Methods and systems for a turbocharger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11459940-B2
Application number	US-202017027401-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2020
Priority date	Sep 24, 2019
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for a turbocharger. In one example, the turbocharger comprises an injector configured to inject a medium therein, wherein the injector is configured to inject the medium toward a turbine of the turbocharger. The turbocharger further comprising a turbine driven by exhaust gases.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A turbocharger of an engine system, the turbocharger comprising:
a compressor;
a first turbine configured to drive the compressor, the first turbine configured to be driven by exhaust gases;
a second turbine configured to drive the compressor;
a nozzle; and
a fuel supply configured to deliver engine fuel to the nozzle and injectors of an engine, wherein fuel in the second turbine is relayed directly to the injectors without returning to a fuel system;
wherein the second turbine is configured to be driven by fuel injected from the nozzle, and the turbocharger is configured to drain fuel to a fuel injector pump.

2. The turbocharger of claim 1 , wherein the second turbine is connected to the compressor via a gear arrangement.

3. The turbocharger of claim 1 , further comprising a valve arranged to control flow of the fuel, and a control unit arranged to control the valve.

4. The turbocharger of claim 1 , wherein fuel contacting the turbocharger does not contact a shaft.

5. The turbocharger of claim 1 , further comprising a valve configured to reduce a pressure of fuel supplied from the fuel supply of the engine to the nozzle.

6. The turbocharger of claim 1 , wherein the turbocharger further comprises an accumulator.

7. The turbocharger of claim 1 , wherein the turbocharger further comprises an injector positioned to deliver fuel to the exhaust gas.

8. The turbocharger of claim 1 , wherein the turbocharger comprises a variable geometry inlet system.

9. The turbocharger of claim 1 , wherein the first turbine comprises a variable geometry turbine.

10. The turbocharger of claim 1 , further comprising a shaft, wherein the first turbine is connected to the compressor via the shaft.

11. The turbocharger of claim 10 , wherein the second turbine is connected to the compressor via the shaft.

12. A system, comprising:
a turbocharger comprising a first turbine and a second turbine, wherein each of the first turbine and the second turbine are coupled to a compressor via a shaft; and
an injector positioned to inject a fuel from an engine fuel system into the turbocharger toward the second turbine, the engine fuel system further coupled to injectors of an engine, and wherein an amount of fuel injected toward the second turbine is based on a fuel tank volume.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein only the first turbine is rotated via exhaust gas generated by an engine.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein fuel in the turbocharger is drained to fuel injectors of an engine.

15. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a controller with computer-readable instructions stored on non-transitory memory thereof that when executed enable the controller to eject fuel from the injector to drive the second turbine during an acceleration.

16. A method for a turbocharger of an engine system, the turbocharger comprising a compressor, and first and second turbines configured to drive the compressor, wherein the first turbine is configured to be driven by exhaust gases, and the second turbine is configured to be driven by fuel ejected directly from a nozzle; the method, comprising:
flowing fuel from a fuel system of an engine to the nozzle, the fuel system coupled to each of engine fuel injector and the nozzle;
injecting fuel from the nozzle to drive the second turbine and spin up the compressor during an accelerator pedal tip-in; and
supplying exhaust gas to the first turbine after injecting fuel to drive the second turbine.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein injecting fuel comprises adjusting a pressure of fuel based on a difference between a turbocharger speed and a desired turbocharger speed.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Barr William Gerald

Classifications

• F02B37/10 Primary

  at least one pump being alternatively {or simultaneously} driven by exhaust and other drive, {e.g. by pressurised fluid from a reservoir or an engine-driven pump} · CPC title

• F02B39/08

  Non-mechanical drives, e.g. fluid drives having variable gear ratio · CPC title

• F02B37/14

  {Control} of the alternation between {or the operation of} exhaust drive and other drive of a pump, e.g. dependent on speed · CPC title

• Y02T10/12

  Improving ICE efficiencies · CPC title

• F02B39/02

  Drives of pumps (exhaust drives or combined exhaust and other drives F02B37/00); Varying pump drive gear ratio · CPC title