Heated inlet of a crankcase ventilation system
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsLee D. Kress, Rodney A. Lawrence, William Jenkins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for ventilating a crankcase of an internal combustion engine using natural gas as a fuel source may include filtering ambient air through an air filter. The method may also include heating the filtered ambient air by a jacket heat exchanger. The method may further include directing the heated ambient air through an inlet of the crankcase to purge blow-by gases including natural gas from the crankcase.
Claims20
A method for ventilating a crankcase of an internal combustion engine using natural gas as a fuel source, comprising:
- filtering ambient air through an air filter;
- heating the filtered ambient air by a jacket heat exchanger, wherein the jacket heat exchanger includes:
- a shell in fluid communication with a cooling system of the engine for receiving and directing coolant from the cooling system through the heat exchanger;
- and
- one or more tubes located inside the shell, the one or more tubes in fluid communication with the air filter for receiving and directing the filtered ambient air through the heat exchanger, wherein the coolant is flowed around the one or more tubes for heating the filtered ambient air;
- and
- directing the heated ambient air through an inlet of the crankcase to purge blow-by gases including natural gas from the crankcase.
The method of 1, wherein the blow-by gases further include at least one of air, fuel, or combustion gases.
A crankcase ventilation system for an internal combustion engine using natural gas as a fuel source, comprising:
- an air filter for receiving and filtering ambient air;
- a jacket heat exchanger in fluid communication with the air filter for heating the filtered ambient air, wherein the jacket heat exchanger includes:
- a shell in fluid communication with a cooling system of the engine for receiving and directing coolant from the cooling system through the heat exchanger;
- and
- one or more tubes located inside the shell, the one or more tubes in fluid communication with the air filter for receiving and directing the filtered ambient air through the heat exchanger, wherein the coolant is flowed around the one or more tubes for heating the filtered ambient air;
- and
- a crankcase of the internal combustion engine having an inlet in fluid communication with the heat exchanger for receiving the heated ambient air.
A crankcase ventilation system for an internal combustion engine using natural gas as a fuel source, comprising:
- an air filter for receiving and filtering ambient air;
- a jacket heat exchanger in fluid communication with the air filter and located downstream of the air filter, the jacket heat exchanger including:
- a shell having an inlet and an outlet located downstream of the inlet, the inlet and outlet coupled to a cooling system of the engine such that the shell is in fluid communication with the cooling system for flowing coolant through the shell;
- one or more tubes located inside the shell, the one or more tubes in fluid communication with the air filter for receiving and directing the filtered ambient air through the heat exchanger, wherein the coolant is flowed around the one or more tubes for heating the filtered ambient air;
- and
- one or more baffles around the one or more tubes for directing and distributing the coolant around the one or more tubes;
- and
- a crankcase of the internal combustion engine having an inlet in fluid communication with the heat exchanger for receiving the heated ambient air.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.