Duct arrangement for an internal combustion engine

• US 9,670,820 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2015
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Cheater, Geoffrey Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Trieu, Thai Ba
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, DIEM T
• Application Number:
  US14/714,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20150354430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 60298, 60320
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 2013/025 using means for reducing radiation emission of electromagnetic waves, e.g. infrared, into air or water
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/16 relating to gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/32 Arrangements of propulsion power-unit exhaust uptakes; Funnels peculiar to vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B63J 2/12 Heating; Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/08 Cooling of machines or engines in general F01P; Heating; Heat-insulation of blade-carrying members, of blades F01D5/00
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/30 Exhaust heads, chambers, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/004 specially adapted for marine propulsion, i.e. for receiving simultaneously engine exhaust gases and engine cooling water for submerged exhausting F01N13/12; treating exhaust by using liquids F01N3/04
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2590/02 for marine vessels or naval applications
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/04 Air intakes for gas-turbine plants or jet-propulsion plants
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/608 Aeration, ventilation, dehumidification or moisture removal of closed spaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A duct arrangement for an internal combustion engine comprises an exhaust duct, an inlet duct and a cooling air duct. The exhaust duct is contained within the cooling air duct for substantially its whole length and the cooling air duct is contained within the inlet duct for substantially its whole length, so that in use the cooling air duct provides a barrier to limit heat transfer between gas flowing in the exhaust duct and gas flowing in the inlet duct. The invention avoids the need for separate inlet and exhaust ducts with their attendant disadvantages. The separation of the inlet and exhaust ducts by the cooling air duct allows the inlet air to be kept as cool as possible, as is necessary for efficient engine operation.

Claims

1. A duct arrangement for an internal combustion engine, the arrangement comprising an exhaust duct, an inlet duct and a cooling air duct, the arrangement characterised in that the exhaust duct is contained within the cooling air duct for a whole length and the cooling air duct is contained within the inlet duct for a whole length to provide a barrier to limit heat transfer between gas flowing in the exhaust duct and gas flowing in the inlet duct.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, in which there is thermal insulation between the exhaust duct and the cooling air duct.

3. The arrangement of claim 2, in which there is a plenum between the inlet duct and the engine.

4. The arrangement of claim 3, in which the plenum comprises a filter for the inlet air.

5. The arrangement of claim 1, in which the inlet duct and cooling air duct share a common air intake.

6. The arrangement of claim 1, in which the exhaust duct, the inlet duct and the cooling air duct are concentric for their whole length.

7. The arrangement of claim 1 when installed in a structure, in which the inlet duct, the exhaust duct and the cooling air duct terminate in a common opening at an outside wall of the structure.

8. The arrangement of claim 7, in which the structure is a ship.

9. The arrangement of claim 8, in which the inlet duct terminates in an intake facing towards the bow of the ship.

10. The arrangement of claim 8, in which the exhaust duct terminates in an outlet facing towards the stern of the ship.

11. The arrangement of claim 8, in which the inlet and exhaust ducts extend generally horizontally and the common opening is on the side of the hull.

12. The arrangement of claim 1, in which the engine is a gas turbine engine.

13. A ship comprising a duct arrangement for an internal combustion engine, the arrangement comprising an exhaust duct, an inlet duct and a cooling air duct, the arrangement characterised in that the exhaust duct is contained within the cooling air duct for a whole length and the cooling air duct is contained within the inlet duct for a whole length to provide a barrier to limit heat transfer between gas flowing in the exhaust duct and gas flowing in the inlet duct.