Back to results
US 8,555,640 B2Granted
Waste heat auxiliary power unit
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorWoodson Wayne Samuel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to a waste heat auxiliary power unit. In one embodiment, the present invention is a heat exchange unit for an automobile including a core unit configured to be connected to a catalytic converter of the automobile, the core unit generating vapor, and a first energy generation module connected to the core unit, the first energy generation module receiving the vapor from the core unit and generating energy from the vapor.
Claims20
A heat exchange unit for a vehicle comprising:
- a core unit including an accumulator and having a fluid therein and configured to convert the fluid to a body of vapor having a pressure;
- a first energy generation module having a first turbine optimized for operation at a first range of vapor pressures connected with the core unit via a first connection for passing a first portion of the body of vapor from the core unit to the first energy generation module, the first energy generation module configured to use the first portion of the body of vapor to generate energy for a first electrical device;
- and
- a second energy generation module having a second turbine optimized for operation at a second range of vapor pressures connected with the core unit via a second connection for passing a second portion of the body of vapor from the core unit to the second energy generation module, the second energy generation module configured to use the second portion of the body of vapor to generate energy for a second electrical device.
1 more element
A heat exchange unit for a vehicle comprising:
- a core unit including an accumulator having a fluid therein and configured to convert the fluid to a body of vapor;
- an energy generation module having a turbine connected to the core unit and configured to generate electricity using the body of vapor passed from the core unit to the energy generation module;
- a first electrical device electrically connected to the energy generation module via a first connection configured to deliver at least a portion of the electricity from the energy generation module;
- a second electrical device electrically connected to the energy generation module via a second connection separate from the first connection and configured to deliver at least a portion of the electricity from the energy generation module;
- and
- a controller connected to the core unit and the energy generation module and configured to control when the first device or the second device receive the at least a portion of the electricity from the energy generation module.
3 more elements
A method for generating energy for a vehicle, the method comprising:
- providing a heat exchanger having a core unit having an accumulator containing a fluid, a first energy generation module having a first turbine optimized for operation at a first range of vapor pressures connected with the core unit via a first connection, and a second energy generation module having a second turbine optimized for operation at a second range of vapor pressures connected with the core unit via a second connection, wherein the first energy generation module and the second energy generation module are configured to deliver electrical energy to different destinations;
- converting at least some of the fluid in the core unit to a body of vapor;
- determining a pressure of the body of vapor of the core unit;
- passing a first volume of the body of vapor from the core unit to the first energy generation module via the first connection based upon the pressure of the body of vapor of the core unit;
- generating energy in the first energy generation module using the first volume of the body of vapor;
- passing a second volume of the body of vapor from the core unit to the second energy generation module via the second connection based upon the pressure of the body of vapor of the core unit;
- and
- generating energy in the second energy generation module using the second volume of the body of vapor.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.