Turbocharged Engine Intake Air Thermal Management Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Internal combustion engines, particularly diesel-fueled turbocharged engines, face difficulties in starting and increasing temperature in cold conditions, leading to combustion problems, excess fuel consumption, and increased emissions due to inadequate heating of intake air.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management device with a first heat exchanger in the air intake circuit and a second heat exchanger on the main exhaust line, connected by a heating loop, utilizing a low-pressure exhaust gas recuperation system and a take-off branch to direct hot exhaust gases into the air intake circuit, reducing heating time and emissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a heat exchanger is used to heat the intake air in cold conditions, then the intake air temperature increases, but the heating time is too long due to thermal inertia of the heat-transporting fluid
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-heats the heat-transporting fluid in the heating loop using exhaust gas heat exchangers before cold starting occurs. This preliminary heating action reduces the thermal inertia effect during actual cold starting, enabling faster intake air temperature rise without requiring larger heat exchangers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a take-off branch as an intermediary pathway that directly introduces hot exhaust gases into the air intake circuit, bypassing the heat-transporting fluid medium. This dual-path approach (through fluid and direct exhaust) significantly reduces heating time by eliminating the thermal inertia delay of the heat-transporting fluid.
2Temperature
If electric heaters or additional heat exchangers are used to heat the intake air, then the intake air temperature rises faster, but the energy consumption increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the waste thermal energy from exhaust gases into a useful resource for heating the intake air. By routing exhaust gas through heat exchangers in the heating loop and take-off branches, the patent transforms harmful hot exhaust that would otherwise be wasted into a free heating source, eliminating the need for electric heaters and reducing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The exhaust gas system serves dual purposes: it provides propulsion power and simultaneously heats the intake air through the heating loop and take-off branches. This self-service approach allows the engine's own exhaust energy to perform the heating function that would otherwise require external energy input.
3Loss of time
If the heating loop components are increased in size to reduce heating time, then the temperature rise speed improves, but the space required in the engine compartment increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
By pre-heating the heat-transporting fluid before cold starting through the exhaust gas heat exchangers, the system reduces the thermal mass required in the heating loop. This preliminary action allows smaller heat exchanger components to achieve the same heating performance, reducing engine compartment space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The take-off branch acts as a space-efficient intermediary that directly introduces hot exhaust gases into the intake circuit without requiring large heat exchanger surfaces. This bypass pathway achieves rapid heating using existing exhaust heat, eliminating the need for oversized heating components in the engine compartment.
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 enables a faster rise in engine temperature, reducing fuel consumption and emissions by efficiently heating the intake air with hot exhaust gases, while also allowing for quick temperature adjustment and energy recovery.
Implementation Method 1
a second heat exchanger placed on the main exhaust line of the engine, capturing the thermal energy from the exhaust gas and transferring said energy to a heat-transporting fluid circulating in the heating loop
Implementation Method 2
a first heat exchanger comprising an inlet and an outlet for heat-transporting fluid, placed in the air intake circuit between the compressor and the engine
Implementation Method 3
a take-off device able to manage the circulation of exhaust gases... allows a circulation of the low-pressure, still hot exhaust gases directly towards the air intake circuit
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a device (1) for the thermal management of the intake air of an internal combustion engine (3) equipped with a turbocharger (5), said device comprising:a first heat exchanger (7) placed in the air intake circuit (9),a second heat exchanger (10) placed on the main exhaust line (12) and connected to the first heat exchanger (7) to form a heating loop (A),said thermal management device (1) furthermore comprising a so-called low-pressure exhaust gas recuperation system (14), comprising a first take-off (141) placed downstream of the turbine (5b), an outlet (142) placed upstream of the compressor (5a), and a control valve (140),the second heat exchanger (10) being placed between the turbine (5b) and the first take-off (141),the main exhaust line (12) comprising a take-off branch (26) between a second take-off (201) placed on the main exhaust line (12) upstream of the second heat exchanger (10), a take-off device (200) able to manage the circulation of the exhaust gases, and an outlet (202).