Thermochemical Recuperation System High-Pressure Direct Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Internal combustion engines (ICEs) with thermochemical recuperation (TCR) systems face challenges such as start-up and low-load operation issues, power loss, pre-ignition, backfire danger, and poor transient operating quality due to insufficient thermal energy for TCR activation and partial replacement of intake air with hydrogen-rich gaseous reformate.
Innovation Solution
A TCR system that includes a TCR reformer, a pressure regulator, and a TCR product accumulator, which separates the output of the TCR reformer from the provision to the pressure regulator. The system allows for direct injection of TCR products at high pressure levels (up to 20 bars) into the engine, using a water-alcohol mixture as an engine coolant for enhanced waste heat recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If low-pressure port injection of TCR products is used, then the system structure is simple, but engine power loss occurs due to intake air partial replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pressure parameter of TCR product injection from low-pressure (up to 7 bar) to high-pressure (up to 20 bar or higher). This parameter change allows smaller injection quantities to achieve the same fueling effect, thereby reducing intake air replacement and minimizing power loss while maintaining system simplicity
2Loss of energy
If thermal energy of exhaust gases is used for TCR activation, then waste heat recuperation is achieved, but start-up and low-load operation problems occur due to insufficient thermal energy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a water-alcohol mixture as an intermediary heat transfer medium. This mixture is circulated through a heat exchanger that captures waste heat from exhaust gases, storing thermal energy that can be used for TCR activation during start-up and low-load operations when direct exhaust heat is insufficient
3Use of energy by moving object
If hydrogen-rich gaseous reformate is injected into intake manifold, then fuel efficiency improves, but pre-ignition events and backfire danger increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the injection pressure parameter to high levels (up to 20 bar or higher), which enables better atomization and more controlled fuel delivery. This reduces the risk of pre-ignition and backfire while maintaining the fuel efficiency benefits of hydrogen-rich reformate injection
4Object-generated harmful factors
If TCR system is activated, then pollutant emissions are reduced, but transient operating quality deteriorates due to thermal energy constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The water-alcohol mixture circulation system acts as a thermal buffer, pre-heating the TCR feedstock using waste heat from exhaust gases. This intermediary thermal management system ensures rapid TCR activation during transient operations, improving both emission reduction and transient response quality
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
The system improves engine efficiency, reduces pollutant emissions, and enables stratified charge operation by ensuring sufficient thermal energy for TCR activation and maintaining optimal fuel pressure, thus addressing the limitations of existing TCR systems in ICEs.
Implementation Method 1
The evaporator may be configured to receive a water-alcohol mixture used as an engine coolant, and to heat the water-alcohol mixture by an exhaust gas that passes through the second exhaust conduit
Implementation Method 2
The TCR reformer may be configured to receive vapors of the water-alcohol mixture from the evaporator, and to heat the vapors by an exhaust gas that passes through the first exhaust conduit
Implementation Method 3
The TCR system may include a circulation pump that may be configured to receive from a cooling jacket of the engine, a water-alcohol mixture, and to circulate the water-alcohol mixture at high pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A thermochemical recuperation (TCR) system that may use a water-alcohol mixture as an engine liquid coolant; that may include a TCR reformer configured to output a TCR product at pressure no less than twenty bars; a pressure regulator; and an TCR product accumulator configured to separate an outputting of the TCR product by the TCR reformer from a provision of the TCR product to the pressure regulator; wherein the pressure regulator is configured to provide the TCR product to a direct injector of an engine, thereby enabling the direct injector to inject the TCR product at a high pressure level—for example at a pressure level that exceeds twenty bars.