Heat exchanger apparatus using porous material, and ceramic engine provided with supercharger driven by thermal energy recorded from exhaust gas by the same apparatus

• US 6,119,457 A
• Filed: 04/13/1998
• Issued: 09/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Isuzu Ceramics Research Institute Co., Ltd. (Isuzu Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Isuzu Ceramics Research Institute Co., Ltd. (Isuzu Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Kawamura, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Denion, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TU MINH
• Application Number:
  US09/058,556
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 60/618, 60/641.5, 60/514, 123/65 BA, 123/119, 122/406.5, 264/635
• US Class Current: 60/618
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 23/065 the combustion taking place in an internal combustion piston engine, e.g. a diesel engine
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 39/085 the fluid drive using expansion of fluids other than exhaust gases, e.g. a Rankine cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 41/00 Engines characterised by special means for improving conversion of heat or pressure energy into mechanical power
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/003 by using permeable mass, perforated or porous materials F28F13/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 165/907 Porous

Abstract

A heat exchange apparatus has heat exchangers comprising porous material of improved heat exchange efficiency provided in an exhaust passage, and a ceramic engine provided with a supercharger comparing a steam turbine driven by the steam generated in the heat exchanger apparatus. The heat exchange apparatus comprises a high temperature heat exchanger having a steam passage provided in an exhaust gas passage through which an exhaust gas passes whereby steam is heated, and a low temperature heat exchanger provided in the portion of the exhaust gas passage on the downstream side of the high temperature heat exchanger which has a water passage for heating water by the exhaust gas. The ceramic engine has a steam turbine type supercharger provided with a steam turbine driven by the steam from the high temperature heat exchanges, a compressor, and a condenser which separates a fluid discharged from the steam turbine into water and low temperature steam. Pressurized air from the compressor is supplied to the combustion chamber, which presses down a piston to carry out compression work during an intake stroke.

Claims

1. A ceramic engine comprising a combustion chamber having a heat insulating structure;

a first heat exchanger provided in an exhaust pipe for discharging an exhaust gas from said combustion chamber to heat steam to a high temperature by the thermal energy of said exhaust gas discharged through said exhaust pipe;

a second heat exchanger provided in said exhaust pipe downstream from said first heat exchanger to heat up water to convert water to steam, which steam is fed to said first heat exchanger; and

a steam turbine supercharger driven by said steam generated by the thermal energy of said exhaust gas which is provided with a steam turbine driven by the high temperature steam from said first heat exchanger, and a compressor driven via a driving shaft of said steam turbine, and which is adapted to supply pressurized air from said compressor to said combustion chamber;

wherein said first heat exchanger comprises a first exhaust gas passage and a steam passage isolated from said first exhaust gas passage by partition walls to allow said steam fed from said second heat exchange to flow through said steam passage; and

wherein said second heat exchanges comprises a second exhaust gas passage and a water passage isolated from said second exhaust gas passage by partition walls to allow said water to flow through said water passage.

2. The ceramic engine according to claim 1, wherein said pressurized air supplied from said compressor in said steam turbine type supercharger to said combustion chamber presses down a piston, which is moved reciprocatingly in said combustion chamber during an intake stroke, and acts on an engine crankshaft.

3. The ceramic engine according to claim 1, wherein said engine has a condenser adapted to separate a fluid discharged from said steam turbine in said steam turbine type supercharger into water and steam and thus reduce a steam pressure, the steam in said first heat exchanger, from said second heat exchanger being heated and turned into high-temperature steam in said first heat exchanger, said water from said condenser being gasified into steam in said second heat exchanger.

4. The ceramic engine according to claim 1, wherein a first steam passage for sending low-temperature steam from said condenser to said first heat exchanger is provided with a first check valve therein.

5. The ceramic engine according to claim 1, wherein a second steam passage for sending steam from said second heat exchanger to said first heat exchanger is provided with a second check valve therein.

6. The ceramic engine according to claim 1, wherein said combustion chamber, said exhaust pipe extending from said combustion chamber to said first heat exchanger, and said exhaust pipe extending from said first heat exchanger to said second heat exchanger are formed to heat insulating structures by ceramic members.

7. The ceramic engine according to claim 1, wherein said driving shaft for operatively connecting said compressor to said steam turbine is mounted with a generator-motor comprising a rotor formed of a permanent magnet fixedly mounted on said driving shaft, and a stator coil provided on the outer side of said rotor.

8. The ceramic engine according to claim 1, wherein said engine is incorporated in a stationary cogeneration system.

9. The ceramic engine according to claim 1 wherein first porous members are packed in said first exhaust gas passage and said steam passage, wherein said first porous members have open pores.

10. The ceramic engine according to claim 9 wherein said first porous members comprise Si₃ N₄, and the surfaces of said first porous members are coated with SiC.

11. The ceramic engine according to claim 1 wherein second porous member are packed in said second exhaust gas passage, wherein said second porous members have open pores.

12. The ceramic engine according to claim 11, wherein said second porous members comprises Si₃ N₄, and the surfaces of said second porous members are coated with SIC.