Exhaust gas-turbocharged internal combustion engine comprising a radial compressor with guide device arranged in the diffuser, and method for operating an internal combustion engine of said type

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016245159-A1
Application number	US-201615048277-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 19, 2016
Priority date	Feb 23, 2015
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for an adjustable diffuser of a turbocharger compressor. In one example, a compressor includes a diffuser formed in a compressor housing downstream of an impeller of the compressor, the diffuser including guide blades mounted on a rotatable annular support of the diffuser. Further, an engine controller may adjust rotation of the annular support based on one or more engine operating conditions.

First claim

1 . A supercharged internal combustion engine, comprising:
an intake system for the supply of charge air; an exhaust-gas discharge system for the discharge of exhaust gas; and at least one exhaust-gas turbocharger which comprises a radial turbine arranged in the exhaust-gas discharge system and a radial compressor arranged in the intake system, the compressor being equipped with at least one impeller which is mounted, in a compressor housing, on a rotatable shaft, a diffuser being formed in the compressor housing downstream of the at least one impeller, guide blades of a guide device being arranged in the diffuser, and the guide device comprising an annular support which holds the guide blades of the guide device, wherein the annular support together with guide blades is formed as a support which revolves about the shaft of the compressor, an electric auxiliary drive being provided for driving the support in accordance with demand, by means of which electric auxiliary drive the annular support can have a revolving movement forcibly imparted to it in at least one direction of rotation.

2 . The supercharged internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the annular support can, by means of the auxiliary drive, be rotated in the opposite direction to the at least one impeller of the compressor and wherein the annular support can, by means of the auxiliary drive, be rotated in the same direction as the at least one impeller of the compressor.

3 . The supercharged internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary drive is an electric motor which comprises a stator and a rotor.

4 . The supercharged internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the stator is arranged and mounted at least inter alia in the compressor housing and wherein the rotor is connected to the annular support.

5 . The supercharged internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the stator comprises an energizable coil for generating a magnetic field.

6 . The supercharged internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the rotor comprises an energizable coil for generating a magnetic field.

7 . The supercharged internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the rotor comprises at least one permanent magnet for generating a magnetic field.

8 . The supercharged internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising a bearing housing for accommodating the rotatable shaft of the compressor, wherein the rotor is mounted rotatably on the bearing housing.

9 . The supercharged internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a collecting line for the compressed charge air is provided in the compressor housing downstream of the diffuser and wherein a charge-air cooler is arranged in the intake system downstream of the compressor.

10 . The supercharged internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the guide blades are designed to be movable relative to the annular support, such that the guide device is an adjustable guide device.

11 . A method for operating a supercharged internal combustion engine, comprising:
in response to an engine speed of the internal combustion engine being below a first predefinable engine speed n mot,1 , driving a rotational movement of an annular support of a guide device of a diffuser of a turbocharger compressor, the diffuser positioned downstream of an impeller mounted in a compressor housing on a rotatable shaft and formed in the compressor housing, about the shaft in an opposite direction to a direction of rotation of the impeller via an activated auxiliary drive coupled with the annular support, where the guide device includes guide blades arranged in the diffuser and held by the annual support.

12 . The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein, in response to the engine speed being above a second predefinable engine speed n mot,2 of the internal combustion engine, driving the rotational movement of the annular support in the same direction as the direction of rotation of the impeller via the activated auxiliary drive.

13 . The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein, proceeding from an oppositely-directed rotational movement of the annular support, in response to the engine speed exceeding a third predefinable engine speed n mot,3 of the internal combustion engine, reversing the rotational movement of the annular support, such that the rotational movement of the annular support is in the same direction as the direction of rotation of the impeller via the auxiliary drive.

14 . The method as claimed in one of claim 11 , further comprising deactivating the auxiliary drive in order to utilize the guide device as a non-revolving, static guide device in response to the engine speed exceeding a fourth predefinable engine speed n mot,4 .

15 . A method, comprising:
adjusting via an electric machine a speed of continuous rotation of an annular support of a diffuser of a compressor about a shaft of the compressor based on one or more engine operating conditions, the diffuser positioned downstream of an impeller of the compressor driven by the shaft, the electric machine coupled to the annular support.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising adjusting a position of pivotable vanes arranged on the annular support of the diffuser based on an exhaust flow rate through the compressor.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein adjusting the position of the pivotable vanes is actuated via a second auxiliary drive coupled to the pivotable vanes, and wherein both the electric machine and the second auxiliary device are controlled via an engine controller.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein adjusting the position of the pivotable vanes includes decreasing a pitch of the pivotable vanes to decrease the air flow rate through the compressor in response to the air flow rate being greater than a threshold and increasing the pitch of the pivotable vanes to increase the air flow rate through the compressor in response to the air flow rate being less than the threshold.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein adjusting rotation of the annular support includes:
during a first condition when a volute pressure of a volute of the compressor is less than a first threshold or when the volute pressure is not less than the first threshold and the air flow rate through the compressor is less than a second threshold, driving rotation of the annular support of the diffuser in a first direction; during a second condition when volute pressure is not less than the first threshold, compressor flow is not less than the second threshold, and engine load is less than a third threshold, not driving the annular support of the diffuser and allowing the annular support to freely rotate in a second direction, opposite the first direction; and during a third condition when volute pressure is not less than the first threshold, compressor flow is not less than the second threshold, and engine load is not less than the third threshold, not driving the annular support of the diffuser and holding the annular support in a stationary position relative to the shaft.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising driving the impeller via the shaft in the second direction during driving the rotation of the annular support of the diffuser in the first direction.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Kemmerling Joerg
• Kindl Helmut Matthias
• Smiljanovski Vanco
• Sommerhoff Franz Arnd
• Kuske Andreas
• Wunderlich Frank

Classifications

• F05D2220/40

  in turbochargers · CPC title

• F02B37/24 Primary

  by using pumps or turbines with adjustable guide vanes · CPC title

• F02C6/12

  Turbochargers, i.e. plants for augmenting mechanical power output of internal-combustion piston engines by increase of charge pressure · CPC title

• F04D29/442

  rotating diffusers · CPC title

• F04D17/127

  with radially spaced stages, e.g. for contrarotating type · CPC title