Back to results
US 2016/0169079 A1Published application
Rankine cycle for a vehicle
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorShiguang ZHOU
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle includes a pump, an evaporator, and an expander in sequential fluid communication in a closed loop containing a condenser configured to transfer heat between a working fluid and ambient air. The vehicle has a generator driven by the expander. The evaporator is configured to transfer heat from at least one of an engine coolant, a battery coolant, an engine lubricant, a transmission lubricant, an exhaust gas in an exhaust system, and an exhaust gas in an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system to the working fluid.
Claims20
A vehicle comprising:
- a pump, an evaporator, and an expander in sequential fluid communication in a closed loop containing a condenser configured to transfer heat between a working fluid and ambient air;
- and
- a generator driven by the expander;
- wherein the evaporator is configured to transfer heat from an engine coolant, a battery coolant, an engine lubricant, a transmission lubricant, an exhaust gas and an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system to the working fluid.
1 more element
A vehicle comprising:
- a Rankine cycle having a pump, a first heater, a second heater, an expander, and a condenser in sequential fluid communication with one another;
- an engine exhaust system configured to controllably provide waste heat from exhaust gas to one of the first and second heaters;
- and
- a recirculation system adapted to provide waste heat from a vehicle component to the other of the first and second heaters using a recirculating fluid.
1 more element
A vehicle process comprising:
- pumping a working fluid in a closed loop thermodynamic cycle;
- heating the working fluid using waste heat from a recirculating fluid in a vehicle system;
- controlling a flow of engine exhaust gas through an evaporator in the cycle, a bypass line, and a combination of the evaporator and bypass line;
- heating the working fluid with any engine exhaust gas flowing through the evaporator;
- driving a turbine using the working fluid to rotate an electrical power generator;
- and
- cooling the working fluid in a condenser of the cycle using ambient air received through a frontal opening in the vehicle.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.