# US 10,371,104 B2 · Fuel reforming system and control method of coolant supply > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,371,104 B2 - Document ID: US10371104B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/783,726 - Filed: 2017-10-13 - Published: 2018-10-18 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-04-18 - Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation - Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation - Inventors: Hong Kil Baek; Seung Woo Lee; Tae Won Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371104B2 ## CPC - F02M 26/33: controlling the temperature of the recirculated gases - F01P 3/20: Cooling circuits not specific to a single part of engine or machine (F01P3/22 takes precedence) - F02B 43/10: Engines or plants characterised by use of other specific gases, e.g. acetylene, oxyhydrogen - F02M 26/02: EGR systems specially adapted for supercharged engines - F02M 26/04: with a single turbocharger - F02M 26/36: with means for adding fluids other than exhaust gas to the recirculation passage; with reformers - F01N 2240/02: a heat exchanger - F01N 2240/30: a fuel reformer - F01N 2240/36: an exhaust flap - F01P 2060/16: Outlet manifold - F02B 37/00: Engines characterised by provision of pumps driven at least for part of the time by exhaust - F02M 26/47: the characteristics being temperatures, pressures or flow rates - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF - F01P: COOLING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; COOLING OF INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES (arrangements in connection with cooling of propulsion units in vehicles B60K11/00; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials C09K5/00; {cooling of gas-turbine engines F02C7/12}; heat exchange in general, radiators F28) - F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G) - 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) ## Abstract A fuel reforming system includes an engine combusting reformed gas to generate mechanical power; an intake line connected with the engine to supply the reformed gas and air to the engine; an exhaust line connected with the engine to circulate exhaust gas exhausted from the engine; a fuel reformer provided at an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) line diverging from the exhaust line, mixing the exhaust gas passing through the EGR line with fuel and reforming the fuel mixed with the exhaust gas; a water temperature controller (WTC) provided at the engine to control coolant cooling the engine; a radiator for radiating a portion of heat generated from the engine to atmosphere through the coolant; a temperature sensor provided at the EGR line at a front end of the fuel reformer and measuring temperature of the exhaust gas at the front end of the fuel reformer; a coolant passage provided to connect an exit of the engine, the fuel reformer, the radiator, and an entrance of the engine in series; and a coolant supply control valve for supplying the coolant into an inside of the fuel reformer according to engine driving condition and temperature of the exhaust gas. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fuel reforming system, comprising: an engine combusting reformed gas to generate mechanical power; an intake line connected with the engine to supply the reformed gas and air to the engine; an exhaust line connected with the engine to circulate exhaust gas exhausted from the engine; a fuel reformer provided at an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) line diverging from the exhaust line, mixing the exhaust gas passing through the EGR line with fuel and reforming the fuel mixed with the exhaust gas; a water temperature controller (WTC) provided at the engine to control coolant cooling the engine; a radiator for radiating a portion of heat generated from the engine to the atmosphere through the coolant; a temperature sensor provided at the EGR line at an upstream end of the fuel reformer and measuring temperature of the exhaust gas at the upstream end of the fuel reformer; a coolant passage provided to connect an exit of the engine, the fuel reformer, the radiator, and an entrance of the engine in series; and a coolant supply control valve for supplying the coolant into an inside of the fuel reformer according to engine driving condition and temperature of the exhaust gas. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fuel reforming system of claim 1, wherein: the WTC is provided at a side of the exit of the engine. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fuel reforming system of claim 1, wherein: the fuel reformer further includes a coolant entrance and a coolant exit which the coolant enters and exits the inside of the fuel reformer, and the coolant supply control valve configured to be opened or closed according to the engine driving condition and the temperature of the exhaust gas is provided at the coolant entrance. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The fuel reforming system of claim 1, further comprising: a compressor connected with the intake line and compresses and supplies the reformed gas and air to the engine; and a turbine connected with the exhaust line and rotated by the exhaust gas to generate power. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fuel reforming system of claim 1, wherein: an EGR cooler cooling the reformed gas, and an EGR valve disposed at a downstream end of the EGR cooler and adjusting a flow rate of the reformed gas are installed at the EGR line. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The fuel reforming system of claim 5, wherein: the fuel reformer is installed at an upstream portion of the EGR cooler in the EGR line. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The fuel reforming system of claim 1, wherein: the engine driving condition is revolutions per minute of the engine and engine torque. ### Claim 8 A control method of coolant supply of a fuel reformer mixing exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) gas passing through an EGR line of an engine with a fuel and reforming the fuel mixed in the EGR gas, comprising, detecting, by a controller, an engine driving condition; determining, by the controller, whether or not the engine driving condition is in a reforming driving region; determining, by the controller, whether an exhaust gas temperature measured by a temperature sensor exceeds a target temperature if the engine driving condition is in the reforming driving region; and opening, by the controller, a coolant supply control valve provided in a coolant passage of the fuel reformer to supply coolant into an inside of the fuel reformer if the exhaust gas temperature exceeds the target temperature, wherein the engine comprises a radiator for radiating a portion of heat generated from the engine to the atmosphere through the coolant; wherein the coolant passage connects an exit of the engine, the fuel reformer, the radiator, and an entrance of the engine in series. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The control method of coolant supply of claim 8, further comprising: cutting off, by the controller, the coolant supply into the inside of the fuel reformer by closing the coolant supply control valve of the fuel reformer if the exhaust gas temperature is below the target temperature. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The control method of claim 8, wherein: the engine driving condition is revolutions per minute of the engine and engine torque.