Intake air dehumidification system for an internal combustion engine
AssigneeCummins Inc.
InventorJon R. Padfield
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An intake air dehumidification system for an internal combustion engine includes a peltier junction device responsive to at least one control signal to cool, and therefore condense moisture from, ambient air supplied by an air intake conduit to an intake manifold of the engine. Specific humidity of the ambient air supplied to the intake manifold is determined, and a control circuit is provided to produce the at least one control signal as a function of the specific humidity to maintain the specific humidity of the ambient air supplied to the intake manifold near a target humidity value.
Claims32
An intake air dehumidification system for an internal combustion engine, the system comprising:
- an intake conduit having one end coupled to an intake manifold of the engine and an opposite end configured to receive ambient air;
- a peltier junction device responsive to at least one control signal to cool, and therefore condense moisture from, ambient air supplied by the intake conduit to the intake manifold;
- means for determining a specific humidity value corresponding to specific humidity of the ambient air supplied to the intake manifold;
- and
- a control circuit producing the at least one control signal as a function of the specific humidity value to maintain the specific humidity of the ambient air supplied to the intake manifold near a target humidity value.
An intake air dehumidification system for an internal combustion engine, the system comprising:
- an intake conduit having one end coupled to an intake manifold of the engine and an opposite end configured to receive ambient air;
- a peltier junction device responsive to a number of control signals to cool, and therefore condense moisture from, ambient air supplied by the intake conduit to the intake manifold;
- means for determining a specific humidity value corresponding to specific humidity of the ambient air downstream of the peltier junction device;
- and
- a control circuit producing the number of control signals as a function of the specific humidity value to maintain the specific humidity of the ambient air supplied to the intake manifold near a target humidity value.
An intake air dehumidification system for an internal combustion engine, the system comprising:
- an intake conduit having one end coupled to an intake manifold of the engine and an opposite end configured to receive ambient air;
- a peltier junction device responsive to a number of control signals to cool, and therefore condense moisture from, ambient air supplied by the intake conduit to the intake manifold;
- means for determining a specific humidity value corresponding to specific humidity of the ambient air upstream of the peltier junction device;
- a mass air flow sensor producing a mass air flow signal indicative of the mass flow of air past the peltier junction device, and
- a control circuit producing the number of control signals as a function of the specific humidity value and the mass air flow signal to maintain the specific humidity of the ambient air supplied to the intake manifold near a target humidity value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.