Turbocharger having balance valve, wastegate, and common actuator

• US 8,196,403 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2008
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Hittle, Craig Phillip, Kilkenny, Jonathan P., Pierpont, David Andrew, Roozenboom, Stephan Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): DAVIS, MARY ALICE
• Application Number:
  US12/222,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20100024414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 606/052, 606/02, 606/12, 137/601.01, 137/601.09, 137/609.12, 137/609.15, 137/601.12, 137/601.15
• US Class Current: 60/602
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/025 Multiple scrolls or multiple gas passages guiding the gas to the pump drive
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/183 Arrangements of bypass valves or actuators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/22 with coolers in the recirculation passage
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/47 the characteristics being temperatures, pressures or flow rates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A turbocharger for a use with a combustion engine is provided. The turbocharger may have a turbine housing with a first volute, a second volute, and a common outlet. The turbocharger may also have a turbine wheel disposed between the common outlet and the first and second volutes. The turbocharger may further have a first valve configured to selectively fluidly communicate the first volute with the second volute upstream of the turbine wheel, a second valve configured to selectively fluidly communicate the second volute with the common outlet to bypass the turbine wheel, and a common actuator configured to move the first and second valves.

Claims

1. A turbocharger, comprising:

a turbine housing having a first volute, a second volute, and a common outlet;

a turbine wheel disposed between the common outlet and the first and second volutes;

a first valve configured to selectively fluidly communicate the first volute with the second volute upstream of the turbine wheel;

a second valve configured to selectively fluidly communicate the second volute with the common outlet to bypass the turbine wheel, the first and second valves sharing a common pivot axis; and

a common actuator configured to move the first and second valves.

2. The turbocharger of claim 1, wherein the first and second valves are configured to rotate, and the common actuator is configured to move linearly.

3. The turbocharger of claim 2, wherein a movement of the common actuator in a first direction by a first amount rotates only the first valve, and a movement of the common actuator in the first direction by a second amount rotates both the first valve and the second valve.

4. The turbocharger of claim 1, wherein the common actuator is pneumatically operated.

5. The turbocharger of claim 1, further including a valve housing connected to the turbine housing to at least partially enclose the first and second valves.

6. The turbocharger of claim 1, further including a valve housing connected to the turbine housing to at least partially enclose only the second valve, wherein the first valve is at least partially enclosed within the turbine housing.

7. The turbocharger of claim 1, wherein the common actuator is fixedly connected to only the first valve.

8. The turbocharger of claim 7, further including:

a first pivot member fixedly connecting the common actuator to the first valve;

a second pivot member fixedly connected to only the second valve; and

a link member fixedly connected to the first pivot member and including a channel configured to slidingly receive the second pivot member.

9. The turbocharger of claim 7, further including:

a first pivot member fixedly connecting the common actuator to the first valve; and

a second pivot member fixedly connected to only the second valve and including a channel configured to slidingly receive the first pivot member.

10. The turbocharger of claim 1, wherein during movement of the common actuator, the first valve is moved to fluidly communicate the first volute with the second volute before the second valve is moved to fluidly communicate the second volute with the common outlet.

11. The turbocharger of claim 1, wherein the second valve includes a sleeve member aligned with the common pivot axis that receives at least a portion of the first valve.

12. The turbocharger of claim 1, wherein the first valve includes:

a first sealing element associated with the first volute; and

a second sealing element associated with the second volute and rigidly connected to the first sealing element.

13. The turbocharger of claim 12, further including:

a fluid chamber;

a first wall member separating the fluid chamber from the first and second volutes, the first wall member having a first port associated with the first volute and a second port associated with the second volute; and

a second wall member separating the fluid chamber from the outlet and having a third port associated with the common outlet,

wherein the first sealing element is configured to selectively block the first port, the second sealing element is configured to selectively block the second port, and the second valve is configured to selectively block the third port.

14. The turbocharger of claim 13, wherein:

a flow area of the third port is greater than a flow area of the first port or a flow area of the second port; and

a flow capacity of the first volute is less than a flow capacity of the second volute.

15. A method of handling exhaust from an engine having a first plurality of combustion chambers and a second plurality of combustion chambers, the method comprising:

receiving exhaust from the first plurality of combustion chambers;

receiving exhaust from the second plurality of combustion chambers;

moving a common actuator in a first direction by a first amount to actuate a first valve of a valve assembly, thereby mixing exhaust received from the first plurality of combustion chambers with exhaust received from the second plurality of combustion chambers;

directing exhaust received from the first and second pluralities of combustion chambers through a turbine; and

moving the common actuator in the first direction by a second amount to actuate a second valve of the valve assembly, thereby allowing exhaust received from the second plurality of combustion chambers to bypass the turbine, the first and second valves sharing a common pivot axis.

16. The method of claim 15, further including converting linear motion from the common actuator to rotation of the valve assembly.

17. A power system, comprising:

an engine having a first plurality of combustion chambers and a second plurality of combustion chambers;

a first exhaust manifold configured to receive exhaust from only the first plurality of combustion chambers;

a second exhaust manifold configured to receive exhaust from only the second plurality of combustion chambers;

a turbocharger having a first volute in fluid communication with the first exhaust manifold, a second volute having a greater flow capacity than the first volute and being in fluid communication with the second exhaust manifold, a turbine wheel configured to receive exhaust from the first and second volutes, and a common outlet;

a valve assembly including;

a first valve configured to selectively fluidly communicate the first volute with the second volute at a location upstream of the turbine wheel, and

a second valve configured to selectively fluidly communicate the second volute with the common outlet to bypass the turbine wheel, the first and second valves sharing a common pivot axis; and

a single actuator configured to move the valve assembly.

18. The power system of claim 17, wherein the single actuator is configured to:

move in a first direction by a first amount to actuate the first valve, thereby fluidly communicating the first volute with the second volute at a location upstream of the turbine wheel; and

move in the first direction by a second amount to actuate the second valve, thereby fluidly communicating the second volute with the common outlet to bypass the turbine wheel.