Waste heat recovery system with partial recuperation

• US 8,919,123 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2011
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AB Volvo
• Original Assignee: MACK Trucks Incorporated (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: Gibble, John, Andersson, Arne
• Primary Examiner(s): Jetton, Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Ngoc T
• Application Number:
  US13/806,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20130186087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 606/18, 606/16, 606/20, 605/052, 603/20, 60597-598
• US Class Current: 60/618
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 13/02 Controlling, e.g. stopping or starting
• 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 7/40 Use of two or more feed-water heaters in series
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 5/02 the devices using heat
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 5/02 Profiting from waste heat of exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/23 Layout, e.g. schematics
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A waste heat recovery apparatus for use with an internal combustion engine includes a working fluid circuit having a first heating line and a second heating line parallel to the first heating line, a first heat exchanger in the first heating line operatively connected to transfer heat energy to the working fluid from a waste exhaust flow of an internal combustion engine, a second heat exchanger in the second heating line operatively connected to transfer heat energy to the working fluid from recirculating exhaust gas the internal combustion engine, and a recuperative heat exchanger operatively connected to transfer heat energy to the working fluid in the first heating line from the working fluid at a junction of an expander outlet and condenser inlet.

Claims

1. A waste heat recovery apparatus for use with an internal combustion engine, comprising:

a working fluid circuit;

an expander connected in the working fluid circuit to receive working fluid;

a condenser connected in the working fluid circuit to receive the working fluid from the expander;

a first heating line in the working fluid circuit including a first heat exchanger operatively connected to transfer heat energy to the working fluid from a waste exhaust gas flow of an internal combustion engine;

a second heating line in the working fluid circuit parallel to the first heating line and having a second heat exchanger operatively connected to transfer heat energy to the working fluid from an exhaust gas recirculation cooler of an internal combustion engine,

wherein, the first heating line and the second heating line include a dividing junction upstream of the first heat exchanger and second heat exchanger and a combining junction downstream of the first heat exchanger and second heat exchanger.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a valve connected at the dividing junction to control a flow of the working fluid selectively into at least one of the first heating line and second heating line.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a first pump connected on the first heating line and a second pump connected on the second heating line for controlling a flow of working fluid selectively into at least one of the first heating line and the second heating line.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the expander has an outlet from which working fluid exits the expander, and further comprising a recuperator operatively connected to transfer heat energy from the working fluid exiting the expander to the working fluid in the first heating line.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the recuperator is operatively connected to receive heat energy from the working fluid in the working fluid circuit between the condenser and the expander and is operatively connected to deliver heat energy to the working fluid in the first heating line upstream of the first heat exchanger.

6. A waste heat recovery apparatus for use with an internal combustion engine, comprising:

a working fluid circuit having a first heating line and a second heating line parallel to the first heating line;

an expander connected in the working fluid circuit to receive working fluid;

a condenser connected in the working flu id circuit to receive working fluid from the expander, the working fluid circuit dividing at a first junction into the first heating line and the second heating line downstream of the condenser;

a first boiler in the first heating line operatively connected to transfer heat energy to the working fluid from a waste exhaust flow of an internal combustion engine;

a second boiler in the second heating line operatively connected to transfer heat energy to the working fluid from recirculating exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine;

wherein, the first heating line and the second heating line combine at a second junction downstream of the first boiler and second boiler; and

,

a recuperator operatively connected to transfer heat energy to the working flu id in the first heating line from the working fluid exiting the expander.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, comprising a valve connected at the first junction to control a flow of the working fluid selectively into at least one of the first work ing fluid heating line and second working fluid heating line.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, comprising a first pump connected on the first heating line and a second pump connected on the second heating line for controlling a flow of working fluid selectively into at least one of the first heating line and the second heating line.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the recuperator is operatively connected to receive heat energy from the working fluid in the working fluid circuit between the condenser and the expander and is operatively connected to deliver heat to the working fluid in the first heating line upstream of the first boiler.