Fluid cooled marine turbine housing

Abstract

A method of reworking a corroded turbine housing for a turbocharger of a marine engine so that the corroded housing may be restored and reused. A turbine housing includes a central aperture for containing a turbine blade assembly and directing exhaust gases past the turbine blades in a turbocharger. The central aperture of a used turbine housing often is corroded such that the central aperture is enlarged and allows significant leakage. The corrosion may be removed and the aperture enlarged to receive an insert. The insert may have an insert aperture that is slightly larger than the diameter of a turbine blade assembly. The insert restores the sidewalls of the aperture through the turbine housing so that the amount of exhaust gases leaking past a turbine blade assembly is significantly reduced, thereby restoring the efficiency of the turbocharger and improving performance of the engine to which the turbocharger is attached.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention is directed generally to turbochargers, and more particularly to turbine housings of turbochargers usable in fluid cooled marine engines. BACKGROUND [0002] A turbocharger is usable on engines to increase the power delivered by the engine. More specifically, turbochargers increase the power produced by an internal combustion engine by compressing intake air of a combustion engine using energy found in the exhaust gases produced by the engine. A turbocharger receives exhaust air from an engine and directs the exhaust air into a turbine assembly. The exhaust air rotates turbine blades of a turbine blade assembly about a shaft at a high speed. The turbine blade assembly is positioned within the turbine housing such that the turbine blades are in close proximity to a surface forming a central aperture extending through the turbine housing. Attached to the shaft in a separate compartment is a plurality of combustor blades forming a combustor bl...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"This patent is about a method for remanufacturing a turbine housing for a marine engine to repair corrosion. The turbine housing has a toroidal flow path and a cooling channel to prevent premature failure. The central aperture is sized to accommodate a shaft and an insert for positioning turbine blades. The insert is pressed into the central aperture until it reaches its maximum size, creating an interference fit. The reworked turbine housings have reduced gaps between the side walls and turbine blades, increasing engine efficiency and cost savings."

Problems solved by technology

In many conventional turbine housings, the walls forming the central aperture corrode over time due primarily to engine use.

More specifically, the walls corrode due to the corrosive components in the exhaust gases that flow through the aperture.

The walls may also corrode should a leak develop in the exhaust cooling system and seawater used in the exhaust cooling system contacts the aperture.

Seawater, together with corrosive elements and heat found in the exhaust gases, corrode the side walls forming the aperture that extends through the turbine housing.

The corrosion causes the size of the aperture extending through the turbine housing to increase, which also causes the gap between the turbine blades and the side wall to increase as well.

Thus, the increase gap size reduces the efficiency of the turbocharger and the engine to which the turbocharger is mounted.

Diesel engines having corroded turbine housings produce heavy black smoke, burn more fuel, and are generally less efficient than engines that have turbine housings with apertures that fit closely with the turbine blades.

In fact, corroded turbine housings can often greatly reduce the power output of an engine to such an extent that the performance of a boat in which the engine is mounted is greatly impacted.

Images