INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE INCLUDING EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION

Abstract

An internal combustion engine including a crankcase (1) and including a cylinder head is described, including at least one cylinder block, at least one planar flange surface for accommodating at least one cooler (2), at least one cooler (2), at least one coolant inlet to the cooler (2), at least one coolant outlet (8) from the cooler (2), at least one exhaust gas inlet to the cooler (2), at least one integrated exhaust gas feedthrough from the cooler (2), and at least one internal cooling section (3).

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10: An internal combustion engine comprising: a crankcase including a cylinder block; a cylinder head; a cooler configured for cooling recirculated exhaust gas; a planar flange surface for accommodating the cooler; a coolant inlet to the cooler; a coolant outlet from the cooler; an exhaust gas inlet to the cooler; an exhaust gas inlet to the cooler; and an integrated exhaust gas feedthrough from the cooler, the cooler including an internal cooling section.

11: The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 10, wherein the internal cooling section includes turbulence generators.

12: The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 10, wherein the coolant inlet to the cooler is configured to be regulatable.

13: The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 10, wherein the exhaust gas inlet to the cooler is configured to be regulatable.

14: The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 10, wherein the planar flange surface is situated on a longitudinal side of the crankcase for accommodating the cooler.

15: The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 14, wherein diaphragms and/or throttle devices are inserted between the cooler and the crankcase.

16: The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 16, wherein the diaphragms and/or throttle devices inserted between the cooler and the crankcase are cast fins and cast ribs.

17: The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 10, wherein the planar flange surface is situated at a longitudinal side of the cylinder head for accommodating the cooler.

18: A method for operating the internal combustion engine as recited in claim 10 comprising: recirculating exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine through the cooler.

19: An internal combustion engine comprising: a crankcase including a cylinder block; a cylinder head; and a cooler configured for cooling recirculated exhaust gas, the cooler including an internal cooling section, the cooler being fastened to a planar flange surface of the cylinder block.

20: The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 19, wherein the internal cooling section is housed inside of a cooling housing having a base body that is an integral part of the crankcase.

21: The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 20, wherein the cooler includes an inlet connector and an outlet connector arranged and configured such that the recirculated exhaust gas flows through the inlet connector into the internal cooling section and then out of the outlet connector.

22: The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 21, wherein at least one of the inlet connector or the outlet connector includes a fin extending outward therefrom.

23: The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 21, wherein the crankshaft includes a cast rib arranged across from the fin to define a gap for influencing a flow velocity of cooling water.

24: The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 19, wherein the cooler includes a cover fastened to the crankcase by screws.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Further advantageous embodiments of the present disclosure may be derived from the description of the drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure shown in the figures are described in greater detail:

[0015] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a crankcase including a cooling housing of an exhaust gas cooler of an exhaust gas recirculation device which is integrated into the crankcase;

[0016] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the EGR cooler according to FIG. 1;

[0017] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view through the crankcase from FIG. 1 including an EGR cooling housing whose base body is an integral part of the crankcase, the base body being covered by a cover; and

[0018] FIG. 4 shows a sectional view through the crankcase along line C-C from FIG. 3.

[0019] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment where the cooler is at a planar surface of the cylinder head.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a cylinder block 12 of a crankcase 1 of an internal combustion engine, which includes a planar flange surface for accommodating the EGR cooler 2 at its longitudinal side 11. A coolant inlet opening 9, which allows coolant to pass through to cooler 2, is provided in the sealing plane of the planar flange surface 10 in the area of an end face of the internal combustion engine. In the immediate vicinity of coolant inlet opening 9, the coolant outlet opening of cooler 2 is also situated in the sealing plane of the flange surface. An exhaust gas inlet to the cooler, which allows exhaust gases to pass to the cooler, is provided in the sealing plane of the planar flange surface 10 in the area of the other end face of the internal combustion engine. In the immediate vicinity of the exhaust gas inlet to the cooler, the integrated exhaust gas feedthrough from the cooler is also situated in the sealing plane of the flange surface. The internal cooling section includes nose-shaped elevations, which in cooperation with flow guide elements situated at the cooler housing ensure a turbulent flow of the coolant flowing around or between the nose-shaped elevations and the flow guide elements. The gas withdrawal from the cylinder head takes place via the channel design in the cylinder head and is passed on via the exhaust gas inlet opening to the exhaust gas inlet with the aid of a channel connection in crankcase 1. The exhaust gas reaching the exhaust gas inlet is introduced into the EGR line guidance in cooler 2, where it gives off its waste heat to the coolant. Thereafter, the cooled exhaust gas leaves cooler 2 with the aid of the integrated exhaust gas feedthrough through crankcase 1 in the direction of the exhaust gas system. A gasket is situated between EGR cooler 2 and the flange surface.

[0021] FIG. 2 shows a side view of EGR cooler 2 according to FIG. 1 mounted in crankcase 1. This EGR cooler 2 includes a cooler cassette 3, which acts as a cooling section. A baffle plate 4 is provided to assist the cooling section of cooler cassette 3. From the view of the exhaust gas flow direction, a respective inlet connector 5 and outlet connector 8 are situated upstream and downstream from cooler cassette 3. Inlet connector 5 of EGR cooler 2 includes a cast fin 6. Outlet connector 8 of EGR cooler 2 includes a cast fin 6.

[0022] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view through crankcase 1 from FIG. 1 including an EGR cooler 2 in a cooling housing whose base body is an integral part of crankcase 1, the base body being covered by a cover 16 which is screwed to crankcase 1. Baffle plate 4, around which cooling water also flows, is situated at the cooling section of EGR cooler 2 around which the cooling water of the internal combustion engine flows. Cast fin 6 around which the cooling water of the internal combustion engine flows is visible at the inlet connector of EGR cooler 2. Opposite cast fin 6 of EGR cooler 2, cast rib 7 situated at crankcase 1 of the internal combustion engine is visible. The arrangement of cast fin 6 to cast rib 7 results in a gap in the area of EGR cooler 2 which extends in the cooling water in the installed state, which has influence on the flow velocity of the cooling water.

[0023] FIG. 4 shows a sectional view through crankcase 1 along line C-C from FIG. 3. Here, it becomes apparent again how the arrangement of cast fin 6 at inlet connector 5, in combination with cast rib 7 situated at crankcase 1 of the internal combustion engine, influences the flow conditions of the cooling water.

[0024] FIG. 5 illustrates a further embodiment, schematically showing a side view illustrating a planar flange surface 14 essentially situated at a longitudinal side 15 of the cylinder head 13 for accommodating the EGR cooler 2.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0025] 1 crankcase [0026] 2 EGR cooler [0027] 3 cooler cassette [0028] 4 baffle plate [0029] 5 inlet connector [0030] 6 cast fin [0031] 7 cast rib [0032] 8 outlet connector [0033] 9 coolant inlet opening [0034] 10 planar flange surface of crankcase [0035] 11 longitudinal side of crankcase [0036] 12 cylinder block [0037] 13 cylinder head [0038] 14 planar flange surface of cylinder head [0039] 15 longitudinal side of cylinder head [0040] 16 cover