TurboCharger with an electric motor

• US 8,371,121 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2007
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lindenmaier A/G, SycoTec GmbH & Co. KG.
• Original Assignee: Lindenmaier A/G, SycoTec GmbH & Co. KG.
• Inventors: Heber, Ralf, Bischof, Thomas, Maier, Sandra, Gdeke, Holger, Lffler, Rudolf, Kmpfer, Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Denion, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): SETAYESH, CAMERON A
• Application Number:
  US11/781,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20080289333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,031 Days
• Field of Search: 606/051, 606/07, 606/08, 602/89, 417/24, 417/379, 417/380, 417/381, 417/407, 417/410.1, 417/423.1
• US Class Current: 60/607
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/16 Arrangement of bearings; Supporting or mounting bearings in casings bearings per se F16C
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/025 Fixing blade carrying members on shafts attachment of a member on a shaft in general F16D1/06; for non-positive displacement pumps F04D29/00
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/107 More than one exhaust manifold or exhaust collector
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/025 Multiple scrolls or multiple gas passages guiding the gas to the pump drive
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/10 at least one pump being alternatively or simultaneously driven by exhaust and other drive, e.g. by pressurised fluid from a reservoir or an engine-driven pump
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 39/10 electric
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 17/061 with rotation axis substantially in flow direction
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 13/0646 the hollow pump or motor shaft being the conduit for the working fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/024 the driving means being assisted by a power recovery turbine
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/0606 the electric motor being specially adapted for integration in the pump
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/40 in turbochargers
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/706 an electrical generator
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/70642 of the synchronous type
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/7068 equipped with permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/304 Spool rotational speed
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/40 in turbochargers
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/76 an electrical generator
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/7642 of the synchronous type
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/768 equipped with permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/304 Spool rotational speed
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/128 : using air-gap sleeves or air-gap discs
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/14 : Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1823 : structurally associated with turbines or similar engines
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/06 : with fans or impellers driven by the machine shaft
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/20 : Hydro energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/30 : Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/14 : Combined heat and power generation [CHP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 : Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A turbocharger includes a turbine wheel, a compressor wheel connected thereto, an electric motor situated on the side of the compressor wheel which is distant to the turbine wheel, and a rotor connected to the compressor wheel in a rotationally fixed manner and designed in a freely projecting manner. A drive system for motor vehicles includes a turbocharger. The turbocharger is characterized by a very spontaneous response behavior, as well as the possibility for energy recovery.

Claims

1. A turbocharger, comprising:

a turbine wheel;

a compressor wheel connected to the turbine wheel;

an electric motor situated on a side of the compressor wheel which is distant to the turbine wheel; and

a rotor connected to the compressor wheel in a rotationally fixed manner and designed in a freely projecting manner,

wherein the electric motor includes a stator, the stator being a substantially a hollow-cylindrical shape,

wherein a rotor gap between the rotor and the stator represents an inlet air opening for the compressor wheel,

wherein a smallest inner diameter of the stator is 1.5 to 8 times as large as a largest outer diameter of the rotor, and

wherein the inlet air opening is the only air feed opening.

2. A turbocharger according to claim 1, wherein the turbine wheel and the compressor wheel are permanently connected to one another in a rotational fixed manner.

3. A turbocharger according to claim 1, further comprising:

a housing including a turbine housing for the turbine wheel and a compressor housing for the compressor wheel.

4. A turbocharger according to claim 1, wherein the mounting of the turbine wheel and the compressor wheel is given exclusively in a region between the turbine wheel and the compressor wheel.

5. A turbocharger according to claim 3, further comprising:

a bearing housing situated between the turbine housing and the compressor housing, the bearing housing receiving bearing elements for the turbine wheel and the compressor wheel.

6. A turbocharger according to claim 1, wherein a rotor of the electric motor comprises a rotor magnet which is surrounded by an sheathing.

7. A turbocharger according to claim 1, wherein the stator is designed as a part of an inner wall of the compressor housing.

8. A turbocharger according to claim 1, wherein the stator is inserted as an insert into a corresponding opening of the compressor housing.

9. A turbocharger according to claim 1, wherein the inlet air opening is free of struts between the rotor and the stator.

10. A turbocharger according to claim 1, wherein a smallest inner diameter of the stator is 2 to 4 times as large as a largest outer diameter of the rotor.

11. A turbocharger according to claim 6, wherein the sheathing of the rotor has a cylinder-shaped manner.

12. A turbocharger according to claim 6, wherein the rotor magnet on the inside is hollow in regions, for placing onto a common shaft with the compressor wheel.

13. A turbocharger according to claim 6, wherein the rotor magnet is integrated partially into the compressor wheel.

14. A turbocharger according to claim 6, wherein the rotor magnet is completely integrated into the compressor wheel.

15. A turbocharger according to claim 1, wherein the compressor wheel is composed of a non-metallic material.

16. A turbocharger according to claim 15, wherein the non-metallic material is one of a reinforced plastic and a non-reinforced plastic.

17. A turbocharger according to claim 2, wherein the turbine housing is connected to an exhaust gas conduit of an internal combustion engine for the drive of the turbine wheel using exhaust gas flowing out of the internal combustion engine.

18. A turbocharger according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor is switched from motor operation into a generator operation.

19. A turbocharger according to claim 1, wherein a nominal voltage of the electric motor is one of 12, 24 and 48 V.

23. A turbocharger according to claim 1, wherein the compressor wheel is situated between the rotor and a combustion space of an engine.

25. A turbocharger according to claim 1, wherein the smallest inner diameter of the stator and the largest outer diameter of the rotor relate to a region of the rotor and the stator which is one of electrically and magnetically active.

20. A drive system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

an internal combustion engine;

a storage device storing electrical energy;

a turbocharger including (a) a turbine wheel;

(b) a compressor wheel connected to the turbine wheel;

(c) an electric motor situated on a side of the compressor wheel which is distant to the turbine wheel; and

(d) a rotor connected to the compressor wheel in a rotationally fixed manner and designed in a freely projecting manner,

wherein the electric motor of the turbocharger is connected to the storage device for taking the electrical energy in a motor operation of the turbocharger and for feeding the electrical energy in a generator operation of the turbocharger,

wherein the electric motor includes a stator, the stator being a substantially a hollow-cylindrical shape,

wherein a rotor gap between the rotor and the stator represents an inlet air opening for the compressor wheel,

wherein a smallest inner diameter of the stator is 1.5 to 8 times as large as a largest outer diameter of the rotor, and

wherein the inlet air opening is the only air feed opening.

21. A drive system according to claim 20, wherein the electrical storage device connected to the electric motor of the turbocharger is further connected to an electromotoric drive of a motor vehicle.

22. A drive system according to claim 20, further comprising:

an arrangement determining (a) a rotational speed of one of the turbine wheel and the compressor wheel, (b) actual values of pressure conditions on the turbine housing side and compressor housing side, and (c) further values relevant to a torque for the internal combustion engine, wherein the arrangement includes one of control electronics and a sensor.

24. A drive system according to claim 20, wherein the compressor wheel is situated between the rotor and a combustion space of an engine.