METHODE ET SYSTEME DE RECUPERATION DE CHALEUR POUR UN MOTEUR A COMBUSTION INTERNE

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR HEAT RECOVERY FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

Abrégé anglais

Heat recovery for internal combustion engine, includes introducing a
first fluid into heat exchanging element, and withdrawing the heated first
fluid from
the heat exchanger elements; and supplying at least one second fluid which is
used
during the operation of the internal combustion engine and is heated, so as to
flow
outside and in contact with the heat exchanging elements to transfer heat
through
walls of the heat exchanging element from the second fluid to said first
fluid.

Revendications

CLAIMS
1. A method of heat recovery for an internal combustion engine,
comprising the steps of:
introducing a first fluid into at least one heat exchanging element of a
heat exchanger for heating said first fluid, said heat exchanging element
having a
catalytic material on an outer surface thereof,
supplying at least one heated second fluid which includes at least
engine exhaust produced by the internal combustion engine, so as to flow
through said
heat exchanger, outside and in contact with said heat exchanging element
coated with
said catalyst material to transfer heat through said heat exchanging element
from said
second fluid to said first fluid, said contact of said second fluid with said
catalyst
causing a catalytic reaction to produce additional heat for transfer to said
first fluid,
withdrawing the first fluid from said heat exchanging element of said
heat exchanger.
2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein supplying said at least
one heated second fluid further includes supplying a coolant used during the
operation
of the internal combustion engine.
3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein supplying said at least
one heated second fluid further includes supplying a lubricant used during the
operation of the internal combustion engine.
4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising using heat
received by said first fluid in an application area requiring heat.
5. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising using heat
received by said first fluid in an application area requiring work energy.
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6. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising
withdrawing crankcase fumes from the internal combustion engine and supplying
said
fumes into said engine exhaust.
7. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising supplying
at least one of air and fuel into a discharge stream from said internal
combustion
engine.
8. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein said at least one of air
and fuel is supplied to said discharge stream through a crankcase vent line.
9. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein said at least one of air
and fuel is supplied to said discharge stream through a first venturi, or an
adjacent
location thereof.
10. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein said adjacent location
is a second venturi.
11. An apparatus for heat recovery for an internal combustion
engine, comprising:
a heat exchanger including a plurality of heat exchanging elements;
means for introducing a first fluid into at least one of said plurality of
heat exchanging elements for heating said first fluid, said plurality of heat
exchanging
elements having a catalytic material on an outer surface thereof; means of
supplying
at least one second fluid which includes at least engine exhaust produced by
the
operation of the internal combustion engine, so as to flow through said heat
exchanger, outside and in contact with said plurality of heat exchanging
elements
coated with said catalyst material to transfer heat through said plurality of
heat
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exchanging elements from said second fluid to said first fluid, said contact
of said
second fluid with said catalyst causing a catalytic reaction to produce
additional heat;
and
means for withdrawing said first heated fluid from said plurality of
heat exchanging elements of said heat exchanger.
12. The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said at least one
heated second fluid further includes a coolant used during the operation of
the internal
combustion engine.
13. The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said at least one
heated second fluid further includes a lubricant used during the operation of
the
internal combustion engine.
14. The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said first fluid is
delivered to an application area requiring heat.
15. The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said first fluid is
delivered to an application area requiring work energy.
16. The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein crankcase fumes
from the internal combustion engine are added into said engine exhaust.
17. The apparatus as defined in claim 11, further comprising
supplying at least one of air and fuel into a discharge stream from said
internal
combustion engine.
18. The apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein said at least one
of air and fuel is supplied to said discharge stream through a crankcase vent
line.
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19. The apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein said at least one
of air and fuel is supplied to said discharge stream through a first venturi,
or an
adjacent location thereof.
20. The apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said adjacent
location is a second venturi.
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Description

CA 02361113 2001-12-10
METHOD OF AND SYSTEM FOR HEAT RECOVERY FOR AN INTERNAL
COMBUSTION ENGINE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to method of and system for heat
recovery for an internal combustion engine.
Although the efficiency of the internal combustion engine has been
improved remarkably in the past 50 years, it is still difficult to operate
such an engine
with an efficiency of over 35%. The efficiency drops off dramatically as an
engine
ages and may deteriorate to less than 10% if it has been improperly
maintained. With
only 10-35% efficiency, this means that the remaining fuel consumption creates
heat
which therefore is largely unused. Thus, the waste heat from internal
combustion
engines is considerable and is not being used constructively. Some solutions
directed
to this objective are disclosed for example in U.S. patents no 4,378,336;
5,035,867;
5,250,489; 5,711,071; 5,869,011; 5,987,885; 6,039,913; and Canadian patents
2184632 and 2247759. It is believed that the use of heat in the internal
combustion
engine can be further improved.
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CA 02361113 2001-12-10
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an
improved method of and system for heat recovery for an internal combustion
engine.
In keeping with these objects and with others which will become
apparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly
stated, in a
method for heat recovery for an internal combustion engine, which includes
introducing a first fluid into heat exchanging elements of a heat exchanger
for heating
the first fluid, and withdrawing the heated fluid from the heat exchanger
elements;
and supplying at least one second fluid which is used during the operation of
the
internal combustion engine and is heated, so as to flow outside and in contact
with
said heat exchanging elements to transfer heat through walls of said heat
exchanging
elements from said second fluid to said first fluid.
In accordance with another feature of the present invention, the system
for heat recovery is proposed which has a heat exchanger including a plurality
of heat
exchanging elements; means for introducing a first fluid into said heat
exchanging
elements for heating in the first fluid, and withdrawing the heated first
fluid from the
heat exchanger elements; and supplying at least one second fluid which is used
during the operation of the internal combustion engine and is heated, so as to
flow
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CA 02361113 2005-06-21
outside and in contact with said heat exchanging elements to transfer heat
through
walls of said heat exchanging element from the second fluid to said first
fluid.
When the method is performed and the system is designed in
S accordance with the present invention, heat produced during the operation of
the
internal combustion engine is efficiently utilized.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention there is
provided, a method of heat recovery for an internal combustion engine,
comprising
the steps of:
introducing a first fluid into at least one heat exchanging element of a
heat exchanger for heating said first fluid, said heat exchanging element
having a
catalytic material on an outer surface thereof,
supplying at least one heated second fluid which includes at least
engine exhaust produced by the internal combustion engine, so as to flow
through said
heat exchanger, outside and in contact with said heat exchanging element
coated with
said catalyst material to transfer heat through said heat exchanging element
from said
second fluid to said first fluid, said contact of said second fluid with said
catalyst
causing a catalytic reaction to produce additional heat for transfer to said
first fluid,
withdrawing the first fluid from said heat exchanging element of said
heat exchanger.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is
provided an apparatus for heat recovery for an internal combustion engine,
comprising:
a heat exchanger including a plurality of heat exchanging elements;
means for introducing a first fluid into at least one of said plurality of
heat exchanging elements for heating said first fluid, said plurality of heat
exchanging
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CA 02361113 2004-06-21
elements having a catalytic material on an outer surface thereof; means of
supplying
at least one second fluid which includes at least engine exhaust produced by
the
operation of the internal combustion engine, so as to flow through said heat
exchanger, outside and in contact with said plurality of heat exchanging
elements
coated with said catalyst material to transfer heat through said plurality of
heat
exchanging elements from said second fluid to said first fluid, said contact
of said
second fluid with said catalyst causing a catalytic reaction to produce
additional heat;
and
means for withdrawing said first heated fluid from said plurality of
heat exchanging elements of said heat exchanger.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the
invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its construction and
its method of
operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be
best
understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in
connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a view illustrating schematically a method of and a system
for heat recovery for an internal combustion engine;
Figure 2 is a view showing a heat exchanger of the inventive system;
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CA 02361113 2004-06-21
Figure 3 is a view showing additional components of the inventive
system; and
Figures 4-13 show further embodiments of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A system for heat recovery operates in accordance with an inventive
heat recovery method is illustrated in Figure 1. Reference numeral 19
identifies an
internal combustion engine and reference numeral 19a identifies a crankcase of
the
engine. A lubricant discharge line 19b extends from the engine to a heat
exchanger
and in particular to a heat exchanger area 3b, while a lubricant return line
19c extends
from the heat exchanger area 3b back to the engine. A coolant discharge line
19g
extends from the engine to the heat exchanger and an particular to the heat
exchanger
are 3a, while a coolant return line 191 extends from the heat exchanger are 3a
to an
engine radiator 19f. An exhaust gas discharge line 5 extends from the engine
to the
heat exchanger and in particular to a heat exchanger are 3c and an exhaust gas
discharge line 8 extends from the heat exchanger area 3c to atmosphere.
The heat exchanger has a plurality of heat , exchanging elements
(tubes) or a tube bundle 3. A first fluid which can be for example a cold
water or a

CA 02361113 2001-12-10
motive fluid is introduced into the heat exchanger through a first fluid
supply line 1
into an interior of the tubes 3, and exits from the tubes 3 through a first
fluid
discharge line 4. It is then delivered to a first fluid application area 4a
which can be
formed for example as a turbine which drives a generator. Then, through
discharge
line 4b it is connected to a fluid pump 4c which pumps the first fluid through
the line
1 again into the tubes of the heat exchanger 3. The heat exchanger 3 has the
above-
described heat exchanger areas.
The crankcase 19a is provided with a crankcase vent 23 with a vent
line 23a which leads to a venturi 21, which draws the crankcase fumes into the
engine exhaust pipe 5.
During the operation of the internal combustion engine the first fluid
is circulated through the interior of the pipes of the heat exchanger 3 while
the second
fluid which is a fluid selected from the group consisting of the coolant, the
lubricant,
the exhaust, two of these fluids, or all three of these fluids is also
supplied to the heat
exchanger so as to be in contact with an outer surface of the tubes and to
transfer the
heat through the wall of the tubes to the first fluid inside the tubes.
The tubes in the heat exchanger area 3c can be coated with a variety of
catalytic compounds which can cause some of the constituents of the gas to
react with
oxygen and in the process release heat. The combination of the heat from the
exhaust
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CA 02361113 2001-12-10
gas and the heat released from the catalytic process is transferred through
the walls of
the heat exchanging elements to the first fluid inside the tubes.
As shown in Figure 2, electrically controlled valves 11,11 a, l l b, 11 c,
11 d are provided for delivery of air and/or fuel through a heat exchanger
housing 3c
to various heat exchange areas and to the crankcase vent 23a from the air pump
16
and a pressurized fuel supply 17. This will dilute heavy materials within the
system
masking the process more efficient. The electronically controlled valves
control the
flow of air and/or fuel by way of signals sent by a microprocessor 15 through
valve
control wires 13b, 13c, 13d, 17a. This is in response to information fed to
the
microprocessor 15, which controls the air pump 16, from temperature sensors
12b,
12c, 12d and a gas constituent sensor 18 by way of sensor wires 14b, 14c, 14d,
18a.
Figure 3 shows ignitors 12a, 12g, 12f, 12h, which are located
downstream of the valves 11 a, 11 b, 11 c, 11 d. They are activated by an
ignition
power source 12 after having received the signal to do so from the
microprocessor 15
through the wire 12m. The microprocessor activates the ignitors 12a, 12f, 12g,
12h
through ignition wires 12i, 12j, 12k, 121 in response to signal received from
temperature sensors 12b, 12c, 12d and the gas constituents sensor 18, by
temperature
sensor wires 14b, 14c, 14d and the gas constituents wire 18a.
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CA 02361113 2001-12-10
As mentioned above, in accordance with the present invention, a
mixture of hydrocarbon fuel, such as propane, and air can be introduced into
the
discharge stream exiting the crankcase.
Air fuel mixture can also be effectively introduce into the stream in
addition to that discussed above; in the following manner:
- directly into venturi 21 (Figure 4);
- in line 5 through a second venturi upstream of venturi 21 (Figure 5),
- in line 5 through a second venturi downstream of venturi 21 (Figure
6),
- in line 5 upstream of venturi 21 (Figure 7)
- in line 5 downstream of venturi 21 (Figure 8);
It is also possible to introduce the fuel and air in two separate lines. A
line of fuel and a line of air may be introduced into the discharge stream in
the
following manners:
- directly into venturi 21 (Figure 9);
- in line 5 through a second venturi upstream of venturi 21 (Figure 10),
- in line 5 through a second venturi downstream of venturi 21 (Figure
11 ),
- in line 5 upstream of Figure 21 (Figure 12)
- in line 5 downstream of venturi 21 (Figure 13).
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CA 02361113 2001-12-10
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two
or more together, may also fmd a useful application in other types of methods
and
constructions differing from the types described above.
While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in
method of and system for heat recovery for an internal combustion engine, it
is not
intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and
structural
changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the
present
invention.
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of
the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily
adapt it
for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint
of prior
art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific
aspects of this
invention.
What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent
is set forth in the appended claims.
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