Charge air cooler condensation dispersion element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10914229-B2
Application number	US-201213617320-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2012
Priority date	Sep 14, 2012
Publication date	Feb 9, 2021
Grant date	Feb 9, 2021

Abstract

Embodiments for controlling condensate in a charge air cooler are provided. In one example, a charge air cooler comprises an inlet to admit charge air, a plurality of heat exchange passages to remove heat from the charge air, an outlet configured to discharge the charge air from the heat exchange passages to an intake passage upstream of an intake manifold of an engine, and a dispersion element extending at least partially across the outlet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A charge air cooler, comprising:
an inlet to admit charge air;
a plurality of heat exchange passages to remove heat from the charge air;
an outlet opening positioned at a charge air exit discharging charge air from the heat exchange passages to a downstream intake passage upstream of an engine intake manifold; and
a dispersion element including a mesh-like screen positioned at and extending fully across the outlet opening, the dispersion element uniformly patterned fully across the outlet opening, wherein the screen is positioned below all heat exchange passages.

2. An engine system comprising:
an intake passage coupled to an intake manifold of the engine; and
a charge air cooler positioned in the intake passage between a compressor and the intake manifold, the charge air cooler comprising:
an inlet;
a heat exchanger;
an outlet opening; and
a dispersion element comprising a mesh-like screen fully extending across the outlet opening, the outlet opening and dispersion element positioned below all heat exchange passages of the charge air cooler.

3. The engine system of claim 2 , further comprising a humidity sensor positioned in the intake passage, the charge air cooler further comprising a top and a bottom surface, the bottom surface being a lower point of the charge air cooler, the dispersion element positioned below the bottom surface.

4. The engine system of claim 2 , further comprising a liquid sensor positioned in the charge air cooler.

5. The engine system of claim 2 , further comprising an exhaust gas sensor positioned in the intake passage.

6. The engine system of claim 5 , wherein the exhaust gas sensor is a UEGO sensor.

7. The engine system of claim 6 , further comprising a throttle positioned in the engine intake downstream of the UEGO sensor.

8. The charge air cooler of claim 2 , wherein the dispersion element is a first screen, and further comprising a second dispersion element extending at least partially across the outlet opening in a downstream direction from the first dispersion element.

9. A method for an engine, comprising:
flowing intake air through a charge air cooler with a dispersion element comprising a mesh-like screen extending fully across its outlet opening;
flowing all of the intake air out of the charge air cooler through the outlet opening to an intake passage upstream of an intake manifold; and
adjusting one or more engine operating parameters in response to transient increased humidity downstream of the charge air cooler, the transient increased humidity formed due to dispersion of accumulated condensate in the charge air cooler via the dispersion element.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising during a transient increase in load, flowing the intake air through the charge air cooler at a velocity to direct the accumulated condensate across the dispersion element in order to disperse the accumulated condensate to form the transient increased humidity.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the transient increase in load comprises a first duration and wherein the adjusting the one or more operating parameters comprises a second duration, longer than the first duration.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein adjusting the one or more engine operating parameters comprises one or more of adjusting valve timing, spark timing, and air-fuel ratio.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein entrained condensate is driven with the intake air to the outlet opening, the condensate dispersed via contact with the dispersion element into droplets sized to evaporate due to the movement of the intake air.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the dispersed condensate transiently increases the humidity of charge air reaching the engine, wherein one or more sensors, including a UEGO gas sensor, is located downstream of the charge air cooler but upstream of an intake throttle, to detect the transient changes in humidity, wherein the one or more engine operating parameters is adjusted in response to the increased humidity detected by the one or more sensors due to evaporated condensate.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein if a sudden increase in load is detected, a level of transient increased humidity may be estimated based on an amount of accumulated condensate, assuming that the dispersion element disperses the condensate and increases the humidity.

16. The method of 13 , wherein if a transient increase in humidity is detected, valve timing is set for optimal dilution that is near a misfire limit.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein if the humidity of the intake air transiently increases above ambient humidity for which the operating parameters are set, dilution of the cylinder increases, the one or more engine operating parameters is adjusted for a duration that is different than the duration of the transient condition that caused the increased humidity.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein a transient increase in humidity is detected based on a transient load increase that lasts a first duration, wherein the one or more operating parameters is adjusted for a second duration longer than the first duration to compensate for the increased time it takes for the increased humidity, which is now carried to the intake manifold by the intake air, to reach engine cylinders and combust.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more engine operating parameters includes engine air-fuel ratio, wherein if humidity transiently increases, the air-fuel ratio is decreased and an increased amount of fuel is delivered to maintain torque.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more engine operating parameters includes engine air-fuel ratio, wherein if humidity transiently increases, the air-fuel ratio may be increased in order to maintain a same amount of oxygen in an engine cylinder.

21. The method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more engine operating parameters is spark timing, which is advanced in coordination with an extended release of water into the intake air caused by the dispersion element, to allow additional time for combustion longer than the transient increase in humidity.

22. The engine system of claim 2 , wherein all flow exiting the charge air cooler must pass through the mesh-like screen.

Assignees

• Ruona William Charles
• Surnilla Gopichandra
• Bidner David Karl
• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Ruona William Charles
• Surnilla Gopichandra
• Bidner David Karl

Classifications

• Y02T10/12

  Improving ICE efficiencies · CPC title

• F02M35/10393

  for characterising a multi-component mixture, e.g. for the composition such as humidity, density or viscosity · CPC title

• F02B29/0425

  Air cooled heat exchangers · CPC title

• F02M29/04

  having screens, gratings, baffles or the like · CPC title

• F02M26/05

  High pressure loops, i.e. wherein recirculated exhaust gas is taken out from the exhaust system upstream of the turbine and reintroduced into the intake system downstream of the compressor · CPC title