its cold start. In other applications, the heated medium is conducted via a heat consumer incorporated or switched into the medium loop, such as a container, so that the liquid stored or located therein may be warmed or heated or may be prevented from freezing or may be thawed rapidly after a cold start of the internal combustion engine. This heat consumer may, for example, be a storage container for a urea-water solution or a windshield, headlight, and/or outside mirror cleaning liquid, or a radiator which conducts coolant water or a coolant water equalizing container. However, electrical storage batteries for vehicle heaters are also beatable using the medium heated according to the present invention. The medium heated according to the present invention may, for example, also be supplied in a touring bus or mobile home to the hot water container of the onboard kitchen or the washing water storage container of the onboard toilet for the purpose of heating or keeping warm or as a freezing protection. Furthermore, the medium, if it is a low-boiling liquid, may be converted from the liquid into its vaporous state as it flows through the turbine-side heat exchanger and may be supplied to a steam turbine in this vaporous state, by which it may be converted into mechanical drive energy to deliver power.
In the following, the present invention is explained in greater detail on the basis of multiple exemplary embodiments and applications illustrated in the drawings, in which:
Referring now to the drawings in detail, the reference numeral (e.g.
According to the present invention, the turbine 4 of the exhaust gas turbocharger 2 is used and/or implemented as a heat source for the medium. For this purpose, a heat exchanger 12 is externally situated on the turbine housing 10 is incorporated or switchable in the medium loop 3, and in whose interior 13 (
In particular if the medium to be heated is conducted channeled or piped through the interior 13 of the heat exchanger 12, it suggests itself that exhaust gas additionally be fed into or conducted through the heat exchanger interior 13 and the heat content of the exhaust gas be additionally used for heating the medium.
The heat exchanger 12 may be implemented externally on the turbine housing 10 in various ways.
For example, the heat exchanger 12 may be implemented as an integral component of the exhaust gas turbine 4 and, for this purposes the housing 14 of the heat exchanger 12 may be formed by the turbine housing external wall 15 and a further housing external wall 16 which is cast thereon or attached thereto (see
Alternatively, the heat exchanger 12 may also be formed by a heat exchanger pipe 18 which—as shown in FIG. 5—is attached bent or meandering on the turbine housing 10 of the exhaust gas turbine 4 on the provided external area—tailored thereto in a formatting way and closely fitted for optimum heat transmission—e.g. by multiple clamps or holders 19.
In the exemplary embodiments of
In the case of the exemplary embodiments in
In the case of the example in
The heat exchanger pipe 24 or the heat exchanger pipe bundle mentioned may be a component of a heat exchanger cartridge 26 which—as shown in
The heat exchanger pipe 24 or the heat exchanger pipe bundle absorbs the heat energy radiated from the external wall 15 of the turbine 10 inside the dosed heat exchanger housing 14. As already noted above, the heating power may be increased, if the medium is conducted through channeled or piped, by feeding exhaust gas into the interior 13 of the heat exchanger 12. This exhaust gas may be diverted from the exhaust system 6 before or in the intake 9 of the exhaust gas turbine 4 and may be fed channeled, e.g. via a hole 27 in the interior of the turbine housing, as shown in
Independently of its different embodiments, the heat exchanger 12 having its supply line 22 and discharge line 23 may be switched into the medium loop 3 and/or 3* if needed. The need for this connection is detected by one or more temperature sensors at a location where the heated medium is to be active, for example. The heat exchanger 12 is switched into and out of the medium loop 3 by switchable changeover valves 35, 36, for example, which receive their switching commands from an electronic regulating and control unit (not shown), and which are connected to one another via a line section 37, which bypasses the heat exchanger 12 as a bypass if the latter is not incorporated in the medium loop 3, 3′.
in the following, various medium loops 3, 3′ and their implementation and use are discussed in greater detail with reference to
In
However, the heat exchanger 12 may also be switched and/or incorporated in an autonomous medium loop 3′ independent of the internal combustion engine 1 and its coolant loop—instead of the coolant loop of the internal combustion engine—as described above on the basis of
Examples of such autonomous medium loops 3′ are illustrated in
Each of these medium loops 3′ leads through or over a heat consumer 47. The medium enclosed in the medium loop 3′ is circulated using a pump 48. Two changeover valves 49, 50, which are connected to one another by a line section 51 of the medium loop 3′, allow the heat exchanger 12 according to the present invention to be switched into the medium loop 3′ or to be bypassed via the line section 51 which then acts as a bypass, depending on the switch position, in the case of
-
- a storage container for a urea-water solutions which would freeze at approximately −12° C., or
- a storage container for a windshield and/or headlight and/or outside mirror cleaning liquid, or
- a radiator conducting coolant water, or
- an equalizing container accommodating coolant water, or
- an electrical storage battery, or
- a heating element, or
- a hot-water container, e.g. in onboard kitchens of buses or mobile homes,
- a washing water storage container in onboard toilets of buses or mobile homes or
- a second heat exchanger, via which a secondary medium loop leads.
As shown in
in the case of the example shown in
An exemplary application is described on the basis of
In all applications, it is to be ensured that when the heat exchanger 12 is taken back out of the medium loop after a phase of heating the medium by changing over the changeover valves 35, 36, 38, 49, 50 and is bypassed via the bypass line 37, 51, the heated medium still located in the disconnected switching section between the changeover valves 35, 36 (
In addition, in all applications, a preferably electronic, computer-supported regulating and control unit is provided, which, by a program and predefined input setpoint values, controls the operation and the speeds of the pumps 34, 48, 58 and the switching/changeover of the changeover valves 35, 36, 38, 49, 50 for activating and de-activating the heat exchanger 12 as a heat source on the basis of actual values supplied thereto, such as temperature values at the heat consumer and flow and pressure values in the medium loops 3, 3′, 57.
In addition, in general the heat exchanger 12 may function to a certain extent as a cooling element on the exhaust gas turbine 4 of the exhaust gas turbocharger, because it at least partially externally shields the turbine housing and thus reduces the outwardly acting heat emission in particular in connection with the medium flowing through. External thermal insulators or shields may thus either be entirely dispensed with or only have to be implemented in reduced and/or simplified form.
The specification incorporates by reference the disclosure of German priority document 10 2006 011 797.2 filed Mar. 15, 2006.
The present invention is, of course, in no way restricted to the specific disclosure of the specification and drawings, but also encompasses any modifications within the scope of the appended claims
Claims
1. A vehicle or stationary power plant having an internal combustion engine (1) as a drive source and having components that are adapted to be supplied with heat from a medium accommodated in a closed medium loop (3, 3′), comprising:
- an exhaust gas turbocharger (2) for turbocharging said internal combustion engine (1), wherein said exhaust gas turbocharger (2) includes a turbine (4) that is adapted to act as a heat source, and wherein said turbine (4) has a turbine housing (10); and
- a heat exchanger (12) disposed externally on said turbine housing (10), wherein said heat exchanger (12) is adapted to be incorporated or switchable in said medium loop (3, 3′), wherein said medium is adapted to be conveyed directly or in a channeled manner through an interior (13) of said heat exchanger (12), and wherein in said interior (13) of said heat exchanger (12) said medium is adapted to be heated up utilizing at least thermal radiation energy from said turbine housing (10).
2. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 1, wherein said medium is adapted to be conveyed in a channeled or piped manner through said interior (13) of said heat exchanger (12), wherein exhaust gas is adapted to be supplied into or conveyed through said interior (13) of said heat exchanger (12), and wherein the heat content of said exhaust gas is adapted to be used to heat up said medium.
3. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 1, wherein said heat exchanger (12) has a housing (14) that is disposed externally on said turbine housing (10) of said exhaust gas turbocharger (2), and wherein a contact surface (17) of said heat exchanger housing (14) has a shape that is tailored to and conforms to an external region of said turbine housing (10) to optimize heat transmission.
4. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 1 wherein said heat exchanger (12) is an integral component of said turbine (4) of said exhaust gas turbocharger (2), and wherein said heat exchanger (12) is provided with a housing (14) formed by an external wall (15) of said turbine housing (10) and by a further external wall (16) that is cast on or attached to said external wall (15) of said turbine housing (10).
5. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 1, wherein said heat exchanger (12) has a housing (14), wherein a supply line (22) for said medium that is to be heated is connected to said housing (14) at a first connection (20), and wherein a discharge line (23) for heated-up medium is connected to said housing (14) at a second connection (21) that is spaced from said first connection (20).
6. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 5, wherein said medium that is to be heated is adapted to be conveyed via said supply line (22) and said first connection (20) directly into said interior (13) of said housing (14) of said heat exchanger (12) for contact with a hot external wall (15) of said turbine housing (10) or an external wall area (17) of said heat exchanger housing (14) heated by said external turbine housing wall (15) for heating said medium, wherein said medium is adapted to be conveyed back out of said interior (13) of said heat exchanger housing (14) via said second connection (21), and wherein said medium is adapted to be supplied via said discharge line (23) into said medium loop (3, 3′) for further use.
7. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 5 wherein a heat exchanger pipe (24) extends between said first connection (20) and said second connection (21) of said heat exchanger housing (14) through said interior (13) of said heat exchanger (12), and wherein said medium is adapted to be conveyed through said interior of said heat exchanger (12) in a channeled or piped manner via said heat exchanger pipe (24).
8. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 7, wherein said heat exchanger pipe (24) is provided externally with heat-transmitting ribs (25).
9. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 7, wherein said heat exchanger pipe (24) extends linearly or in a meandering fashion between said first connection (20) and said second connection (21).
10. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 5, wherein a heat exchanger pipe bundle extends between said first connection (20) and said second connection (21) of said heat exchanger housing (14), and wherein said heat exchanger pipe bundle is disposed between two terminal collection chambers.
11. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 7, wherein said heat exchanger pipe (24) or a heat exchanger pipe bundle is a component of a heat exchanger cartridge that also contains said first connection (20) and said second connection (21) and is adapted to be installed prefabricated into said heat exchanger housing (14) so as to extend between said supply line (22) and said discharge line (23).
12. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 7, wherein said heat exchanger pipe (24) or heat exchanger pipes are adapted to be additionally heatable by exhaust gas that is adapted to be diverted from an exhaust gas system prior to or at an intake of said exhaust gas turbine (4) and to be supplied in a channeled manner into 1s said interior (13) of said heat exchanger (12) and, after a certain heats dissipating dwell time, is adapted to be conveyed out of said interior (13), at a location remote from the point of introduction (28) into the exhaust gas system at or after an outlet of said exhaust gas turbine (4).
13. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 1; wherein said heat exchanger (12) is in the form of a heat exchanger pipe (18) that is attached, in a bent or meandering fashion, externally to said turbine housing (10) of said exhaust gas turbocharger (2) so as to be tailored and conforming to the shape of an external area of said turbine housing (10) to optimize heat transmission.
14. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to c aim 13, wherein an intake of said heat exchanger pipe (18) is connected to a first connection (32) to which is attached a supply line (22) for said medium to be heated, and wherein an outlet of said heat exchanger pipe (18) is connected to a second connection (33) to which is attached a discharge line (23) for heated-up medium.
15. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 1, wherein a pump (34) is provided for circulating said medium in said medium loop (3, 3′), wherein switchable changeover valves (35, 36, 38) are provided, wherein said heat exchanger (12) is switchable into and out of said medium loop (3, 3′) via a supply line (22) and a discharge line (23) by means of said changeover valves, wherein a first (35) and a second (36) one of said changeover valves are interconnected by a line section (37), and wherein said line section is adapted to bypass s said heat exchanger (12), in said medium loop (3, 3′), if said heat exchanger is not switched into said medium loop.
16. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 15, wherein said medium is a liquid coolant of said internal combustion engine (1), and wherein said medium loop (3) is a cooling loop of said internal combustion engine into which said heat exchanger (12) is switchable via said supply line (22) and said discharge line (23) as a return line, as needed, via said switchable changeover valves (35, 36), in particular for rapid heating of said coolant after a cold start of said internal combustion engine as a function of a temperature-controlled regulator/controller.
17. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 16, wherein a third (38) one of said changeover valves is connected to said second (36) one of said changeover valves via a line section (39) and is connected to said discharge line (23) of said heat exchanger (12), wherein a heating circuit (40) is provided that operates via a container or other heat consumer (42), is connected to said second (36) and said third (38) ones of said changeover valves and is switchable: if needed, via an appropriately switched-over one of said changeover valves (35, 36, 38), into said medium loop (3) in series with said heat exchanger (12), and wherein switching of said heating circuit (40) is temperature-controlled via a controller/regulator that is adapted to have a corresponding influence on the switching position of said three changeover valves (35, 36, 38).
18. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 15, wherein said heat exchanger (12) is switchable and/or incorporated into an autonomous medium loop (3′) that is independent of said internal combustion engine (1) and a coolant loop thereof, wherein a pump (48) is provided for circulating said medium in said autonomous medium loop (3′), and wherein said first and second changeover valves (49, 50), which are connected by said line section (51), are adapted, in a controllable manner, to switch said heat exchanger (12) into said medium loop (3′) or to bypass said heat exchanger via said line section (51), which then acts as a bypass.
19. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 17, wherein a liquid enclosed or stored in said heat consumer (42, 47) is adapted to be warmed and/or heated, or prevented from freezing, or thawed after freezing after a cold start of said internal combustion engine, via said medium loop (3, 3′) and said heating circuit (40) switched therein, as a function of a temperature-controlled regulator/controller.
20. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 19, wherein said heat consumer (42, 47) is a container, in particular for a vehicle, and is selected from the group consisting of a storage container for a urea-water solution, a storage container for at least one of a windshield, headlight, and outside mirror cleaning liquid, a radiator that conducts coolant water, an equalization container that accommodates coolant water, an electrical storage battery, a heating element, a hot-water container; and a washing water storage container.
21. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 15, wherein a heat consumer (47) in the form of a heat exchanger is provided, wherein a secondary medium loop (57) that extends through an interior (54) of said heat consumer (47) is provided, wherein a further heat consumer (60) is disposed in said secondary medium loop (57), wherein a pump (58) is provided that is adapted to circulate a secondary medium in said secondary medium loop (57), wherein said secondary medium is adapted to be conveyed through a heat exchanger pipe or pipe bundle (59) disposed in said interior (54) of said heat consumer (47) for receiving heat from said first medium loop (3, 3′), wherein heat thus absorbed is adapted to be transferred to said secondary medium for heating thereof, and wherein said heated secondary medium is adapted to be supplied to said further heat consumer (60).
22. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 15, wherein said medium is a low-boiling liquid that is accommodated in said closed medium loop (3′) and is convertible into its vaporous state as it goes through said heat exchanger.
23. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 22, wherein said medium, which is convertible into its vaporous state in said heat exchanger (12), is adapted to be supplied to a steam turbine (61), which is integrated into said medium loop (3′) and functions as a heat consumer (47), and to there be effective to deliver power, and wherein said steam turbine (61) is adapted to be connected or to be coupled and decoupled via at least one switchable clutch to a crankshaft of said internal combustion engine (1) and/or to secondary assemblies (62, 63) via at least one drivetrain (64) and to thus convert vapor energy into mechanical drive energy.
24. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 15, wherein an overpressure valve (65) is disposed in said medium loop (3, 3′) between said heat exchanger (12) and ones of said changeover valves (35, 36, 38, 49, 50), and wherein if said heat exchanger (12) is not switched into said medium loop (3, 3′), heating medium still located in said medium loop and/or in said supply line (22) and said discharge line (23) is adapted to expand in an expansion and cooling chamber (66) that is disposed downstream of said overpressure valve (65).
25. A vehicle or stationary power plant according to claim 15, wherein an electronic, computer-supported regulating and control un t is provided that is adapted to control operation and speeds of pumps (34, 48, 58) and switching/changeover of said changeover valves (35, 36, 38, 49, 50), for activation and deactivation of said heat exchanger (12) as a heat source via a program and predefined input set point values, on the basis of actual values applied thereto, such as temperature values detected at a heat consumer and flow and pressure values detected in said medium loop (3, 3′, 57).
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 14, 2007
Publication Date: Sep 20, 2007
Inventor: Erwin Stiermann (Neusass)
Application Number: 11/686,149
International Classification: F02B 33/44 (20060101); F02G 3/00 (20060101);