RANKINE CYCLE SYSTEM

• US 20180252121A1
• Filed: 02/19/2016
• Published: 09/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: KOBAYASHI, Hideo
• Granted Patent: US 10,450,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/02 Shutting-down responsive to overspeed
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 23/065 the combustion taking place in an internal combustion piston engine, e.g. a diesel engine
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 23/14 including at least one combustion engine
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 5/04 in combination with other waste heat from combustion engines

Abstract

In a Rankine cycle system, a part of a liquid-phase heat medium that boils in a heat medium passage of an engine changes to a gas-phase heat medium. The gas-phase heat medium is superheated by a superheater that superheats by heat exchange with exhaust gas of the engine to be superheated steam. The superheated steam that passes through the superheater is blown to a turbine to rotate the turbine, and thereafter is condensed in a condenser. The turbine is connected to an output shaft of the engine by a power transmission pathway, and the power transmission pathway is provided with a clutch mechanism. A turbine outlet valve is provided between the turbine and the condenser, and an ECU closes the turbine outlet valve when the power transmission pathway is disconnected by an action of the clutch mechanism.

Claims

1. A Rankine cycle system, comprising:

a boiler that boils a liquid-phase heat medium by waste heat of an internal combustion engine to change the liquid-phase heat medium into a gas-phase heat medium;

a superheater that superheats a gas-phase heat medium discharged from the boiler by heat exchange with exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine;

a turbine that rotates by receiving supply of a gas-phase heat medium passing through the superheater;

a condenser that condenses a gas-phase heat medium passing through the turbine and returns the gas-phase heat medium to a liquid-phase heat medium;

a control valve that is provided between the turbine and the condenser;

a power transmission pathway that transmits rotation of the turbine to an output shaft of the internal combustion engine;

a clutch mechanism that connects or disconnects the power transmission pathway; and

a controller that is configured to operate the control valve in a closing direction, when the power transmission pathway is disconnected by an action of the clutch mechanism.

2. The Rankine cycle system according to claim 1,

wherein the clutch mechanism is configured so that the power transmission pathway is disconnected when an engine speed of the internal combustion engine exceeds an engine speed threshold value.

3. The Rankine cycle system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a bypass path that branches from between the boiler and the superheater to join into between the control valve and the condenser; and

a bypass valve that is provided in the bypass path,

wherein the controller is configured to open the bypass valve when the controller operates the control valve in the closing direction.

4. The Rankine cycle system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a turbine rotation sensor that acquires a rotation speed of the turbine,

wherein the controller is configured to adjust an opening degree of the control valve so that the rotation speed of the turbine comes close to a turbine rotation speed threshold value, when the power transmission pathway is disconnected by the action of the clutch mechanism.

5. The Rankine cycle system according to claim 1,

wherein the controller is configured to calculate an output of the turbine from an inlet pressure that is a steam pressure of a gas-phase heat medium at an inlet side of the turbine and an outlet pressure that is a steam pressure of a gas-phase heat medium at an outlet side of the turbine, calculate a fluid friction resistance by blades of the turbine from the outlet pressure, and operate the control valve so that a ratio of the fluid friction resistance to the output of the turbine comes close to a predetermined target ratio when the power transmission pathway is disconnected by the action of the clutch mechanism.