Turbo-charged internal combustion engine with exhaust gas energy recuperation

Supercharged internal combustion engine (ICE) (1) having an exhaust gas turbosupercharger (4), said exhaust gas turbosupercharger having a supercharger shaft (7),

• a turbine (5) coupled to receive exhaust gases from the ICE (1) and a compressor part (6) providing supercharged air to the ICE, and
• an energy recuperation system coupled to said supercharger shaft to provide utilizable energy output upon excess energy being supplied to the supercharger by the exhaust gases coupled thereto, and to provide auxiliary energy to the supercharger shaft when the exhaust gases from the ICE are insufficient to provide energy to rotate said supercharger shaft (7) to provide supercharged air to the ICE,
• wherein
• the energy recuperation and auxiliary energy supply system comprises
• a hydraulic pump-motor unit (10) coupled to said supercharger shaft (7);
• means (11, 26, 27, 29, 28, 12, 13) coupled to an inlet of the hydraulic pump-motor unit (10) to supply pressurized hydraulic fluid to said unit including an auxiliary hydraulic pump (27) and motor means (26) driving said pump;
• a hydraulic connection line (14) hydraulically coupled to an outlet of said unit (10);
• a hydraulic motor (15);
• energy utilization means (8, 17, 24, 25) coupled to the hydraulic motor to accept energy therefrom;
• a hydraulic fluid control valve (30) connected in said hydraulic connection line and controllably, selectively directing hydraulic fluid from said unit (10) to the hydraulic motor (15) or to a hydraulic fluid supply or sump (11);
• and
• a control unit (21) coupled to control, selectively, operation of said motor means (26) and hence said hydraulic pump (27);
• further coupled to and controlling the operation of the hydraulic pump-motor unit (10);
• and
• further coupled to and controlling, selectively, operation of said fluid control valve (30), to control flow of hydraulic fluid to said hydraulic pump-motor unit (10) and, selectively, from said unit (10) to the hydraulic motor (15) or the supply or sump (11),
• said comtrol unit receiving inputs responsive to operating parameters of the ICE comprising pressure of hydraulic fluid flowing to or from said unit (10) and at least one of:
• pressure of supercharged air (P.sub.L);
• speed of the ICE (n.sub.M);
• fuel supply (F.sub.B) to permit
• under acceleration conditions of the ICE, and when the exhaust gases have insufficient energy, providing additional super-charged air to the ICE by supplying pressurized hydraulic fluid to said hydraulic pump-motor unit (10),
• whereby additional rotary energy is supplied to said super-charger shaft (7) for supplying said additional supercharged air to the ICE.