Engine Oil Preheating System Using Waste Heat Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems fail to efficiently preheat and lubricate engines, especially in extreme conditions, leading to excessive wear, maintenance issues, and performance delays, particularly in industrial machinery and vehicles equipped with high-performance engines.
Innovation Solution
A preheating, lubricating, and cooling system that includes an oil supply device with primary and secondary heaters, a circulation pump, and a controller to manage oil temperature and circulation, allowing for efficient oil distribution through the existing main oil system, enabling immediate load operation regardless of external climate conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If preheating operation is performed using external energy such as electricity, hot water, or steam, then the engine can be preheated, but the system complexity increases and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The engine's own waste heat is utilized to preheat the lubricating oil through the waste heat recovery device, eliminating the need for external heating systems. The system recovers thermal energy that would otherwise be lost and uses it to maintain optimal oil temperature, making the system self-sufficient and reducing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The waste heat recovery device captures and recovers thermal energy from the engine's exhaust or cooling system that would otherwise be discarded. This recovered heat is then used to preheat the lubricating oil, converting a waste resource into a useful function and reducing the need for additional external heating equipment.
2Productivity
If load operation is performed immediately after starting, then productivity increases, but excessive wear occurs due to insufficient oil circulation
Solution Approach 1:
The waste heat recovery device performs preliminary preheating of the lubricating oil before the engine is started or immediately upon startup. This advance preparation ensures that the oil reaches optimal temperature and viscosity characteristics before the engine begins operation, allowing immediate load capability while protecting against wear by ensuring proper lubrication is already in place.
3Temperature
If preheating operation is performed for a certain period, then the engine temperature increases, but time consumption increases and fuel efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The waste heat recovery device operates continuously during engine operation, constantly preheating the lubricating oil rather than requiring a separate preheating period. The system continuously captures waste heat and transfers it to the oil, maintaining optimal temperature without interrupting or delaying engine operation, thus eliminating time loss and improving fuel efficiency.
4Reliability
If cooling operation is performed after load operation, then stress relief is achieved, but the system cannot perform load operation immediately after stopping
Solution Approach 1:
The waste heat recovery device captures and recovers thermal energy from the engine's cooling system that would otherwise be discarded after load operation. By recovering this waste heat and using it to maintain oil temperature, the system achieves stress relief through controlled cooling while simultaneously preparing the lubricating oil for immediate restart, eliminating the need to wait before the next load operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This system ensures proper lubrication and cooling, reducing wear, maintenance costs, and enabling immediate operation in extreme conditions, promoting convenience, fuel efficiency, and reducing environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
a primary heater (228) installed in an upper portion adjacent to the oil introducing port (240), a secondary heater (224) installed to be spaced apart from the primary heater (228) by a predetermined distance
Implementation Method 2
a circulation pump (226M) installed between the primary heater (228) and the secondary heater (224)
Implementation Method 3
allowing for efficient oil distribution through the existing main oil system
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a preheating, lubricating, and cooling system that oil essentially used for lubrication, wear resistance, and cooling of an internal combustion engine, industrial equipment, or a mobile vehicle is used as a preheating medium, a manager supplies the oil most optimized for load operation of equipment through a preheating system separated from the existing main oil system, and an oil supply path uses a path of the existing oil system, so that the preheating and the load operation are facilitated during an extremely cold season and an extremely hot season, and a normal operation is possible even in a case of being immediately stopped after the operation.