Engine Warm-Up Apparatus Using Heated Air Circulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, the engine temperature is low immediately after switching to an engine-driving state, leading to reduced engine operation performance, and existing methods for warming catalysts do not efficiently warm the engine while it is stopped.
Innovation Solution
An internal-combustion-engine warm-up apparatus that includes a heater, a post-processing apparatus for removing nitrogen oxides, a circulation path for heated air, a heat exchanger for warming the engine coolant, and a control apparatus to operate the heater and blower, which supplies heated air to the post-processing apparatus and heat exchanger even when the engine is stopped, effectively warming the catalysts and engine coolant.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If catalysts are warmed by a heater in a state where the engine is stopped, then nitrogen oxide removal efficiency is improved, but engine temperature remains low immediately after switching to engine-driving state
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the warm-up process into two independent paths: one for warming catalysts (using heater and blower) and one for warming the engine (using heat exchanger with coolant). This allows catalysts to be warmed without requiring the engine to be running, resolving the contradiction between nitrogen oxide removal efficiency and engine temperature.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger acts as an intermediary device that transfers thermal energy from heated air to the engine coolant. This mediator enables the engine to be warmed using the same thermal energy source (heater) without direct combustion, allowing engine temperature improvement while maintaining the ability to warm catalysts independently.
2Temperature
If a separate heat source is used to warm the engine, then engine temperature is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heater and blower system serves dual purposes: warming the catalysts (primary function for nitrogen oxide removal) and warming the engine through the heat exchanger (secondary function). This multi-functionality eliminates the need for a separate heat source for engine warm-up, reducing device complexity while achieving both temperature improvement goals.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the catalyst warm-up function and engine warm-up function into a single integrated system. The same heater and blower that warm the catalysts also provide thermal energy to the heat exchanger for engine warm-up, combining what would traditionally be separate systems into one unified apparatus.
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 solution efficiently warms the catalysts and engine coolant using the heater's energy, improving engine performance by raising catalyst temperatures to activation levels and warming the engine efficiently without the need for a separate heat source, thus enhancing nitrogen oxide removal efficiency and engine operation.
Implementation Method 1
a heater arranged upstream of the post-processing apparatus on the exhaust path
Implementation Method 2
a heat exchanger that warms the coolant in the coolant flow path by causing heat exchange between the heated air having passed through the post-processing apparatus and the coolant
Implementation Method 3
a blower that feeds air heated by the heater to the post-processing apparatus
Data Source
AI summary
An internal-combustion-engine warm-up apparatus includes: a post-processing apparatus; a heater arranged upstream of the post-processing apparatus on the exhaust path; a circulation path where air having passed through the post-processing apparatus is fed back to an upstream side of the heater; an air pump that is a blower that feeds air heated by the heater to the post-processing apparatus; a coolant flow path; a heat exchanger; and a control apparatus that controls operation of the heater and the blower, and in a state where the engine is stopped, the control apparatus causes the heater and the air pump to operate, and causes the air heated by the heater to be supplied to the post-processing apparatus and the heat exchanger.