Power system having fuel-based cooling

• US 10,054,085 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2015
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progress Rail Locomotive Inc. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Progress Rail Locomotive Inc. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Foege, Aaron Gamache
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jason C
• Application Number:
  US14/625,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20160237960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 5/00 Locomotives or motor railcars with IC engines or gas turbines characterised by power transmission B61C9/00; engines F02
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 5/02 Arrangement or disposition of intakes and apparatus for supplying, circulating, and filtering air for combustion and engine-cooling purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 5/04 Arrangement or disposition of exhaust apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 9/02 Cooling by evaporation, e.g. by spraying water on to cylinders evaporation and condensation of liquid coolant in closed cycles F01P3/22 ; evaporation or evaporation apparatus for physical or chemical purposes, e.g. evaporation of liquids for gas phase reactions B01B1/005
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 29/04 Cooling of air intake supply
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0215 Mixtures of gaseous fuels; Natural gas; Biogas; Mine gas; Landfill gas
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/06 Apparatus for de-liquefying, e.g. by heating
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/00 Engine-pertinent apparatus for adding exhaust gases to combustion-air, main fuel or fuel-air mixture, e.g. by exhaust gas recirculation [EGR] systems
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/22 with coolers in the recirculation passage
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 31/10 by hot liquids, e.g. lubricants or cooling water
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 31/18 to vaporise fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 31/20 for cooling F02M31/005 takes precedence; use of cold F02M17/52; cooling of charging-air or of scavenging-air F02B29/04
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 43/00 Fuel-injection apparatus operating simultaneously on two or more fuels, or on a liquid fuel and another liquid, e.g. the other liquid being an anti-knock additive
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels

Abstract

A power system is disclosed. The power system may have a cryogenic tank configured to hold a supply of liquid fuel, and an engine configured to combust gaseous fuel. The power system may also have a coolant circuit configured to cool the engine, and at least one heat exchanger isolated from the coolant circuit and configured to receive a fluid passing through the engine. The power system may further have a first fuel line extending from the cryogenic tank to the at least one heat exchanger, and a second fuel line extending from the at least one heat exchanger to the engine.

Claims

1. A power system, comprising:

a cryogenic tank configured to hold a supply of liquid fuel;

an engine configured to combust gaseous fuel;

a coolant circuit configured to cool the engine;

at least one heat exchanger isolated from the coolant circuit and configured to receive a fluid passing through the engine;

a first fuel line extending from the cryogenic tank to the at least one heat exchanger; and

a second fuel line extending from the at least one heat exchanger to the engine, wherein the engine has an intake manifold, an exhaust manifold, and an EGR passage extending from the exhaust manifold to the intake manifold such that the at least one heat exchanger is disposed in the EGR passage.

2. The power system of claim 1, wherein the fluid is exhaust.

3. The power system of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one heat exchanger includes a first core configured to receive the fluid, and a second core connected between the first and second fuel lines; and

the power system further includes an intermediary circuit connecting the first and second cores.

4. The power system of claim 1, wherein the fluid is air.

5. The power system of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one heat exchanger includes an EGR cooler; and

the power system further includes an air cooler; and

at least one of the first and second fuel lines is further configured to pass through the air cooler.

6. The power system of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one heat exchanger includes an EGR cooler;

the power system further includes an air cooler; and

the second fuel lines is configured to connect to the engine at a location downstream of the air cooler.

7. The power system of claim 1, further including an accumulator in fluid communication with the second fuel line.

8. The power system of claim 7, further including a regulator located downstream of the accumulator.

9. The power system of claim 1, wherein the at least one heat exchanger is configured to transfer an amount of heat from the fluid to liquid fuel from the first fuel line to vaporize the liquid fuel.

10. The power system of claim 1, further including a fan configured to force ambient air through the at least one heat exchanger for additional heat transfer.