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US 2020/0263601 A1Published application
Rankine cycle waste heat recovery system and method with improved egr temperature control
AssigneeCummins Inc.
InventorsChristopher R. Nelson, Timothy C. Ernst
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A waste heat recovery (WHR) system and method for regulating exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooling is described. More particularly, a Rankine cycle WHR system and method is described, including an arrangement to improve the precision of EGR cooling for engine efficiency improvement and thermal management.
Claims20
An internal combustion engine, comprising:
- an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system containing an EGR gas;
- and
- a waste heat recovery (WHR) system adapted to provide cooling to the EGR gas, the WHR system including:
- a WHR circuit comprising:
- a fluid cooling and containment portion (FCCP) configured to receive a volume of a working fluid and cool the volume of the working fluid, and
- a feed pump configured to receive a first portion of the volume of the working fluid from the FCCP and pump the first portion of the volume of the working fluid;
- an EGR temperature control circuit connected to the WHR circuit in parallel with the feed pump and configured to receive a second portion of the volume of the working fluid from the WHR circuit downstream of the FCCP and to return the second portion of the volume of the working fluid to the WHR circuit upstream of the FCCP;
- a thermal control unit (TCU) positioned along the EGR temperature control circuit to cool the EGR gas;
- and
- a superheater fluidly coupled to the pump in series with the pump;
- wherein the superheater is included in the each of the WHR circuit and the EGR temperature control circuit such that each of the first portion and the second portion of the volume of the working fluid flow through the superheater in heat exchanging relationship with the superheater while being fluidly isolated from each other.
8 more elements
An internal combustion engine, comprising:
- an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system containing an EGR gas;
- and
- a waste heat recovery (WHR) system adapted to provide cooling to the EGR gas, the WHR system including:
- a WHR circuit comprising:
- a fluid cooling and containment portion (FCCP) configured to receive a volume of a working fluid and cool the volume of the working fluid, and
- a feed pump configured to receive a first portion of the volume of the working fluid from the FCCP and pump the first portion of the volume of the working fluid;
- an EGR temperature control circuit connected to the WHR circuit in parallel with the feed pump and configured to receive a second portion of the volume of the working fluid from the WHR circuit downstream of the FCCP and to return the second portion of the volume of the working fluid to the WHR circuit upstream of the FCCP;
- a thermal control unit (TCU) positioned along the EGR temperature control circuit to cool the EGR gas;
- an expansion valve positioned along the EGR temperature control circuit upstream of the TCU;
- a compressor positioned along the EGR temperature control circuit downstream of the TCU;
- and
- a superheater fluidly coupled to the pump in series with the pump;
- and
- a control module operatively coupled to each of the EGR system and the WHR system, the control module configured to receive a temperature measurement signal from a temperature sensor positioned along the EGR system downstream of the TCU, and to control operation of the WHR system so as to controllably adjust a temperature of the EGR gas.
- wherein the superheater is included in the each of the WHR circuit and the EGR temperature control circuit such that each of the first portion and the second portion of the volume of the working fluid flow through the superheater in heat exchanging relationship with the superheater while being fluidly isolated from each other.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.