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US 4,300,353 AGranted
Vehicle propulsion system
OwnerStuart L. Ridgwayinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hybrid vehicle propulsion system is disclosed which utilizes an internal combustion engine, an afterburner, and a steam engine in combination for improved efficiency and reduced emission of pollutants. The afterburner is provided to reduce the level of pollutants emitted and to increase the temperature of the exhaust gases from the internal combustion engine. The heat from the exhaust gases, together with the heat removed from the internal combustion cylinders, is then utilized in the steam engine to provide additional propulsion.
Claims29
A vehicle propulsion system which minimizes pollutant emissions but provides good fuel economy over typical vehicle load and speed ranges, said system comprising:
- an internal combustion engine, including means for providing the cylinders thereof with a fuel-air mixture in which the fuel-air ratio is substantially greater than the stoichiometric fuel-air ratio, in order to produce a combusted exhaust gas from said internal combustion engine which is low in oxides of nitrogen content and rich in combustibles content, said internal combustion engine having a displacement substantially less than would be necessary for a pure internal combustion engine having a power output equivalent to the power output of said propulsion system, said internal combustion engine further being operated at relatively high cylinder pressures;
- means for adding air to the exhaust gas from said internal combustion engine;
- combustion means coupled to receive the air and exhaust gas to complete the combustion of the exhaust gas;
- a steam generator coupled in heat exchange relationship with the combusted exhaust gas from said combustion means;
- a steam expander coupled to receive steam from said steam generator and to thereby generate mechanical power;
- means for continuously mechanically coupling said internal combustion engine and said steam expander so that both act together to propel the vehicle under steady-state load requirements;
- and
- a first control means to operate said internal combustion engine at a power level substantially less than the steady-state system load power requirements but at a power level nearer that required for maximum fuel efficiency in the internal combustion engine, said steam expander providing the remaining steady-state system load power requirements, whereby the fuel consumption of said system is substantially less than that of the pure internal combustion engine of equivalent power.
5 more elements
A method for reducing the output of polluting emissions while improving the economy of a vehicle propulsion system having an internal combustion engine in combination with a steam engine, said method comprising the steps of:
- selecting a steady-state nominal load value for said propulsion system;
- providing an internal combustion engine having a displacement and consequent power output which will require said engine to operate under moderate to heavy load and thus in its range of relatively high fuel efficiency when said propulsion system is driving its nominal steady-state load;
- providing a steam engine having a displacement and consequent power output sufficient continuously to provide at least a small proportion of the nominal steady-state load value for said propulsion system;
- mixing fuel and air to develop a mixture having a fuel-air ratio substantially greater than stoichiometric for introduction to the internal combustion engine;
- operating the internal combustion engine at a power level less than the steady-state load value for said system but under moderate to heavy load conditions to produce substantially higher cylinder pressures and a higher efficiency than a conventional internal combustion engine of equivalent power to the vehicle propulsion system, operated under the same conditions of load and speed and to produce an exhaust rich in combustible content at an elevated temperature;
- mixing the exhaust of the internal combustion engine, it is low in oxides of nitrogen content, with air;
- completing the combustion of the mixture of exhaust gas and air in an afterburner;
- using the heat of the combusted exhaust gas to generate steam in a steam generator;
- applying the steam to the steam expander portion of said steam engine to develop mechanical work therefrom;
- and
- operating said steam engine in conjunction with said internal combustion engine to produce mechanical power to supplement the power output from said internal combustion engine whereby said propulsion system provides said selected steady-state nominal value.
8 more elements
A vehicle propulsion system providing low pollutant emissions while maintaining good fuel economy, said system comprising:
- an internal combustion engine having a substantially smaller displacement than a conventional internal combustion engine of equivalent power to said vehicle propulsion system, said internal combustion engine being normally operated at higher cylinder pressures and a higher efficiency than such conventional engine, when subjected to the same load and speed conditions, said internal combustion engine including means for establishing a fuel-air ratio substantially greater than the stoichiometric ratio, in order to produce an exhaust gas which is low in oxides of nitrogen content and rich in combustibles content;
- means for adding air to the exhaust gas from said internal combustion engine;
- combustion means coupled to receive air and exhaust gas to complete combustion of the exhaust gas;
- a steam engine, including a steam generator coupled in heat exchange relationship with the combusted exhaust gas from said combustion means, and a steam expander coupled to receive steam from said steam generator and to generate mechanical power therefrom, said steam engine being operable to provide sufficient steady-state power to supplement said internal combustion engine adequately for most vehicle operating conditions, and said steam generator having sufficient heat capacity to act as an energy storage reservoir which may be drawn upon for short periods of vehicle acceleration;
- means for mechanically coupling said internal combustion engine and said steam engine to propel the vehicle;
- first and second power control means for controlling the fuel-air mixture input to said internal combustion engine and the steam input to said steam expander, respectively;
- and
- means for coordinating the operation of said power control means in accordance with the availability of steam from said steam generator, said coordinating means having a linkage mechanism for driving said first and second power control means in unison in response to operator control input while adjusting the operation of one power control means relative to the other in accordance with the availability of steam from said steam generator.
5 more elements
A vehicle propulsion system providing low pollutant emissions while maintaining good fuel economy, said system comprising:
- an internal combustion engine having a substantially smaller displacement than a conventional internal combustion engine of equivalent power to said vehicle propulsion system, said internal combustion engine being normally operated at higher cylinder pressures and a higher efficiency than such conventional engine, when subjected to the same load and speed conditions, said internal combustion engine including means for establishing a fuel-air ratio substantially greater than the stoichiometric ratio, in order to produce an exhaust gas which is low in oxides of nitrogen content and rich in combustibles content;
- means for adding air to the exhaust gas from said internal combustion engine;
- combustion means coupled to receive air and exhaust gas to complete combustion of the exhaust gas;
- a steam engine, including a steam generator coupled in heat exchange relationship with the combusted exhaust gas from said combustion means, and a steam expander coupled to receive steam from said steam generator and to generate mechanical power therefrom, said steam engine being operable to provide sufficient steady-state power to supplement said internal combustion engine adequately for most vehicle operating conditions, and said steam generator having sufficient heat capacity to act as an energy storage reservoir which may be drawn upon for short periods of vehicle accleration;
- and
- means for mechanically coupling said internal combustion engine and said steam engine to propel the vehicle;
- and wherein said steam engine further includes a condenser coupled to receive exhaust steam from said steam expander, and means for removing non-condensible products from said condenser and directing them to the input of said internal combustion engine for combustion therein.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.