Pulse separated direct inlet axial automotive turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10330053-B2
Application number	US-201313935271-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2013
Priority date	Jul 3, 2013
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

Systems and methods for operating a turbocharged engine are described. In one example, a system comprises a cylinder head having a first and second exhaust duct separately coupled to first and second groups of cylinders, each of the first and second exhaust ducts leading to an exhaust driven turbine mounted inside the cylinder head on a bearing, the bearing located within a bearing housing supported by the cylinder head. In this way, exhaust pulses remain separate up to the turbine mounted inside the cylinder head.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a cylinder head for a first group of outer cylinders and a second group of inner cylinders, the system including the cylinders, where each cylinder of the first group of outer cylinders and the second group of inner cylinders is coupled to one exhaust duct within the cylinder head, exhaust ducts coupled to the first group of cylinders merging only into a fluidically combined first exhaust output duct and exhaust ducts coupled to the second group of cylinders merging only into a fluidically combined second exhaust output duct, the first and second exhaust output ducts leading to first and second inlet ports with arc-shaped outlets and a circular shaped space formed between the arc-shaped outlets, respectively, of an exhaust driven turbine mounted inside the cylinder head on a bearing within a bearing housing supported by the cylinder head.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second exhaust output ducts are spaced apart from one another, wherein each of the first and second inlet ports are semi-circular annular regions that are positioned to collectively form an annular shape.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the bearing housing is mounted to the cylinder head via one or more dowels inserted into one or more dowel mounts, and wherein the cylinder head further comprises cooling passages adjacent the dowel mounts.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the turbine is an axial turbine, wherein the turbine includes two or more stages, and where the stages include one or more stator stages, and wherein there are four total cylinders including two outer cylinders, one on each end, and two inner cylinders each adjacent one another and between the two outer cylinders.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein one or more of the stator stages are fabricated as part of the cylinder head and inserted into the circular shaped space formed between the first and second inlet ports.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the arc-shaped outlets of each of the first and second exhaust output ducts form a semi-circular cross-sectional coupling with a gas collector of the turbine, and wherein the turbine is centrally located between the inner cylinders along a central axis of the cylinder head, the inner and outer cylinders aligned along the central axis.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein two semi-circular cross-sections of each of the first and second outlets are positioned relative to one another to form an annular combined outlet.

8. The system of claim 2 , further comprising at least a third exhaust output duct separately coupled to a third group of cylinders.

9. The system of claim 8 , where each of the groups of cylinders comprises one cylinder, and each of the exhaust ducts couples to a gas collector of the turbine.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein only two arc-shaped outlets combine to collectively form an annular combined outlet, the first inlet port below the second inlet port and positioned between the inner cylinders along a central axis of the cylinder head.

11. A turbocharged engine, comprising:
a cylinder head forming two or more exhaust output ducts, each with an outlet terminus located at a turbine wheel or collector, an opening of a first outlet terminus of a first exhaust output duct being a semi-circular annular shape within 5° of a half-circle positioned above an opening of a second outlet terminus of a second exhaust output duct being a semi-circular annular shape within 5° of a half-circle, the first and second outlet termini positioned opposite and spaced apart from one another to form a circular annulus, each outlet terminus of the first and second outlet termini coupled to a separate turbine inlet port of a first turbine inlet port and a second turbine inlet port, the first and second turbine inlet ports each being arc-shaped and positioned to collectively form an annular shape within 10° of a circle, wherein exhaust ducts from outside cylinders on each side of the cylinder head fluidically merge to form the second exhaust output duct and exhaust ducts from inside cylinders between the outside cylinders pass to above the exhaust ducts from outside cylinders and fluidically merge to form the first exhaust output duct.

12. The turbocharged engine of claim 11 , where the cylinder head includes exhaust ports for two or more engine cylinders, the engine cylinders including the inside cylinders and the outside cylinders.

13. The turbocharged engine of claim 12 , where the engine cylinders are placed in an inline, opposed, or V configuration, and wherein the first and second turbine inlet ports are separated by a space that is an annular shape within 10° of a circle, the space comprising a cooled portion of cylinder head material.

14. The turbocharged engine of claim 13 , further comprising an axial turbine at least partially rotatably mounted in the cylinder head, and wherein the turbine inlet ports are spaced apart by a separation region that is contiguous with ends of the turbine inlet ports, the separation region comprising a cooled portion of cylinder head material.

15. The turbocharged engine of claim 14 , wherein rotor and stator stages of the axial turbine are positioned in the cylinder head and inserted into the space.

16. The turbocharged engine of claim 15 , wherein the first exhaust output duct is coupled only to the outside cylinders, and the second exhaust output duct is coupled only to the inside cylinders.

17. The turbocharged engine of claim 16 , wherein the cylinder head further comprises a wastegate passage.

18. The turbocharged engine of claim 17 , where the turbine is coupled to one or more compressors via a common shaft.

19. A method, comprising:
fluidically combining, in a cylinder head, exhaust gas from inner inline cylinders of an engine only to a first semi-circular annular exit;
directing, in the cylinder head, exhaust gas from outer inline cylinders of the engine into exhaust ducts such that the exhaust gas initially travels towards an upper face of the cylinder head;
fluidically combining, in the cylinder head, exhaust gas from the outer inline cylinders of the engine only to a second semi-circular annular exit positioned opposite the first semi-circular annular exit such that the exhaust gas travels towards a lower face of the cylinder head in order to reach the second semi-circular annular exit, the second semi-circular annular exit below the first semi-circular annular exit, the opposing first and second semi-circular exits positioned between the inner cylinders along a central axis of the cylinder head; and
directing exhaust gas out of the first and second exits through first and second inlet ports, respectively, of an axial turbine with bearings mounted in a side wall of the cylinder head.

20. The method of claim 19 , where the axial turbine is coupled to a radial compressor through a common shaft, wherein the first and second semi-circular annular exits are spaced apart from one another, and wherein the first and second inlet ports are semi-circular annular regions that are separated by a circular shaped space that is within 10° of a circle.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising adjusting a wastegate valve to adjust flow through a wastegate line positioned in the cylinder head.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Wade Robert Andrew
• Riegger John Christopher

Classifications

• F02F2001/4278

  Exhaust collectors · CPC title

• F05D2220/40

  in turbochargers · CPC title

• Y02T10/144

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F02B37/18

  by bypassing exhaust {from the inlet to the outlet of turbine or to the atmosphere} · CPC title

• F02C6/12

  Turbochargers, i.e. plants for augmenting mechanical power output of internal-combustion piston engines by increase of charge pressure · CPC title