# US 9,038,608 B2 · Internal combustion engine with intake air heating, and method for operating an internal combustion engine of said type > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,038,608 B2 - Document ID: US9038608B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/467,847 - Filed: 2012-05-09 - Published: 2012-11-22 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2011-05-16 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Christian Winge Vigild; Wilbert Hemink; Daniel Roettger; Andreas Kuske - Inventors: Christian Winge Vigild; Wilbert Hemink; Daniel Roettger; Andreas Kuske - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9038608B2 ## CPC - F02M 35/10262: {Flow guides, obstructions, deflectors or the like (for generating a charge motion in the cylinder F02B31/00; for re-atomising condensed fuel or homogenising fuel-air mixture F02M29/00)} - F02M 31/13: Combustion air - F02M 35/10268: {Heating, cooling or thermal insulating means (air coolers F02B29/04; thermal treatment of combustion-air, fuel or fuel-air mixture F02M31/00; details of the throttle valve housing F02D9/1035)} - F02M 35/10281: {Means to remove, re-atomise or redistribute condensed fuel; Means to avoid fuel particles from separating from the mixture (apparatus for re-atomising condensed fuel or homogenising fuel-air mixture F02M29/00; other apparatus for treating combustion-air, fuel or fuel-air mixture F02M33/00)} - F02M 35/112: for engines with cylinders all in one line - F02B 29/0418: {the intake air cooler having a bypass or multiple flow paths within the heat exchanger to vary the effective heat transfer surface} - F02M 26/23: Layout, e.g. schematics - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF - F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract Embodiments for an engine system are provided. One example internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder head and at least two cylinders, in which each cylinder has at least one inlet opening for the supply of combustion air into the cylinder, comprises an intake line leading to each inlet opening, an overall intake line where the intake lines of at least two cylinders merge, such that a distributor junction point is formed, and a heating device arranged in the overall intake line which has at least one strip-like heating element, a first narrow side of a cross section of which faces toward intake combustion air flow, wherein the heating device is arranged adjacent to the distributor junction point at which the intake lines merge to form the overall intake line, a spacing between the heating device and the distributor junction point being smaller than the diameter of a cylinder. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An engine method, comprising: directing intake air and EGR to a combustion cylinder via an intake manifold; and prior to reaching a combustion chamber, mixing the intake air and EGR via an intake air heating device arranged in the intake manifold via an at least one strip-like heating element with a tapered end facing intake combustion air flow. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The engine method of claim 1, wherein the intake air is compressed via a turbocharger compressor prior to reaching the intake manifold. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The engine method of claim 1, further comprising mixing the intake air and EGR via the at least one strip-like heating element with the tapered end facing intake combustion air flow. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The engine method of claim 1, further comprising mixing the intake air and EGR via an at least one strip-like heating element of an arc-shaped design. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The engine method of claim 1, further comprising mixing the intake air and EGR via at least two strip-like elements spaced apart from one another. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The engine method of claim 1, wherein the directing of the intake air and EGR further includes directing the intake air and EGR to be mixed via at least two strip-like heating elements aligned substantially vertically, perpendicular to a line parallel to a longitudinal axis of at least one cylinder head. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The engine method of claim 1, further comprising directing the intake air from a charge-air cooler which is equipped with a bypass line which opens into the intake manifold upstream of the heating device, directing the intake air to the combustion chamber. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The engine method of claim 1, wherein the directing further includes directing EGR from an external exhaust-gas recirculation system into the intake manifold via a recirculation line, wherein EGR is further directed from the recirculation line into the intake manifold via an opening upstream of the heating device. ### Claim 9 An engine method, comprising: directing intake air and EGR to a combustion cylinder via an intake manifold; prior to reaching a combustion chamber, mixing the intake air and EGR via an intake air heating device arranged in the intake manifold; and activating the heating device so as to heat combustion air when a fuel supply of an internal combustion engine is deactivated. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The engine method of claim 1, further comprising directing the intake air and EGR to the combustion chamber via an intake line leading to an inlet opening of the combustion chamber. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The engine method of claim 10, further comprising mixing the intake air heating device and EGR via the heating device comprising the at least one strip-like heating element, a first narrow side of a cross section of which faces toward intake combustion air flow. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the directing of the intake air and EGR further comprises directing the intake air and EGR through the intake manifold where intake lines of at least two cylinders merge, such that a distributor junction point is formed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising mixing the intake air and EGR at a location adjacent to the distributor junction point in the intake manifold, via the intake air heating device arranged adjacent to the distributor junction point at which the intake lines merge to form the intake manifold. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising mixing the intake air and EGR via the intake air heating device, wherein the intake air heating device is spaced at a distance from the distributor junction point of less than a diameter of a cylinder. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The engine method of claim 12, further comprising mixing the intake air and EGR via the intake air heating device including a plurality of heating elements configured to evenly distribute intake air to at least two cylinders.