ENERGY RECOVERY AND COOLING SYSTEM FOR HYBRID MACHINE POWERTRAIN

• US 20140373533A1
• Filed: 06/21/2013
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Jensen, Jeffrey E., Tinker, William R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,181,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/612
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/442 Series-parallel switching type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/00 Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function for propulsion of purely electrically-propelled vehicles with power supplied within the vehicle B60L50/00 - B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 15/02 for driving vehicles, e.g. locomotives
• 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 27/02 Plants modified to use their waste heat, other than that of exhaust, e.g. engine-friction heat
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 63/04 for electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 5/02 Profiting from waste heat of exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 1/1807 using the exhaust gases of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 1/28 in boilers heated electrically superheating using an electrical heat source independent from heat supply of the steam boiler F22G1/165
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/30 Technologies for a more efficient combustion or heat usage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

An energy recovery and cooling system for a hybrid machine is disclosed. The energy recovery and cooling system can include at least one circuit including at least one pump, at least one condenser, and at least one turbine, as well as a first flow path and a second flow path. The first flow path can be connected in fluid communication with the at least one pump, the at least one condenser, and the at least one turbine. The first flow path can additionally be in thermal communication with at least one internal combustion energy system component of the hybrid machine. The second flow path can be connected in fluid communication with the at least one pump, the at least one condenser, and the at least one turbine. The second flow path can additionally be in thermal communication with at least one electrical energy system component of the hybrid machine.

Claims

1. An energy recovery and cooling system for a hybrid machine, comprising:

at least one circuit including at least one pump, at least one condenser, and at least one turbine;

the at least one circuit including a first flow path and a second flow path;

the first flow path connected in fluid communication with the at least one pump, the at least one condenser, and the at least one turbine;

the first flow path in thermal communication with at least one internal combustion energy system component of the hybrid machine;

the second flow path connected in fluid communication with the at least one pump, the at least one condenser, and the at least one turbine; and

the second flow path in thermal communication with at least one electrical energy system component of the hybrid machine.

2. The energy recovery and cooling system of claim 1 wherein the first flow path is in thermal communication with a first internal combustion energy system component and a second internal combustion energy system component, and the second flow path is in thermal communication with a first electrical energy system component and a second electrical energy system component.

3. The energy recovery and cooling system of claim 2 wherein the at least one circuit is a fluidly integrated, closed loop circuit including the first flow path, the second flow path, the at least one pump, the at least one condenser, and the at least one turbine.

4. The energy recovery and cooling system of claim 3 wherein the fluidly integrated, closed loop circuit is configured to switch a path of working fluid between the first flow path and the second flow path.

5. The energy recovery and cooling system of claim 4 wherein the first flow path is configured to selectively direct the working fluid in thermal communication with one or more of the first internal combustion energy system component and the second internal combustion energy system component, and wherein the second flow path is configured to selectively direct the working fluid in thermal communication with one or more of the first electrical energy system component and the second electrical energy system component.

6. The energy recovery and cooling system of claim 2 wherein the second flow path is a reheat flow path.

7. The energy recovery and cooling system of claim 2 wherein the first flow path is included in a first circuit, the first circuit including a first pump, a first condenser, and a first turbine, and wherein the second flow path is included in a second circuit, the second circuit including a second pump, a second condenser, and a second turbine.

8. The energy recovery and cooling system of claim 7 wherein the first circuit is a closed loop circuit and the second circuit is a closed loop circuit, wherein the first circuit is fluidly separate from the second circuit.

9. The energy recovery and cooling system of claim 8 wherein the first circuit includes a reheat circuit, the reheat circuit including a reheat flow path, the reheat flow path in thermal communication with at least one internal combustion energy system component of the hybrid machine.

10. The energy recovery and cooling system of claim 7 wherein the second circuit includes a reheat circuit, the reheat circuit including a reheat flow path, the reheat flow path in thermal communication with at least one electrical energy system component of the hybrid machine.

11. The energy recovery and cooling system of claim 7 wherein the first flow path is configured to selectively direct a first working fluid in thermal communication with one or more of the first internal combustion energy system component and the second internal combustion energy system component, and wherein the second flow path is configured to selectively direct a second working fluid in thermal communication with one or more of the first electrical energy system component and the second electrical energy system component.

12. An energy recovery and cooling system for a hybrid machine, comprising:

an energy recovery and cooling circuit including an internal combustion energy system circuit and an electrical energy system circuit;

the internal combustion energy system circuit including a first pump, a first condenser, a first turbine, and an internal combustion energy system flow path, the internal combustion energy system flow path connected in fluid communication with the first pump, the first condenser, and the first turbine;

the internal combustion energy system flow path in thermal communication with one or more internal combustion energy system components of the hybrid machine;

the electrical energy system circuit including a second pump, a second condenser, a second turbine, and an electrical energy system flow path, the electrical energy system flow path connected in fluid communication with the second pump, the second condenser, and the second turbine; and

the electrical energy system flow path in thermal communication with one or more electrical energy system components of the hybrid machine.

13. The energy recovery and cooling system of claim 12 wherein the energy recovery and cooling circuit is configured to selectively activate the internal combustion energy system circuit and the electrical energy system circuit.

14. The energy recovery and cooling system of claim 13 wherein the internal combustion energy system circuit is activated in response to the activation of an internal combustion engine drive mode of the hybrid machine, the internal combustion engine drive mode of the hybrid machine configured to deliver combustion-driven output power along an internal combustion energy path of a powertrain of the hybrid machine.

15. The energy recovery and cooling system of claim 13 wherein the electrical energy system circuit is activated in response to the activation of an electrical energy system drive mode of the hybrid machine, the electrical energy system drive mode of the hybrid machine configured to deliver electrical energy-driven output power along an electrical energy path of a powertrain of the hybrid machine.

16. The energy recovery and cooling system of claim 15 wherein the electrical energy system circuit is configured to selectively direct the second working fluid in thermal communication with one or more of the electrical energy system components of the hybrid machine in response to an operating temperature of each of the one or more electrical energy system components.

17. The energy recovery and cooling system of claim 13 wherein at least one of the internal combustion energy system circuit and the electrical energy system circuit is activated in response to the activation of a hybrid drive mode of the hybrid machine, the hybrid drive mode of the hybrid machine configured to deliver at least one of combustion-driven output power along an internal combustion energy path of a powertrain of the hybrid machine, electrical energy-driven output power along an electrical energy path of the powertrain of the hybrid machine, and output power along a generator energy path of the powertrain of the hybrid machine.

18. An energy recovery and cooling system for a hybrid machine, comprising:

an energy recovery and cooling circuit including a turbine, a condenser, and a pump and one or more flow paths, the one or more flow paths connected in fluid communication with the turbine, the condenser, and the pump;

the one or more flow paths in thermal communication with one or more internal combustion energy system components of the hybrid machine;

the one or more flow paths in thermal communication with one or more one or more electrical energy system components of the hybrid machine; and

wherein the one or more flow paths are configured to selectively direct a working fluid of the energy recovery and cooling circuit in thermal communication with the one or more internal combustion energy system components of the hybrid machine and the one or more electrical energy system components of the hybrid machine.

19. The energy recovery and cooling system of claim 18 wherein the one or more flow paths are configured to selectively and sequentially direct the working fluid in thermal communication with one or more of the electrical energy system components of the hybrid machine in response to an operating temperature of each of the one or more electrical energy system components in order from lowest operating temperature to highest operating temperature.

20. The energy recovery and cooling system of claim 18 wherein the one or more flow paths are configured to selectively and sequentially direct the working fluid in thermal communication with one or more of the internal combustion energy system components of the hybrid machine in response to an operating temperature of each of the one or more internal combustion energy system components of the hybrid machine in order from lowest operating temperature to highest operating temperature.