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US 2013/0219872 A1Published application
Thermoelectric recovery and peltier heating of engine fluids
AssigneeMack Trucks, Inc.
InventorsJohn Gibble, Samuel Mclaughlin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A waste heat recovery apparatus and process for use with an internal combustion engine includes a thermo electric apparatus that connects to components of the internal combustion engine to transfer heat between components, generate electric energy from heat extracted from components needing cooling, and convert electric energy to heat energy to transfer to components needing heating.
Claims9
A thermo electric apparatus for a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a thermo electric device, including a thermo electric generator for selectively generating electric energy from heat energy extracted from a working fluid and selectively converting electric energy to heat energy to heat the working fluid;
- a battery connected to the thermo electric device for storing electric energy generated by the thermo electric device and for providing electric energy to the thermoelectric device;
- a working fluid circuit connected to the thermo electric device and including heat exchangers connected to transfer heat between the working fluid and internal combustion engine components;
- and,
- a controller, responsive to the thermal status of at least one component, for controlling the thermo electric device to heat the working fluid to provide heat to the at least one component or generate electric energy from heated working fluid received from the at least one component.
2 more elements
An internal combustion engine apparatus, comprising:
- a waste heat recovery apparatus including heat exchangers to recover heat from at least one of an engine exhaust flow and an exhaust gas recirculation cooler;
- a thermo electric device, including a thermo electric generator for selectively generating electric energy from heat energy extracted from a working fluid and selectively converting electric energy to heat energy to heat the working fluid;
- a battery connected to the thermo electric device for storing electric energy generated by the thermo electric device and for providing electric energy to the thermoelectric device;
- a working fluid circuit connected to the thermo electric device and including heat exchangers connected to transfer heat between the working fluid and at least one of the engine exhaust flow and the exhaust gas recirculation cooler;
- and,
- a controller, responsive to the thermal status of at least one component, for controlling the thermo electric device to heat the working fluid or generate electric energy from heated working fluid received from at least one of the engine exhaust flow and the exhaust gas recirculation cooler.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.