Reciprocating Engine Turbocharger Bracket Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
In large turbocharged reciprocating engines, particularly V-engines, the placement and maintenance of turbochargers and charge air coolers are challenging due to limited space, and existing solutions complicate servicing and upgrading of these components.
Innovation Solution
A reciprocating engine design where low-pressure turbochargers and high-pressure turbochargers are supported on a bracket attached to the engine block, with low-pressure charge air coolers placed in casings that can be easily detached, allowing for efficient removal and servicing of high-pressure charge air coolers from the sides, thereby optimizing space utilization and reducing vibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If turbochargers and charge air coolers are placed on a bracket attached to the engine block, then the centre of gravity is closer to the engine block reducing vibration, but the space required for servicing and removing components is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is divided into multiple sections with separate chambers for low-pressure and high-pressure charge air coolers. Each cooler can be independently accessed and serviced by removing specific sections of the bracket, allowing maintenance without dismantling the entire assembly while maintaining the compact mounted position that reduces vibration.
2Power
If two stage turbocharging is implemented in V-engines, then supercharging efficiency is improved, but the complexity of placing multiple turbochargers and coolers is increased
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple turbochargers and charge air coolers are integrated into a single unified bracket structure. The bracket combines mounting positions for both low-pressure and high-pressure turbochargers along with their respective coolers, creating a consolidated assembly that simplifies installation and reduces the number of separate mounting operations required.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket serves multiple functions simultaneously: it mounts turbochargers, supports charge air coolers, provides structural support, and acts as a vibration-dampening element. This multi-functional design reduces the overall number of components needed and simplifies the overall system architecture despite the complex two-stage turbocharging requirement.
3Stability of the object's composition
If charge air coolers are placed in fixed positions on the bracket, then structural stability is improved, but the ease of removal and cleaning is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket incorporates removable or detachable sections that allow charge air coolers to be easily accessed and removed when cleaning or maintenance is required. During normal operation, these sections provide stable structural support, but when needed, they can be quickly detached to enable cooler removal without compromising the overall structural integrity of the bracket assembly.
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 design simplifies the placement and maintenance of turbocharger equipment, reduces vibration, and enables effective two-stage turbocharging in space-constrained applications, such as ship installations, while allowing for easy cleaning and upgrading of existing engines.
Implementation Method 1
two low-pressure charge air coolers (9) for cooling low-pressure charge air pressurized by the low-pressure turbocharger(s) (3, 3)
Implementation Method 2
two low-pressure charge air coolers (9) for cooling low-pressure charge air pressurized by the low-pressure turbocharger(s) (3, 3)
Implementation Method 3
two high-pressure charge air coolers (11) for cooling high-pressure charge air pressurized by the high-pressure turbochargers (6, 6)
Implementation Method 4
two high-pressure charge air coolers (11) for cooling high-pressure charge air pressurized by the high-pressure turbochargers (6, 6)
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The invention relates to a reciprocating engine (2), which comprises an engine block (14), at least one low-pressure turbocharger (3) and two high-pressure turbochargers (6), two low-pressure charge air coolers (9) for cooling low- pressure charge air pressurized by the low-pressure tur- bocharger(s) (3) and two high-pressure charge air coolers (11) for cooling high-pressure charge air pressurized by the high-pressure turbochargers (6). A bracket (12) is at- tached to a first end (17) of the engine block. The bracket (12) comprises two adjacent high-pressure chambers (16) for the charge air pressurized by the high-pressure turbo- chargers (6), in which high-pressure chambers (16) the high-pressure charge air coolers (11) are arranged. The low-pressure charge air coolers (9) are placed in casings (19), which are releasably attached to the bracket (12) on both sides of the high pressure chambers (16).