Device for atmosphere conditioning for testing combustion engines, and associated method and use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10379002-B2
Application number	US-201515113969-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2015
Priority date	Jan 24, 2014
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

The invention relates to an atmosphere conditioning device for testing engines, comprising an inflow conduit connected to an engine admission, an outflow conduit connected to the exhaust of the engine and expelling exhaust gases, a communication conduit which communicates the inflow conduit with the outflow conduit, a supercharging turbogenerator comprising a turbine in the inflow conduit, a bypass valve which diverts the air flow that circulates towards the turbine, a heat regenerator consisting of heat exchangers in the inflow and outflow conduits, connected by the same heat transfer fluid circuit, a bypass valve in the outflow conduit together with the heat exchanger thereof, a heat exchanger in the outflow conduit downstream from the heat regenerator, and a turbocompressor downstream from the heat exchanger.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An atmosphere conditioning device for testing combustion engines, comprising the device:
an inflow conduit arranged for being connected at a first end to a combustion engine admission to be subjected to testing and drawing in air from the outer atmosphere through a second end;
an outflow conduit arranged for being connected at a first end to the exhaust of the combustion engine and expelling exhaust gases into the atmosphere through a second end;
a first communication conduit which communicates the inflow conduit with the outflow conduit close to their respective first ends, such that the admission of the device is in communication with the exhaust thereof;
a supercharging turbogenerator arranged in the inflow conduit, the turbogenerator comprising a turbine coupled to a dissipation system for dissipating the energy generated in the expansion;
a first bypass valve which diverts the air flow in the inflow conduit that circulates towards the turbine, the first bypass valve and the turbine being able to be regulated to obtain desired pressure and air flow values in the inflow conduit;
a first heat regenerator, consisting of respective first and second heat exchangers in the outflow conduit and in the inflow conduit connected by the same heat transfer fluid circuit, arranged between the supercharging turbogenerator and the first communication conduit, facilitating indirect heat exchange between the exhaust gases in the outflow conduit and the admission air in the inflow conduit;
a second bypass valve in the outflow conduit together with the corresponding first heat exchanger of the first heat regenerator, regulating the amount of exhaust gases that actually participate in the heat exchange;
a third heat exchanger in the outflow conduit downstream from the first heat regenerator to cool the exhaust gases to a safe temperature; and
a turbocompressor downstream from the third heat exchanger, charged by turbocompressor charging means, to regulate, together with the turbine and the first bypass valve, the decrease in admission air pressure and admission air flow;
thereby, connecting the admission of the engine to the second end of the outflow conduit and the exhaust of the engine to the second end of the inflow conduit, the operation of the device is inverted, the inflow conduit becoming the outflow conduit and vice versa, such that the turbocompressor, the turbine and the first bypass valve together regulate the increase in admission air pressure.

2. The device according to claim 1 , characterized in that it further comprises a pump driving the heat transfer fluid between the first and second heat exchangers of the first heat regenerator.

3. The device according to claim 2 , characterized in that the heat transfer fluid circuit in the first heat regenerator further comprises:
a three-way valve located upstream from the second heat exchanger located in the inflow conduit; and
an auxiliary heat exchanger connected to a coolant fluid circuit;
such that the auxiliary exchanger can indirectly cool the inflow air in the inflow conduit.

4. The device according to claim 1 , characterized in that it further comprises a second heat regenerator, consisting of respective fourth and fifth heat exchangers in the outflow conduit and in the inflow conduit connected by the same heat transfer fluid circuit, arranged in the proximity of the respective seconds ends of the inflow conduit and the outflow conduit, facilitating an additional indirect heat exchange between the exhaust gases in the outflow conduit and the admission air in the inflow conduit.

5. The device according to claim 4 , characterized in that it further comprises a third bypass valve in the inflow conduit together with the corresponding fifth heat exchanger of the second heat regenerator, regulating the amount of inflow gases that actually participate in the heat exchange.

6. The device according to claim 4 , characterized in that it further comprises a pump driving the heat transfer fluid between the fourth and fifth heat exchangers of the second heat regenerator.

7. The device according to claim 4 , characterized in that the heat transfer fluid circuit in the second heat regenerator further comprises:
a three-way valve located upstream from the fourth heat exchanger of the outflow conduit; and
an auxiliary heat exchanger connected to a coolant fluid circuit;
such that the auxiliary exchanger can indirectly cool the inflow air in the inflow conduit.

8. The device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the first communication conduit further comprises a valve that allows opening or closing said communication between the inflow conduit and the outflow conduit.

9. The device according to claim 8 , characterized in that it further comprises a second communication conduit, arranged in the proximity of the respective seconds ends of the inflow conduit and the outflow conduit, which communicates the inflow conduit with the outflow conduit.

10. The device according to claim 9 , characterized in that the second communication conduit further comprises a valve that allows opening or closing said communication between the inflow conduit and the outflow conduit.

11. The device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the dissipation system for dissipating the energy generated in the expansion in the turbine consists of a radial centrifugal compressor which is connected to a filter through which it draws in air from the atmosphere and to a back pressure valve through which it discharges the air transferred to the atmosphere.

12. The device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the dissipation system for dissipating the energy generated in the expansion in the turbine consists of an electric generator.

13. The device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the turbine is a turbine having a variable geometry.

14. The device according to claim 13 , characterized in that the turbine having a variable geometry is a radial inward-flow type turbine.

15. The device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the turbocompressor charging means are selected from an electric motor and a turbine.

16. The device according to claim 1 , characterized in that it further comprises a filter at the end of the device through which air is drawn in from the outer atmosphere to prevent the entry of impurities in the device.

17. A method for using the device of claim 1 to independently condition the pressure and temperature of the atmosphere while testing combustion engines.

18. The device according to claim 1 , characterized in that it further comprises at least one condensate separator.

19. An atmosphere conditioning device for testing combustion engines, comprising:
an inflow conduit arranged for being connected at a first end to a combustion engine admission to be subjected to testing and drawing in air from the outer atmosphere through a second end;
an outflow conduit arranged for being connected at a first end to the exhaust of the combustion engine and expelling exhaust gases into the atmosphere through a second end;
a first communication conduit which communicates the inflow conduit with the outflow conduit close to their respective first ends, such that the admission of the device is in communication with the exhaust thereof;
a supercharging turbogenerator arranged in the inflow conduit, the turbogenerator comprising a turbine coupled to a dissipation system for dissipating the energy generated in the expansion;
a first bypass valve which diverts the air flo

Assignees

• Univ Valencia Politecnica

Inventors

• Desantes Fernández José María
• Galindo Lucas José
• Payri González Francisco
• Piqueras Cabrera Pedro
• Serrano Cruz José Ramón

Classifications

• G01M15/02 Primary

  Details or accessories of testing apparatus · CPC title

• F02M35/10242 Primary

  Devices or means connected to or integrated into air intakes; Air intakes combined with other engine or vehicle parts (filters F02M35/02; silencers F02M35/12 and F02M35/14; air coolers F02B29/04; heaters F02M31/00; air storage tanks F02B21/00; compressors F02B33/00; sensors F02M35/10373) · CPC title