SYSTEM FOR FEEDING OPERATING GAS TO A DRIVE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A system for feeding operating gas to a drive (1) of a motor vehicle, including an atmosphere-side suction inlet (2a) for air under atmospheric pressure, and a feed line (2) for the operating gas to the drive (1) under an operating pressure, the operating gas which is conducted to the drive comprising at least part of the air which is sucked in, at least part of the operating gas being conducted through a turbomachine (3) upstream of the drive (1) in a first operating type, the turbomachine (3) comprising an electric generator (4), and the turbomachine (3) being operated in a second operating type as a compressor for the operating gas, an actuable valve arrangement (5) being provided, at least part of the air which is sucked in being conducted in a turbine direction (T) through the turbomachine (3) in a first position of the valve arrangement (5), and at least part of the air which is sucked in being conducted in a reversed compressor direction (V) through the turbomachine (3) in a second position of the valve arrangement (5).

Claims

1. A system for feeding operating gas to a drive (1) of a motor vehicle, comprising: an atmosphere-side suction inlet (2a) for air under atmospheric pressure; and a feed line (2) for the operating gas to the drive (1) under an operating pressure, the operating gas which is conducted to the drive comprising at least part of the air which is sucked in, at least part of the operating gas being conducted through a turbomachine (3) upstream of the drive (1) in a first operating type; the turbomachine (3) comprising an electric generator (4), and the turbomachine (3) being operated in a second operating type as a compressor for the operating gas, wherein an actuable valve arrangement (5) is provided, at least part of the air which is sucked in being conducted in a turbine direction (T) through the turbomachine (3) in a first position of the actuable valve arrangement (5), and at least part of the air which is sucked in being conducted in a reversed compressor direction (V) through the turbomachine (3) in a second position of the actuable valve arrangement (5).

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotational direction of the electric generator (4) runs in an opposed manner in the first and second operating types.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the generator (4) is switched as an electric motor (4) of the turbomachine (3) by means of control electronics (8) in the second operating type.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuable valve arrangement (5) comprises a multiway valve.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the turbomachine (3) comprises precisely one turbomachine wheel (6), the wheel (6) acting as a turbine or as a compressor for the operating gas depending on the operating type.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the turbomachine (3) comprises a turbine of radial design.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the turbomachine (3) has stationary guide vanes.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the turbomachine (3) comprises adjustable guide vanes (12).

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive (1) is configured as an internal combustion engine.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein an exhaust gas turbocharger (14) is provided in addition to the turbomachine (3).

11. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein no further compressor is provided in addition to the turbomachine (3).

12. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the turbomachine (3) comprises a turbine wheel which is driven by way of exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine (1).

13. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operating pressure in at least one regular operating state is smaller by a differential pressure than the atmospheric pressure.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the operating pressure in a part load range of the drive (1) is smaller by a differential pressure than the atmospheric pressure.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a general diagram for operating states of an internal combustion engine which can be supercharged.

[0029] FIG. 2 shows a diagrammatic sectional view of a turbomachine of a system according to the invention.

[0030] FIG. 3 shows a diagrammatic view of a system according to the invention for feeding operating gas to a drive of a motor vehicle in a first operating state.

[0031] FIG. 4 shows the system from FIG. 3 in a second operating state.

[0032] FIG. 5 shows the system from FIG. 3 in a third operating state.

[0033] FIG. 6 shows a diagrammatic overall illustration of a system according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The diagram which is shown in FIG. 1 generally describes operating states of a drive for a motor vehicle in the form of an internal combustion engine 1, in the case of which the operating gas can be supercharged via a compressor. Here, the torque M of the internal combustion engine 1 is plotted against the engine rotational speed n.

[0035] The range A corresponds to a normally aspirated operation of the engine 1, in the case of which the compressor is not in operation at all or is in operation only with a small power output. Here, a mass flow of the operating gas is regulated via a throttle valve. The operating gas pressure on the inlet side of the internal combustion engine 1 lies below atmospheric pressure. Atmospheric pressure is the outside air pressure, at which external air is sucked in by way of the system as a main constituent part of the operating gas.

[0036] The dashed line B characterizes, as upper torque limit of the range A, the curve of maximum power output of the internal combustion engine 1 in normally aspirated operation.

[0037] The range D corresponds to supercharged operation of the internal combustion engine 1, in the case of which the compressor increases the pressure of the operating gas. Accordingly, the mass flow of the operating gas is defined by way of the power output of the compressor. In the normal case, no use of the throttle valve takes place in this range.

[0038] The line C characterizes, as upper torque limit of the range D, the curve of maximum power output of the internal combustion engine 1 in supercharged operation.

[0039] The range E which is plotted as a rectangle shows the operating range which is primarily relevant to the present invention. This is the operation at part load and a low engine rotational speed. In said range E, there is a pressure gradient in the inlet-side operating gas stream, which pressure gradient can be utilized for the expansion of the operating gas and recuperation of energy, the overall degree of efficiency of the engine 1 being increased.

[0040] FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 in each case show a system for feeding operating gas to a drive in the form of an internal combustion engine 1 of a motor vehicle, comprising an atmosphere-side suction inlet 2a for air under atmospheric pressure, and a feed line 2 for the operating gas to the drive 1 under an operating pressure, the operating gas which is conducted to the drive 1 comprising at least part of the air which is sucked in.

[0041] In a first operating type according to FIG. 3, at least part, but preferably the entire quantity, of the operating gas is conducted upstream of the drive 1 through a turbomachine 3 which comprises an electric generator 4.

[0042] The turbomachine 3 is operated in a second operating type according to FIG. 4 as a compressor for the operating gas.

[0043] An actuable valve arrangement 5 is provided in the system, by means of which valve arrangement 5 the operating gas stream can be controlled.

[0044] In a first position of the valve arrangement 5 according to FIG. 3, at least part of the air which is sucked in is conducted in a turbine direction T through the turbomachine 3.

[0045] In a second position of the valve arrangement 5 according to FIG. 4, at least part of the air which is sucked in is conducted in a reversed compressor direction V through the turbomachine 3.

[0046] In a third position of the valve arrangement 5 according to FIG. 5, no operating gas flows through the turbomachine. The operating gas stream is conducted past the turbomachine 3.

[0047] Depending on the operating type, the valve arrangement 5 can also act as a throttle valve with an adjustable cross section for the drive.

[0048] The rotational direction of the electric generator 4 runs in an opposed manner in the two operating types. This allows a simple realization, the generator 4 and a compressor wheel and/or turbine wheel 6 being attached on the same shaft 7 in the present case. In the case of a change of the operating types, the generator or motor 4 is first of all brought to a standstill and is then accelerated again in the opposite rotational direction.

[0049] In the case of alternative embodiments (not shown), a reversing gear mechanism can also be provided, with the result that the generator or motor 4 always rotates in the same direction. As a result, a torque in the case of a change of the operating type can be decreased.

[0050] The generator 4 is generally advantageously switched in the second operating type as an electric motor of the turbomachine 3 by means of control electronics 8. This allows the use of the same moving masses both as a generator and as a motor 4.

[0051] In the case of alternative embodiments (not shown), however, a separate motor and generator can also be provided, preferably on the same shaft 7.

[0052] In order to reduce the number of components and in the interests of a compact overall design, the valve arrangement 5 in the present case comprises a multiway valve. In the embodiment which is shown, the valve arrangement consists completely of a multiway valve 5. In the present case, the multiway valve 5 comprises only a single valve slide, by way of which the flow paths of the various operating types are achieved.

[0053] In the present case, the turbomachine comprises precisely one turbomachine wheel 6, the wheel 6 acting as a turbine or as a compressor for the operating gas depending on the operating type. This allows inexpensive and simple production.

[0054] In the case of alternative embodiments (not shown), however, a plurality of wheels can also be provided. For example, said wheels can be flowed through one after another, in order, for example, to increase the turbomachine efficiency. Depending on the requirements, only the throughflow of one of the wheels can also be provided in one of the operating types, for example the first operating type, whereas two or more wheels are flowed through in the second operating type.

[0055] In the first operating type according to FIG. 3, the wheel 6 acts as a turbine wheel. Here, the operating gas first of all flows in a first channel 9 to the turbine wheel 6, where it enters into a radially outer region of a housing 10 of the turbine wheel 6. After the throughflow and driving of the turbine wheel 6 under expansion, the operating gas passes into a central region and in the axial direction out of the housing 10 into a second channel 11. The second channel 11 is connected by the valve arrangement 5 to the feed line 2, with the result that the expanded operating gas is conducted to the drive 1. The generator 4 is driven by the shaft 7 by way of the energy output in the case of expansion of the operating gas, and electric energy is generated or is converted from mechanical energy. The electric energy is fed to an energy store (not shown) of the motor vehicle. The flow direction of the operating gas through the turbomachine 3 is the turbine direction T in this operating type.

[0056] In the second operating type according to FIG. 4, the same wheel 6 acts as a compressor wheel. Here, in the case of a correspondingly different position of the valve arrangement 4, the operating gas first of all flows in the second channel 11 to the compressor wheel 6, where it enters into the central region of the housing 10 in the axial direction of the wheel 6. The generator 4 is then switched as a motor via the control electronics 8, and drives the shaft 7 and the compressor wheel 6. In the case of the throughflow of the wheel 6, the operating gas is correspondingly compressed, and then passes out of the radially outer region of the housing 10. From there, it is conducted via the first channel 9 via the valve arrangement 5 to the feed line 2 and the drive 1. The flow direction of the operating gas through the turbomachine 3 is the compressor direction V in this operating type. The compressor direction V and the turbine direction T are reversed or opposed.

[0057] A third operating type is shown in FIG. 5. Here, the valve arrangement 5 is set in such a way that the operating gas does not flow through the turbomachine 3 or the wheel 6 at all and/or bypasses it in the manner of a bypass.

[0058] In the present case, the turbomachine 3 is a turbine of radial design. Turbines of this type can be optimized satisfactorily, in particular, in conjunction with internal combustion engines. Here, the wheel 6 in the housing 10 is configured as a radial turbine or as a radial compressor. This means that the operating gas flows at the inlet (first operating type) or at the outlet (second operating type) substantially perpendicularly with respect to an axis of the wheel 6 or the shaft 7.

[0059] For the turbomachine optimization, it is provided that the turbomachine 3 comprises adjustable guide vanes 12 (see FIG. 2). This allows a particularly satisfactory optimization. As a result, in particular, the adaptation to the various operating modes of the internal combustion engine 1 can be improved, which requires different mass flows of the operating gas depending on the operating point. Here, the guide vanes 12 make more efficient gas conducting to the rotor blades of the turbine possible than would be possible in the case of pressure-side throttling via the valve 5, and a simultaneous mass flow regulation of the engine. At the same time, they serve in compressor operation as discharge guide vanes which likewise make an efficiency increase possible. The use of adjustable guide vanes 12 is also known under the term “VTG”=Variable Turbine Geometry from the construction of turbochargers for motor vehicles. The adjustable guide vanes 12 are adjusted by means of an actuable actuator 13.

[0060] As an alternative to this, it can also be provided that the turbomachine 3 has stationary guide vanes. Guide vanes of this type are inexpensive to produce and nevertheless allow an increase in the efficiency, but no regulation of the overall mass flow of the internal combustion engine 1.

[0061] In the present case, the drive is configured as an internal combustion engine 1. In particular, internal combustion engines have a pressure drop in many operating states, for example in part load operation E, which pressure drop is suitable for turbomachine recuperation. In terms of the design, the present turbomachine 3 is largely an electrically driven compressor, as is used, for example, under the designation “eBOOSTER”, in order to supercharge the operating gas or the air which is sucked in. According to the invention, a module of this type can at the same time be used in conjunction with the valve arrangement 5 as a turbine for recuperation. To this end, at most small modifications are required. They relate firstly to the electronic circuitry which, in addition to motor operation (second operating type in the context of the invention), also makes generator operation (first operating type in the context of the invention) possible.

[0062] In addition, in the present exemplary embodiment, an exhaust gas turbocharger 14 is provided in addition to the turbomachine 3. The exhaust gas turbocharger 14 makes an optimization of the degree of efficiency of the overall system possible, by utilizing energy which is contained in the exhaust gas for supercharging the internal combustion engine. Here, the exhaust gas turbocharger 14 is a separate component with a dedicated turbine wheel and compressor wheel.

[0063] The additional exhaust gas turbocharger 14 supercharges the operating gas or the air which is sucked in in the third operating type according to FIG. 3. Said third operating type corresponds, in particular, to operation at a high constant load (range D in FIG. 1) or else at a constant full load (line C in FIG. 1).

[0064] In the case of one embodiment of the invention (not shown) which is an alternative to this, no further compressor, in particular no exhaust gas turbocharger 10, is provided in addition to the turbomachine 3. This allows cost savings and a reduction of components. Here, the turbomachine 3 can fundamentally act as an electrically driven compressor or supercharger which acts permanently in load operation (supercharging operation, range D in FIG. 1). As an alternative, the turbomachine can also act merely temporarily as a supercharger, in order to make short peak loads possible, for example in the case of acceleration, with the result that the internal combustion engine 1 is operated as a normally aspirated engine in the case of normal load. The design of a system of this type can be adapted depending on requirements.

[0065] It is provided in the case of a further possible embodiment of the invention (not shown) that the turbomachine 3 comprises a turbine wheel which is driven by way of exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine 1. Here, the exhaust gas turbine wheel can be arranged on the same shaft 7 as the generator 4. In the simplest structural variant, the turbomachine therefore comprises an operating gas-side wheel which, depending on the operating type, is flowed through as an operating gas-side compressor wheel or operating gas-side turbine wheel 6, an electric motor 4 which, depending on the operating type, can also be operated as an electric generator 4, and an exhaust gas-side turbine wheel. Said components can all be arranged on the same shaft.

[0066] It is then to be taken into consideration in the first operating type that the exhaust gas-side turbine wheel does not have a braking action on the turbomachine 3. To this end, the exhaust gas-side turbine wheel can be switched to be free of flow or to idle outside the exhaust gas stream. As an alternative or in addition, a releasable clutch can be provided on a common shaft 7. Once again as an alternative or in addition, a reversing gear mechanism can be provided. For example, the generator or motor and the exhaust gas-side turbine wheel can always rotate in the same direction by means of the reversing gear mechanism, whereas only the rotational direction of an operating gas-side compressor wheel/turbine wheel 6 reverses depending on the operating type.

[0067] It is generally advantageously provided for all of the described exemplary embodiments that the operating pressure in at least one regular operating state, preferably a part load range E of the drive 1, is smaller by a differential pressure than the atmospheric pressure. This allows, for example, operation as a normally aspirated engine or else a design in conjunction with an exhaust gas turbocharger 14 in the case of a low power output. In the case of a design of this type of the system, the turbomachine in the first operating type is designed in such a way that there is a satisfactory efficiency for a throughflow on the basis of a pressure gradient toward a subatmospheric pressure on the outlet side of the turbomachine in turbine operation.

[0068] For illustrative purposes, FIG. 6 shows an overall illustration of a system according to the invention. The internal combustion engine 1 with an intake manifold 15 and an exhaust manifold 16 is installed in a motor vehicle (not shown). The internal combustion engine 1 is preferably a gasoline engine.

[0069] In the present case, the turbomachine 3 is arranged downstream of an intercooler 17. In the case of other embodiments, the turbomachine can also be provided upstream, in particular directly upstream, of the intercooler 17.

[0070] In the present diagrammatic illustration, an operating gas-side throttle valve is of integrated configuration with the turbomachine 3, and is therefore not shown separately. Depending on requirements, however, a throttle valve can also be provided as a separate component, for example in a branch channeled to the turbomachine 3.

[0071] The exhaust gas turbocharger 14 is arranged on the turbine side upstream of an exhaust gas purification means with a catalytic converter 18. An exhaust gas recirculation means with an exhaust gas recirculation valve 19, an exhaust gas cooler 20 and an exhaust gas throttle valve 21 is provided downstream of the catalytic converter 18.

[0072] It goes without saying that, depending on requirements, other or additional components and/or connections of the gas streams can be provided in the system. Examples are catalytic converters of various designs, a high pressure exhaust gas recirculation means or the like.

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS

[0073] 1 Drive, internal combustion engine [0074] 2 Feed line for operating gas [0075] 2a Suction inlet under atmospheric pressure [0076] 3 Turbomachine [0077] 4 Generator, electric motor [0078] 5 Valve arrangement [0079] 6 Turbomachine wheel, compressor wheel and/or turbine wheel [0080] 7 Shaft [0081] 8 Control electronics [0082] 9 First channel of the turbomachine [0083] 10 Housing of compressor wheel and/or turbine wheel [0084] 11 Second channel of the turbomachine [0085] 12 Adjustable guide vanes [0086] 13 Actuator for guide vanes [0087] 14 Exhaust gas turbocharger [0088] 15 Intake manifold [0089] 16 Exhaust manifold [0090] 17 Intercooler [0091] 18 Catalytic converter [0092] 19 Exhaust gas recirculation valve [0093] 20 Exhaust gas cooler [0094] 21 Exhaust gas throttle valve [0095] A Range, normally aspirated operation (normally aspirated engine part load) [0096] B Maximum power output line, normally aspirated operation [0097] C Maximum power output line, supercharged operation [0098] D Range, supercharged operation [0099] E Region for expansion/recuperation [0100] T Turbine direction [0101] V Compressor direction