Engine system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11815294-B2
Application number	US-202117527647-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2021
Priority date	Nov 17, 2020
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

Provided is an engine system. The engine system includes a mixer mixing air and vaporized fuel to form a mixture, an engine driving a cylinder with the mixture discharged from the mixer, a first storage tank supplying the vaporized fuel to the mixer, a second storage tank storing liquid fuel or supplying the stored liquid fuel to the first storage tank, and a heat exchanger performing heat exchange between the liquid fuel discharged from the first storage tank and gas flowing to the engine, thus vaporizing the liquid fuel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An engine system, comprising:
a mixer that mixes air and vaporized fuel to form a mixture;
an engine that drives a cylinder with the mixture discharged from the mixer;
a first storage tank that supplies the vaporized fuel to the mixer;
a second storage tank storing that stores liquid fuel and supplies the stored liquid fuel to the first storage tank;
a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the liquid fuel discharged from the first storage tank and gas flowing to the engine, thus vaporizing the liquid fuel; and
an expansion valve that expands the liquid fuel discharged from the second storage tank and supplied to the heat exchanger.

2. The engine system of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is disposed between the mixer and the engine to perform heat exchange between the mixture fed from the mixer to the engine and the liquid fuel flowing from the second storage tank to the first storage tank.

3. The engine system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a supercharger that compresses the mixture flowing from the mixer to the engine, wherein the heat exchanger is disposed between the supercharger and the engine to reduce a temperature of the mixture flowing to the engine.

4. The engine system of claim 2 , further comprising:
an exhaust-gas recirculation pipe defining a recirculation path to supply gas discharged from the engine to the mixer.

5. The engine system of claim 4 , wherein the exhaust-gas recirculation pipe is connected to an air inlet pipe that supplies air to the mixer.

6. The engine system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a re-liquefaction device that liquefies fuel discharged from the second storage tank; and
a pump that supplies the fuel, discharged from the re-liquefaction device, to the heat exchanger.

7. The engine system of claim 6 , further comprising:
a first pipe connected to a bottom of the second storage tank to send the liquid fuel stored in the second storage tank to the re-liquefaction device; and
a second pipe connected to a top of the second storage tank to send the gas fuel discharged from the second storage tank to the re-liquefaction device.

8. The engine system of claim 7 , wherein a compressor is disposed in the second pipe to compress the gas fuel introduced into the re-liquefaction device.

9. The engine system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a third pipe that connects the re-liquefaction device and the heat exchanger; and
a fourth pipe that branches from the third pipe and is connected to the second storage tank.

10. The engine system of claim 9 , wherein the pump is disposed on the third pipe before the fourth pipe is branched.

11. The engine system of claim 10 , wherein the expansion valve is disposed on the third pipe after the fourth pipe is branched.

12. The engine system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an exhaust-gas recirculation pipe defining a recirculation path to supply gas, discharged from the engine, to the mixer, wherein the heat exchanger is disposed on the exhaust-gas recirculation pipe so that the liquid gas exchanges heat with the exhaust gas flowing in the recirculation path to be vaporized.

13. The engine system of claim 12 , wherein the exhaust-gas recirculation pipe is connected to the air inlet pipe that supplies air to the mixer, and further comprising a supercharger compressing the mixture flowing from the mixer to the engine.

14. The engine system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a zero governor that supplies the gas fuel stored in the first storage tank to the mixer at a predetermined pressure.

15. The engine system of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises:
a plurality of small-diameter pipes in which gas flowing to the engine flows; and
a housing formed around the plurality of small-diameter pipes, and defining a space in which liquid fuel flows so that heat exchange is performed between the liquid fuel and the mixture, wherein an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe are formed on a side of a circumferential surface of the housing, wherein the liquid fuel is introduced into the inlet pipe, and wherein the gas fuel exchanges heat with gas that flows in the plurality of small-diameter pipes to discharge phase-changed gas fuel.

16. The engine system of claim 15 , wherein the housing is disposed to be inclined downwards from upstream to downstream in a flow direction of the gas flowing to the engine, and wherein the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are formed on the circumferential surface of the housing to protrude upwards.

17. The engine system of claim 16 , wherein the outlet pipe is disposed at a position higher than the inlet pipe.

18. The engine system of claim 15 , wherein the heat exchanger further comprises a drain pipe that is disposed downstream of the housing in the flow direction of the gas flowing to the engine and discharges condensate water of the mixture produced in the housing.

19. The engine system of claim 18 , wherein the drain pipe comprises a first drain pipe that collects the condensate water accumulated in the housing, and a second drain pipe that extends to be disposed above the first drain pipe so as to prevent the gas flowing to the engine from being discharged to the drain pipe, wherein the first drain pipe is disposed to be lower than a lower end of the housing, and wherein the second drain pipe is disposed downstream of the first drain pipe and above the first drain pipe.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jang Heejoong
• Jeong Hojong

Classifications

• F25B2400/13

  Economisers · CPC title

• F25B13/00

  Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle (defrosting cycles F25B47/02) · CPC title

• F25B27/00

  Machines, plants or systems, using particular sources of energy (F25B30/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F25B1/02 Primary

  with compressor of reciprocating-piston type ({F25B1/005,} F25B1/10 take precedence) · CPC title

• F02B37/18

  by bypassing exhaust {from the inlet to the outlet of turbine or to the atmosphere} · CPC title