Multi-stage turbocharger system with off-engine low pressure stage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9790847-B2
Application number	US-201414246575-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2014
Priority date	Apr 7, 2014
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A turbocharged internal combustion engine system includes at least one high pressure turbocharger system mounted on-engine and at least one low pressure turbocharger system mounted off-engine. An intercooler can further be mounted off-engine with the low pressure turbocharger and an aftercooler can be mounted on-engine with the high pressure turbocharger.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An internal combustion engine system, comprising:
an internal combustion engine including an engine block, at least one intake passage for receiving and delivering an air flow to at least a portion of a plurality of cylinders of the engine block and at least one exhaust passage for receiving exhaust gas from the at least the portion of the plurality of cylinders;
at least one high pressure turbocharger including a first high pressure turbine situated in the at least one exhaust passage from the internal combustion engine, the at least one high pressure turbocharger further including a first high pressure compressor operably connected with the first high pressure turbine with the first high pressure compressor situated in the at least one intake passage, wherein the at least one high pressure turbocharger is mounted on-engine to the engine block;
a support structure;
at least two low pressure turbochargers with a first low pressure turbine and a second low pressure turbine each situated in the at least one exhaust passage downstream of the first high pressure turbine, the at least two low pressure turbochargers further including a first low pressure compressor operably connected to the first low pressure turbine with the first low pressure compressor situated in the at least one intake passage upstream of the first high pressure compressor and a second low pressure compressor operably connected to the second low pressure turbine with the second low pressure compressor situated in the at least one intake passage upstream of the first high pressure compressor, wherein the at least two low pressure turbochargers are mounted off-engine to the support structure so that a substantial portion of a static load of the at least two low pressure turbochargers are not transferred to the engine block;
an aftercooler mounted on-engine in fluid communication with the at least one intake passage downstream of the first high pressure compressor and upstream of an intake manifold of the internal combustion engine; and
at least one intercooler mounted off-engine to the support structure in fluid communication with the at least one intake passage between the first and second low pressure compressors and the first high pressure compressor, wherein outlets of each of the first and second low pressure compressors are connected by respective ones of first and second intake passage portions that extend to the at least one intercooler.

2. The internal combustion engine system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one high pressure turbocharger includes at least two high pressure turbochargers with the first high pressure turbine and a second high pressure turbine that are each mounted on-engine, the at least one high pressure turbocharger further including the first high pressure compressor and a second high pressure compressor each mounted on-engine that are connected to corresponding ones of the first and second high pressure turbines and are situated in respective ones of a second intake passage and a third intake passage that each branch from the at least one intake passage downstream of the first and second low pressure compressors.

3. The internal combustion engine system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one high pressure turbocharger includes four high pressure turbochargers with the first high pressure turbine, a second high pressure turbine, a third high pressure turbine and a fourth high pressure turbine situated in respective ones of a first exhaust passage, a second exhaust passage, a third exhaust passage, and a fourth exhaust passage and four high pressure compressors with the first high pressure compressor, a second high pressure compressor, a third high pressure compressor, and a fourth high pressure compressor each connected to respective ones of the first, second, third and fourth high pressure turbines, the first, second, third and fourth high pressure compressors receiving compressed intake flow from the at least two low pressure turbochargers from respective ones of a first intake passage, a second intake passage, a third intake passage and a fourth intake passage, wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth high pressure turbines and each of the first, second, third and fourth high pressure compressors are mounted on-engine.

4. The internal combustion engine system of claim 3 , wherein the at least two low pressure turbochargers includes four low pressure turbochargers with the first low pressure turbine, the second low pressure turbine, a third low pressure turbine and a fourth low pressure turbine connected to receive exhaust flow from respective ones of the first, second, third, and fourth high pressure turbines, the four low pressure turbochargers including the first low pressure compressor, the second low pressure compressor, a third low pressure compressor, and a fourth low pressure compressor connected to respective ones of the first, second, third and fourth low pressure turbines to provide compressed intake flow to respective ones of the first, second, third, and fourth high pressure compressors through respective ones of the first intake passage, the second intake passage, the third intake passage, and the fourth intake passage, wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth low pressure turbines and each of the first, second, third and fourth low pressure compressors are mounted off-engine to the support structure.

5. The internal combustion engine system of claim 4 , wherein the support structure includes a first support structure for two of the low pressure turbochargers and a second support structure of the other two low pressure turbochargers.

6. The internal combustion engine system of claim 4 , wherein the aftercooler is mounted on-engine in fluid communication with and downstream of the first, second, third and fourth high pressure compressors and upstream of the at least one intake manifold of the internal combustion engine.

7. A method for assembly of a combustion engine, including:
providing the combustion engine;
mounting at least one high pressure turbocharger system on-engine to a block of the combustion engine, wherein the at least one high pressure turbocharger system includes at least one high pressure turbine and at least one high pressure compressor operably connected to the at least one high pressure turbine;
fluidly connecting the at least one high pressure turbine to at least one exhaust manifold of the combustion engine;
fluidly connecting the at least one high pressure compressor to at least one intake manifold of the combustion engine;
mounting at least one low pressure turbocharger system off-engine to a support structure, the at least one low pressure turbocharger system including at least two low pressure turbines and at least two low pressure compressors operably connected to respective ones of the at least two low pressure turbines, wherein the at least one low pressure turbocharger system is mounted to the support structure so that a substantial portion of a static load of the at least one low pressure turbocharger system is not transferred to the engine block;
fluidly connecting one of the at least two low pressure compressors to the at least one of the high pressure compressor;
fluidly connecting one of the at least two low pressure turbines to the at least one of the high pressure turbine;
mounting at least one aftercooler on-engine in fluid communication with and between the at least one of the intake manifold and the at least one of high pressure compressor; and
mounting at least one intercooler off-engine to the support structure in fluid communication with and between the at least two low pressure compressors and the high pressure compressor, wherein outlets of each of the first and second low pressure com

Assignees

• Cummins Inc

Inventors

• Genter David P
• Richter David P
• Kitchen Andrew

Classifications

• F02B67/10

  of charging or scavenging apparatus · CPC title

• F02B29/04

  Cooling of air intake supply · CPC title

• F02B37/004 Primary

  with exhaust drives arranged in series · CPC title

• F02B37/007

  with exhaust-driven pumps arranged in parallel {, e.g. at least one pump supplying alternatively} · CPC title

• F02B37/013

  with exhaust-driven pumps arranged in series · CPC title