Multi-purpose drive for internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11655754-B2
Application number	US-201917299455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2019
Priority date	Dec 3, 2018
Publication date	May 23, 2023
Grant date	May 23, 2023

Abstract

An engine assembly comprises: an internal combustion engine having: a combustion chamber; an air inlet for supplying air to the combustion chamber; a fuel injector for supplying fuel to the combustion chamber; an exhaust outlet for releasing exhaust gas from the combustion chamber and a rotatable drive shaft, wherein combustion of fuel in air within the combustion chamber results in rotation of the drive shaft. The engine assembly further comprises: a turbocharger system comprising: a turbine configured to recover energy from exhaust gas provided via the exhaust gas outlet; and a turbocharger compressor configured to receive energy from the turbine and thereby to compress air for use in combustion of fuel in the combustion chamber. The engine assembly further comprises: a supercharger system comprising a supercharger compressor configured to receive kinetic energy from the drive shaft and to compress air for use in combustion in the combustion chamber. The engine assembly further comprises: a flywheel configured for kinetic energy storage; a first linkage between the drive shaft and the flywheel, wherein the linkage comprises a variable belt drive; and a second linkage between the first linkage and the supercharger compressor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An engine assembly comprising:
an internal combustion engine having: a combustion chamber; an air inlet for supplying air to the combustion chamber; a fuel injector for supplying fuel to the combustion chamber; an exhaust outlet for releasing exhaust gas from the combustion chamber and a rotatable drive shaft, wherein combustion of fuel in air within the combustion chamber results in rotation of the drive shaft;
a turbocharger system comprising: a turbine configured to recover energy from exhaust gas provided via the exhaust outlet; and a turbocharger compressor configured to receive energy from the turbine and thereby to compress air for use in combustion of fuel in the combustion chamber;
a supercharger system comprising a supercharger compressor configured to receive kinetic energy from the drive shaft and to compress air for use in combustion in the combustion chamber;
a flywheel configured for kinetic energy storage;
a first linkage between the drive shaft and the flywheel, wherein the first linkage comprises a variable belt drive; and
a second linkage between the flywheel and the supercharger compressor;
wherein the second linkage comprises one or more geared elements and a second clutch, and the entire second linkage is configured to be rotationally disconnected from the first linkage by the second clutch.

2. The engine assembly of claim 1 wherein the first linkage further comprises a fixed ratio mechanical transmission configured to increase rotational speed of the flywheel relative to the variable belt drive.

3. The engine assembly of claim 1 wherein the first linkage comprises a first clutch by which the flywheel is engagable with the variable belt drive when the first clutch is closed and disengageable from the variable belt drive when the first clutch is open.

4. The engine assembly of claim 1 , whereby the supercharger system is engagable with the flywheel when the second clutch is closed and disengageable from the flywheel when the second clutch is open.

5. The engine assembly of claim 1 further comprising an exhaust gas circuit for supplying exhaust gas from the exhaust outlet of the internal combustion engine to the turbine of the turbocharger system.

6. The engine assembly of claim 1 further comprising an air inlet circuit for supplying air to the air inlet of the internal combustion engine, wherein the air inlet circuit comprises the supercharger compressor and the turbocharger compressor; and wherein the supercharger compressor is upstream of the turbocharger compressor in the air inlet circuit.

7. The engine assembly of claim 6 wherein the air inlet circuit further comprises a bypass loop including a bypass loop valve by which inlet air can selectively be caused to bypass the supercharger compressor.

8. The engine assembly of claim 1 wherein the one or more geared elements of the second linkage enable a change in speed between a speed of the flywheel and a speed of the supercharger compressor.

9. The engine assembly of claim 1 wherein the turbocharger system comprises a plurality of turbines and the turbocharger system comprises a plurality of turbocharger compressors.

10. The engine assembly of claim 1 wherein the supercharger system comprises a plurality of supercharger compressors.

11. The engine assembly of claim 1 further comprising a controller configured to control modes of the engine assembly.

12. The engine assembly of claim 11 further comprising an air inlet circuit for supplying air to the air inlet of the internal combustion engine, wherein:
the air inlet circuit comprises the supercharger compressor and the turbocharger compressor;
the supercharger compressor is upstream of the turbocharger compressor in the air inlet circuit;
the air inlet circuit further comprises a bypass loop including a bypass loop valve by which inlet air can selectively be caused to bypass the supercharger compressor;
the first linkage comprises a first clutch by which the flywheel is engagable with the variable belt drive when the first clutch is closed and disengageable from the variable belt drive when the first clutch is open; and
the second linkage comprises the second clutch whereby the supercharger system is engagable with the flywheel when the second clutch is closed and disengageable from the flywheel when the second clutch is open.

13. The engine assembly of claim 12 wherein in a first mode:
the first clutch is closed such that transfer of energy between the variable belt drive and the flywheel in either direction is enabled; and
the second clutch is open and the bypass loop valve is set to open the bypass loop such that the supercharger system is disconnected from the flywheel and from inlet air.

14. The engine assembly of claim 12 wherein
in a second mode:
the first clutch is closed such that transfer of energy between the variable belt drive and the flywheel in either direction is enabled; and
the second clutch is closed and the bypass loop valve is set to close the bypass loop such that transfer of energy between the drive shaft and the supercharger system is enabled.

15. The engine assembly of claim 12 wherein in a third mode:
the first clutch is open such that transfer of energy between the drive shaft and the flywheel in either direction is prevented; and
the second clutch is closed and the bypass loop valve is set to close the bypass loop such that transfer of energy between the flywheel and the supercharger system is enabled.

16. The engine assembly of claim 12 wherein
the first clutch is open such that transfer of energy between the drive shaft and the flywheel in either direction is prevented; and
the second clutch is open and the bypass loop valve is set to open the bypass loop such that the supercharger system is disconnected from the linkage flywheel and from inlet air.

17. A method of controlling an engine assembly comprising:
providing an internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine including:
a combustion chamber; an air inlet for supplying air to the combustion chamber; a fuel injector for supplying fuel to the combustion chamber; an exhaust outlet for releasing exhaust gas from the combustion chamber and a rotatable drive shaft, wherein combustion of fuel in air within the combustion chamber results in rotation of the drive shaft;
a turbocharger system comprising: a turbine configured to recover energy from exhaust gas provided via the exhaust outlet; and a turbocharger compressor configured to receive energy from the turbine and thereby to compress air for use in combustion of fuel in the combustion chamber;
a supercharger system comprising a supercharger compressor configured to receive kinetic energy from the drive shaft and to compress air for use in combustion in the combustion chamber;
a flywheel configured for kinetic energy storage;
a first linkage between the drive shaft and the flywheel, wherein the first linkage comprises a variable belt drive;
a second linkage between the flywheel and the supercharger compressor, wherein the second linkage comprises one or more geared elements and a second clutch, and the entire second linkage is configured to be rotationally disconnected from the first linkage by the second clutch; and
in an energy storage mode, transferring energy via the first linkage to the flywheel for storage of energy on the flywheel; and
in an energy release mode, transferring energy from the flywheel to either or both of:
(a) the drive shaft via the first linkage; and
(b) the supercharger system via the second linkage.

Assignees

• Perkins Engines Co Ltd
• Perkins Engines Comapny Ltd

Inventors

• Rutledge John

Classifications

• F02B33/32 Primary

  Engines with pumps other than of reciprocating-piston type (with crankcase pumps F02B33/02) · CPC title

• F02B39/04 Primary

  Mechanical drives; Variable-gear-ratio drives (non-mechanical pump drives having variable gear ratio F02B39/08) · CPC title

• F02D41/0007 Primary

  for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines (control of the pumps per se F02B37/12) · CPC title

• F02B39/02

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

• F02D23/00

  Controlling engines characterised by their being supercharged · CPC title