EGR/bleed air diverter valve

An internal combustion engine, comprising:

• a block defining a plurality of combustion cylinders, said plurality of combustion cylinders having a first group of combustion cylinders and at least one EGR pumping cylinder;
• an intake manifold connected to said block for providing combustion air to each of said plurality of combustion cylinders;
• a first exhaust manifold connected to said block to receive combustion gases from said first group of combustion cylinders;
• a second exhaust manifold connected to said block to receive combustion gases from said at least one EGR pumping cylinder;
• a turbocharger having a turbine and a compressor, said turbine having an exhaust gas inlet port and an exhaust gas outlet port, said exhaust gas inlet port of said turbine being coupled for fluid communication with at least one of said first exhaust manifold and said second exhaust manifold, said compressor having an air inlet port and a compressed air outlet port, said air inlet port of said compressor being in fluid communication with the atmosphere;
• a compressed air conduit coupled to provide fluid communication between said compressed air outlet port and said intake manifold, said compressed air conduit having a bleed air port;
• a valve having a housing and a valve mechanism, said housing having an exhaust inlet, an EGR outlet, an exhaust outlet and a bleed air inlet, said exhaust inlet being connected in fluid communication with said second exhaust manifold, said EGR outlet being connected in fluid communication with said intake manifold, said exhaust outlet being connected in fluid communication with said first exhaust manifold and said turbine, and said bleed air inlet being connected in fluid communication with said bleed air port of said compressed air conduit, said valve mechanism having at least a first position and a second position, wherein said first position defines a first fluid path between said exhaust inlet and said EGR outlet and defines a second fluid path between said bleed air inlet and said exhaust outlet, and wherein said second position defines a third fluid path between said exhaust inlet and said exhaust outlet and defines a fourth fluid path between said bleed air inlet and said EGR outlet.

A method of providing EGR for an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of:

• providing a single valve having a housing and a valve mechanism, said housing having an exhaust inlet, an EGR outlet, an exhaust outlet and a bleed air inlet;
• positioning said valve mechanism in a first position to define a first fluid path between said exhaust inlet and said EGR outlet and to define a second fluid path between said bleed air inlet and said exhaust outlet;
• positioning said valve mechanism in a second position to define a third fluid path between said exhaust inlet and said exhaust outlet and to define a fourth fluid path between said bleed air inlet and said EGR outlet;
• and
• positioning said valve mechanism between said first position and said second position to simultaneously control an amount of EGR gases supplied to an intake manifold of said internal combustion engine and an amount of compressed bleed air supplied to an exhaust manifold of said internal combustion engine.