Heated inlet of a crankcase ventilation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020248596-A1
Application number	US-201916265587-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 1, 2019
Priority date	Feb 1, 2019
Publication date	Aug 6, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for ventilating a crankcase of an internal combustion engine using natural gas as a fuel source may include filtering ambient air through an air filter. The method may also include heating the filtered ambient air by a jacket heat exchanger. The method may further include directing the heated ambient air through an inlet of the crankcase to purge blow-by gases including natural gas from the crankcase.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for ventilating a crankcase of an internal combustion engine using natural gas as a fuel source, comprising:
filtering ambient air through an air filter; heating the filtered ambient air by a jacket heat exchanger; and directing the heated ambient air through an inlet of the crankcase to purge blow-by gases including natural gas from the crankcase.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the jacket heat exchanger is coupled to a cooling system of the engine for receiving coolant from the cooling system to heat the filtered ambient air.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the jacket heat exchanger includes:
a shell for receiving and directing the coolant through the heat exchanger; and one or more tubes located inside the shell for receiving and directing the filtered ambient air through the heat exchanger, wherein the coolant is flowed around the one or more tubes for heating the filtered ambient air.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the shell includes an inlet coupled to the cooling system at a first location and an outlet coupled to the cooling system at a second location downstream of the first location.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the coolant is flowed from the inlet to the outlet around the one or more tubes in a serpentine pattern.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the inlet is coupled to the cooling system downstream of a pump of the cooling system, and
wherein the outlet is coupled to the cooling system upstream of an outlet of the cooling system.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein heating the filtered ambient air includes heating the filtered ambient air to a temperature of at least fifty-five degrees Celsius (55° C.).

8 . The method of 1 , wherein the blow-by gases further include at least one of air, fuel, or combustion gases.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
exhausting the purged natural gas through an outlet and out of the engine.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the engine is a stationary engine.

11 . A crankcase ventilation system for an internal combustion engine using natural gas as a fuel source, comprising:
an air filter for receiving and filtering ambient air; a jacket heat exchanger in fluid communication with the air filter for heating the filtered ambient air; and a crankcase of the internal combustion engine having an inlet in fluid communication with the heat exchanger for receiving the heated ambient air.

12 . The crankcase ventilation system of claim 11 , wherein the jacket heat exchanger is coupled to a cooling system of the engine for receiving coolant from the cooling system to heat the filtered ambient air.

13 . The crankcase ventilation system of claim 12 , wherein the jacket heat exchanger includes:
a shell for receiving and directing the coolant through the heat exchanger; and one or more tubes located inside the shell for receiving and directing the filtered ambient air through the heat exchanger, wherein the coolant is flowed around the one or more tubes for heating the filtered ambient air.

14 . The crankcase ventilation system of claim 13 , wherein the shell includes an inlet coupled to the cooling system at a first location and an outlet coupled to the cooling system at a second location downstream of the first location.

15 . The crankcase ventilation system of claim 14 , wherein the inlet is coupled to the cooling system downstream of a pump of the cooling system, and
wherein the outlet is coupled to the cooling system upstream of an outlet of the cooling system.

16 . The crankcase ventilation system of claim 15 , wherein the jacket heat exchanger further includes one or more baffles around the one or more tubes for directing and distributing the coolant around the one or more tubes.

17 . The crankcase ventilation system of claim 16 , wherein the one or more baffles are arranged such that coolant is flowed from the inlet to the outlet around the one or more tubes in a serpentine pattern.

18 . A crankcase ventilation system for an internal combustion engine using natural gas as a fuel source, comprising:
an air filter for receiving and filtering ambient air; a jacket heat exchanger in fluid communication with the air filter and located downstream of the air filter, the jacket heat exchanger including:
a shell having an inlet and an outlet located downstream of the inlet, the inlet and outlet coupled to a cooling system of the engine for flowing coolant through the shell; and
one or more tubes located inside the shell for receiving and directing the filtered ambient air through the heat exchanger, wherein the coolant is flowed around the one or more tubes for heating the filtered ambient air; and
a crankcase of the internal combustion engine having an inlet in fluid communication with the heat exchanger for receiving the heated ambient air.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the jacket heat exchanger further includes one or more baffles around the one or more tubes for directing and distributing the coolant around the one or more tubes.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the one or more baffles are arranged such that the coolant is flowed from the inlet to the outlet around the one or more tubes in a serpentine pattern.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Kress Lee D
• Lawrence Rodney A
• Jenkins William

Classifications

• F01P3/20

  Cooling circuits not specific to a single part of engine or machine (F01P3/22 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01M13/0033 Primary

  Breather inlet-air filters · CPC title

• F02M31/10

  by hot liquids, e.g. lubricants {or cooling water} · CPC title

• F01M13/028

  of positive pressure · CPC title

• F02M35/042

  combined with other devices, e.g. heaters (F02M35/021, F02M35/06, F02M35/14 take precedence); for use other than engine air intake cleaning, e.g. air intake filters arranged in the fuel vapour recovery system · CPC title