Device and method for utilizing the waste heat of an internal combustion engine, in particular for utilizing the waste heat of a vehicle engine

• US 9,657,601 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alena Von Lavante, Mikhael Mitri
• Original Assignee: Alena Von Lavante, Mikhael Mitri
• Inventors: Mitri, Mikhael, Von Lavante, Alena
• Primary Examiner(s): Trieu, Thai Ba
• Application Number:
  US14/362,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20150033737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: 60616, 60618, 60645, 60651, 60653
• 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 23/10 with exhaust fluid of one cycle heating the fluid in another cycle F01K17/025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 25/06 using mixtures of different fluids plants using mixtures of steam and gas F01K21/04
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 25/08 using special vapours
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 7/32 the engines using steam of critical or overcritical pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 5/02 the devices using heat
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 2260/00 Recuperating heat from exhaust gases of combustion engines and heat from cooling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 5/04 in combination with other waste heat from combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/16 Combined cycle power plant [CCPP], or combined cycle gas turbine [CCGT]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A method and a device for utilizing waste heat of an internal combustion engine, particularly for utilizing the waste heat of a vehicle engine, including at least one heat exchanger to transfer the waste heat from an internal combustion engine to a working medium; at least one turbine connected to a generator for generating mechanical or electrical energy, wherein said turbine is driven by said working medium; at least one cooler for cooling the working medium; at least one compressor for compressing the working medium; and at least one working medium circuit with pipes for the working medium, wherein the working medium, preferably carbon dioxide, propane, methanol or ethanol or a mixture of these fluids, is at least partially in a supercritical state.

Claims

1. A system of utilizing waste heat of an internal combustion engine, comprising:

a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger to transfer the waste heat from an internal combustion engine to a working medium;

at least one turbine connected to a generator for generating mechanical or electrical energy, wherein said at least one turbine is driven by said working medium;

at least one cooler for cooling the working medium;

at least one compressor for compressing the working medium;

a first working medium circuit with pipes for the working medium, wherein the working medium is at least one of carbon dioxide, propane, methanol, and ethanol, and wherein the working medium is in a supercritical state throughout an entirety of the first working medium circuit; and

wherein said first heat exchanger is located in a coolant stream of the internal combustion engine and arranged in the coolant stream such that the waste heat from the internal combustion engine is transferrable from the coolant stream to the working medium via the first heat exchanger.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one recuperator which transfers heat from a fluid flow to be cooled to a fluid flow to be heated, wherein the at least one recuperator cools the working medium after said at least one turbine and heats the working medium prior to said first heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said second heat exchanger is located in an exhaust stream of the internal combustion engine.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein two said first heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger are arranged in the first working medium circuit.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the pipes of the first working medium circuit are arranged between said first heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger;

and

afterwards to eventually following said first heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger,

between said second heat exchanger and said at least one turbine,

between said at least one turbine and said at least one cooler,

between said at least one cooler and said at least one compressor, and

between said at least one compressor and said first heat exchanger.

6. The system according to claim 5,

wherein at least one recuperator is arranged in the first working medium circuit between said at least one turbine and said at least one cooler as well as between said at least one compressor and said at least one heat exchanger;

and

wherein the at least one recuperator cools the working medium between said at least one turbine and said at least one cooler and heats the working medium between the at least one compressor and the first heat exchanger.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a second working medium circuit;

wherein said first heat exchanger is arranged in said first working medium circuit; and

wherein said second heat exchanger is arranged said second working medium circuit.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said first working medium circuit is fluidly separated from said second working medium circuit.

9. The system according to claim 7,

wherein a third heat exchanger is arranged between said first working medium circuit and said second working medium circuit to transfer heat from the working medium of the second working medium circuit to the working medium of the first working medium circuit, and

wherein said first working medium circuit is fluidly separated from said second working medium circuit are fluidly separated from each other within said third heat exchanger.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein at least one recuperator is arranged in the second working medium circuit between said at least one turbine and said third heat exchanger and between said at least compressor and said second heat exchanger, to cool the working medium of the second medium circuit between said at least one turbine and the third heat exchanger and to heat the working medium of the second working medium circuit between said at least one compressor and said second heat exchanger.

11. The system according to claim 7,

wherein said second heat exchanger of said second working medium circuit is located in an exhaust stream of the internal combustion engine.

12. A method of converting thermal energy into mechanical work by transferring waste heat of a vehicle engine to a working medium, comprising the steps of:

heating said working medium with a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, wherein said first heat exchanger is located in a coolant stream of the internal combustion engine and arranged in the coolant stream such that the waste heat from the internal combustion engine is transferred from the coolant stream to the working medium via the first heat exchanger;

powering a turbine with said working medium being heated, wherein said turbine is connected to a generator to generate at least one of mechanical power and electrical power;

cooling of the working medium by a cooler;

compressing the working medium by a compressor;

wherein the working medium is at least one of carbon dioxide, propane, methanol and ethanol; and

wherein the working medium flows in a supercritical state throughout an entirety of a first working medium circuit.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of:

transferring a part of residual heat of the working medium after said turbine to the working medium before heating the working medium by at least one of said first heat exchanger, said second heat exchanger and at least one recuperator.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

transferring heat from a fluid flow to be cooled to a fluid flow to be heated via at least one recuperator;

cooling the working medium after said turbine; and

heating the working medium prior to said first heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

cooling the working medium between said turbine and said cooler by a recuperator; and

heating the working medium between the at least one compressor and the first heat exchanger by said recuperator.

16. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

transferring heat from the working medium of said first working medium circuit to the working medium of a second working medium circuit with a third heat exchanger being arranged between said first working medium circuit and said second working medium circuit;

wherein said first working medium circuit is fluidly separated from said second working medium circuit are fluidly separated from each other within said third heat exchanger;

wherein said first working medium circuit includes said first heat exchanger; and

wherein said second medium circuit includes said first heat exchanger.