Driveline device for providing a pressure gas

Abstract

The present application relates to a driveline device for providing pressurized gas, in particular a driveline device comprising: an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder, the at least one cylinder having a combustion gas inlet and an exhaust gas outlet; an exhaust pump having a pump inlet coupled to the exhaust gas outlet and a pump outlet coupled to the vehicle air tank and the combustion gas inlet; a first flow control device configured to control fluid flow from the pump outlet to the combustion gas inlet and to the vehicle air tank; and a control circuit arranged and configured to control operation of the first flow control device, where the control circuit is configured to: acquire a first indication of air pressure in the vehicle air tank; and control the first flow control device to allow fluid to flow from the pump outlet to the vehicle air tank in response to the air pressure in the vehicle air tank being below a first threshold.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a drive train arrangement for a vehicle. In particular aspects, the present disclosure relates to a drive train arrangement for providing pressurized air. The present disclosure may be applicable to heavy vehicles, such as trucks, buses, and construction equipment, as well as other vehicle types. Although the present disclosure may be described with respect to a particular vehicle, the present disclosure is not limited to any particular vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Various vehicles, particularly various heavy vehicles, use compressed air to operate subsystems, such as brake systems. Pressurized air is typically stored in one or more air tanks, and the pressure in the air tanks is maintained by a dedicated vehicle air compressor device. It would be desirable to be able to improve the production of pressurized air in vehicles, particularly to reduce complexity and / or improve efficiency. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a powertrain device for a heavy vehicle, comprising: an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder, the at least one cylinder having a combustion gas inlet for receiving combustion gas and an exhaust outlet for outputting pressurized exhaust gas from the cylinder; an exhaust pump, the exhaust pump having a pump inlet coupled to the exhaust outlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine and a pump outlet coupled to a vehicle air box and an air inlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine; a second first flow control device, the first flow control device being arranged to control a fluid flow from the pump outlet of the exhaust pump to the combustion gas inlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine and to the vehicle air box; and a control circuit, the control circuit being arranged and configured to control the operation of the first flow control device and the second flow control device, wherein the control circuit is configured to: obtain a first indication indicating an air pressure in the vehicle air box; and in response to the first indication indicating that the air pressure in the vehicle air box is below a predefined first threshold pressure, control the first flow control device to allow fluid to flow from the exhaust outlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine to the pump inlet of the exhaust pump and control the second first flow control device to allow fluid to flow from the pump outlet of the exhaust pump to the vehicle air box. A first aspect of the present disclosure may seek to reduce the complexity of a drive train arrangement configured to compress air for use in one or more vehicle subsystems, such as an air brake system. Technical benefits may include allowing dual use of an exhaust pump, which is sometimes also referred to as an exhaust gas recirculation pump or EGR pump. Specifically, the present disclosure enables the use of an exhaust pump to selectively (i) provide exhaust gas to the combustion gas inlet of at least one cylinder of an internal combustion engine (ICE), and (ii) further compress the air first compressed in at least one cylinder of the ICE and provide the resulting two-stage compressed air to the vehicle air tank. The additional compression of the exhaust pump may provide the pressure required, for example, for an air brake system of a heavy vehicle. Furthermore, this may be achieved substantially without the need for additional components, since the exhaust pump also performs the function of recirculating exhaust gas to the combustion gas inlet in order to reduce emissions from the ICE.

[0004] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, optionally, the control circuit can be configured to control the first flow control device to prevent fluid from flowing from a pump outlet of the exhaust pump to a combustion gas inlet of a cylinder of the internal combustion engine in response to the first indication indicating that the air pressure in the vehicle air tank is below a first predefined threshold pressure. Technical benefits can include providing fully selective operation in EGR mode and air generation mode, respectively.

[0005] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, optionally, the control circuitry may be configured to control the exhaust pump to provide a pressure differential between a pump outlet and a pump inlet in response to the first indication indicating that the air pressure in the vehicle air tank is below a first predefined threshold pressure. Technical benefits may include allowing vehicle air to be compressed to a pressure that may be substantially higher than a maximum allowable pressure at an exhaust outlet of at least one cylinder of the ICE.

[0006] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, optionally, the control circuit may be configured to control the exhaust pump to operate until the pressure difference between the pump outlet and the pump inlet increases by at least 3 bar.

[0007] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, the control circuit may optionally be configured to obtain a second indication indicating a pressure in a fluid conduit between an exhaust outlet of a cylinder of the internal combustion engine and a pump inlet; and in response to the second indication indicating that the pressure in the fluid conduit is above a second predefined threshold pressure, the exhaust pump is controlled to increase the gas flow rate through the exhaust pump. Technical benefits may include allowing efficient compression of air, wherein at least one cylinder of the ICE is used to compress air to a second threshold pressure, and the exhaust pump is used to further compress the air to a pressure required by the vehicle air system. The second threshold pressure may indicate a maximum allowable pressure at the exhaust outlet (such as in an exhaust manifold). By increasing the gas flow rate through the exhaust pump, the pressure at the exhaust outlet may be maintained at or below the second threshold pressure, and the pressure in the vehicle air tank may be further increased as needed.

[0008] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, optionally, the powertrain device may include a second flow control device, the second flow control device being arranged to control the flow of fluid from the exhaust outlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine to the exhaust aftertreatment system of the internal combustion engine; and the control circuit may be configured to: obtain a second indication indicating the pressure in the fluid conduit between the exhaust outlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine and the pump inlet; and in response to the second indication indicating that the pressure in the fluid conduit is higher than a predefined second threshold pressure, control the second flow control device to increase the gas flow from the exhaust outlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine to the exhaust aftertreatment system of the internal combustion engine. Technical benefits may include allowing efficient compression of air, wherein at least one cylinder of the ICE is used to compress air to a second threshold pressure, and the exhaust pump is used to further compress the air to a pressure required by the vehicle air system. The second threshold pressure may indicate a maximum allowable pressure at the exhaust outlet (such as in the exhaust manifold). By allowing and / or increasing the flow of gas from the exhaust outlet of at least one cylinder of the ICE to the exhaust aftertreatment system (EATS) of the ICE, the pressure at the exhaust outlet may be maintained at or below the second threshold pressure, and the pressure of the vehicle air tank may be further increased as required. This may be an alternative or in addition to the above-mentioned increase in the operation of the exhaust pump.

[0009] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, optionally, the powertrain device may include a second flow control device, the second flow control device being arranged to control the flow of fluid from the exhaust outlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine to the exhaust aftertreatment system of the internal combustion engine; and the control circuit may be configured to: obtain a second indication indicating the pressure in the fluid conduit between the exhaust outlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine and the pump inlet; and in response to the second indication indicating that the pressure in the fluid conduit is lower than a predefined fourth threshold pressure, control the second flow control device to reduce the gas flow from the exhaust outlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine to the exhaust aftertreatment system of the internal combustion engine. Technical benefits may include making the pressure at the exhaust outlet of at least one cylinder high enough to efficiently compress air by the exhaust pump. For example, the second flow control device may be controlled to reduce the gas flow to a certain extent, possibly in combination with controlling the operation of the internal combustion engine, so that the pressure at the exhaust outlet and / or in the exhaust manifold (if applicable) remains above the above-mentioned fourth threshold pressure. For example, it may be beneficial to keep the pressure at the exhaust outlet / pump inlet above 4-5 bar. This may reduce the requirement for the pressure increase provided by the exhaust pump, which in turn may improve the supply efficiency of vehicle air.

[0010] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, the powertrain device may optionally include a cooling device located between the exhaust outlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine and the pump inlet. Technical benefits may include providing more efficient air compression without increasing the complexity of the powertrain device. When the powertrain device is operated in EGR mode, the cooling device may be used to provide more efficient operation of the ICE, while in air compression mode, the cooling device may provide compressed air to the vehicle air box more efficiently. In addition, providing such a cooling device may allow the vehicle air system to be used without or at least greatly reducing additional separate cooling. This reduces the complexity of the vehicle air system and reduces the required space as well as the cost of the vehicle air system.

[0011] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, the control circuitry may optionally be configured to control the internal combustion engine to enter an air pumping mode in which the supply of fuel to the cylinders is blocked. Technical benefits may include that the ICE may provide efficient compression, and since the supply of fuel to at least one cylinder is blocked, the compressed gas at the exhaust outlet will be clean air and therefore no further filtering is required. ICE pumping is an energy efficient way of producing compressed air, at least up to the second threshold pressure mentioned above. The ICE may be controlled to enter its air pumping mode in response to the first indication indicating that the air pressure in the vehicle air box is below the first threshold pressure. It should be noted that so-called "combustion pumping" may be used in conjunction with a filter to filter the exhaust gas before it is provided to the vehicle air box.

[0012] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, optionally, the transmission system device may include an electric motor controllable to rotate the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine; and the control circuit may be configured to control the electric motor to rotate the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine in air pumping mode. Technical benefits may include that the ICE can be operated in air pumping mode at any time as long as the stored electrical energy is sufficient to operate the electric motor. Alternatively or in combination, the ICE in air pumping mode may be operated / driven in other ways, such as by the inertia of the vehicle. The wheels of the drive axle of the vehicle may be allowed to rotate the ICE in air pumping mode, thereby providing pressurized air while decelerating the vehicle. Another option that may be used as an alternative or supplement is to operate a portion of the ICE in combustion mode and another portion of the ICE in air pumping mode. For example, at least one cylinder may be controlled to operate in combustion mode by supplying fuel and appropriate valve control, and at least one other cylinder may be controlled to operate in air pumping mode by blocking fuel supply and appropriate valve control.

[0013] The drive train arrangement according to various examples or combinations of examples may advantageously be included in a vehicle, the vehicle further comprising wheels, wherein the drive train arrangement is arranged to drive at least one of the wheels.

[0014] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, optionally, the vehicle can include: a vehicle air box connected to a pump outlet of the exhaust pump; and an air brake system connected to the vehicle air box and to at least one of the wheels, the air brake system being operable using compressed air from the vehicle air box.

[0015] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for providing pressurized air to a vehicle air box of a heavy vehicle, the heavy vehicle comprising: an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder, the at least one cylinder having a combustion gas inlet for receiving combustion gas and an exhaust outlet for outputting pressurized exhaust gas from the cylinder; and an exhaust pump, the exhaust pump having a pump inlet coupled to the exhaust outlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine and a pump outlet coupled to the vehicle air box and the air inlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine, the method comprising: obtaining a first indication indicating the air pressure in the vehicle air box; and, in response to the first indication indicating that the air pressure in the vehicle air box is below a predefined first threshold pressure, controlling a first flow control device to allow fluid to flow from the exhaust outlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine of the vehicle to the pump inlet of the exhaust pump, and controlling a second flow control device to allow fluid to flow from the pump outlet of the exhaust pump to the vehicle air box. The second aspect of the present disclosure can seek to reduce the complexity of a powertrain device configured to compress air for use in one or more vehicle subsystems (such as an air brake system). Technical benefits can include allowing dual use of an exhaust pump, which is sometimes also referred to as an exhaust gas recirculation pump or EGR pump. In particular, the present disclosure enables the use of an exhaust pump to selectively (i) provide exhaust gas to the combustion gas inlet of at least one cylinder of an internal combustion engine (ICE), and (ii) further compress the air first compressed in at least one cylinder of the ICE and provide the resulting two-stage compressed air to the vehicle air tank. By means of the additional compression of the exhaust pump, the pressure required by, for example, the air brake system of a heavy vehicle can be provided. Furthermore, this can be achieved substantially without the need for additional components, since the exhaust pump also assumes the function of recirculating the exhaust gas to the combustion gas inlet in order to reduce emissions of the ICE in normal ignition mode.

[0016] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, optionally, the method may include controlling the exhaust pump to provide a pressure differential between a pump outlet and a pump inlet in response to the first indication indicating that air pressure in the vehicle air tank is below a first threshold pressure.

[0017] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, optionally, the method may include controlling the exhaust pump to provide a pressure differential between a pump outlet and a pump inlet in response to the first indication indicating that air pressure in the vehicle air tank is below a first threshold pressure.

[0018] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, the method may optionally include cooling gas output through the exhaust outlet of the cylinder upstream of a pump inlet of the exhaust pump.

[0019] The disclosed aspects, examples (including any preferred examples), and / or the appended claims may be appropriately combined with each other, which is obvious to any person skilled in the art. Additional features and advantages are disclosed in the following description, claims, and drawings, and in part will be obvious to those skilled in the art or recognized by practicing the disclosure as described herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Examples are described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] Figure 1 is an exemplary vehicle according to an example.

[0022] Figure 2 is an exemplary powertrain arrangement according to an example.

[0023] Figure 3 is an exemplary method according to an example.

[0024] Figure 4 is an exemplary powertrain arrangement according to an example.

[0025] Figure 5 is an exemplary method according to an example.

[0026] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary computer system for implementing the examples disclosed herein, according to an example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The detailed description set forth below provides information and examples of the disclosed technology in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure.

[0028] Figure 1 is an exemplary vehicle 1 according to an example. Figure 1 , exemplary vehicle 1 includes wheels 3 , a drive train device 5 , a vehicle air box 7 , and an air brake system 9 .

[0029] Figure 2 is an exemplary transmission system device 5 according to an example. Figure 2, an exemplary powertrain device 5 comprises an internal combustion engine (ICE) 11 having at least one cylinder 13, the at least one cylinder having a combustion gas inlet 15 and an exhaust gas outlet 17. The powertrain device 5 further comprises an exhaust pump 19, a first flow control device 21 and a control circuit 23. The exhaust pump 19 has a pump inlet 25 and a pump outlet 27. The pump inlet 25 is coupled to the exhaust outlet 17 of the cylinder 13, and the pump outlet 27 is coupled to a vehicle air box 29 (which is not part of the powertrain device 5) and to the combustion gas inlet 15 of the cylinder 13. The first flow control device 21 is arranged to control the flow of fluid from the pump outlet 27 of the exhaust pump 19 to the combustion gas inlet 15 of the cylinder 13, and to control the flow of fluid from the pump outlet 27 of the exhaust pump 19 to the vehicle air box 29. The first flow control device may be, for example, a controllable three-way valve.

[0030] During operation of the powertrain arrangement 5, the ICE 11 is operable to drive the vehicle 1 and / or to provide power to any subsystem of the vehicle 1. Fuel is then injected into at least one cylinder 13 of the ICE 11 where it mixes with combustion gases received through a combustion gas inlet 15. The combustion gases, typically air, originate from an intake port of the vehicle, such as Figure 2 As a result of the repeated combustion, the ICE 11 will operate in a manner well known in the art and pressurized exhaust gas will be output through the exhaust outlet 17. Typically, the exhaust gas will be directed to an exhaust aftertreatment system (EATS) of the vehicle 1, such as Figure 2 In order to improve the operation and / or reduce the emissions of the vehicle 1, the exhaust gas may be provided to the combustion gas inlet 15. Figure 2 In an exemplary configuration of , the control circuit 23 may control the exhaust pump 19 to operate, and control the flow control device 21 to allow exhaust gas to flow from the pump outlet 27 of the exhaust pump 19 to the combustion gas inlet 15 of at least one cylinder 13. In addition, the control circuit 23 may be configured to obtain a first indication S1 indicating the air pressure in the vehicle air tank 29, and control the first flow control device 21 to allow fluid to flow from the pump outlet 27 to the vehicle air tank 29 in response to the first indication S1 indicating that the air pressure in the vehicle air tank 29 is lower than a predefined first threshold pressure.

[0031] Figure 3is an exemplary method of providing pressurized air to a vehicle air box 29 of a heavy vehicle 1, the heavy vehicle comprising: an internal combustion engine 11 having at least one cylinder 13, the at least one cylinder having a combustion gas inlet 15 for receiving combustion gas and an exhaust outlet 17 for outputting pressurized exhaust gas from the cylinder 13; and an exhaust pump 19 having a pump inlet 25 coupled to the exhaust outlet 17 of the cylinder 13 of the internal combustion engine 11 and a pump outlet 27 coupled to the vehicle air box 29 and the air inlet 15 of the cylinder 13 of the internal combustion engine 11. The method comprises acquiring 100 a first indication S1 indicating an air pressure in the vehicle air box 29; and controlling 101 a first flow control device 21 to allow fluid to flow from the pump outlet 27 of the exhaust pump 19 to the vehicle air box 29 in response to the first indication S1 indicating that the air pressure in the vehicle air box 29 is below a predefined first threshold pressure.

[0032] The powertrain arrangement 5 and method according to the examples of the present disclosure have a number of advantages over existing solutions for providing pressurized vehicle air. The ICE 11 and the exhaust pump 19 cooperate to increase the air pressure to the high pressure required by important vehicle subsystems (such as the air brakes 9). Moreover, this is achieved in an energy-efficient manner and requires substantially no additional hardware. The exhaust pump 19 may advantageously be a positive displacement pump suitable both for EGR operation and for a boost function when providing vehicle air in the vehicle tank 29 at a pressure that may exceed 5 bar (such as at least 8 bar or at least 10 bar). Due to limitations associated with fluid conduits and / or valves, etc., such high pressures cannot generally be provided directly from the exhaust outlet 17 of at least one cylinder 13 of the ICE 11. For example, the exhaust outlet 17 of each cylinder 13 of a plurality of cylinders may be fluidly connected to an exhaust manifold ( Figure 2 ), a maximum pressure may be allowed in the exhaust manifold, which may be less than the pressure required by the vehicle box 29.

[0033] Figure 4 is an exemplary transmission system 5 according to an example. In this exemplary transmission system 5, various parts are included, which are not absolutely necessary for the operation of the transmission system 5 to provide pressurized vehicle air, but can provide various advantages. It should be noted that it is not necessary to implement all of these various parts together, but selected parts can be selected according to the requirements of a specific application.

[0034] refer to Figure 4 , the exemplary drive train arrangement 5 comprises an internal combustion engine (ICE) 11 having six cylinders 13 (only one of which is referenced by a reference numeral to avoid cluttering the drawing), each cylinder having a combustion gas inlet 15 and an exhaust gas outlet 17. As described above with reference to Figure 2As described, the transmission device 5 further comprises an exhaust pump 19, a first flow control device 21 and a control circuit 23. The exhaust pump 19 has a pump inlet 25 and a pump outlet 27. The pump inlet 25 is coupled to the exhaust outlet 17 of the cylinder 13, and the pump outlet 27 is coupled to a vehicle air box 29 (which is not part of the transmission device 5) and to the combustion gas inlet 15 of the cylinder 13. The first flow control device 21 is arranged to control the fluid flow from the pump outlet 27 of the exhaust pump 19 to the combustion gas inlet 15 of the cylinder 13, and to control the fluid flow from the pump outlet 27 of the exhaust pump 19 to the vehicle air box 29. The first flow control device may be, for example, a controllable three-way valve, such as Figure 4 Schematically indicated.

[0035] In addition to the above reference Figure 2 In addition to the more conceptual transmission system described in 5, Figure 4 The exemplary powertrain device 5 in FIG. 1 further includes a turbocharger device 35 with a turbine 37 and a compressor 39, an exhaust valve 40, a cooling device 41 between the exhaust outlet 17 of the cylinder 13 and the pump inlet 25, an air pressure management unit 43, and an electric motor 45. The exhaust valve 40 is an example of a second flow control device, which is arranged to control the exhaust gas from the exhaust outlet 17 of the cylinder 13 of the internal combustion engine 11 to the exhaust gas aftertreatment system ( Figure 4 ) of the fluid flow rate.

[0036] Now refer to Figure 5 Flowchart description in Figure 4 200 . The control circuit 23 obtains 200 a first indication S1. The first indication S1 indicates the air pressure in the vehicle air box 29. The first indication S1, which may be provided from the air pressure management unit 43, may be in the form of an electronic signal or message, for example. The air pressure P in the vehicle air box 29 is set to AT (any measure indicative of air pressure) and indicating a predefined first threshold pressure P TH1 The corresponding measure of is compared 201. The first threshold pressure P TH1 The pressure at which the vehicle air box 29 (or one of the vehicle air boxes 29) should provide air may be selected so as to maintain sufficient pressure to ensure operation of various vehicle subsystems (such as, Figure 4 Safe operation of the air brake system 9) schematically indicated in FIG.

[0037] If the pressure P in the air tank 29 is determined AT Above the first threshold pressure P TH1 , the method continues to obtain the first indication S1. The acquisition may be, for example, periodic, or may be provided in the form of interruptions from the air pressure management unit 43. In this case, only when the pressure P in the air tank 29 isAT Below the first threshold pressure P TH1 In this case, the air pressure management unit 43 may provide the first indication S1. In this case, the determination step 201 may be performed by the air pressure management unit 43.

[0038] If the pressure P in the air tank 29 is determined AT Below the first threshold pressure P TH1 , the control circuit 23 controls 202 the ICE 11 to enter the pumping mode, optionally controls 203 the operation of the electric motor 45, controls 204 the first flow control device 21 to allow fluid to flow from the pump outlet 27 of the exhaust pump 19 to the vehicle air box 29, and controls 205 the exhaust pump 19 to operate. It should be understood that these actions can be initiated substantially simultaneously, or in one of several suitable sequences, which will be apparent to a person skilled in the art. In addition, a person skilled in the art will know how to control the ICE 11 to enter the pumping mode, and this can be achieved in various ways. For example, the supply of fuel to one or more cylinders 13 can be blocked, and the valve timing can be adapted to the pumping mode. As a result, pressurized air will be output through the exhaust outlet 17 of one or more of the cylinders 13. When the ICE 11 is in the pumping mode (partially or fully), the one or more cylinders 13 pumping air cannot help drive the ICE 11 to pump. To this end, the drive wheels 3 of the vehicle 1 can be allowed to rotate the ICE 11. Alternatively or in combination, in an embodiment of the drive train arrangement 5 comprising an electric motor arranged and controllable to rotate the ICE 11, the electric motor 45 may be operated to rotate the ICE 11. Another possibility known to a person skilled in the art is to control the first group of cylinders to operate in a pumping mode and the second group of cylinders to operate in a combustion mode, such that the second group of cylinders is operable to rotate the ICE 11, thereby driving the pumping of the first group of cylinders. From receiving the first indication S1 indicating the air tank pressure P AT Below the first threshold pressure P TH1 The exhaust pump 19 may be operated to deliver air to the vehicle air box 29, or the exhaust pump 19 may be started in response to determining that the pressure in the vehicle air box 29 has increased to a predefined higher pressure, or the exhaust pump 19 may be started in response to determining that the pressure at the exhaust outlet 17 of one or more cylinders 13 has reached a predetermined second threshold pressure P TH2 The exhaust pump 19 is started. In the present exemplary method, the pressure of the exhaust pump 19 at the exhaust outlet 17 (such as in the exhaust manifold 47) reaches a second threshold pressure P TH2 Already started.

[0039] Therefore, according to Figure 5 The exemplary method shown in the flowchart in FIG. 2 determines 206 the pressure P in the exhaust manifold 47. EM Is it higher than the second threshold pressure PTH2 , the second threshold pressure may be related to the pressure limit of safe operation of the ICE 11. If the pressure P in the exhaust manifold 47 is determined EM The second threshold pressure P has been reached TH2 , then in step 207, the pressure P in the exhaust manifold 47 is reduced or limited by at least partially opening the exhaust valve 40 and / or controlling the exhaust pump 19 to increase the air delivery of the exhaust pump 19 from the pump inlet 25 to the pump outlet 27 and to the vehicle box 29. EM . Figure 4 3. It is indicated that the exhaust valve 40 is located downstream of the turbine 37. It should be noted that the exhaust valve 40 may alternatively be located upstream of the turbine 37, between the exhaust outlet 17 and the turbine 37. Alternatively, one exhaust valve may be provided upstream of the turbine 37 and one exhaust valve may be provided downstream of the turbine 37.

[0040] Therefore, when the pressure P in the exhaust manifold 47 is EM Maintaining a pressure equal to or lower than a second threshold pressure P TH2 At the same time, the method continues relative to a predetermined third threshold pressure P TH3 To evaluate the pressure P in the 208 air box 29 AT , indicating that the supply of pressurized air to the vehicle box 29 may be stopped. If the third threshold pressure P has not been reached TH3 , the pressurized air may continue to be provided, as indicated by the "No" option in step 208. If the third threshold pressure P has been reached TH3 , the method may proceed to control 209 , via the control circuit 23 , adjusting the ICE 11 to the normal mode, and controlling 210 the flow control device 21 to stop the flow to the air box 29 .

[0041] Figure 61 is a schematic diagram of a computer system 1000 for implementing the examples disclosed herein, such as an example for implementing the control circuit 23 of the powertrain device 5 according to the example. The computer system 1000 is suitable for executing instructions from a computer-readable medium to perform these and / or any functions or processes described herein. The computer system 1000 can be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines in a LAN, an intranet, an extranet, or the Internet. Although only a single device is shown, the computer system 1000 may include any collection of devices that execute an instruction set (or multiple instruction sets) individually or jointly to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein. Therefore, any reference to a computer system, a computing system, a computer device, a computing device, a control system, a control unit, an electronic control unit (ECU), a processor device, a processing circuit, etc. in the present disclosure and / or claims includes a reference to one or more such devices to execute an instruction set (or multiple instruction sets) individually or jointly to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein. For example, the control system may include a single control unit or multiple control units connected to each other or otherwise communicatively coupled, so that any executed function can be distributed between the control units as needed. Furthermore, such devices may communicate with each other or other devices through various system architectures, such as directly or via a controller area network (CAN) bus, etc.

[0042] The computer system 1000 may include at least one computing device or electronic device that can include firmware, hardware and / or execute software instructions to implement the functionality described herein. The computer system 1000 may include a processing circuit 1002 (e.g., a processing circuit including one or more processor devices or control units), a memory 1004, and a system bus 1006. The computer system 1000 may include at least one computing device with a processing circuit 1002. The system bus 1006 provides an interface for system components (including but not limited to the memory 1004 and the processing circuit 1002). The processing circuit 1002 may include any number of hardware components for performing data or instruction processing or for executing computer code stored in the memory 1004. The processing circuit 1002 may include, for example, a general-purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, a digital instruction processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a circuit containing a processing component, a group of distributed processing components, a group of distributed computers configured for processing, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The processing circuit 1002 may also include computer executable code that controls the operation of the programmable device.

[0043] The system bus 1006 can be any of several types of bus structures, which can also be interconnected to a memory bus (with or without a memory controller), a peripheral bus, and / or a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. The memory 1004 can be one or more devices for storing data and / or computer code to complete or facilitate the methods described herein. The memory 1004 can include a database component, an object code component, a script component, or other types of information structures for supporting various activities herein. Any distributed or local memory device can be used with the systems and methods of the present specification. The memory 1004 can be communicatively connected to the processing circuit 1002 (e.g., via a circuit or any other wired, wireless, or network connection) and can include computer code for performing one or more processes described herein. The memory 1004 may include nonvolatile memory 1008 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), etc.) and volatile memory 1010 (e.g., random access memory (RAM)) or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer or other machine having the processing circuit 1002. A basic input / output system (BIOS) 1012 may be stored in the nonvolatile memory 1008 and may include the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computer system 1000.

[0044] The computer system 1000 may also include or be coupled to non-transitory computer-readable storage media such as storage device 1014, which may include, for example, an internal or external hard disk drive (HDD) (e.g., Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics (EIDE) or Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA)), a HDD for storage (e.g., EIDE or SATA), flash memory, etc. The storage device 1014 and other drives associated with computer-readable and computer-usable media may provide non-volatile storage of data, data structures, computer-executable instructions, etc.

[0045] Hard-coded or soft-coded computer code may be provided in the form of one or more modules. Modules may be implemented as software and / or hard-coded in circuits to implement the functionality described herein in whole or in part. Modules may be stored in a storage device 1014 and / or volatile memory 1010 that may include an operating system 1016 and / or one or more program modules 1018. All or part of the examples disclosed herein may be implemented as a computer program 1020 stored on a temporary or non-temporary computer-usable or computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a single medium or multiple media) such as a storage device 1014, the computer program including complex programming instructions (e.g., complex computer-readable program code) that cause the processing circuit 1002 to perform the actions described herein. Therefore, the computer-readable program code of the computer program 1020 may include software instructions that implement the functionality of the examples described herein when executed by the processing circuit 1002. In some examples, storage device 1014 may be a computer program product (e.g., a readable storage medium) having stored thereon a computer program 1020, wherein at least a portion of computer program 1020 may be loadable (e.g., loaded into a processor) to implement functionality of the examples described herein when executed by processing circuit 1002. Processing circuit 1002 may act as a controller or control system of computer system 1000 implementing the functionality described herein.

[0046] The computer system 1000 may include an input device interface 1022 configured to receive input and selections to be transmitted to the computer system 1000 when executing instructions such as from a keyboard, mouse, touch-sensitive surface, etc. Such input devices may be connected to the processing circuit 1002 through an input device interface 1022 coupled to the system bus 1006, but may be connected through other interfaces such as a parallel port, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394 serial port, a universal serial bus (USB) port, an IR interface, etc. The computer system 1000 may include an output device interface 1024 configured to forward output to a display such as a display, a video display unit (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system 1000 may include a communication interface 1026 suitable for communicating with a network as appropriate or as needed.

[0047] The operational actions described in any exemplary aspects of this article are described to provide examples and discussions. The actions can be performed by hardware components, can be embodied in machine executable instructions to enable a processor to perform the actions, or can be performed by a combination of hardware and software. Although a specific order of method actions can be shown or described, the order of the actions can be different. In addition, two or more actions can be performed simultaneously or partially simultaneously.

[0048] The terms used herein are only used for the purpose of describing specific aspects and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "one", "a kind of" and "the" are intended to also include plural forms. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It should also be understood that the terms "include", "comprising" when used herein specify the presence of stated features, integers, actions, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, actions, steps, operations, elements, components and / or their groups.

[0049] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element.

[0050] Relative terms such as "below" or "above" or "upper" or "lower" or "horizontal" or "vertical" may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element to another element, as shown in the figures. It should be understood that these terms and those discussed above are intended to cover different device orientations in addition to the orientations depicted in the figures. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, the element may be directly connected or directly coupled to the other element, or there may be intervening elements. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, there are no intervening elements.

[0051] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. It should also be understood that, unless otherwise clearly defined herein, the terms used herein should be interpreted as meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of this specification and the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense.

[0052] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the aspects described above and shown in the accompanying drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims. In the drawings and description, various aspects have been disclosed for illustrative purposes only and not for limiting purposes, and the scope of the present disclosure is set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A powertrain device for a heavy vehicle, comprising: an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder, the at least one cylinder having a combustion gas inlet for receiving combustion gases and an exhaust gas outlet for outputting pressurized exhaust gas from the cylinder; an exhaust pump having a pump inlet coupled to the exhaust outlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine and a pump outlet coupled to a vehicle air box and the combustion gas inlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine; a first flow control device arranged to control a fluid flow from the pump outlet of the exhaust pump to the combustion gas inlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine and to the vehicle air box; as well as a control circuit arranged and configured to control the operation of the first flow control device, The control circuit is configured as follows: obtaining a first indication of air pressure in the vehicle air tank; and The first flow control device is controlled to allow fluid to flow from the pump outlet of the exhaust pump to the vehicle air tank in response to the first indication indicating that the air pressure in the vehicle air tank is below a predefined first threshold pressure.

2. The powertrain device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to control the first flow control device to prevent fluid from flowing from the pump outlet of the exhaust pump to the combustion gas inlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine in response to the first indication indicating that the air pressure in the vehicle air box is below the first threshold pressure.

3. A powertrain device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the exhaust pump to provide a pressure difference between the pump outlet and the pump inlet in response to the first indication indicating that the air pressure in the vehicle air tank is lower than the first predefined threshold pressure.

4. A powertrain arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control circuit is configured to: obtaining a second indication indicative of a pressure in a fluid conduit between the exhaust outlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine and the pump inlet; and The exhaust pump is controlled to increase a gas flow rate through the exhaust pump in response to the second indication indicating that the pressure in the fluid conduit is above a predefined second threshold pressure.

5. A drive train arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The powertrain arrangement comprises a second flow control arrangement arranged to control the flow of fluid from the exhaust outlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine to an exhaust aftertreatment system of the internal combustion engine; and The control circuit is configured to: obtaining a second indication indicative of a pressure in a fluid conduit between the exhaust outlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine and the pump inlet; and The second flow control device is controlled to increase gas flow from the exhaust outlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine to an exhaust aftertreatment system of the internal combustion engine in response to the second indication indicating that the pressure in the fluid conduit is above a predefined second threshold pressure.

6. A drive train arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The powertrain arrangement comprises a second flow control arrangement arranged to control the flow of fluid from the exhaust outlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine to an exhaust aftertreatment system of the internal combustion engine; and The control circuit is configured to: obtaining a second indication indicative of a pressure in a fluid conduit between the exhaust outlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine and the pump inlet; and The second flow control device is controlled to reduce gas flow from the exhaust outlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine to an exhaust aftertreatment system of the internal combustion engine in response to the second indication indicating that the pressure in the fluid conduit is below a predefined fourth threshold pressure.

7. A drive train arrangement according to any preceding claim, comprising a cooling arrangement between the exhaust outlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine and the pump inlet.

8. A powertrain arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the internal combustion engine to enter an air pumping mode in which the supply of fuel to the cylinder is prevented.

9. The drive train arrangement of claim 8, wherein: The drive train arrangement includes an electric motor controllable to rotate a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine; and The control circuit is configured to control the electric motor to rotate the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine in the air pumping mode.

10. A vehicle comprising: wheel; as well as A drive train arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, arranged to drive at least one of the wheels.

11. The vehicle according to claim 10, comprising: a vehicle air box coupled to the pump outlet of the exhaust pump; as well as An air brake system is coupled to the vehicle air tank and to at least one of the wheels, the air brake system operable using compressed air from the vehicle air tank.

12. A method of providing pressurized air to a vehicle air box of a heavy vehicle, the heavy vehicle comprising: an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder, the at least one cylinder having a combustion gas inlet for receiving combustion gases and an exhaust gas outlet for outputting pressurized exhaust gas from the cylinder; and an exhaust pump having a pump inlet coupled to the exhaust outlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine and a pump outlet coupled to the vehicle air box and the combustion gas inlet of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine, the method comprising: obtaining a first indication of air pressure in an air tank of the vehicle; as well as A first flow control device is controlled to allow fluid to flow from the pump outlet of the exhaust pump to the vehicle air tank in response to the first indication indicating that the air pressure in the vehicle air tank is below a predefined first threshold pressure.

13. The method according to claim 12, comprising: The exhaust pump is controlled to provide a pressure differential between the pump outlet and the pump inlet in response to the first indication indicating that the air pressure in the vehicle air tank is below the first threshold pressure.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: In response to the first indication indicating that the air pressure in the vehicle air tank is below the first threshold pressure, the exhaust pump is controlled to operate until the pressure difference between the pump outlet and the pump inlet increases by at least 3 bar.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, comprising: Gas output through the exhaust outlet of the cylinder is cooled upstream of the pump inlet of the exhaust pump.

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