Motor-assisted turbocharger system
OwnerHeinz Nmn Jasterinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A compact, motor-assisted, exhaust-driven turbocharger system is operable to increase the air flow or pressure to an internal combustion engine to reduce engine emissions. The turbocharger system includes a shaft, a expander connected to the shaft and connectable to an exhaust to the engine, and a compressor connected to the shaft and connectable to an air intake of the engine. An electric motor is attachable to the shaft and a controller is connected to electric motor to selectively increase the rotational speed of the exhaust-driven shaft to optimize the air flow or pressure to the engine in response to exhaust emissions, for example, smoke and soot, from the engine or in response to high speed operation of the engine.
Claims15
A turbocharger system for an internal combustion engine, said turbocharger system comprising:
- a rotatable shaft;
- an expander connected to said shaft and connectable to an exhaust of said engine;
- a compressor connected to said shaft and connectable to an air intake of said engine;
- a motor attachable to said shaft;
- a controller connected to said motor to selectively energize said motor to rotate said shaft in response to at least one of emissions from the engine or high speed operation of the engine.
An apparatus for controlling a motor-assisted, exhaust-driven turbocharger system for an internal combustion engine, said apparatus comprising:
- a controller adapted to monitor at least one of emissions from the engine or high speed operation of the engine;
- and
- said controller is adapted to selectively energize a motor connected to rotate a shaft of said turbocharger in response to said at least one of emissions from the engine or high speed operation of the engine.
An apparatus for controlling a motor-assisted, exhaust-driven turbocharger system for an internal combustion engine, said apparatus comprising:
- means for monitoring at least one of emissions from said engine and high speed operation of said engine;
- and
- means for selectively energizing a motor connected to rotate a shaft of said turbocharger in response to said at least one of emissions from said engine or high speed operation of said engine.
A method for controlling a motor-assisted, exhaust-driven turbocharger system for an internal combustion engine, said method comprising the steps of:
- monitoring at least one of emissions from the engine or high speed operation of the engine;
- and
- selectively energizing a motor operably connected to rotate a shaft of said turbocharger system in response to said at least one of emissions from the engine or high speed operation of the engine.
An article of manufacture comprising:
- at least one computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for controlling a motor-assisted, exhaust-driven turbocharger system for an internal combustion engine, the computer readable program code in said article of manufacture comprising:
- computer readable program code for monitoring at least one of emissions from the engine or high speed operation of said engine;
- and
- computer readable program for selectively energizing a motor connected to rotate a shaft of said turbocharger system in response to said at least one of emissions from the engine or high speed operation of the engine.
At least one program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by said machine to perform a method for controlling a motor-assisted, exhaust-driven turbocharger system for an internal combustion engine, said method comprising;
- monitoring at least one of emissions from the engine or high speed operation of said engine;
- and
- selectively energizing a motor connected to rotate a shaft of said turbocharger system in response to said at least one of emissions from the engine or high speed operation of the engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.