Engine intake air system including CAC bypass and separate bypass heater, and high-efficiency spark-ignited direct injection liquid propane engine architectures including same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11060468-B2
Application number	US-201816497594-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2018
Priority date	Mar 31, 2017
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

An intake air circuit is structured to transmit intake air from a turbocharger compressor to an intake manifold of an engine. A charge air cooler (“CAC”), a bypass line, and a bypass heater are each positioned along the intake air circuit in parallel with each other. A first control valve is structured to controllably divert the intake air around the CAC. A second control valve is structured to controllably divert the intake air around at least one of the bypass line and the bypass heater. A controller operatively coupled to each of the engine, and the first and second control valves is structured to control each of the first and second control valves to cause the intake air to flow along a determined desired flow path based on each of measured ambient temperature and measured engine load.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An intake air system, comprising:
a turbocharger comprising a compressor;
an intake air circuit structured to transmit intake air from the compressor to an intake manifold of an engine;
a charge air cooler positioned along the intake air circuit;
a bypass line positioned along the intake air circuit in parallel with the charge air cooler;
a bypass heater positioned along the intake air circuit in parallel with each of the charge air cooler and the bypass line;
a first valve positioned along the intake air circuit upstream of the charge air cooler, the first valve structured to controllably divert the intake air around the charge air cooler; and
a second valve positioned along the intake air circuit upstream of the bypass heater, the second valve structured to controllably divert the intake air around at least one of the bypass line and the bypass heater.

2. The intake air system of claim 1 , wherein the first valve is a first control valve and the second valve is a second control valve, and further comprising:
a controller operatively coupled to each of the engine, the first control valve, and the second control valve, the controller comprising:
an operating conditions circuit structured to:
receive an engine load signal indicative of an engine load on the engine; and
receive an ambient temperature signal indicative of a measured ambient temperature external to the engine;

an intake air flow path circuit structured to determine, based on each of the engine load signal and the ambient temperature signal, a desired flow path of the intake air through at least one of the charge air cooler, the bypass line, and the bypass heater; and
a control valve actuation circuit structured to control each of the first and second control valves to cause the intake air to flow along the determined desired flow path.

3. The intake air system of claim 2 , wherein the intake air flow path circuit is structured to, in response to the engine load being less than a first engine load value and the ambient temperature is less than a first ambient temperature value, determine that the desired flow path of the intake air includes directing flow of the intake air through the bypass heater and diverting flow of the intake air around each of the charge air cooler and the bypass line.

4. The intake air system of claim 1 , wherein the first valve is structured to controllably divert the intake air around the charge air cooler when a pressure of the intake air proximate the first valve is less than a first intake air pressure level.

5. The intake air system of claim 4 , wherein the first valve is a mechanically-controlled valve.

6. A method, comprising:
providing an intake air system for an engine, the intake air system comprising:
an intake air circuit structured to transmit intake air from a compressor to an intake manifold of the engine, a charge air cooler positioned along the intake air circuit, a first bypass line positioned along the intake air circuit in parallel with the charge air cooler, a second bypass line positioned along the intake air circuit in parallel with each of the charge air cooler and the first bypass line, the second bypass line including a bypass heater;
determining engine operating conditions; and
selectively directing intake air flow through at least one of the charge air cooler, the first bypass line, and the second bypass line so as to maintain a temperature of the intake air flow above a dew point temperature.

7. A spark-ignited liquid propane gas engine system, comprising:
a spark-ignited internal combustion engine structured to operate using liquid propane gas as its sole fuel source; and
an air handling system operatively coupled to the engine, the air handling system comprising:
a first turbocharger comprising a first turbine in exhaust gas receiving communication with a first exhaust manifold of the engine, and a first compressor in intake air providing communication with an intake air circuit;
a second turbocharger comprising a second turbine in exhaust gas receiving communication with a second exhaust manifold of the engine, and a second compressor in intake air providing communication with the intake air circuit;
a charge air condensation reduction system comprising a charge air cooler, a bypass line, and a bypass heater, each of the charge air cooler, the bypass line, and the bypass heater positioned along the intake air circuit in parallel with the others; and
an intake air flow control system structured to controllably direct intake air flow through a flow path comprising one or more of the charge air cooler, the bypass line, and the bypass heater in order to minimize condensation in the intake air circuit,
wherein the intake air circuit is structured to transmit the intake air from the charge air condensation reduction system to an intake manifold of the engine.

8. The engine system of claim 7 , wherein the engine is structured to operate using a piston compression ratio of at least 13.0:1.

9. The engine system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a liquid propane gas fuel tank structured to store liquid propane gas; and
a direct fuel injection system in liquid propane gas receiving communication with the fuel tank and in liquid propane gas providing communication with each of a plurality of cylinders of the engine.

10. A spark-ignited liquid propane fuel engine system, comprising:
a spark-ignited internal combustion engine structured to operate using liquid propane fuel as its sole fuel source;
a direct fuel injection system in liquid propane fuel providing communication with each of a plurality of cylinders of the engine; and
a turbocharger comprising a turbine in exhaust gas receiving communication with an exhaust manifold of the engine, and a compressor in intake air providing communication with an intake manifold of the engine;
a charge air cooler in intake air receiving communication with the compressor,
the compressor in intake air providing communication with an intake air circuit, the charge air cooler positioned along the intake air circuit, the intake air circuit further defining a bypass line in parallel with the charge air cooler; and
a bypass heater positioned along the intake air circuit in parallel with each of the charge air cooler and the bypass line.

11. The engine system of claim 10 , wherein the engine is structured to operate using a piston compression ratio of at least 13.0:1.

12. The engine system of claim 11 , further comprising an exhaust gas recirculation system in exhaust gas receiving communication with the exhaust manifold and in exhaust gas providing communication with the intake manifold.

13. The engine system of claim 11 , wherein the engine system does not include an exhaust gas recirculation system in exhaust gas receiving communication with the exhaust manifold and in exhaust gas providing communication with the intake manifold.

14. The engine system of claim 11 , wherein the turbocharger is a first turbocharger, the turbine is a first turbine, and the compressor is a first compressor, and wherein the engine system further comprises: a second turbocharger comprising a second turbine in exhaust gas receiving communication with the exhaust manifold, and a second compressor in intake air providing communication with the intake manifold.

15. The engine system of claim 14 , wherein the exhaust manifold is a split exhaust manifold comprising: a front exhaust manifold portion in exhaust gas providing communication with the first turbine; and a rear exhaust manifold portion in exhaust gas providing communication with the s

Assignees

• Cummins Inc

Inventors

• Kolhouse J Steven
• Mohr Daniel J
• Dale Adrian P
• Geckler Samuel C
• Lapointe Leon A
• Stroh David J
• Perfetto Anthony Kyle
• Bremmer Robin J
• Schultz Ryan Edward

Classifications

• F02B43/00

  Engines characterised by operating on gaseous fuels; Plants including such engines (engines characterised by the gas-air charge being ignited by compression ignition of an additional fuel F02B7/06; engines convertible from gas to other fuel consumption F02B69/04) · CPC title

• F02M31/042 Primary

  Combustion air · CPC title

• F02B37/007

  with exhaust-driven pumps arranged in parallel {, e.g. at least one pump supplying alternatively} · CPC title

• F02B37/001

  using exhaust drives arranged in parallel · CPC title

• F02B43/10

  Engines or plants characterised by use of other specific gases, e.g. acetylene, oxyhydrogen · CPC title