Back to results
US 7,246,487 B2Granted
Exhaust-heat recovery system for engine
AssigneeCalsonic Kansei Corporation
InventorJunichiro Hara
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exhaust-heat recovery system includes a catalytic converter, an exhaust heat exchanger, an air conditioner and an engine controller. The catalytic converter is such that exhaust discharged from an engine passes therethrough and combustible components in the exhaust are catalytically burned therein. The exhaust heat exchanger induces heat exchange between the exhaust having passed through the catalytic converter and a coolant having passed through the engine. The air conditioner generates a heating wind by means of the heat exchange between the coolant having passed through the exhaust heat exchanger and an air conditioning wind. The engine controller controls incrementally the combustible components in the exhaust to be burned in the catalytic converter when a prescribed heating condition is unsatisfied.
Claims22
An exhaust-heat recovery system for a vehicle comprising:
- a catalytic converter configured to let pass exhaust discharged from an engine and to burn catalytically combustible components in the exhaust;
- an exhaust heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the exhaust having passed through the catalytic converter and a heat-transfer medium having passed through the engine;
- an air conditioner with a heat exchanger configured to generate a heating wind by means of the heat exchange between the heat-transfer medium having passed through the exhaust heat exchanger and an air conditioning wind;
- and
- an engine controller configured to perform an incremental control for increasing the combustible components in the exhaust to be burned in the catalytic converter by means of changing an operation condition of the engine when a prescribed heating condition is unsatisfied,
- wherein a performance of the incremental control is dependent on a motion condition of the vehicle, a load condition of the engine, the operation condition of the engine, a condition of a coolant and a capacity of the catalytic converter, and
- wherein the engine controller is further configured to:
- determine whether there is a demand for an increase in heating power of the air conditioner;
- and
- (i) if a determination is made that there is a demand for an increase in heating power of the air conditioner, permit the incremental control, and (ii) if a determination is made that there is no demand for an increase in heating power of the air conditioner, prevent the incremental control.
7 more elements
An exhaust-heat recovery system for a vehicle comprising:
- a catalytic converter configured to let pass exhaust discharged from an engine and to burn catalytically combustible components in the exhaust;
- an exhaust heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the exhaust having passed through the catalytic converter and a heat-transfer medium having passed through the engine;
- an air conditioner with a heat exchanger configured to generate a heating wind by means of the heat exchange between the heat-transfer medium having passed through the exhaust heat exchanger and an air conditioning wind;
- and
- an engine controller configured to perform an incremental control for increasing the combustible components in the exhaust to be burned in the catalytic converter by means of changing an operation condition of the engine when a prescribed heating condition is unsatisfied,
- wherein a performance of the incremental control is dependent on a motion condition of the vehicle, a load condition of the engine, the operation condition of the engine, a condition of a coolant and a capacity of the catalytic converter, and
- wherein the engine controller is configured to:
- determine whether a flow rate of the exhaust is larger than, less than or equal to a prescribed flow rate;
- and
- (i) if a determination is made that the flow rate is larger than or equal to the prescribed flow rate, prevent the incremental control, and (ii) if a determination is made that the flow rate is less than the prescribed flow rate, permit the incremental control.
7 more elements
An exhaust-heat recovery system for a vehicle comprising:
- a catalytic converter configured to let pass exhaust discharged from an engine and to burn catalytically combustible components in the exhaust;
- an exhaust heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the exhaust having passed through the catalytic converter and a heat-transfer medium having passed through the engine;
- an air conditioner with a heat exchanger configured to generate a heating wind by means of the heat exchange between the heat-transfer medium having passed through the exhaust heat exchanger and an air conditioning wind;
- and
- an engine controller configured to:
- determine whether there is a demand for an increase in heating power of the air conditioner;
- and
- (i) if a determination is made that there is a demand for an increase in heating power of the air conditioner, permit an incremental control for increasing the combustible components in the exhaust to be burned in the catalytic converter, and (ii) if a determination is made that there is no demand for an increase in heating power of the air conditioner, prevent the incremental control.
5 more elements
An exhaust-heat recovery system for a vehicle comprising:
- a catalytic converter configured to let pass exhaust discharged from an engine and to burn catalytically combustible components in the exhaust;
- an exhaust heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the exhaust having passed through the catalytic converter and a heat-transfer medium having passed through the engine;
- an air conditioner with a heat exchanger configured to generate a heating wind by means of the heat exchange between the heat-transfer medium having passed through the exhaust heat exchanger and an air conditioning wind;
- and
- an engine controller is configured to:
- determine whether a flow rate of the exhaust is larger than, less than or equal to a prescribed flow rate;
- and
- (i) if a determination is made that the flow rate is larger than or equal to the prescribed flow rate, prevent an incremental control for increasing the combustible components in the exhaust to be burned in the catalytic converter, and (ii) if a determination is made that the flow rate is less than the prescribed flow rate, permit the incremental control.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.