VEHICLE WASTE HEAT RECOVERY SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATION

• US 20110220729A1
• Filed: 03/09/2010
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: BUCKNELL, John R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,628,025 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 237/12.3R
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 5/02 the devices using heat
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 9/06 by use of refrigerating apparatus, e.g. of compressor or absorber type
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 41/10 in exhaust turbines use of exhaust turbines for charging F02B37/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A vehicle waste heat recovery system may include a first pump, an internal combustion engine, a waste heat recovery device and a condenser. The first pump may be in fluid communication with a fluid. The internal combustion engine may be operable to power rotation of a drive axle of a vehicle and may define an engine coolant passage having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the first pump. The waste heat recovery device may have an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the engine coolant passage. The condenser may have an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the waste heat recovery device and an outlet in fluid communication with an inlet of the first pump.

Claims

1. A vehicle waste heat recovery system comprising:

a first pump in fluid communication with a fluid;

an internal combustion engine operable to power rotation of a drive axle of a vehicle and defining an engine coolant passage having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the first pump;

a waste heat recovery device having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the engine coolant passage; and

a condenser having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the waste heat recovery device and an outlet in fluid communication with an inlet of the first pump.

2. The waste heat recovery system of claim 1, further comprising a cabin heat exchanger in fluid communication with the condenser and a second pump, the second pump being located between the cabin heat exchanger and the outlet of the waste heat recovery device, the waste heat recovery system operable in a cabin heating mode and a cabin cooling mode, the cabin heating mode including the second pump providing the fluid from the outlet of the waste heat recovery device through the cabin heat exchanger and then to the condenser and the cabin cooling mode including the second pump providing the fluid from the outlet of the waste heat recovery device through the condenser and then to the cabin heat exchanger.

3. The waste heat recovery system of claim 2, wherein the second pump includes a first ejector pump having a first motive fluid inlet and a second ejector pump having a second motive fluid inlet, the first motive fluid inlet being closed, the second motive fluid inlet being opened and the second ejector pump forcing the fluid from the outlet of the waste heat recovery device through the first ejector pump to the cabin heat exchanger during the cabin heating mode, the first motive fluid inlet being open and the first ejector pump drawing the fluid from the outlet of the condenser through the cabin heat exchanger and returning the fluid to the inlet of the condenser during the cabin cooling mode.

4. The waste heat recovery system of claim 1, further comprising an electric motor operably engaged with the drive axle to propel the vehicle and cooperating with the internal combustion engine to form a hybrid powertrain, the waste heat recovery device including a drive mechanism operably engaged with the drive axle to propel the vehicle.

5. The waste heat recovery system of claim 4, wherein the drive mechanism is drivingly engaged with an engine crankshaft and is engaged with the drive axle via the crankshaft.

6. The waste heat recovery system of claim 4, wherein the drive mechanism is incorporated into a transmission of the vehicle and engaged with the drive axle via the transmission.

7. The waste heat recovery system of claim 4, further comprising a hybrid vehicle electronics heat exchanger and a transmission heat exchanger in fluid communication with the first pump and located between the outlet of the first pump and the inlet of the waste heat recovery device.

8. The waste heat recovery system of claim 1, further comprising a cabin heat exchanger, a second pump and an electric compressor, the cabin heat exchanger being in fluid communication with the condenser and the second pump, the second pump being located between the cabin heat exchanger and the outlet of the waste heat recovery device, and the electric compressor being located between the cabin heat exchanger and an inlet of the condenser.

9. A vehicle waste heat recovery system comprising:

a hybrid powertrain including;

an internal combustion engine operable to power rotation of a drive axle of a vehicle and defining an engine coolant passage; and

a hybrid power assembly including an electric motor operably engaged with the drive axle to propel the vehicle and a hybrid electronics heat exchanger;

a transmission heat exchanger;

a first pump in fluid communication with a fluid and having an outlet in fluid communication with an inlet of the engine coolant passage, an inlet of the hybrid electronics heat exchanger, and an inlet of the transmission heat exchanger; and

a waste heat recovery device including;

an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the engine coolant passage, an outlet of the hybrid electronics heat exchanger, and an outlet of the transmission heat exchanger; and

an outlet in fluid communication with an inlet of the first pump.

10. The waste heat recovery system of claim 9, wherein the waste heat recovery device is incorporated into the hybrid powertrain and operably engaged with the drive axle to power rotation of the drive axle using energy recovered from the waste heat recovery system.

11. A method comprising:

operating a vehicle waste heat recovery system in a waste heat recovery mode including pumping a fluid through an engine cooling system of an internal combustion engine and transferring heat from the engine to the fluid;

providing the fluid exiting the engine cooling system to a waste heat recovery device and recovering energy from the transferred heat;

providing the fluid exiting the waste heat recovery device to a condenser; and

returning the fluid exiting the condenser to the engine cooling system.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising pumping the fluid through a vehicle cabin heat exchanger to maintain a desired vehicle cabin temperature.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising operating the waste heat recovery system in a cabin cooling mode including the internal combustion engine being off and pumping the fluid via an electrically powered compressor in a loop from the compressor to the condenser then through an expansion valve to the cabin heat exchanger to provide cabin cooling.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising operating the waste heat recovery system in a cabin warm-up mode including pumping the fluid in a loop from the cooling system of the internal combustion engine during engine operation to the cabin heat exchanger and back to the cooling system to provide cabin heating, the cabin warm-up mode including bypassing the condenser during the loop.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising operating the waste heat recovery system in a cabin cooling mode during the waste heat recovery mode including drawing a first portion of the fluid exiting the condenser through an expansion valve to the cabin heat exchanger to provide cabin cooling, the returning the fluid exiting the condenser to the engine cooling system including pumping a second portion of the fluid exiting the condenser to the engine cooling system.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising operating the waste heat recovery system without cabin cooling during the waste heat recovery mode including providing the fluid exiting the waste heat recovery device to the condenser and returning the fluid exiting the condenser to the engine cooling system while bypassing the cabin heat exchanger.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising operating the waste heat recovery system in a cabin heating mode during the waste heat recovery mode including pumping a first portion of the fluid exiting the waste heat recovery device to the cabin heat exchanger and then to the condenser to provide cabin heating and pumping a second portion of the fluid exiting the waste heat recovery device to the condenser, and returning the fluid exiting the condenser to the engine cooling system.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising driving rotation of a drive axle of a hybrid vehicle via the waste heat recovery device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising pumping the fluid through a hybrid electronics heat exchanger and a transmission heat exchanger and providing the fluid exiting the hybrid electronics heat exchanger and the transmission heat exchanger to the waste heat recovery device.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising drawing a first portion of the fluid exiting the condenser through an expansion valve to a cabin heat exchanger to provide cabin cooling, the returning the fluid exiting the condenser to the engine cooling system including pumping a second portion of the fluid exiting the condenser to the engine cooling system.