Heating and cooling system for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10717344-B2
Application number	US-201515307235-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2015
Priority date	May 16, 2014
Publication date	Jul 21, 2020
Grant date	Jul 21, 2020

Abstract

A heating and cooling system for a vehicle having an internal combustion engine is provided. The system comprises at least one exhaust pipe conveying exhaust gases away from the engine, and a reactor vessel located in the exhaust pipe and containing an absorbent salt and a refrigerant fluid. A condenser is in fluid communication with the reactor vessel, and receives refrigerant vapour from the reactor when exhaust gases heat the reactor vessel in the exhaust pipe. An evaporator is locatable in a cab of the vehicle and is in fluid communication with the condenser and the reactor vessel. The evaporator receives condensed refrigerant from the condenser so as to cool the air surrounding the evaporator, and returning refrigerant vapour to the reactor vessel. A method of cooling a driver environment of a vehicle having an internal combustion engine is also provided, as is a vehicle incorporating the heating and cooling system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heating and cooling system for a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, the system comprising:
at least one exhaust pipe conveying exhaust gases away from the internal combustion engine;
a reactor vessel located in the exhaust pipe and containing an absorbent salt and a refrigerant fluid;
a condenser in fluid communication with the reactor vessel, the condenser receiving refrigerant vapour from the reactor when exhaust gases heat the reactor vessel in the exhaust pipe;
an evaporator in fluid communication with the condenser and the reactor vessel, the evaporator receiving condensed refrigerant from the condenser so as to cool the air surrounding the evaporator, and returning refrigerant vapour to the reactor vessel, wherein when installed, the evaporator is disposed in a cab of the vehicle;
an air/fuel burner in fluid communication with sources of air and fuel, the air/fuel burner selectively operable in a first mode to introduce air from a burner air inlet through an air control valve and selectively operable in a second mode to introduce an air/fuel mixture by introducing both air from the burner air inlet through the air control valve and fuel from a fuel control valve into the at least one exhaust pipe upstream of the reactor vessel; and
an exhaust air inlet in the at least one exhaust pipe upstream of the reactor vessel, the exhaust air inlet being movable between closed and open positions to selectively allow ambient air to be drawn into the exhaust pipe, wherein an electronic control unit controls operation of the air control valve and the fuel control valve to operate the air/fuel burner in the first mode and the second mode.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the salt is selected from the group comprising lithium chloride and lithium bromide, and the refrigerant is selected from the group comprising water and methanol.

3. A vehicle comprising:
an internal combustion engine; and
a heating and cooling system in accordance with claim 1 .

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a heater, wherein when the heater is installed, the heater is disposed in the cab of the vehicle adjacent the evaporator, the heater having a heater control valve which controls the flow of a heating fluid to the heater from a heat source.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the heating fluid is coolant from the internal combustion engine of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a venturi section in the at least one exhaust pipe between the exhaust air inlet and the reactor vessel.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the system comprises a pair of exhaust pipes conveying exhaust gases away from the internal combustion engine, each exhaust pipe containing a reactor vessel in fluid communication with the condenser, and exhaust air inlet and a venturi section between the exhaust air inlet and the reactor vessel.

8. The system of claim 6 , further comprising an air/fuel conduit adjacent to the venturi section, wherein the air or the air/fuel mixture is introduced to the exhaust pipe via the air/fuel conduit.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit actuates the air/fuel burner and/or exhaust air inlet to heat or cool the reactor vessel.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reactor is a tubular vessel having an external surface which lies against the internal surface of the at least one exhaust pipe, and has an internal surface which defines a passage through which the exhaust gases flow.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the internal surface of the reactor vessel comprises a plurality of fins extending inwardly towards the centre of the passage, the fins transferring heat from exhaust gases within the exhaust pipe to the salt and refrigerant within the reactor vessel.

12. A method of cooling a driver environment of a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, the method comprising the steps of:
providing at least one exhaust pipe for conveying exhaust gases away from the internal combustion engine;
disposing a reactor vessel in the exhaust pipe, the reactor vessel containing an absorbent salt and a refrigerant fluid;
fluidly connecting a condenser to the reactor vessel, such that the condenser receives refrigerant vapour from the reactor vessel when exhaust gases heat the reactor vessel in the exhaust pipe;
disposing an evaporator in the driver environment of the vehicle;
fluidly connecting the evaporator to the condenser and the reactor vessel, such that the evaporator receives condensed refrigerant from the condenser and cools the air surrounding the evaporator, and subsequently returns refrigerant vapour to the reactor vessel;
selectively introducing air in a first mode and an air/fuel mixture in a second mode into at least one exhaust pipe upstream of the reactor vessel from an air/fuel burner in fluid communication with sources of air and fuel, wherein when operating in the first mode, the air is introduced from a burner air inlet through an air control valve and when operating in the second mode, the air is introduced from the burner air inlet through the air control valve and the fuel is introduced from a fuel inlet; and
moving an exhaust air inlet between a closed and an open position to selectively allow ambient air to be drawn into the exhaust pipe via the exhaust air inlet in the at least one exhaust pipe upstream of the reactor vessel to selectively allow ambient air to be drawn into the exhaust pipe.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the air or the air/fuel mixture is introduced to the exhaust pipe via an air/fuel conduit that is disposed adjacent to a venturi section in the at least one exhaust pipe between the exhaust air inlet and the reactor vessel.

Assignees

• Perkins Engines Co Ltd

Inventors

• Strashny Igor
• Moore Paul

Classifications

• Y02A30/274

  using waste energy, e.g. from internal combustion engine · CPC title

• B60H1/32014

  using adsorption, e.g. using Zeolite and water · CPC title

• F25B27/02

  using waste heat, e.g. from internal-combustion engines · CPC title

• B60H1/3201 Primary

  using absorption or adsorption · CPC title

• F25B17/083

  with two or more boiler-sorbers operating alternately · CPC title