Organic Rankine Cycle Mechanically and Thermally Coupled to an Engine Driving a Common Load

• US 20090211253A1
• Filed: 06/16/2006
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: UTC Power Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhang, Lili, Radcliff, Thomas D., Biederman, Bruce P., McCord, Kent R.
• Application Number:
  US11/922,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20090211253A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/670
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 23/065 the combustion taking place in an internal combustion piston engine, e.g. a diesel engine

Abstract

The shaft (20) of an engine (19) is coupled to a turbine (28) of an organic Rankine cycle subsystem which extracts heat (45-48, 25) from engine intake air, coolant, oil, EGR and exhaust. Bypass valves (92,94, 96, 99) control engine temperatures. Turbine pressure drop is controlled via a bypass valve (82) or a mass flow control valve (113). A refrigeration subsystem having a compressor (107) coupled to the engine shaft uses its evaporator (45a) to cool engine intake air. The ORC evaporator (25a) may comprise a muffler including pressure pulse reducing fins (121, 122), some of which have NOx and/or particulate reducing catalysts thereon.

Claims

1. Apparatus, comprising:

a load (21);

an internal combustion engine (19) having a shaft (20) through which it delivers torque to the load, said engine having an air inlet receiving air from a source (51), said engine having exhaust (24) passing through a heat exchanger (25);

an organic Rankine cycle subsystem including a turbine (28) having a shaft (20, 20a) coupled to said engine shaft and having an organic Rankine cycle working fluid that is vaporized in said heat exchanger;

characterized by;

said organic Rankine cycle working fluid being preheated (45-48), before vaporization, by heat extracted from one or more engine fluids of said engine, to thereby cool the engine, said heat exchanger comprising an evaporator (25) for heating the organic Rankine cycle working fluid with engine exhaust (24), said evaporator having a serpentine organic Rankine cycle fluid flow conduit (120) with exhaust pressure pulse reducing fins (121, 122) disposed on said conduit;

an air conditioning subcycle system having a coolant compressor (107) mechanically coupled to said shaft (20), a coolant condenser (109) receiving coolant flow from said compressor, an expansion valve (113) passing coolant flow from said coolant condenser, and an evaporator (45a) in fluid communication between the expansion valve and the compressor, said evaporator comprising a heat exchanger providing thermal communication between said coolant flow and air flowing from said source to said air inlet;

turbine bypass valving (81, 82) selectively operable to bypass the organic Rankine cycle working fluid around the turbine; and

means (81, 82, 84, 89) for controlling organic Rankine cycle working fluid pressure drop across the turbine.

2-3. -3. (canceled)

4. Apparatus comprising:

an exhaust heat exchanger (25);

an internal combustion engine (19) configured to deliver torque to a shaft (20), said engine configured to provide exhaust (24) through said exhaust heat exchanger;

an organic Rankine cycle subsystem configured to have working fluid in fluid passageways (26, 27, 29, 40, 45-48) vaporized in said exhaust heat exchanger;

characterized by;

said exhaust heat exchanger (25) has a selectively operable bypass valve (99, 106) to maintain a predetermined superheated organic Rankine cycle vapor temperature.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 further characterized by:

said bypass valve (99) is configured to bypass the engine exhaust (24) around said exhaust heat exchanger (25).

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 further characterized by:

said bypass valve (106) is configured to bypass the organic Rankine cycle fluid around said exhaust heat exchanger (25).

7. Apparatus according to claim 4 further characterized by:

a controller (79) responsive to organic Rankine cycle vapor temperature (100) for selectively operating said bypass valve (99).

8. Apparatus according to claim 4 further characterized by:

said bypass valve (99, 106) is a passive, thermostatic valve.

20. Apparatus according to claim 4 further characterized by:

an oil pump (65) configured to circulate engine oil;

said turbine (28) has an oil lubricating system; and

said oil pump is configured to pressurize oil for said oil lubricating system.

33. Apparatus according to claim 4 further characterized by:

said exhaust heat exchanger (25a) having a serpentine organic Rankine cycle fluid flow conduit (120) with exhaust pressure pulse reducing fins (121, 122) disposed on said conduit.

34. Apparatus according to claim 33 further characterized by:

said fins (121, 122) being oriented at an angle to each one row of the serpentine conduit which is opposite to an angle at which said fins are oriented to rows of the serpentine conduit adjacent to said each one row.

35. Apparatus according to claim 33 further characterized by:

at least a portion of the fins (121) being covered by a catalyst selected to aid in reducing at least one of oxides of nitrogen and particulates in the exhaust.

9. Apparatus comprising:

an exhaust heat exchanger (25);

an internal combustion engine (19) configured to deliver torque to a shaft (20), said engine configured to provide exhaust (24) through said exhaust heat exchanger;

an organic Rankine cycle subsystem configured to have working fluid in fluid passageways (26-27, 29, 40, 45-48) vaporized in said exhaust heat exchanger;

characterized by;

said fluid flow passageways configured to transfer (46, 47) engine heat from at least one engine fluid passageway to said organic Rankine cycle fluid in at least one heat exchanger (46, 47) having at least one selectively operable bypass valve (94, 96).

11. Apparatus according to claim 9 further characterized by:

said fluid flow passageways (26b, 26c) including a coolant heat exchanger (46) thermally coupled with the engine coolant passageways;

said coolant heat exchanger (46) having at least one selectively operable bypass valve (94).

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 further characterized by:

said bypass valve (94) is configured to bypass the organic Rankine cycle fluid around the coolant heat exchanger (46).

13. Apparatus according to claim 11 further characterized by:

said bypass valve (94) is configured to bypass engine coolant around the coolant heat exchanger (46).

17. Apparatus according to claim 9 further characterized by:

said fluid flow passageways including an oil heat exchanger (47) thermally coupled with the engine oil; and

said oil heat exchanger (47) having at least one selectively operable bypass valve (96).

18. Apparatus according to claim 17 further characterized by:

said bypass valve (96) is configured to bypass the organic Rankine cycle fluid around the oil heat exchanger.

19. Apparatus according to claim 17 further characterized by:

said bypass valve (96) is configured to bypass engine oil around the oil heat exchanger.

23. Apparatus according to claim 9 further characterized by:

said fluid flow passageways (26b, 26d) are thermally coupled with engine coolant passageways (57) and engine oil passageways (63, 64) in respective individual coils of a single heat exchanger (46, 47).

30. Apparatus according to claim 9 further characterized by:

said fluid flow passageways (26a, 26b) including an engine inlet air heat exchanger (45) thermally coupled with the engine compressed intake air passageway (54, 55) and having a selectively operable bypass valve (92).

31. Apparatus according to claim 30 further characterized by:

said bypass valve (92) is configured to bypass the organic Rankine cycle fluid around the inlet air heat exchanger (45).

32. Apparatus according to claim 30 further characterized by:

said bypass valve (92) is configured to bypass the inlet air around the inlet air heat exchanger (45).

10. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

21-22. -22. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

27. Apparatus comprising:

an exhaust heat exchanger (25);

an internal combustion engine (19) configured to deliver torque to a shaft (20), said engine configured to provide exhaust (24) through said exhaust heat exchanger;

an organic Rankine cycle subsystem configured to have working fluid in fluid passageways (26, 27, 29, 40, 45-48) vaporized in said exhaust heat exchanger;

characterized by;

said fluid flow passageways configured to transfer (48) engine heat from an engine exhaust gas recycle flow passageway (24a, 71).

15. Apparatus according to claim 27 further characterized by:

said fluid flow passageways configured to transfer (47) engine heat from engine oil passageways (63, 64, 65).

25. Apparatus according to claim 27 further characterized by:

said fluid flow passageways (26c, 26d, 26e) are thermally coupled with an exhaust gas recycle flow passageway (24a, 71) and with an engine oil passageway (63, 64) by respective separate heat exchangers (48, 47).

26. Apparatus according to claim 27 further characterized by:

said fluid flow passageways (26c, 26e) are thermally coupled with an exhaust gas recycle flow passageway (24a, 71) and with an engine oil passageway (63, 64) by respective individual coils of a single heat exchanger (47, 48).

28-29. -29. (canceled)

36. Apparatus comprising:

an exhaust heat exchanger (25);

an internal combustion engine (19) configured to deliver torque to a shaft (20), said engine configured to provide exhaust (24) through said exhaust heat exchanger;

an organic Rankine cycle subsystem configured to have working fluid in fluid passageways (26, 27, 29, 40, 45-48 vaporized in said exhaust heat exchanger;

characterized by;

turbine bypass valving (81, 82) selectively operable to bypass the organic Rankine cycle working fluid around the turbine.

37. Apparatus according to claim 36 further characterized by:

said valving (81, 82) is configured to bypass the turbine (28) in the event of organic Rankine cycle subsystem failure thereby to continue to cool the engine.

38. Apparatus according to claim 36 further characterized by:

said organic Rankine cycle subsystem includes a condenser (35) configured to provide a first amount of heat transfer during normal operation and to provide a second amount of heat transfer greater than said first amount in the event of organic Rankine cycle failure.

39. Apparatus according to claim 36 further characterized by:

a selectively operable exhaust heat exchanger bypass valve (99, 106).

40. Apparatus according to claim 39 further characterized by:

said exhaust heat exchanger bypass valve (99) is configured to bypass exhaust (24) around the exhaust beat exchanger (25).

41. Apparatus according to claim 39 further characterized by:

said exhaust heat exchanger bypass valve (106) is configured to bypass the organic Rankine cycle working fluid around the exhaust heat exchanger (25).

42. Apparatus according to claim 36 further characterized by:

said turbine bypass valving (81, 82) being selectively operable to control pressure drop across the turbine.

43. Apparatus, comprising:

an engine (19) configured to apply torque to a shaft (20), said engine having an air inlet configured to receive air from a source (54, 51);

characterized by;

an air conditioning subcycle system having a coolant compressor (107) mechanically coupled to said shaft, a coolant condenser (109) receiving coolant flow from said compressor, an expansion valve (113) having a fluid coupling to said coolant condenser, and an evaporator (45a) providing fluid coupling between the expansion valve and the compressor, said evaporator comprising a heat exchanger providing thermal coupling between said coolant flow and air flowing from said source to said air inlet.

44. Apparatus according to claim 43 farther characterized by:

an organic Rankine cycle subsystem including a turbine (28) having a shaft (20, 20a) coupled to said engine shaft (20) and configured to have organic Rankine cycle working fluid in fluid flow passageways (26, 27, 29, 40, 45-48) vaporized (25) by heat (24) generated by said engine, said organic Rankine cycle subsystem including an organic Rankine cycle fluid condenser (35) disposed adjacent to said coolant condenser (109) and configured to transfer heat from the coolant flow to the organic Rankine cycle working fluid.

45. Apparatus according to claim 43 further characterized by:

said source of inlet air comprising an engine inlet air compressor (51).

46. Apparatus characterized by:

means (81, 82, 84, 89) for controlling organic Rankine cycle working fluid pressure drop across the turbine, said means selected from (a) means (89) for controlling the mass flow of the organic Rankine cycle working fluid, and (b) a fixed transmission (85a) coupling the turbine (28) to the engine shaft (20), with said engine (19) configured to operate at a predetermined rotary speed, at a ratio to cause said turbine to operate at an optimum turbine rotary speed for a maximum allowable turbine pressure drop, and said bypass valve (82) configured to selectively bypass a portion of the organic Rankine cycle working fluid around the turbine to prevent the pressure drop across the turbine from exceeding the maximum allowable pressure drop.