Internal combustion engine with cooling of intake air using refrigeration of liquefied fuel gas

• US 5,375,580 A
• Filed: 09/08/1993
• Issued: 12/27/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals Incorporated (Linde Plc)
• Original Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals Incorporated (Linde Plc)
• Inventors: Cassano, Anthony A., Hansel, James G., Hegarty, William P., Stolz, Jack L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelli, Raymond A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOLIS, ERICK R
• Application Number:
  US08/118,542
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 123/525, 123/526, 123/527, 123/528, 123/542, 123/563
• US Class Current: 123/527
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2275/14 Direct injection into combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 29/0443 Layout of the coolant or refrigerant circuit
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0209 Hydrocarbon fuels, e.g. methane or acetylene
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0212 comprising at least 3 C-Atoms, e.g. liquefied petroleum gas [LPG], propane or butane
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0215 Mixtures of gaseous fuels; Natural gas; Biogas; Mine gas; Landfill gas
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0245 High pressure fuel supply systems; Rails; Pumps; Arrangement of valves
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0275 for in-cylinder direct injection, e.g. injector combined with spark plug
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0287 characterised by the transition from liquid to gaseous phase F02M21/06 takes precedence; Injection in liquid phase; Cooling and low temperature storage
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/029 Arrangement on engines or vehicle bodies; Conversion to gaseous fuel supply systems
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/06 Apparatus for de-liquefying, e.g. by heating
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels

Abstract

A turbocharged or supercharged internal combustion motive system for utilization of gaseous fuel stored as a liquid wherein the liquefied gaseous fuel is vaporized and warmed at least partially with heat removed from the compressed intake combustion air in the turbocharger or supercharger aftercooler. In a preferred embodiment, the compressed intake combustion air is first cooled in an aftercooler against an ambiently cooled coolant and is subsequently cooled in further aftercooler heat exchange passages against an intermediate coolant which transfers heat removed from the compressed intake combustion air to the liquefied gaseous fuel. Embodiments are disclosed wherein the saturated liquefied gaseous fuel is first subcooled and then pumped to pressures high enough for direct combustion chamber injection and another embodiment discloses vaporization of the saturated liquefied gaseous fuel with compression of the vaporized gas in a compression-type injection system or by low pressure carburetion into the internal combustion engine.

Claims

1. In an internal combustion engine fueled with a fuel gas vaporized from a liquefied gaseous fuel and having means for compressing the combustion intake air and an aftercooler for cooling the compressed combustion intake air against an ambient coolant source, and additional means for effecting heat exchange between the liquefied gaseous fuel and compressed combustion intake air whereby heat is removed from the compressed combustion intake air and said heat is transferred to the liquefied gaseous fuel, the improvement wherein said heat exchange means for effecting heat exchange between the liquefied gaseous fuel and the compressed combustion intake air comprises a cold fuel heat exchanger for indirect heat exchange between the liquefied gaseous fuel and a warmed intermediate circulating coolant wherein heat transferred from the warmed intermediate circulating coolant to the liquefied gaseous fuel lowers the temperature of the warmed intermediate circulating coolant to produce a chilled intermediate circulating coolant and warms the liquefied gaseous fuel to produce a warmed fuel;

means for conducting the liquefied gaseous fuel to the cold fuel heat exchanger;

means for conducting the warmed fuel to the combustion chambers of the internal combustion engine;

means for conducting the chilled intermediate circulating coolant from the cold fuel heat exchanger to the intake air compressor aftercooler wherein the chilled intermediate circulating coolant is indirectly heat exchanged against the compressed combustion intake air to produce a chilled compressed combustion intake air charge and a warmed intermediate circulating coolant; and

means for conducting the warmed intermediate circulating coolant back to the cold fuel heat exchanger.

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the liquefied gaseous fuel delivered to the cold fuel heat exchanger comprises a refrigerated liquid fuel and the cold fuel heat exchanger comprises means for vaporizing said refrigerated liquid fuel.

3. A locomotive interned combustion engine adapted to be fueled at least partially with a liquefied gaseous fuel supplied and vaporized from an accompanying storage vessel containing the liquefied gaseous fuel at pressures below about 200 psig (14 bar-g), said locomotive internal combustion engine comprising an internal combustion engine capable of being operated on a gaseous fuel that can be stored as a liquid at an ambient or subambient temperature while at pressures below about 200 psig (14 bar-g) and which, on expansion to the pressure for injection as fuel into the internal combustion engine, can achieve adiabatic temperatures of below about 50°

F. (10°

C.);

means for compressing combustion intake air;

a first compressed combustion intake air aftercooler for cooling the compressed combustion intake air against an ambient coolant;

means for receiving vaporized gaseous fuel from a cold fuel heat exchanger for indirect heat exchange between the liquid fuel and a warmed intermediate circulating coolant wherein heat transferred from the warmed intermediate circulating coolant lowers the temperature of the warmed intermediate circulating coolant to produce a chilled intermediate circulating coolant and warms the liquid fuel to produce the vaporized gaseous fuel;

means for conducting the vaporized gaseous fuel to the combustion chambers of the internal combustion engine;

means for conducting the chilled intermediate circulating coolant from the cold fuel heat exchanger to a second intake sir compressor aftercooler wherein the chilled intermediate circulating coolant is indirectly heat exchanged against the compressed combustion intake air to produce a chilled compressed combustion intake air charge and a warmed intermediate circulating coolant; and

means for conducting the warmed intermediate circulating coolant back to the cold fuel heat exchanger.

4. In an internal combustion engine fueled with a fuel gas vaporized from a liquefied gaseous fuel and having means for compressing the combustion intake air and an aftercooler for cooling the compressed combustion intake air against an ambient coolant source, and additional means for effecting heat exchange between the liquefied gaseous fuel and compressed combustion intake air whereby heat is removed from the compressed combustion intake air and said heat is transferred to the liquefied gaseous fuel, the improvement wherein said heat exchange means for effecting heat exchange between the liquefied gaseous fuel and the compressed combustion intake air comprises a cold fuel heat exchanger for indirect heat exchange between the liquefied gaseous fuel and a warmed intermediate circulating coolant wherein heat transferred from the warmed intermediate circulating coolant to the liquefied gaseous fuel lowers the temperature of the warmed intermediate circulating coolant to produce a chilled intermediate circulating coolant and warms the liquefied gaseous fuel to produce a warmed fuel;

means for conducting the liquefied gaseous fuel to the cold fuel heat exchanger;

means for conducting the warmed fuel to the combustion chambers of the internal combustion engine;

means for conducting the chilled intermediate circulating coolant from the cold fuel heat exchanger to the intake air compressor aftercooler wherein the chilled intermediate circulating coolant is indirectly heat exchanged against the compressed combustion intake air to produce a chilled compressed combustion intake air charge and a warmed intermediate circulating coolant; and

means for conducting the warmed intermediate circulating coolant back to the cold fuel heat exchanger, the intermediate circulating coolant being contained in a closed intermediate circulating coolant loop separate from the ambient coolant source.

5. In an internal combustion engine fueled with a fuel gas vaporized from a refrigerated liquid fuel and having means for compressing the combustion intake air and an aftercooler for cooling the compressed combustion intake air against an ambient coolant source, and additional means for effecting heat exchange between the refrigerated liquid fuel and compressed combustion intake air whereby heat is removed from the compressed combustion intake air and said heat is transferred to the refrigerated liquid fuel, the improvement further comprising means for conducting the refrigerated liquid fuel to a subcooler wherein the refrigerated liquid fuel is cooled below its saturation temperature to produce a subcooled liquid fuel;

means for drawing off a sidestream of the subcooled liquid fuel and expanding and flashing the sidestream of subcooled liquid fuel to produce a further cooled flashed vapor;

means for indirectly heat exchanging the cooled flashed vapor in the subcooler with the refrigerated liquid fuel;

a pump for raising the pressure of the subcooled liquid fuel to produce a high pressure refrigerated liquid fuel;

means for conducting the subcooled liquid fuel from the subcooler to the pump; and

means for conducting the high pressure refrigerated liquid fuel from the pump to the heat exchange means for effecting heat exchange between the refrigerated liquid fuel and the compressed combustion intake air which comprises a cold fuel heat exchanger for indirect heat exchange between the high pressure refrigerated liquid fuel and a warmed intermediate circulating coolant wherein heat transferred from the warmed intermediate circulating coolant to the high pressure refrigerated liquid fuel lowers the temperature of the warmed intermediate circulating coolant to produce a chilled intermediate circulating coolant and warms the high pressure refrigerated liquid fuel to produce a vaporized fuel;

means for conducting the high pressure refrigerated liquid fuel to the cold fuel heat exchanger;

means for conducting the vaporized fuel to the combustion chambers of the internal combustion engine;

means for conducting the chilled intermediate circulating coolant from the cold fuel heat exchanger to the intake air compressor aftercooler wherein the chilled intermediate circulating coolant is indirectly heat exchanged against the compressed combustion intake air to produce a chilled compressed combustion intake air charge and a warmed intermediate circulating coolant; and

means for conducting the warmed intermediate circulating coolant back to the cold fuel heat exchanger.