Bypass valve and coolant flow controls for optimum temperatures in waste heat recovery systems

A system for implementing an optimized waste heat recovery system, the system comprising:

• a control system comprising a computer processor, the control system in communication with a waste heat recovery system;
• and
• logic configured to execute on the computer processor, the logic implementing a method, the method comprising:
• calculating a temperature and a rate of change in temperature of a heat exchanger of the waste heat recovery system;
• predicting a temperature and a rate of change in temperature of a material flowing through a channel of the waste heat recovery system;
• upon determining that the rate of change in the temperature of the material is predicted to be higher than the rate of change in the temperature of the heat exchanger, calculating a valve position and timing for the channel that is configurable for achieving a rate of material flow that is determined to produce and maintain a defined threshold temperature of the heat exchanger;
• and
• actuating the valve according to the calculated valve position and calculated timing;
• wherein the heat exchanger includes a cold side heat exchanger, the material is a coolant, and the rate of change in the temperature of the cold side heat exchanger and the rate of change in the temperature of the coolant are increasing;
• and
• wherein the rate of increase in the temperatures of the cold side heat exchanger and coolant are calculated using at least one of:
• engine speed;
• engine load;
• engine throttle position;
• rate of fuel consumption;
• exhaust gas flow rate;
• hot side and cold side heat exchanger temperature sensor data exhaust gas temperature sensor data;
• exhaust gas temperature prediction data;
• coolant temperature and flow rates;
• and rate of heat extraction generated by a thermoelectric module.

A computer program product for implementing an optimized waste heat recovery system, the computer program product comprising a computer storage medium having computer-readable program embodied thereon, which when executed by a computer processor cause the computer processor to implement a method, the method comprising:

• calculating a temperature and a rate of change in temperature of a heat exchanger of the waste heat recovery system;
• predicting a temperature and a rate of change in temperature of a material flowing through a channel of the waste heat recovery system;
• upon determining that the rate of change in the temperature of the material is predicted to be higher than the rate of change in the temperature of the heat exchanger, calculating a valve position and timing for the channel that is configurable for achieving a rate of material flow that is determined to produce and maintain a defined threshold temperature of the heat exchanger;
• and
• actuating the valve according to the calculated valve position and calculated timing;
• wherein the heat exchanger includes a cold side heat exchanger, the material is a coolant, and the rate of change in the temperature of the cold side heat exchanger and the rate of change in the temperature of the coolant are increasing;
• and
• wherein the rate of increase in the temperatures of the cold side heat exchanger and coolant are calculated using at least one of:
• engine speed;
• engine load;
• engine throttle position;
• rate of fuel consumption;
• exhaust gas flow rate;
• hot side and cold side heat exchanger temperature sensor data;
• exhaust gas temperature sensor data;
• exhaust gas temperature prediction data;
• coolant temperature and flow rates;
• and rate of heat extraction generated by a thermoelectric module.