Exhaust heat recovery power generation device and automobile equipped therewith

• US 20070193617A1
• Filed: 03/07/2005
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Taguchi, Tomonari
• Application Number:
  US10/591,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20070193617A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/204
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0411 Arrangement in the front part of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/442 Series-parallel switching type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/543 the transmission being a continuously variable transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/009 having two or more separate purifying devices arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 5/025 the device being thermoelectric generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

An engine exhausts gas which is in turn exhausted through an exhaust pipe in a prescribed direction. A cooling water pump supplies cooling water to circulate a refrigerant through each of cooling water circulation paths. The cooling water circulation path includes a cooling water pipe arranged along the exhaust pipe to pass the cooling water. At stacks a plurality of thermoelectric power generation elements are attached to the exhaust pipe and the cooling water pipe successively in a direction from the upstream toward downstream of the exhaust gas. The cooling water pipe and the exhaust pipe pass the cooling water and the exhaust gas, respectively, in opposite directions so that the downstream stack has an increased difference in temperature between the exhaust pipe and the cooling water pipe, and the stacks provide power outputs having a reduced difference, and hence an increased total power output. Thus an exhaust heat recovery power generation device can provide increased thermoelectric conversion efficiency without complicated piping.

Claims

1. An exhaust heat recovery power generation device comprising:

an exhaust pipe receiving exhaust gas from a heat source and passing the exhaust gas in a prescribed direction;

a cooling pipe arranged along said exhaust pipe to pass a refrigerant for cooling said exhaust pipe;

a refrigerant supply unit supplying said cooling pipe with said refrigerant; and

a plurality of thermoelectric power generation stacks attached to said exhaust pipe and said cooling pipe sequentially in a direction in which said exhaust gas flows, wherein;

said plurality of thermoelectric power generation stacks each include a plurality of thermoelectric power generation elements formed sequentially in the direction in which said exhaust gas flows;

said plurality of thermoelectric power generation elements each generate power corresponding to a difference in temperature between a high-temperature end and a low-temperature end thereof, said high-temperature end and said low-temperature end being attached to said exhaust pipe and said cooling pipe, respectively, at a corresponding site; and

said refrigerant supply unit is configured to supply said refrigerant in such a direction that said exhaust pipe and said cooling pipe pass said exhaust gas and said refrigerant, respectively, in opposite directions.

3. The exhaust heat recovery power generation device of claim 1, wherein each of said thermoelectric power generation elements is arranged to be sandwiched between said exhaust pipe and said cooling pipe.

4. An automobile comprising:

a first driving force generation device using a fuel'"'"'s combustion energy as a source to generate wheel driving force;

the exhaust heat recovery power generation device as recited in claim 1, said exhaust heat recovery power generation device generating power with said first driving force generation device serving as said heat source; and

a source of electric power; and

a second driving force generation device using power generated by said exhaust heat recovery power generation device and that supplied from said source of electric power as a source to generate wheel driving force.

5. The automobile of claim 4, wherein:

said source of electric power is a secondary battery; and

said exhaust heat recovery power generation device further includes a power converter converting the power generated by said exhaust heat recovery power generation device to voltage charging said secondary battery.

6. The automobile of claim 4, further comprising a driving power conversion device converting received power to power driving said second driving force generation device, wherein said exhaust heat recovery power generation device further includes a power converter converting the power generated by said exhaust heat recovery power generation device to power input to said driving power conversion device.

7. The automobile of claim 4, further comprising:

a power generation device converting at least a portion of said wheel driving force generated by said first driving force generation device to power usable as power driving said second driving force generation device; and

a control device operative to drive said automobile in accordance with a driver'"'"'s instructions, wherein;

said source of electric power is a secondary battery; and

said control device considers vehicle requirement power Calculated in accordance with said driver'"'"'s instructions and required to run the vehicle and charge requirement power for maintaining a level of charge of said secondary battery and in addition thereto power generated by said exhaust heat recovery power generation device to control said first driving force generation device'"'"'s operation.

8. An automobile comprising:

a first driving force generation device using a fuel'"'"'s combustion energy as a source to generate wheel driving force;

the exhaust heat recovery power generation device as recited in claim 3, said exhaust heat recovery power generation device generating power with said first driving force generation device serving as said heat source; and

a source of electric power; and

a second driving force generation device using power generated by said exhaust heat recovery power generation device and that supplied from said source of electric power as a source to generate wheel driving force.

2. (canceled)