# US 10,371,088 B2 · Heat exchanger for a rankine cycle in a vehicle muffler > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,371,088 B2 - Document ID: US10371088B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/043,760 - Filed: 2016-02-15 - Published: 2017-08-17 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-15 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Shiguang Zhou - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371088B2 ## CPC - F02G 5/02: Profiting from waste heat of exhaust gases - F01K 13/003: {Arrangements for measuring or testing (in general G01)} - F01K 13/02: Controlling, e.g. stopping or starting - F01K 23/065: {the combustion taking place in an internal combustion piston engine, e.g. a diesel engine} - F01K 23/10: with exhaust fluid of one cycle heating the fluid in another cycle (F01K17/025 takes precedence) - F01N 1/163: {by means of valves} - F01N 1/165: {for adjusting flow area} - F01N 3/0205: {using heat exchangers} - F01N 5/02: the devices using heat - F01N 2590/11: for hybrid vehicles - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - F02G: HOT GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT ENGINE PLANTS (steam engine plants, special vapour plants, plants operating on either hot gas or combustion-product gases together with other fluid F01K; gas-turbine plants F02C; jet-propulsion plants F02K); USE OF WASTE HEAT OF COMBUSTION ENGINES; NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - F01K: STEAM ENGINE PLANTS; STEAM ACCUMULATORS; ENGINE PLANTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ENGINES USING SPECIAL WORKING FLUIDS OR CYCLES (gas-turbine or jet-propulsion plants F02; nuclear power plants, engine arrangements therein G21D) - F01N: GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES (arrangements in connection with gas exhaust of propulsion units in vehicles B60K13/00; combustion-air intake silencers specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines F02M35/00; protecting against, or damping, noise in general G10K11/16) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A vehicle is provided with an engine having an exhaust gas system comprising a muffler body containing a valve controlling exhaust gas flow through a tuning tube. The vehicle has an expander, a condenser, a pump, and an evaporator in sequential fluid communication in a closed loop containing a working fluid. The evaporator is positioned within the body and supports the valve and tuning tube therein, with the evaporator in thermal contact with exhaust gas and the working fluid. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle comprising: an engine having an exhaust gas system comprising a muffler body containing a valve controlling exhaust gas flow through a tuning tube; an expander, a condenser, a pump, and an evaporator in sequential fluid communication in a closed loop containing a working fluid; and a controller in communication with the valve, a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of the working fluid, and a pressure sensor for sensing a pressure of the working fluid, the controller controlling a position of the valve to control exhaust gas flow through the evaporator in response to receiving a first signal indicative of the temperature of the working fluid and a second signal indicative of the pressure of the working fluid; wherein the evaporator is positioned within the body and supports the valve and tuning tube therein, the evaporator in thermal contact with exhaust gas and the working fluid. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the temperature sensor is positioned between the condenser and the pump in the closed loop. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the valve is positioned at a downstream end of the tuning tube; and wherein the controller controls the position of the valve such that the working fluid comprises a liquid phase at an inlet to the pump. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the evaporator comprises a body defining a first passage therethrough for flow of the working fluid and a second passage for flow of the exhaust gas therethrough; and wherein the second passage fluidly couples an exhaust gas inlet of the muffler body with an exhaust gas outlet of the muffler body such that exhaust gases flow through the muffler body regardless of a position of the valve. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vehicle of claim 4 wherein the body of the evaporator provides at least one baffle within the muffler body. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the working fluid is a mixed phase working fluid. ### Claim 7 A vehicle muffler comprising: a housing having an exhaust gas inlet and an exhaust gas outlet; a tuning tube positioned within the housing and having an upstream end and a downstream end supporting a valve thereacross to control exhaust gas flow through the tuning tube, the upstream and downstream ends spaced apart and inset from the exhaust gas inlet and the exhaust gas outlet of the housing; and a Rankine cycle conduit having a working fluid flowing therethrough, the conduit positioned within the housing, supporting the tuning tube, and in thermal contact with exhaust gases and the working fluid thereby providing an evaporator for the Rankine cycle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The muffler of claim 7 wherein the valve has a first position to prevent exhaust gas flow through the tuning tube and a second position to provide for exhaust gas flow through the tuning tube. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The muffler of claim 7 wherein the conduit encircles the tuning tube such that the tuning tube is positioned within a central region of the housing. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The muffler of claim 9 wherein the conduit is formed in a convoluted shape such that the conduit extends between an outer wall of the tuning tube and an inner wall of the housing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The muffler of claim 7 wherein the tuning tube is a first tuning tube; the muffler further comprising: a second tuning tube positioned within the housing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The muffler of claim 11 wherein the first and second tuning tubes extend along first and second longitudinal axes, respectively, the first and second longitudinal axes offset and parallel to one another. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The muffler of claim 11 wherein the second tuning tube is supported by the conduit within the housing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The muffler of claim 7 further comprising a controller in communication with the valve, a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of the working fluid, and a pressure sensor for sensing a pressure of the working fluid, the controller controlling a position of the valve to control exhaust gas flow through the evaporator in response to receiving a first signal indicative of the temperature of the working fluid and a second signal indicative of the pressure of the working fluid. ### Claim 15 A method of controlling a vehicle comprising: heating a working fluid in a heat exchanger in a thermodynamic cycle, the heat exchanger positioned within a muffler to support a tuning tube therein and in thermal contact with engine exhaust gases; and in response to receiving signals indicative of a temperature and a pressure of the working fluid, controlling a position of a valve associated with the tuning tube to control exhaust gas flow therethrough. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 further comprising opening the valve in response to the temperature of the working fluid being above a threshold value such that at least a portion of the exhaust gases in the muffler flow through the tuning tube. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 further comprising closing the valve in response to the temperature of the working fluid being below a temperature threshold to increase the flow of exhaust gases through the heat exchanger. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein the thermodynamic cycle is a Rankine cycle, the method further comprising: measuring the temperature of the working fluid in the thermodynamic cycle at an inlet to a pump in the Rankine cycle; wherein the valve is controlled such that the working fluid is a liquid phase at the inlet to the pump.