Integrated turbo-compressor with variable gear ratio transmission for internal combustion engine

A method of compounding output from an internal combustion engine,

• internal combustion engine including:
• an engine body supporting an engine output shaft and having a combustion air intake port and an exhaust port;
• and
• an integrated turbo-compressor, comprising:
• a compressor with a compressor outlet;
• a turbine with a turbine inlet,
• the turbine operatively connected to the compressor by an interconnect shaft;
• and
• a compounding drive connected to the turbine and having a variable gear ratio and an output member,
• wherein the variable gear ratio couples the turbine to the output member to compound output of the internal combustion engine using energy recovered from an exhaust flow received from the internal combustion engine,
• wherein the compounding drive comprises:
• an input member connected to the turbine;
• the output member connected to the input member;
• and
• an intermediate member connecting the input member to the output member through an epicyclical gear arrangement and a hydraulic pump/motor set;
• wherein the compressor outlet is connected to the combustion air intake port,
• wherein the turbine inlet is connected to the engine exhaust port, and
• wherein an electric motor and battery arrangement is operatively connected to the engine output shaft in a hybrid-electric turbo-compounded engine arrangement;
• the hydraulic pump/motor set includes:
• a fixed displacement hydraulic module, wherein the input member operably connects the turbine to the fixed displacement hydraulic module;
• and a variable displacement hydraulic module in fluid communication with the fixed displacement hydraulic module via a hydraulic circuit, wherein the output member is operably connected to the hydraulic pump/motor set via the variable displacement hydraulic module, and wherein the variable displacement hydraulic module applies power through the output member according to a hydraulic fluid received through the hydraulic circuit;
• and
• a controller operably connected to the hydraulic pump/motor set via the hydraulic circuit, wherein the controller is configured to throttle flow of the hydraulic fluid through the hydraulic circuit, to present rotation resistance to the input member via the epicyclical gear arrangement so that the output member rotates at a speed of the output shaft, to thereby match a compounding drive speed to the speed of the output shaft, whereby manipulation of hydraulic fluid flow through the hydraulic circuit, in cooperation with the epicyclical gear arrangement, provides a variable gear ratio for compounding the internal combine engine utilizing the turbine;
• the method comprising:
• receiving an engine exhaust flow from the internal combustion engine at the turbine inlet;
• extracting work from the engine exhaust flow with the turbine;
• applying a first extracted work portion to the compressor to compress a flow of combustion air for the internal combustion engine;
• and
• applying second extracted work portion to the internal combustion engine to compound output of the internal combustion engine,
• wherein applying the second portion of the extracted work includes varying the variable gear ratio while compounding the output of the internal combustion engine.