DE102016213590A1 - Internal combustion engine with intercooling by air conditioning system - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an internal combustion engine (10) for a motor vehicle with an air compressor (20), with the combustion air for the internal combustion engine (10) is compressed, and a charge air cooler for cooling the compressed combustion air. According to the invention, the intercooler is formed by a heat exchanger of an air conditioning system, which also serves for air conditioning of the vehicle interior of the motor vehicle.

Description

The invention relates to an internal combustion engine with an air compressor and a charge air cooler according to the preamble of claim 1. It is thus an engine with a turbocharger to increase performance or efficiency. A turbocharger usually has an exhaust gas turbine that uses the residual pressure of the exhaust gases to drive a compressor for the air supply of the engine. Thus, the air flow can be increased or the suction work of the piston can be reduced.

In a turbocharger, the intercooling of the charge air after compression in a compressor unit is an important element in order to operate turbocharged internal combustion engines efficiently. As a result, a portion of the heat is dissipated, which has arisen due to the compression of the air in the turbocharger. The thus reduced charge air temperature increases the air mass in the cylinders at the same volume and reduces the knock. This can in turn be used for a higher degree of compaction.

As an intermediate cooling system or charge cooling system, either a heat exchange between air and water or between air and air can be used. An air / water heat exchanger requires a separate water circuit and a radiator. Both variants require a considerable installation effort with corresponding costs, which is disadvantageous for turbo-charged internal combustion engines compared to non-supercharged internal combustion engines. In turn, cost pressures make it difficult to deploy the technology on smaller, less powerful vehicles.

Therefore, solutions have already been developed in which an existing air conditioning system of a motor vehicle is used simultaneously for the purpose of intercooling. In this case, however, usually an additional heat exchanger unit is used, which serves only the intercooler.

Furthermore, from the US 6,116,026 For example, an intake pipe is known which has a recess for an intercooler. The intercooler is part of an exhaust gas recirculation, wherein heat from the intercooler can be used to heat the vehicle interior. However, the intercooler is not used for charge air cooling, but for cooling the exhaust gases.

In view of the cited prior art, the field of intercooling thus still has room for improvement.

The invention has for its object to provide an internal combustion engine with a space and cost-saving charge air cooling.

According to the invention the object is achieved by an internal combustion engine having the features of claim 1.

It should be noted that the features listed in the following description as well as measures in any technically meaningful way can be combined with each other and show other embodiments of the invention. The description additionally characterizes and specifies the invention, in particular in connection with the figures.

The internal combustion engine according to the invention for a motor vehicle has an air compressor, is compressed with the combustion air for the internal combustion engine. It is therefore a turbocharged engine. Furthermore, a charge air cooler is provided for cooling the compressed combustion air. According to the invention, the intercooler is formed by a heat exchanger of an air conditioning system, which also serves for air conditioning of the vehicle interior of the motor vehicle. The basic idea of the invention thus lies in the fact that the heat exchanger of an air conditioning system of the motor vehicle is simultaneously also used for intercooling. The heat exchanger is present in a vehicle with air conditioning anyway and can also be used according to the invention for charge cooling. The essential aspect of the invention is therefore to use a single heat exchanger for the two tasks. The charge air cooling can be carried out by the air conditioning system, without the need for another heat exchanger is required. This reduces the number of components, which also reduces the required space. Furthermore, the cost of a charge cooling can be reduced.

From the usual two radiators (cooling and air conditioning) can thus be saved a radiator. If all the intercooling is based on the system of the invention, only one radiator for the air conditioning system is needed. This is particularly advantageous for vehicles with a rear engine because fewer lines are required to a built-in front radiator.

In one embodiment of the invention, the heat exchanger has a heat transfer matrix with at least two separate regions. The combustion air compressed by the air compressor is supplied to a first area of the heat transfer matrix, while air for conditioning the vehicle interior is supplied to a second area Area of the heat transfer matrix is supplied. A first region of the matrix then serves for the charge cooling, while the second region serves for the normal air conditioning of the interior of a vehicle. Thus, in this embodiment of the invention, the essential aspect is to divide a single heat exchanger into two areas for the two tasks.

The heat transfer matrix of a heat exchanger can be designed in various ways. For example, it may have a plurality of mutually parallel cooling tubes, in which a coolant is guided. The combustion air and the air for the air conditioning of the vehicle interior are then guided along the outer sides of the cooling tubes. In a first embodiment of the invention, the two regions within such a heat transfer matrix may be separated by a dividing wall which extends transversely to the longitudinal axes of the cooling tubes. In an alternative embodiment, the two areas are separated by a partition, which extends in the direction of the longitudinal axes of the cooling tubes

However, a heat transfer matrix could also be designed differently and divided into two areas. For example, the heat exchanger could be formed by parallel, optionally profiled sheet metal plates, which are arranged at a small distance from each other and are alternately flowed through by the cooling medium and the charge air to be cooled. Again, the area separation can be done via the terminal housing, which then only flow to the intended number of spaces.

Preferably, a control unit is provided which controls the power of a compressor of the air conditioning system in response to a required cooling of the compressed combustion air.

Also included in the invention is a motor vehicle having an internal combustion engine according to one of the described embodiments. For example, the internal combustion engine is then a rear engine.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the subclaims and the following description of the figures. Show it:

1 a schematic representation of an embodiment of the internal combustion engine according to the invention,

2 a schematic representation of a first embodiment of a heat transfer matrix with two areas, and

3 a schematic representation of a second embodiment of a heat transfer matrix with two areas.

In the different figures, the same parts are always provided with the same reference numerals, which is why these are usually described only once.

1 shows an internal combustion engine 10 a motor vehicle and parts of a heat exchanger of an air conditioning system of the motor vehicle, which is used for a charge air cooling. The entire air conditioning system is in 1 not shown, but only the heat transfer matrix 30 a heat exchanger of the system. This heat transfer matrix 30 will warm indoor air 40 fed and cooled there to be cooled indoor air 40 ' return to the interior of a motor vehicle.

This is indicated by the heat transfer matrix 30 For example, a plurality of coolant tubes, in which a cooling medium is guided. The indoor air gets inside the heat transfer matrix 30 guided on the outside of the coolant tubes along, so that a heat transfer between the indoor air and the coolant can take place in the coolant tubes for cooling the indoor air.

Here is the heat transfer matrix 30 in two separate areas 31 and 32 split and the indoor air 40 is a second area for cooling 32 fed. The air conditioning system further includes at least one compressor and may include a radiator. This radiator would be located in the front area of the motor vehicle.

The internal combustion engine 10 has a turbocharger with an air compressor 20 on, the ambient air to combustion air or charge air 22 compacted. An exhaust gas turbine of the air compressor 20 It is characterized by warm exhaust gases 12 the internal combustion engine 10 driven, which subsequently as exhaust gases 12 ' be led to an exhaust system. During compression by the air compressor 20 the charge air heats up 22 , For cooling, it becomes the area 31 the heat transfer matrix 30 So a first area 31 fed. This area 31 leaves cooled charge air 22 ' , which is supplied to the cylinders of the internal combustion engine.

In this case, the heat transfer matrix 30 in different ways in two separate areas 31 and 32 be split. Two exemplary Embodiments are schematically in the 2 and 3 shown.

The heat transfer matrix 30 has two coolant tubes in both embodiments 33 which are substantially parallel to each other and connected together at their ends to form a cooling coil. Through these coolant tubes 33 a coolant is guided, as indicated by two large arrows. These coolant tubes 33 can be arranged in a housing to which via appropriate connections (not shown) gas streams can be supplied. The gas flows occur after passing through the heat transfer matrix 30 out of the case.

To produce two separate areas within the heat transfer matrix 30 is a partition 34 provided which the heat transfer matrix 30 divides. Thus are located in both areas 31 and 32 Coolant pipes 33 , In this case, the partition 34 as in the embodiment of 2 in the direction of the longitudinal axes of the coolant tubes 33 run. The warm, compressed combustion air 22 becomes the area thus formed 31 fed and leaves him on the opposite side again as combustion air 22 ' at a lower temperature. However, this is only an exemplary representation and the supply and discharge of combustion air can also take place at other positions. The same applies to the supply of indoor air 40 to the second area 32 that as refrigerated indoor air 40 ' exits again.

In the embodiment of the 3 however, the partition runs 34 transverse to the longitudinal axes of the coolant tubes 33 so as to be within the heat transfer matrix 30 two areas 31 and 32 train. Again, warm, compressed combustion air occurs 22 in the area 31 one and as combustion air 22 ' turn off again at a lower temperature. Indoor air 40 enters the area 32 on and as cooled interior air 40 ' out again.

However, the heat transfer matrix of a heat exchanger may be designed in other ways with two separate regions for the two described functions.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

 Internal combustion engine

12, 12 '

 exhaust

20

 air compressor

21

 ambient air

22, 22 '

 Combustion air, charge air

30

 Heat transfer matrix

31

 First area

32

 Second area

33

 Coolant pipe

34

 partition wall

40, 40 '

 Indoor air

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• US 6116026 [0005]

Claims (8)

Internal combustion engine ( 10 ) for a motor vehicle with an air compressor ( 20 ), with the combustion air for the internal combustion engine ( 10 ) is compressed, and a charge air cooler for cooling the compressed combustion air, characterized in that the charge air cooler is formed by a heat exchanger of an air conditioning system, which also serves for air conditioning of the vehicle interior of the motor vehicle. Internal combustion engine ( 10 ) according to claim 1, characterized in that the heat exchanger is a heat transfer matrix ( 30 ) with at least two separate areas ( 31 ; 32 ), and by the air compressor ( 20 ) compressed combustion air to a first area ( 31 ) of the heat transfer matrix ( 30 ), while air for air conditioning the vehicle interior is a second area ( 32 ) of the heat transfer matrix ( 30 ) is supplied. Internal combustion engine ( 10 ) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the heat transfer matrix ( 30 ) a plurality of mutually parallel cooling tubes ( 33 ), in which a coolant is guided and the combustion air and the air for the air conditioning of the vehicle interior on the outer sides of the cooling tubes ( 33 ) are guided along. Internal combustion engine ( 10 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two areas ( 31 ; 32 ) of the heat transfer matrix ( 30 ) by a partition wall ( 34 ), which are transverse to the longitudinal axes of the cooling tubes ( 33 ) runs. Internal combustion engine ( 10 ) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the two areas ( 31 ; 32 ) of the heat transfer matrix ( 30 ) by a partition wall ( 34 ) are separated from each other in the direction of the longitudinal axes of the cooling tubes ( 33 ) runs. Internal combustion engine ( 10 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a control unit controls the power of a compressor of the air conditioning system in response to a required cooling of the compressed combustion air. Motor vehicle with an internal combustion engine ( 10 ) according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 6. Motor vehicle according to claim 7, characterized in that the internal combustion engine ( 10 ) is a rear engine.

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