Vehicle drive system

Abstract

drive system (10) of a vehicle (100), comprising an internal combustion engine (20), an air guidance device (30) for guiding combustion air to the internal combustion engine (20), an exhaust gas routing device (40) for routing exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine (20) to an exhaust gas outlet device (50), a turbocharging device (60) with a turbine unit (62) in the exhaust system (40) and a compressor unit (64) in the air system (30), wherein the turbocharging device (60) is arranged at least sectionally in front of the internal combustion engine (20) with respect to the direction of travel (F) of the vehicle (100), characterized in that the internal combustion engine (20) has a belt drive (22) which is located on the same side as the turbocharging device (60).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a drive system of a vehicle and to a vehicle with a corresponding drive system.

[0002] It is known that vehicles are equipped with internal combustion engines as their drive system. Within the drive system, further additional functional devices are provided for the internal combustion engine. These typically include air guide devices to direct combustion air into the combustion chamber of the engine. It is also known to provide exhaust guide devices for the removal of exhaust gases, which direct the exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine to an exhaust outlet device, usually terminating in an exhaust outlet pipe. To increase the power output of an internal combustion engine, so-called turbochargers are also known, which can use the flow energy of the exhaust gas to provide additional compression of the intake air for combustion.

[0003] A disadvantage of the known solutions is their high level of complexity, resulting from the correlation of the various components. This complexity is particularly evident in the highly complex and, above all, confusing installation space. Specifically, this leads to the integration of the known turbocharger units into the internal combustion engine. Consequently, an internal combustion engine can now only function or be delivered with this specific turbocharger unit. A modular concept, allowing for the inclusion or exclusion of a turbocharger unit, or its interchangeability in different sizes, is not present in the known solutions. Furthermore, the integrated arrangement of the turbocharger unit within the internal combustion engine severely limits accessibility for maintenance and repair, making them extremely difficult and costly.

[0004] DE 10 2008 062 145 A1 discloses a drive system of a vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1 or 9 for a vehicle with a front engine.

[0005] WO 2016 / 099 770 A2 discloses a drive system of a vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1 or 9 for a vehicle with a rear engine.

[0006] DE 198 03 243 A1 and DE 11 2015 000 037 T5 reveal further state of the art.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to at least partially overcome the disadvantages described above. In particular, the object of the present invention is to improve the integration of a turbocharging device into an internal combustion engine of a drive system in a cost-effective and simple manner.

[0008] The foregoing problem is solved by a drive system having the features of claim 1, by a drive system having the features of claim 9 and by a vehicle having the features of claim 10.

[0009] Further features and details of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims, the description, and the drawings. Features and details described in connection with the drive system according to the invention naturally also apply in connection with the vehicle according to the invention, and vice versa, so that the disclosure regarding the individual aspects of the invention always refers, or can refer, to each other.

[0010] The invention proposes a drive system intended for use in a vehicle and its propulsion. Such a drive system comprises an internal combustion engine and an air intake system for supplying combustion air to the engine. Furthermore, an exhaust system is provided for directing exhaust gas from the engine to an exhaust outlet. This exhaust outlet is also part of the drive system. A turbocharger is provided, comprising a turbine unit in the exhaust system and a compressor unit in the air intake system. This turbocharger is positioned, at least partially, upstream of the engine in the direction of travel of the vehicle during normal forward motion. Preferably, the turbocharger is positioned substantially or entirely upstream of the engine in the direction of travel of the vehicle.

[0011] In other words, the turbocharger is no longer integrated into the combustion engine, but rather positioned separately as part of the drive system. This placement of the turbocharger upstream of the combustion engine will result in slightly longer paths for the intake air and exhaust gases. However, this separate arrangement of the turbocharger offers improved space utilization and accessibility.

[0012] According to claim 1, the internal combustion engine has a belt drive located on the same side as the turbocharger. Such a belt drive can, for example, transmit rotational motion to a camshaft. It is also possible to connect a vehicle's alternator for power generation using such a belt drive. Arranging the belt drive on the same side as the turbocharger offers advantages in terms of installation space, insulation, and accessibility. Thus, an arrangement of the belt drive next to the turbocharger is just as conceivable as an arrangement that overlaps at least partially with respect to the vehicle's direction of travel.

[0013] According to claim 9, the drive system is particularly applicable to so-called mid-engine concepts. This means that the drive system is designed for arrangement in the rear of the vehicle and is directly connected to a driven rear axle of the vehicle. Thus, the engine is located, so to speak, at the rear of the vehicle, and the turbocharger is positioned accordingly in front of it. This allows the turbocharger to be designed to align with the overall drive system's proximity to the vehicle's passenger compartment. Since the turbocharger is a relatively small component compared to the internal combustion engine, this small component can now be precisely adapted to the specific requirements of the passenger compartment with regard to its orientation and positioning.This results, for example, in a partition wall between the engine compartment and the passenger compartment of the vehicle being angled, so that in the lower part, which thus forms an acute angle to the engine compartment, a small installation space remains in which small components such as the turbocharger can be arranged. As can be seen here, by placing the turbocharger in front of the combustion engine, installation space can be optimized, allowing the entire drive system to be integrated into the vehicle in an optimized manner.

[0014] In addition to improving the installation space, the assembly of the entire drive system and the maintenance of the turbocharger are also simplified. Because the turbocharger is now designed and, more importantly, positioned separately from the combustion engine, access for maintenance and repair work is significantly improved. For example, a suitable bulkhead can be installed and removed to provide direct access to the turbocharger, ensuring easy and, above all, convenient access for both assembly and maintenance.

[0015] The turbocharger is equipped with a turbine unit and a compressor unit. Naturally, the individual components of the turbocharger can be designed with any level of complexity, depending on the requirements of the internal combustion engine. Multi-stage turbochargers with two or more turbine units and two or more corresponding compressor units are also conceivable within the scope of the present invention. This utilizes the fundamentally known principle of a turbocharger, whereby flow energy from the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine is extracted by a turbine in the exhaust manifold, and this rotation is transmitted as torque to a compressor in the compressor unit.This allows the flow energy of the exhaust gas to be transferred to compress the intake air flow in the air intake device for combustion air. This leads to higher boost pressures and consequently higher power output with minimized fuel consumption of the combustion engine.

[0016] It is advantageous to position the turbocharger between the combustion engine and the passenger compartment of the vehicle. As previously explained, the drive system is designed as a mid-engine configuration, meaning it is positioned near the driven rear axle. Therefore, placing the turbocharger in front of the combustion engine, relative to the direction of travel, also means it is positioned between the combustion engine and the passenger compartment. Access openings from the passenger compartment allow for particularly easy, cost-effective, and convenient installation, maintenance, and repair of the turbocharger. These access openings are, of course, closed by covers or bulkheads during normal vehicle operation.Furthermore, this arrangement between the passenger compartment and the combustion engine means that the turbocharger itself assumes a sound dampening function, since its own weight and the corresponding additional distance between the combustion engine and the passenger compartment provide a corresponding sound dampening effect.

[0017] The bulkhead can therefore already be part of the drive system. Naturally, such a bulkhead can also be part of a vehicle or a vehicle's passenger compartment. This bulkhead is specifically designed for sound insulation to reduce or largely prevent the transmission of engine noise from the combustion engine into the passenger compartment. Of course, such a bulkhead can preferably be installed in a reversible manner to allow access to the turbocharger for maintenance and repairs.

[0018] Furthermore, it is advantageous if, in a drive system according to the invention, the turbocharger is arranged in front of the lower front of the internal combustion engine, relative to the vehicle's direction of travel. This means that the internal combustion engine has different sides. Relative to the direction of travel, these are the left side, the right side, and the front and rear of the internal combustion engine. Each side can be provided, at least geometrically, with an upper edge, a lower edge, and two side edges. Accordingly, the lower front corresponds, according to this abstract geometric definition, to the lower front edge of the internal combustion engine. This preferably overlaps, at least partially, with the turbocharger. As already explained, a partition can be used, for example, to provide a separation between the engine compartment and the passenger compartment of the vehicle.To enable an increase in passenger compartment size without increasing the overall vehicle volume, such a bulkhead can be angled to form an acute angle with the engine compartment and the drive system. This means that while the full height within the engine compartment remains available for the combustion engine, this height is reduced in the direction of travel due to the angled bulkhead. Smaller components, and in the case of the invention, the turbocharger, can then be arranged in this reduced height area of ​​the engine compartment. This arrangement at the lower front of the combustion engine improves the compactness of the entire drive system, allowing for a larger passenger compartment volume with the same vehicle wheelbase.

[0019] It is also advantageous if, in a drive system according to the invention, a catalyst device is arranged next to the turbocharger, particularly as an extension of the turbocharger. Catalyst devices are frequently used in internal combustion engines for exhaust gas purification; these devices can chemically absorb or convert pollutants from the exhaust gas. Furthermore, arranging the catalyst device upstream of the internal combustion engine, also with respect to the direction of travel, offers the same advantages regarding installation space, insulation, and accessibility as have already been explained with regard to the turbocharger. In addition, this arrangement results in a very short path between the catalyst device and the turbocharger, and consequently, improved flow characteristics.

[0020] Furthermore, it is advantageous if, in a drive system according to the invention, a cooling device for cooling air and / or water for the charge air cooling of the turbocharger is arranged at least partially above the internal combustion engine. Such a cooling device serves to cool the charge air, which comes from the compressor unit of the turbocharger in a compressed state, in order to further increase the combustion power within the internal combustion engine. According to the ideal gas law, the combustion air within the compressor unit heats up due to compression by the compressor unit. The cooling device is provided to at least partially reverse this heating. Both air and water can be cooled within the cooling device.It is possible to cool the charge air directly, i.e., in an air-to-air relationship, using a heat exchanger before it enters the combustion engine. A relationship with a heat exchanger that uses a liquid medium to cool the charge air after the compressor unit of the turbocharger is also conceivable. This is technically referred to as water-to-air charge air cooling. In both cases, positioning the cooling device above the combustion engine further reduces the required installation space and improves the compactness of the entire drive system.

[0021] In the drive system according to the preceding paragraph, it can be advantageous if the cooling device is attached to the internal combustion engine. This simplifies assembly in the arrangement according to the invention, which is located above the internal combustion engine. Furthermore, the mechanical coupling of the cooling device to the internal combustion engine can prevent relative vibration between the engine and the cooling device, thus enabling a more vibration-resistant design for the entire drive system.

[0022] Also part of the present invention is a vehicle with a drive system according to the invention. A vehicle according to the invention thus offers the same advantages as those already explained in detail with reference to a drive system according to the invention. Such a vehicle preferably has a passenger compartment in which the driver and one or more passengers can sit. The separation between the drive system and the passenger compartment is preferably achieved by the bulkhead already described several times.

[0023] Further advantages, features, and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in detail with reference to the drawings. The features mentioned in the claims and in the description can each be essential to the invention individually or in any combination. The drawings schematically show: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of the arrangement of the drive system in a vehicle, Fig. 2. In a schematic side view, the arrangement of the individual components of a drive system relative to each other is shown. Fig. 3. In a side view, the correlation of the individual components to each other is shown. Fig. 4. In perspective view, the correlation of the individual components to each other and Fig. 5. In perspective view, the correlation of the individual components to each other is shown.

[0024] Fig. Figure 1 schematically shows how a drive system 10 according to the invention can be arranged as a mid-mounted engine. The rear axle of the vehicle 100 is shown here, which is located below the engine compartment and thus below the drive system 10. It can also be seen that a passenger compartment 110 of the vehicle 100 is arranged in front of the drive system 10.

[0025] Fig. Figure 2 schematically shows how a passenger compartment 110 can be separated from the engine compartment and the drive system 10 located therein by means of a bulkhead 70. The relationship between the individual components of the drive system 10 is also clearly visible here. An internal combustion engine 20 is provided, which can be of any configuration, i.e., a three-cylinder, four-cylinder, six-cylinder, or even an internal combustion engine with a different number of cylinders. A cooling device 90 is provided on the top of the internal combustion engine 20, which serves to cool the charge air of the turbocharger 60.

[0026] This turbocharging device 60 is now arranged on the lower front side of the internal combustion engine 20 with respect to the direction of travel F. Thus, the turbocharging device 60 is now positioned between the passenger compartment 110 and the internal combustion engine 20 at its lower front side. The bulkhead 70 now serves to separate the entire drive system 10 from the passenger compartment 110 and thus also preferably for soundproof decoupling between these two spaces. Furthermore, in Fig. 2 schematically shows a belt drive 22, which is also arranged partially overlapping on the front of the internal combustion engine 20 with respect to the direction of travel F of the vehicle 100.

[0027] Fig. Figure 3 shows a way to depict the corresponding drive system 10 in greater detail. Here, too, a bulkhead 70 is shown with a dashed line, but this bulkhead 70 is now angled towards the passenger compartment 110. It can now be seen that, starting from the combustion engine 20 and moving to the left (i.e., in the direction of travel F), the installation height within the engine compartment of the vehicle 100 decreases. The turbocharger 60 is located in this area. It is also clearly visible that the exhaust gas is routed via the exhaust guide 40 below the engine 20 to an exhaust outlet 50. Here, too, it is clearly evident how the reduced installation height is utilized by the angled bulkhead 70 to position the entire drive system 10 further to the left in the direction of travel F, thereby reducing the overall length of the vehicle 100 or, with a larger combustion engine 20, maintaining the same overall length.An air guide device 30 is provided on the top of the internal combustion engine 20 to supply the internal combustion engine 20 with combustion air.

[0028] Fig. Figure 4 schematically shows the drive system 10, also with an internal combustion engine 20, from the front. The viewing direction is in Fig. 4 therefore goes against the depicted direction of travel F. On this front side of the internal combustion engine 20, in addition to the turbocharger 60, the catalytic converter 80 and part of the exhaust system 40 are also arranged. Here it is also clearly visible how a corresponding belt drive 22 can overlap with the turbocharger 60. The division of the turbocharger 60 into the compressor unit 64 and the turbine unit 62 can also be seen here. Reference numeral 30 indicates part of the air intake system 30 with the supply of charge air to the internal combustion engine 20.

[0029] Fig. 5 shows in a similar way to Fig. 4 the overall correlation of the drive system 10. However, the entire air guidance device 30 is also shown here, so that the combustion air is guided along the arrows over the compressor unit 64 of the turbocharger 60. On the top of the combustion engine 30, the cooling device 90 is shown here, which enables the cooling of the heated charge air coming from the compressor unit 64 of the turbocharger 60.

[0030] The preceding explanation of the embodiments describes the present invention solely by way of examples. Naturally, individual features of the embodiments can be freely combined with one another, provided this is technically feasible, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

[1] Drive system (10) of a vehicle (100), comprising an internal combustion engine (20), an air guidance device (30) for guiding combustion air to the internal combustion engine (20), an exhaust gas routing device (40) for routing exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine (20) to an exhaust gas outlet device (50), a turbocharging device (60) with a turbine unit (62) in the exhaust system (40) and a compressor unit (64) in the air system (30), wherein the turbocharging device (60) is arranged at least sectionally in front of the internal combustion engine (20) with respect to the direction of travel (F) of the vehicle (100), characterized by , that the internal combustion engine (20) has a belt drive (22) which is located on the same side as the turbocharging device (60). [2] Drive system (10) according to claim 1, characterized by, that the turbocharging device (60) is arranged in the installation situation between the internal combustion engine (20) and a passenger compartment (110) of the vehicle (100). [3] Drive system (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that a bulkhead (70) is arranged to separate the internal combustion engine (20) and the turbocharger (60) from a passenger compartment (110) of the vehicle (100). [4] Drive system (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the turbocharging device (60) is arranged in front of the lower front of the internal combustion engine (20) with respect to the direction of travel (F) of the vehicle (10). [5] Drive system (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that a catalyst device (80) is arranged next to the turbocharging device (60). [6] Drive system (10) according to claim 5, characterized by, that the catalyst device (80) is arranged in the extension of the turbocharger device (60). [7] Drive system (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that at least sectionally above the internal combustion engine (20) a cooling device (90) for cooling air and / or water for the charge air cooling of the turbocharger device (60) is arranged. [8] Drive system (10) according to claim 7, characterized by , that the cooling device (90) is attached to the internal combustion engine (20). [9] Drive system (10) of a vehicle (100), comprising an internal combustion engine (20), an air guidance device (30) for guiding combustion air to the internal combustion engine (20), an exhaust gas routing device (40) for routing exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine (20) to an exhaust gas outlet device (50), a turbocharging device (60) with a turbine unit (62) in the exhaust system (40) and a compressor unit (64) in the air system (30), wherein the turbocharging device (60) is arranged at least sectionally in front of the internal combustion engine (20) with respect to the direction of travel (F) of the vehicle (100), characterized by , that the turbocharging device (60) is arranged in the installation position in an engine compartment located behind a passenger compartment (110) of the vehicle (100) between the internal combustion engine (20) and the passenger compartment (110), A bulkhead (70) arranged between the engine compartment and the passenger compartment (110) for the purpose of isolating the internal combustion engine (20) and the turbocharger (60) from the passenger compartment (110) is inclined in such a way that the installation height within the engine compartment decreases in the direction of travel, with the turbocharger device (60) being arranged in this area. [10] Vehicle (100) with a drive system (10) having the features of any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images