HEAT RECOVERY DEVICE AND METHOD

Abstract

A heat recovery device may include a circuit. During operation of the heat recovery device, a working medium may circulate. The circuit may include a conveyor to convey the working medium. An evaporator may be arranged downstream of the conveyor and may evaporate the working medium. An expander may be arranged downstream of the evaporator and may expand the working medium. The expander may have a shaft that may pick up a torque at the expander. A condenser may be arranged downstream of the expander and may condense the working medium. A tank may be connected to the circuit. The tank may define a volume for the working medium. An adjustor may change the volume of the tank for the working medium. A non-return valve may be arranged between the tank and the condenser, and may prevent a flow of the working medium in a direction of the condenser.

Claims

1. A heat recovery device comprising: a circuit, wherein during operation of the heat recovery device a working medium circulates, wherein the circuit includes: a conveyor configured to convey the working medium; an evaporator, arranged downstream of the convey or configured to evaporate the working medium; an expander, arranged downstream of the evaporator, configured to expand the working medium, the expander having a shaft configured to pick up a torque at the expander; and a condenser, arranged downstream of the expander, configured to condense the working medium; a tank connected to the circuit between the condenser and the conveyor the tank defining a volume for the working medium; an adjustor configured to change the volume of the tank for the working medium; and a non-return valve, arranged between the tank and the condenser, configured to prevent a flow of the working medium in a direction of the condenser.

2. The heat recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor is drivingly connected to the expander.

3. The heat recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the adjustor includes a membrane arranged in the tank, and a compressed air device configured to displace the membrane in the tank.

4. The heat recovery device according to claim 3, wherein the membrane comprises an inflatable bag, the inflatable bag having a bag volume, the bag volume adjustable by the compressed air device.

5. The heat recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the circuit between the tank and the evaporator is configured to flow only in a direction of the evaporator.

6. The heat recovery device according to claim 1, further comprising an expander bypass configured to bypass the expander, and a control valve configured to adjust the flow of the working medium through the expander bypass.

7. A method for operating a heat recovery device comprising: providing the heat recovery device, the heat recovery device having a circuit, wherein during operation of the heat recovery device a working medium circulates; wherein the circuit includes: a conveyor configured to convey the working medium; an evaporator, arranged downstream of the conveyor, configured to evaporate the working medium; an expander, arranged downstream of the evaporator, configured to expand the working medium, the expander having a shaft configured to pick up a torque at the expander; and a condenser, arranged downstream of the expander, configured to condense the working medium; a tank connected to the circuit between the condenser and the conveyor, the tank defining a volume for the working medium; an adjustor configured to change the volume of the tank for the working medium; and a non-return valve, arranged between the tank and the condenser, configured to prevent a flow of the working medium in a direction of the condenser; and during a start-up operation of the heat recovery device, the working medium is in a substantially liquid state in the circuit, and the volume of the tank is reduced when the working medium in the liquid state flows into the tank, and the volume is subsequently enlarged.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein a reduction of volume occurs after a predetermined time starting from at least one of putting the heat recovery device into operation, reaching a predetermined temperature in the working medium, reaching a predetermined pressure in the working medium, and reaching a predetermined pressure difference in the working medium.

9. The method according to claims 7, wherein in a shutdown operation, after switching off the heat recovery device, the working medium is directed past the expander so that a pressure in the working medium decreases at the expander and the working medium flows out from the tank in a direction of the evaporator.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the volume of the tank for the working medium is reduced or enlarged until the pressure in the working medium is equalized in the circuit.

11. The method according to claims 7, wherein in a normal operation of the heat recovery device where the working medium is present in two phases, the volume of the tank is changed so that a predetermined pressure of the working medium is present at an inlet of the conveyor.

12. The heat recovery device according to claim 1, further comprising a conveyor bypass that branches off from the circuit upstream of the conveyor and downstream of the tank and opens into the circuit downstream of the conveyor and upstream of the evaporator.

13. The heat recovery device according to claim 12, further comprising a non-return valve disposed in the conveyor bypass configured to prevent a flow of the working medium through the conveyor in a direction of the tank.

14. The heat recovery device according to claim 1, further comprising a filter disposed downstream of the condenser configured to filter the working medium.

15. The heat recovery device according to claim 3, wherein the membrane is configured to be displaced at least one of axially or radially in the tank.

16. A heat recovery device comprising: a circuit, wherein during operation of the heat recovery device a working medium circulates, wherein the circuit includes: a conveyor configured to convey the working medium; an evaporator, arranged downstream of the conveyor, configured to evaporate the working medium; an expander, arranged downstream of the evaporator, configured to expand the working medium, the expander having a shaft configured to pick up a torque at the expander, and wherein the conveyor is drivingly connected to the expander; and a condenser, arranged downstream of the expander, configured to condense the working medium; a tank connected to the circuit between the condenser and the conveyor, the tank defining a volume for the working medium; an adjustor configured to change the volume of the tank for the working medium, wherein the adjustor includes a membrane disposed in the tank and a compressed air device configured to displace the membrane in the tank; and a non-return valve, arranged between the tank and the condenser, configured to prevent a flow of the working medium in a direction of the condenser.

17. The heat recovery device of claim 16, wherein the conveyor is drivingly connected to the expander via the shaft.

18. The heat recovery device of claim 16, wherein the membrane comprises an inflatable bag, the inflatable bag having a bag volume, the bag volume adjustable by the compressed air device.

19. The heat recovery device according to claim 16, wherein the circuit between the tank and the evaporator is configured to flow only in a direction of the evaporator.

20. The heat recovery device according to claim 16, further comprising an expander bypass configured to bypass the expander, and a control valve configured to adjust the flow of the working medium through the expander bypass.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] There are shown, respectively diagrammatically,

[0033] FIG. 1 a greatly simplified illustration, in the manner of a circuit diagram, of a heat recovery means,

[0034] FIG. 2 a flow diagram to explain a method for operating the heat recovery means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] In FIG. 1 a heat recovery means 1 is illustrated in greatly simplified form and in the manner of a circuit diagram. The heat recovery means 1 can be a component of a motor vehicle 2, which is otherwise not shown, in order to recover energy from waste heat of the motor vehicle 2, for example from exhaust gas 3 of an internal combustion engine which is not shown. The heat recovery means 1 has a circuit 4 in which, during operation, a working medium circulates. The heat transmission to the heat recovery means 1, in particular by means of the exhaust gas 3, takes place via an evaporator 5, which is arranged in the circuit 4. The evaporator 5 serves for the evaporating of the working medium by means of the heat supplied in particular via the exhaust gas 3. The working medium is conveyed here by a conveying means 6, which is arranged in the circuit 4 upstream of the evaporator 5. Downstream of the evaporator 5, an expander 7 is arranged for expanding the working medium, wherein downstream of the expander 7 a condenser 8 is arranged for condensing the working medium. The expander 7 has a shaft 9, with which at the expander 7 a torque can be picked up and therefore thermal energy can be recovered. In the present case, the shaft 9 is used for driving the conveying means 6 and is therefore configured as a drive shaft 10. Downstream of the condenser 8 in the circuit 4 a filter 11 is arranged for filtering the working medium.

[0036] Between the condenser 8 and the conveying means 6, in the present case between the filter 11 and the conveying means 6, a tank 12 is fluidically connected to the circuit 4, which tank serves primarily for the storing of working medium. For this, the tank 12 has a volume 13 for the working medium, which is fluidically connected or connectable to the circuit 4 between the conveying means 6 and the condenser 8 or respectively the filter 11. Here, between the tank 12 and the condenser 8, in the present case between the tank 12 and the filter 11, a non-return valve 14, hereinafter designated condenser non-return valve 14, is arranged. The condenser non-return valve 14 prevents working medium from flowing contrary to the flow direction of the working medium, predetermined by the conveying means 6, in the direction of the condenser 8 or respectively of the filter 11. This means that the condenser non-return valve 14 prevents the working medium from flowing out from the tank 12 directly in the direction of the condenser 8. The heat recovery means 1 has, in addition, an adjusting means 15, by which the volume 13 of the tank 12 for the working medium is altered. The adjusting means 15 has in the present case a membrane 16, which is arranged in the tank 12 and is constructed as an inflatable bag 17, which has a bag volume 18. The bag 17 arranged within the volume 13 of the tank 12 can therefore lead, via a change of the bag volume 18, to a corresponding change of the volume 13 of the tank 12 for the working medium. For displacing the membrane 16, in the present case for changing the bag volume 18, the adjusting means 15 has a compressed air means 19, by which the membrane 16, constructed as bag 17, can be inflated or respectively air can be drained out from the bag 17. The compressed air means 19 is fluidically connected to the bag volume 18 by means of a compressed air line 20, wherein in the compressed air line 20 a compressed air control valve 21 is provided for controlling the compressed air, in particular also for draining compressed air out from the bag volume 18. The compressed air control valve 21 can be a component of the compressed air means 19.

[0037] The heat recovery means 1 has in addition a conveying means bypass 22 for bypassing the conveying means 6, which branches off from the circuit 4 upstream of the conveying means 6 and downstream of the tank 12 and opens into the circuit 4 downstream of the conveying means 6 and upstream of the evaporator 5. In the conveying means bypass 22 a non-return valve 23, designated hereinafter as conveying means non-return valve 23, is arranged, which prevents a flow of the working medium through the conveying means bypass 22 in the direction of the tank 12. The heat recovery means 1 has, in addition, an expander bypass 24 for bypassing the expander 7, which branches off from the circuit 4 upstream of the expander 7 and downstream of the evaporator 5, and opens into the circuit 4 downstream of the expander 7 and upstream of the condenser 8. In the expander bypass 24 a control valve 25, designated hereinafter as expander control valve 25, is arranged, which serves for the adjusting of the flow of the working medium through the expander bypass 24. The adjusting means 15, in particular the compressed air means 19 and the compressed air control valve 21, and the expander control valve 25, are connected to a control means 26 such that they can be controlled by the control means 26. The control means 26 here can be a component of the heat recovery means 1 or of the motor vehicle 2.

[0038] A method for operating the heat recovery means 1 is explained below with the aid of the flow diagram shown in FIG. 2, wherein the control means 26 can be configured in such a way that it carries out the method.

[0039] In a first method step 27, a start or respectively a putting into operation of the heat recovery means 1 takes place. The putting into operation or respectively the start leads to a start-up operation of the heat recovery means 1, in which the working medium is present in the heat recovery means 1 in an aggregate state, in particular liquid. In this operation, a certain quantity of working medium, for example one litre of working medium, is stored in the volume 13 of the tank 12. The start-up operation is also characterized in that heat is supplied to the evaporator 5 after a lengthy period of time, in particular after a standstill of the heat recovery means 1. As a result of the supply of heat, an evaporation takes place of working medium situated in the evaporator 5. Hereby, working medium is displaced downstream of the evaporator 5 and leads to a non-pressurized flow of the working medium into the volume 13 of the tank 12. In a second method step 28, a check is carried out as to whether in the start-up operation working medium flows into the volume 13 of the tank 12. If no such flow is present, or the flow is not sufficient, a check is carried out again as to whether the flow is present. In so far as such a flow is present and sufficient, in a third method step 29 the volume 13 of the tank 12 is reduced by means of the adjusting means 15. The reduction of the volume 13 of the tank 12 takes place here after a predetermined time starting from the putting into operation of the heat recovery means 1 and/or on reaching of a predetermined temperature of the working medium, in particular in the tank 12. The reducing of the volume 13 of the tank 12 leads to liquid working medium flowing in the direction of the evaporator 5, wherein the condenser non-return valve 14 prevents this working medium from flowing in the direction of the condenser 8. Therefore, the evaporator 5 can continue to evaporate working medium. This step can be repeated, the volume 13 of the tank 12 can therefore be subsequently enlarged and reduced again, until sufficient torque can be picked up at the expander 7 in order to drive the conveying means 6 sufficiently and therefore to ensure a sufficient conveying of the working medium in the circuit 4. Accordingly, in a fourth method step 30, a check is carried out as to whether such a state exists, hereinafter designated as normal operation. In the fourth method step 30, a check is therefore carried out as to whether the conveying means 6 conveys the working medium sufficiently in the circuit 4. Alternatively or additionally, a check can be carried out as to whether the working medium is present in the circuit 4 in different aggregate states, in particular gaseous or respectively evaporated between the evaporator 5 and the condenser 8, and liquid between the condenser 8 and the evaporator 5. In so far as the normal operation is not reached, in particular the conveying means 6 does not guarantee a sufficient conveying of the working medium, the method returns to the second method step 28. In so far as normal operation is present, in a fifth method step 31 an adapting of the volume 13 of the tank 12 takes place in such a way that at an inlet 32 (see FIG. 1) for letting the working medium into the conveying means 6, a predetermined pressure of the working medium is present. In particular, the volume 13 is adapted in such a way that at the inlet 32 a sufficient undercooling of the working medium is present.

[0040] On switching off the heat recovery means 1, in particular on shutting off the heat supply to the evaporator 5, a shutdown operation of the heat recovery means 1 is present. Here, in a sixth method step 33, a check is carried out as to whether such a shutdown operation is present. If no such shutdown operation is present, the method returns to the method step 31. Alternatively, the method can check in loops as to whether the shutdown operation is present. In so far as the shutdown operation is present, in a seventh method step 34 the working medium is directed past the expander 7 via the expander bypass 24. Therefore, no drive of the conveying means 6 takes place and the pressure in the working medium is reduced. In the shutdown operation, in the volume 13 of the tank 12 initially preferable a greater quantity of the working medium is stored than at the start of the start-up operation. The decrease of the pressure in the working medium in the circuit 4 by the directing of the working medium past the expander 7 leads here to working medium, in particular liquid working medium, flowing out from the volume 13 of the tank 12 and therefore arriving at the evaporator 5, in particular when the pressure in the bag volume 18 is greater than in the volume 13 of the tank 12.

[0041] In an eighth method step 35, a check is carried out here as to whether the working medium is present in the same aggregate state, in particular liquid, in the entire circuit 4 through the action carried out in method step 34. In so far as this is the case, the method returns to the first method step 27. If the actions carried out in the seventh method step 34 for achieving a homogeneous pressure in the working medium in the entire circuit 4 are not sufficient and/or if this is not the case after a predetermined time, and/or additionally, in a ninth method step 36 the volume 13 of the tank 12 can be adapted such that the working medium is present in the circuit 4 in the same aggregate state, in particular liquid. The actions carried out in the seventh method step 34 and/or ninth method step 36 take place preferably until the working medium no longer flows in the circuit 4, i.e. until there is no circulation of the working medium in the circuit 4.