Recirculation system for a power system that includes a plurality of turbochargers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11560829-B2
Application number	US-202016732783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 2, 2020
Priority date	Jan 2, 2020
Publication date	Jan 24, 2023
Grant date	Jan 24, 2023

Abstract

A recirculation system for a power system is disclosed. The recirculation system may determine, according to a sequence for individually activating a plurality of turbochargers of an engine, that a designated turbocharger of the plurality of turbochargers is to be activated. The recirculation system may cause a recirculation valve of a recirculation line to open to increase an airflow between an intake manifold and a compressor of the designated turbocharger.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power system comprising:
an engine;
a plurality of turbochargers associated with the engine;
a recirculation system configured between a first turbocharger of the plurality of turbochargers and an intake manifold of the engine; and
a controller to:
determine that the first turbocharger is to be activated according to a turbocharger activation sequence associated with the plurality of turbochargers; and
cause, based on determining that the first turbocharger is to be activated, a recirculation valve of the recirculation system to open to allow airflow between the intake manifold and a compressor of the first turbocharger,
wherein the recirculation system includes a recirculation line that is fluidly coupled to the intake manifold of the engine and the compressor of the first turbocharger,
wherein the recirculation valve is configured within the recirculation line to control the airflow to prevent a speed of the first turbocharger from exceeding a threshold.

2. The power system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of turbochargers are configured to be individually activated according to a sequence and based on an engine speed of the engine,
wherein the first turbocharger is a final turbocharger of the sequence that is to be activated.

3. The power system of claim 1 , wherein the controller, when determining that the first turbocharger is to be activated, determines that the first turbocharger is to be activated based on:
an engine speed of the engine satisfying a threshold, and
all remaining turbochargers, of the plurality of turbochargers, being activated.

4. The power system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is to, when causing the recirculation valve to open, open a turbine valve that is fluidly coupled to a turbine of the first turbocharger.

5. The power system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further to:
cause the recirculation valve to close after at least one of:
a speed of the first turbocharger reaches a threshold speed, or
a threshold period of time, from causing the recirculation valve to open, elapses.

6. The power system of claim 1 , wherein the recirculation valve is a first recirculation valve of the recirculation system, and the controller is to:
determine, according to a sequence, that a second turbocharger of the plurality of turbochargers is to be activated after the first turbocharger is activated; and
cause a second recirculation valve of the recirculation system to open to allow airflow between the intake manifold and a compressor of the second turbocharger.

7. A power system comprising:
an engine;
a plurality of turbochargers associated with the engine;
a recirculation system configured between a first turbocharger of the plurality of turbochargers and an intake manifold of the engine; and
a controller to:
determine that the first turbocharger is to be activated according to a turbocharger activation sequence associated with the plurality of turbochargers; and
cause, based on determining that the first turbocharger is to be activated, a recirculation valve of the recirculation system to open to allow airflow between the intake manifold and a compressor of the first turbocharger,
the power system further comprising:
an intake cooling system to provide cooled air to the intake manifold of the engine,
wherein the airflow between the intake manifold and the compressor of the first turbocharger includes the cooled air to slow a speed of the first turbocharger as the first turbocharger is activated.

8. A method for controlling overshoot of a turbocharger of a power system, the method comprising:
determining, according to a sequence for individually activating a plurality of turbochargers of an engine, that a designated turbocharger of the plurality of turbochargers is to be activated; and
causing a recirculation valve of a recirculation line to open to increase an airflow between an intake manifold and a compressor of the designated turbocharger,
wherein causing the recirculation valve to increase the airflow comprises:
causing the recirculation valve to be opened until the designated turbocharger reaches a threshold speed.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining that the designated turbocharger is to be activated comprises:
determining that a turbine valve coupled to a turbine of the designated turbocharger is to open.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the recirculation valve is configured within the recirculation line between the intake manifold and the compressor.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the designated turbocharger is a final turbocharger of the plurality of turbochargers that is to be activated in the sequence.

12. A method for controlling overshoot of a turbocharger of a power system, the method comprising:
determining, according to a sequence for individually activating a plurality of turbochargers of an engine, that a designated turbocharger of the plurality of turbochargers is to be activated;
causing a recirculation valve of a recirculation line to open to increase an airflow between an intake manifold and a compressor of the designated turbocharger;
determining, after causing the recirculation valve to be opened, that the designated turbocharger has reached a steady state; and
causing the recirculation valve to close to prevent the airflow between the intake manifold and the compressor.

13. A turbocharger configuration for an engine, the turbocharger configuration comprising:
a plurality of turbochargers that are sequentially activated to provide airflow to the engine according to a characteristic of the engine; and
a recirculation system situated between an intake manifold of the engine and a compressor of a designated turbocharger of the plurality of turbochargers,
wherein the recirculation system is configured to prevent, by recirculating air from the intake manifold to the compressor, the designated turbocharger from exceeding a threshold speed after the designated turbocharger is activated to increase airflow to the engine.

14. The turbocharger configuration of claim 13 , wherein the designated turbocharger is a final turbocharger, of the plurality of turbochargers, that is to be activated according to a sequence.

15. The turbocharger configuration of claim 13 , wherein the designated turbocharger is activated by opening a turbine valve that is fluidly coupled with a turbine of the designated turbocharger, and
wherein the recirculation system is configured to prevent overshoot of the designated turbocharger by opening a recirculation valve between the intake manifold and the engine when the turbine valve is opened.

16. The turbocharger configuration of claim 15 , wherein the turbine valve and the recirculation valve are configured to open simultaneously based on being mechanically coupled with a same actuator.

17. The turbocharger configuration of claim 13 , wherein the characteristic of the engine comprises at least one of:
an engine speed of the engine, or
a power output of the engine.

18. The turbocharger configuration of claim 13 , wherein the recirculation system is configured to:
open a recirculation valve to recirculate the air from the intake manifold to the compressor to prevent the designated turbocharger from exceeding the threshold speed, and
close the recirculation valve to conserve boost of the engine after the designated turbocharger reaches a steady state speed.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Byrd Jeremy
• Schroeder Eric Lee
• Pierpont David Andrew
• Bell Brian R
• Ribordy Deborah Lee
• Tolan Jared P
• Hittle Craig P

Classifications

• F02B37/007

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

• F02B39/16

  Other safety measures for, or other control of, pumps · CPC title

• F02B2039/168

  the rotational speed of pump or exhaust drive being limited · CPC title

• F02B29/0431

  Details or means to guide the ambient air to the heat exchanger, e.g. having a fan, flaps, a bypass or a special location in the engine compartment · CPC title

• F01P2060/02

  Intercooler · CPC title