Turbine-compressor assembly and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023272737-A1
Application number	US-202318313596-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 8, 2023
Priority date	Feb 13, 2019
Publication date	Aug 31, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A turbine-compressor assembly includes a turbine-compressor device fluidly coupled with a heat source, a compressor, and a turbine via plural valves. A power device is coupled with the turbine-compressor device via a shaft. A controller can control operation of the plural valves to control the movement of fluids within the assembly to selectively switch between the turbine-compressor device operating in one of plural operating modes. In a first mode of operation, the turbine-compressor device can generate electrical power and direct the electrical power to the power device to control an amount of power provided to or extracted from the shaft by the power device. In a second mode of operation, the turbine-compressor device can receive electrical power from the power device to consumer the electrical power.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A turbine-compressor assembly, comprising:
a turbine-compressor device fluidly coupled with a heat source, a compressor, and a turbine via plural valves; a power device coupled with the turbine-compressor device via a shaft; and a controller configured to control operation of the plural valves to control the movement of fluids within the assembly to selectively switch between the turbine-compressor device operating in one of plural operating modes, and: in a first mode of operation, the turbine-compressor device is configured to selectively generate a determined amount of electrical power, and in a second mode of operation, the turbine-compressor device is configured to selectively receive a determined amount of electrical power.

2 . The turbine-compressor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the amount of electrical power extracted from the shaft by the power device while the turbine-compressor device operates in the first mode of operation or the amount of electrical power provided to the shaft by the power drive while the turbine-compressor device operates in the second mode of operation based on at least one of a speed of an electric turbocharger or an exhaust gas temperature.

3 . The turbine-compressor assembly of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to increase the amount of electrical power extracted from the shaft by the shaft by the power device in response to at least one of the exhaust gas temperature decreasing below a lower threshold temperature, a cylinder pressure increasing above a threshold pressure while the exhaust gas temperature is less than an upper threshold temperature, or the speed of the electric turbocharger increasing above a threshold speed while the exhaust gas temperature is less than the upper threshold temperature.

4 . The turbine-compressor assembly of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to decrease the amount of power extracted from the shaft by the power device in response to the exhaust gas temperature increasing above the upper threshold temperature while the speed of the electric turbocharger is less than the threshold speed and the cylinder pressure is less than the threshold pressure.

5 . The turbine-compressor assembly of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to increase the amount of power provided to the shaft by the power device in response to the exhaust gas temperature increasing above an upper threshold temperature while the speed of the electric turbocharger is less than a threshold speed and a cylinder pressure is less than a threshold pressure, and
the controller configured to decrease the amount of power provided to the shaft by the power device in response to at least one of the exhaust gas temperature decreasing below a lower threshold temperature, the speed of the electric turbocharger increasing above the threshold speed while the exhaust gas temperature is less than the upper threshold temperature, and the cylinder pressure increasing above the threshold pressure while the exhaust gas temperature is less than the upper threshold temperature.

6 . The turbine-compressor assembly of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to derate an engine fluidically coupled to the electric turbocharger in response to the exhaust gas temperature increasing above an upper threshold temperature while the speed of the electric turbocharger is greater than a threshold speed or while a cylinder pressure is greater than a threshold pressure.

7 . The turbine-compressor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the heat source is an engine, and at least one of the plural valves is fluidly coupled with the engine, and the controller is further configured to control operation of the at least one of the plural valves fluidly coupled with the engine based on one or more operating conditions of the power drive.

8 . The turbine-compressor assembly of claim 7 , wherein the at least one of the plural valves fluidly coupled with the heat source is configured to direct a first portion of a heat source exhaust from the heat source and toward an outlet, and direct a second portion of the heat source exhaust toward the turbine.

9 . The turbine-compressor assembly of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to monitor one or more operating conditions of one or more of the power device, the engine, or the vehicle, the controller configured to control operation of one or more of the power device, the engine, or the vehicle based on the one or more monitored operating conditions.

10 . The turbine-compressor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the turbine-compressor device is configured to operate in the second mode of operation while the assembly is operating at a pressure at the heat source that is lower than an operator parameter value threshold.

11 . The turbine-compressor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the compressor is one of a radial compressor or an axial compressor, and the turbine is one of a radial exhaust turbine or an axial exhaust turbine.

12 . The turbine-compressor assembly of claim 1 , wherein, in the first mode of operation, the turbine-compressor device is configured to receive first turbine exhaust from the turbine, and the turbine-compressor device is configured to direct second turbine exhaust from the turbine-compressor device toward an outlet.

13 . The turbine-compressor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an energy storage device configured to store at least some of the electrical power generated by the turbine-compressor device.

14 . A method comprising:
operating a turbine-compressor assembly in a first mode of operation or a second mode of operation, in which: in the first mode of operation, electrical power generated by a turbine-compressor device is directed to a power device, and thereby a speed of the turbine-compressor device is increased; and in the second mode of operation, electrical power generated by the power device is received at the turbine-compressor device, and thereby the speed of the turbine-compressor device is decreased.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising controlling the speed of the turbine-compressor device via the power device in response to the speed of the turbine-compressor device being outside of a determined range of speed.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein controlling the speed of the turbine-compressor device comprises providing power to the power device to increase the speed of the turbine-compressor device to be above a determined lower threshold value of the determined range of speed.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein controlling the speed of the turbine-compressor comprises generating power by the power device to decrease the speed of the turbine-compressor device to be below a determined upper threshold value of the determined range of speed.

18 . An assembly comprising:
a compressor; a power device coupled with the compressor; and a controller configured to selectively switch the power device between operation in one or more operating modes, the controller selecting between one or more of: a first mode of operation in which the power device is a power-generating device configured to decrease a speed of the compressor and to generate electrical power, and a second mode of operation in which the power device is a power-consuming device configured to increase the speed of the compressor and to consume electrical power.

19 . The assembly of claim 18 , wherein the controller is further con

Assignees

• Transp Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Blythe Neil Xavier
• Ottikkutti Pradheepram
• Giepman Rogier
• Majewski Michael
• Mcelhaney Kevin
• Kuzhiyil Najeeb
• Klingbeil Adam Edgar
• Felton Adam C
• Homison Christopher Joseph
• Aharon Oren

Classifications

• Y02T10/12

  Improving ICE efficiencies · CPC title

• F02B37/14 Primary

  {Control} of the alternation between {or the operation of} exhaust drive and other drive of a pump, e.g. dependent on speed · CPC title

• F02B39/10

  electric · CPC title

• F02B37/10

  at least one pump being alternatively {or simultaneously} driven by exhaust and other drive, {e.g. by pressurised fluid from a reservoir or an engine-driven pump} · CPC title

• F02B37/18

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