DE102021100968A1 - Internal combustion engine and vehicle with internal combustion engine - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine (10) for a vehicle (11), having a combustion chamber (60, 61) for fuel combustion, a coolant tank (13), a supply line (14) for supplying coolant from the coolant tank (13) to the combustion chamber (60, 61) before or during fuel combustion for reducing an exhaust gas temperature during fuel combustion and/or for preventing irregular combustion phenomena and a coolant pump (29) for pumping the coolant from the coolant tank (13) through the supply line (14) towards the Combustion chamber (60, 61), wherein the coolant pump (29) is arranged in the coolant tank (13). The invention also relates to a vehicle (11) with an internal combustion engine (10) according to the invention.

Description

The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine for a vehicle, comprising a combustion chamber for fuel combustion, a coolant tank and a supply line for supplying coolant from the coolant tank to the combustion chamber before or during fuel combustion to reduce an exhaust gas temperature during fuel combustion and/or to prevent irregular combustion phenomena . The invention also relates to a vehicle with such an internal combustion engine.

In order to meet current and, in particular, future emission standards, it is necessary to operate internal combustion engines that work according to the Otto engine principle stoichiometrically across the map. This applies in particular with regard to current legislation. In order to be able to ensure stoichiometric operation of the internal combustion engine over the entire map, measures to reduce the exhaust gas temperature in the high-load range of the internal combustion engine help. This protects components such as an exhaust gas turbocharger from overheating and keeps exhaust gas aftertreatment components within an acceptable temperature range. In addition, it can prevent irregular combustion phenomena such as pre-ignition.

A large number of different approaches are known for reducing exhaust gas temperatures. In addition to sub-stoichiometric operation with lambda < 1 and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) in various variants such as low-pressure EGR, high-pressure EGR or chemically activated EGR, in addition to fresh gas and fuel, water or a water mixture, for example, can also be used as a coolant for the combustion chamber or combustion chamber of the Cylinder of the internal combustion engine are supplied. Particularly in the case of mobile applications, it is desirable to provide auxiliary devices in as space-saving a manner as possible. In addition, the highest possible operational reliability should always be achieved.

The object of the present invention is to at least partially take account of the problems described above. In particular, it is the object of the present invention to enable generic coolant injection in an internal combustion engine in the most compact manner possible and/or with the greatest possible operational reliability.

The above object is solved by the patent claims. In particular, the above object is achieved by the internal combustion engine according to claim 1 and the vehicle according to claim 10. Further advantages of the invention result from the dependent claims, the description and the figures. Features that are described in connection with the internal combustion engine also apply in connection with the vehicle according to the invention and vice versa, so that the disclosure of the individual aspects of the invention is and/or can always be referred to alternately.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an internal combustion engine for a vehicle. The internal combustion engine comprises a combustion chamber or at least one combustion chamber for fuel combustion, a coolant tank and a supply line for supplying coolant from the coolant tank to the combustion chamber before or during fuel combustion in order to reduce an exhaust gas temperature during fuel combustion and/or to prevent irregular combustion phenomena. The internal combustion engine also has a coolant pump for pumping the coolant from the coolant tank through the supply line in the direction of the combustion chamber, with the coolant pump being arranged in the coolant tank.

Experiments within the scope of the present invention have shown that positioning the coolant pump in the coolant tank or in a tank volume of the coolant tank has decisive advantages. First of all, the coolant pump can be installed in the coolant tank in the internal combustion engine in a particularly space-saving manner. A correspondingly compact internal combustion engine can thus be made available. In addition, the positioning of the coolant pump within the coolant tank avoids the formation of vapor bubbles or at least reduces them in comparison to known systems. Vapor bubbles form when the coolant initially evaporates at certain points due to an insufficient mass flow in the supply line at a given temperature and given pressure. By positioning the coolant pump as close as possible or, as proposed, even inside the coolant tank, the formation of these vapor bubbles can be prevented or reduced to the desired level.

With reference to the direction of gravity and the use of the internal combustion engine in the vehicle, the coolant pump is preferably arranged at the lowest point and/or at the bottom of the coolant tank. The coolant tank can be at least partially filled with preferably distilled and/or demineralized water or a water mixture as coolant. The coolant is at ambient temperature above 0°C and ambient pressure preferably liquid and preferably consists of a non-combustible material. In the context of the present invention, the internal combustion engine is not to be regarded as being limited to an internal combustion engine as such. Rather, functional components in the periphery of a conventional internal combustion engine, such as the coolant tank, various fluid lines, valve and control circuits, can also be considered to be assigned to the internal combustion engine. The exhaust gas temperature means the temperature of the exhaust gas from the combustion chamber. Reducing the exhaust gas temperature can therefore also be understood to mean reducing a combustion temperature in the combustion chamber.

All components and in particular the supply line are preferably designed to be thermally insulated and/or heatable, so that the temperature of standing coolant remains and/or can be controlled even during longer periods without coolant supply to the combustion chamber.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, it is possible for an internal combustion engine to have the coolant pump in an activated state, in which the coolant pump pumps coolant through the feed line, and in a deactivated state, in which the coolant pump pumps no coolant through the feed line, adjustable is, wherein the internal combustion engine has a check valve for maintaining a system pressure generated in the activated state of the coolant pump in the feed line even in the deactivated state of the coolant pump in the feed line. The non-return valve makes it possible for a system pressure that has built up to be maintained even when the coolant pump is switched off, if no coolant is removed or pumped into the supply line. While the coolant is pumped through the feed line by the coolant pump, the coolant mass flow can also be adjusted.

Furthermore, in an internal combustion engine according to the present invention, it is possible for the check valve to be configured in and/or on the coolant pump. By positioning the check valve in the coolant pump and/or as part of the coolant pump, the check valve can be made available in a space-optimized manner and protected from environmental influences.

In addition, an internal combustion engine according to the invention can have one or at least one inlet channel for conducting a fuel mixture or fresh gas into the combustion chamber and one or at least one injector for injecting the coolant from the supply line into the at least one inlet channel, with the coolant pump for compressing the coolant configured to the operating pressure of the injector. The coolant pump is configured in particular for compressing the coolant to a value in a range close to the injection pressure of the injector, for example between 8 bar and 12 bar, in particular approximately 10 bar. Pressure control and/or pressure regulation on the injector can thus be dispensed with. Compared to positioning directly in the combustion chamber, the injector can be positioned relatively flexibly on the intake port. In this way, indirect coolant injection by means of an injector via the intake port can be implemented in a simple and compact manner in comparison to coolant injection directly into the combustion chamber. When using an injector, it is also possible to place only one injector at a position in front of the combustion chamber at which the fresh gas to be supplied to the internal combustion engine has not yet been distributed to the individual cylinders or combustion chambers. Such a position can be, for example, on a collector of the internal combustion engine. An injector configured for injection pressures of less than 50 bar can be used for indirect injection. Relatively inexpensive injectors can thus be used. The geometric properties of the injector can be designed in such a way that the coolant jet, when it breaks up after leaving the injector in the inlet channel, breaks up into as many droplets as possible, the diameter of which is preferably in the range of a few hundredths of a millimeter. For the use according to the invention, the injector has a closure means which is configured to close nozzle holes of the injector over a predefinable period of time in which no coolant is to be injected into the inlet channel. The internal combustion engine can have at least one additional combustion chamber, at least one additional intake port for conducting a fuel mixture or fresh gas into the at least one additional combustion chamber, and at least one additional injector for injecting the coolant into the intake port, with the supply line section having a line branch for supplying the through the at least has a heat exchanger of temperature-controlled coolant to the injector and to the at least one further injector. In this way, the desired coolant supply can be made available to a number of injectors in a compact manner.

An injector can be configured on the feed line of an internal combustion engine according to the invention for feeding the coolant directly into the combustion chamber, with the coolant pump for compressing the coolant to a coolant pressure above the combustion chamber pressure prevailing at the time of injection, in particular in the region of the injection pressure, for example more than 90 bar, and preferably in a range between 90 bar and 300 bar.

With regard to the coolant pressure to be set, it can be advantageous if the internal combustion engine has a pressure sensor and/or a temperature sensor for measuring the pressure and/or the temperature of the coolant in the feed line downstream of the coolant pump and a controller for setting the coolant pump as a function of the measured pressure and/or or the measured temperature of the coolant in the supply line. The coolant pump can be adjusted on the basis of the determined temperature and the determined pressure of the coolant, in particular to prevent a phase transition from a liquid phase to a gaseous phase of the coolant in the feed line upstream of the injector. In order to prevent the phase transition as far as possible in the characteristic map, a mass flow of the coolant through the feed line can also be controlled and/or regulated as a function of a load point of the internal combustion engine and/or a selected injection pressure for injecting the coolant into the combustion chamber or an intake port of the internal combustion engine. In order to achieve evaporation of the coolant directly at the outlet of the injector and/or the injectors, the controller can be configured in such a way that the injection timing and the injection pressure in combination with the temperature of the coolant at the outlet of the injectors result in an abrupt transition from the liquid phase in the supply line or a supply line section upstream of the injector into the gaseous phase in the intake port or in the combustion chamber downstream of the injector.

According to a further embodiment variant of the present invention, it is possible for an internal combustion engine to have a level sensor for determining the coolant level in the coolant tank and a controller for adjusting the coolant pump depending on the determined coolant level in the coolant tank. For example, the coolant pump can be operated with reduced power or not at all if it is determined or recognized that the coolant level is too low. This can prevent unnecessary power consumption of the coolant pump and extend the service life of the coolant pump.

An internal combustion engine according to the invention can also have an exhaust gas turbocharger with a turbine housing, a turbine arranged in the turbine housing, a compressor housing and a compressor arranged in the compressor housing, and at least one heat exchanger for transporting heat from exhaust gas in the turbine housing to the coolant in the feed line. Accordingly, the heat exchanger may comprise a shell or further housing around the turbine housing, resulting in a chamber with a cavity between an inside of the further housing or chamber and an outside of the turbine housing. This cavity can have a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet and can be understood as the cold side of the heat exchanger. In this case, the hot side of the heat exchanger can be designed inside the inner turbine housing. The coolant, which is introduced into the combustion chamber or into the combustion process to reduce the exhaust gas temperature and to avoid irregular combustion phenomena, can therefore first be applied to the turbine housing in order to achieve the desired fine atomization and/or evaporation of the coolant before it is introduced into the combustion chamber passed along or through the cavity in order to be heated there using the exhaust heat of the exhaust gas at the turbine. The heat exchanger or a part of the heat exchanger can thus also be designed as part of the feed line and/or as an integral part of the turbine housing. By using the coolant to be supplied to the combustion process on the turbine housing, the coolant can be heated effectively and efficiently. In addition, the component temperature of the turbine housing and the exhaust gas turbocharger can be reduced. The material of the turbine housing can thus be designed for lower temperatures than was previously the case. This allows weight to be reduced and costs to be reduced. In addition, a turbine housing that is cooler on the outside means that the shielding to other peripheral components of the internal combustion engine can be less. A weight saving and a more compact design of the internal combustion engine can thus be achieved. The walls delimiting the cavity and/or the further housing are designed for exposure to temperatures of 1000° C. or more and for suitable heat transport from the exhaust gas at the turbine to the coolant in the cavity.

The heat source and heat exchanger are configured and configured to heat the coolant to a temperature preferably in excess of 100°C. Tempering the coolant to a sufficiently high temperature before it is introduced into the combustion chamber is a particularly effective measure or preparatory measure in order to then introduce the coolant into the combustion chamber in the form of mist with the smallest possible droplet diameters of a few hundredths of a millimeter or in gaseous form. This can prevent the coolant from adhering to the combustion chamber walls in liquid form. Accordingly, coolant can also be prevented from escaping along the cylinder liners into the cylinder block, as a result of which the engine oil is not diluted and the cylinder block pressure remains at a desired low pressure. This protects the crank drive, the blow-by system and the oil separator, which in turn prevents component and engine damage from combustion phenomena such as pre-ignition. Despite this, the internal combustion engine can be operated stoichiometrically throughout the map, which is of particular advantage for compliance with current and future limit values for pollutant emissions.

In addition to the turbine housing or the exhaust gas in the turbine housing, additional or alternative functional components of the internal combustion engine can be used as a heat source. For example, the at least one heat source can have an exhaust manifold on which the heat exchanger is configured. The heat exchanger may include a cavity at the exhaust manifold as described above, the cavity being formed by forming a second shell or chamber around the exhaust manifold. In this case, the cavity can be understood as the cold side of the heat exchanger. The manifold duct for conducting the exhaust gas through the exhaust manifold can be understood as the hot side of the heat exchanger. The exhaust manifold is preferred in particular when the internal combustion engine is designed as a naturally ventilated internal combustion engine or as a supercharged internal combustion engine in which charging does not take place with an exhaust gas turbocharger. The at least one heat source can also have components for exhaust gas aftertreatment of exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine. In this case, the internal combustion engine correspondingly includes components that cannot otherwise be assigned to a classic internal combustion engine. Thus, the heat source may comprise a 3-way catalytic converter which is piped through to transfer the heat from the exhaust gas and the heat generated due to possible exotherms in the catalytic converter to the coolant. A vehicle's oil cooler can also serve as a heat source to heat the coolant.

In addition, the heat source can include the compressor of an exhaust gas turbocharger. Here the coolant can be heated and in particular preheated via the fresh gas side or the compressor. In this case, the heat exchanger on the compressor comprises a shell or a housing around the compressor or around the obligatory compressor housing, in order to be able to guide the coolant along the compressor. The fluid channel formed in the shell can be understood as the cold side of the heat exchanger. When the compressor housing is used to heat the coolant, cooling of the compressed fresh gas accompanies this relieves both the materials between the compressor and the generic intercooler and any intercooler and thus the recooling requirement of the vehicle itself. Depending on the vehicle configuration, the compressor is also closer to the cylinder head than the turbine of the Exhaust gas turbocharger, whereby shorter line lengths between coolant outlet from the shell or a chamber of the shell and injectors, through which the coolant can be supplied to the combustion process, can be realized. The fact that the heat exchanger is designed for heat transport from at least one heat source of the internal combustion engine to the coolant in the supply line should be understood in particular to mean that the heat exchanger is configured and designed to transport heat from at least one heat source of the internal combustion engine to the coolant that is in the Supply line is guided to cause.

It is also possible for an internal combustion engine according to the invention to have a return line for conducting coolant from the feed line back to the coolant tank and a valve arrangement for the controlled conducting of coolant, which has been temperature-controlled by the heat exchanger, through the feed line to the combustion chamber and/or through the return line back to the coolant tank, wherein the controller is configured to route the coolant, which has been temperature-controlled by the heat exchanger, through the supply line to the combustion chamber and/or through the return line back to the coolant tank, depending on the determined coolant fill level. Using the valve arrangement and the return line, it is possible to use the remaining coolant at least for cooling the heat source when the fill level is low. For example, it is possible for the coolant to be routed using the valve arrangement either completely to the combustion chamber or to the at least one combustion chamber, partially back to the coolant tank and partially further to the combustion chamber, or, if the fill level is too low, to the heat exchanger, from there but is completely routed back into the coolant tank.

In addition, an internal combustion engine according to the invention can have a comparison unit for comparing the determined coolant level with a reference level, the controller being configured to direct coolant through the supply line through the heat exchanger and via the valve arrangement through the return line completely back to the coolant tank when the coolant level is lower than the reference level is. This means that the coolant can be used to cool the heat source even when the level is low. Using the controller, the ver available power of the internal combustion engine are therefore limited to the effect that no excessively high exhaust gas temperatures are achieved and also no irregular combustion phenomena occur as possible. This solution can be implemented in particular when the coolant is not to be used up completely, ie the power is already reduced before there is no more coolant in the coolant tank.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the valve arrangement of an internal combustion engine according to the invention can have a 3-way valve and/or be designed as such, the 3-way valve being used for the controlled routing of the coolant, which has been heated by the heat exchanger, through the feed line to the combustion chamber and/or is connected to the supply line and the return line through the return line back to the coolant tank. The 3-way valve enables a particularly simple and compact design of the solution according to the invention. The 3-way valve can be understood as a connecting valve and/or connecting element for mechanically and fluidically connecting the supply line to the return line.

In addition, an internal combustion engine according to the invention can have a temperature control means for temperature control of the coolant tank and/or the coolant in the coolant tank. This can prevent the coolant in the coolant tank from freezing, for example. Thus, the coolant tank and the coolant pump can be protected from damage caused by frozen coolant. The internal combustion engine can have a temperature sensor for determining the coolant temperature in the coolant tank, wherein the controller can be configured to control the temperature control means based on the determined coolant temperature of the coolant in the coolant tank for temperature control of the coolant tank and/or the coolant.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle having an internal combustion engine as described above. The vehicle according to the invention thus brings with it the same advantages as have been described in detail with reference to the internal combustion engine according to the invention. The vehicle is designed in particular in the form of a road vehicle such as a car or truck. The vehicle can have a display unit for displaying a low coolant level and/or for displaying a reduced output of the internal combustion engine by the controller for the driver of the vehicle.

Further measures improving the invention result from the following description of various exemplary embodiments of the invention, which are shown schematically in the figures. All of the features and/or advantages resulting from the claims, the description or the figures, including structural details and spatial arrangements, can be essential to the invention both on their own and in the various combinations.

• 1 eine Brennkraftmaschine gemäß einer ersten Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Erfindung,
• 2 eine Brennkraftmaschine gemäß einer zweiten Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Erfindung, und
• 3 ein Fahrzeug mit einer erfindungsgemäßen Brennkraftmaschine.

They each show schematically:

• 1 an internal combustion engine according to a first embodiment of the present invention,
• 2 an internal combustion engine according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and
• 3 a vehicle with an internal combustion engine according to the invention.

Elements with the same function and mode of operation are each provided with the same reference symbols in the figures.

1 shows the essential details of an internal combustion engine 10 for a vehicle 11, which is shown in 3 is shown. The internal combustion engine 10 has a plurality of combustion chambers 60, 61 for respective fuel combustion in the combustion chambers 60, 61, a coolant tank 13 and a supply line 14 for supplying coolant from the coolant tank 13 to the combustion chambers 60, 61. The coolant is injected or supplied to the combustion chambers 60, 61 before or during fuel combustion or for fuel combustion in the combustion chambers 60, 61 to reduce an exhaust gas temperature during fuel combustion and/or to prevent irregular combustion phenomena during fuel combustion. The internal combustion engine 10 shown also has a coolant pump 29 for pumping the coolant from the coolant tank 13 through the feed line 14 in the direction of the combustion chambers 60 , 61 , the coolant pump 29 being arranged in the coolant tank 13 .

The internal combustion engine 10 shown also has an exhaust gas turbocharger with a turbine housing 18, a turbine 19 (not shown in detail) arranged in the turbine housing 18, a compressor housing 20 and a compressor 21 (not shown in detail) arranged in the compressor housing 20. The internal combustion engine 10 also has a heat exchanger 15 for transporting heat from a heat source in the form of the exhaust gas in the turbine housing 18 to the coolant in the feed line 14 . For this purpose, the heat exchanger 15 is designed on the turbine housing 18 and as part of the turbine housing 18 tet. To put it more precisely, the heat exchanger 15 has an additional housing 62 on the turbine housing 18, resulting in a chamber 63 between the additional housing 62 and the turbine housing 18, through which the coolant can be conducted for temperature control of the coolant. The chamber 63 can consequently be regarded as part of the feed line 14 . The chamber 63 or the volume within the chamber 63 can be viewed as the cold side of the heat exchanger 15 . The turbine housing 18 or the volume within the turbine housing 18 can be regarded as the hot side of the heat exchanger 15 .

The internal combustion engine 10 shown also includes a return line 16 for conducting coolant from the supply line 14 back to the coolant tank 13 and a valve arrangement 17 for the controlled conducting of coolant, which has been temperature-controlled by the heat exchanger 15, through the supply line 14 to the combustion chambers 60, 61 and/or through the Return line 16 back to the coolant tank 13. The valve arrangement 17 is designed in the form of a 3-way valve, which is used for the controlled routing of the coolant, which has been tempered by the heat exchanger 15, through the supply line 14 to the combustion chambers 60, 61 and/or through the return line 16 to the coolant tank 13 with the supply line 14 and the return line 16 is connected. This means that the coolant can optionally be routed completely back to the coolant tank 13 through the return line 16, completely further to the combustion chambers 60, 61 through the supply line 14, or partially back to the coolant tank 13 and partially further to the combustion chambers 60, 61.

The internal combustion engine 10 shown also includes a first inlet channel 22 for conducting a fuel mixture or fresh gas into a first combustion chamber 60 and a second inlet channel 24 for conducting a fuel mixture or fresh gas into a second combustion chamber 61. The feed line 14 has a feed line section 46 for conducting the Coolant to the first inlet channel 22 and the second inlet channel 24 on. A first injector 23 for injecting the coolant from the feed line section 46 into the first inlet channel 22 and a second injector 25 for injecting the coolant from the feed line section 46 into the second inlet channel 24 are configured on the feed line section 46, with the injectors 23, 25 being connected via a line branch 26 of the feed line section 46 can be supplied with coolant. A fill level sensor 12 for determining a coolant fill level in the coolant tank 13 is provided in the coolant tank 13 .

The return line 16 is configured on an outside of the internal combustion engine 10 adjoining the surroundings of the internal combustion engine 10 . Furthermore, the internal combustion engine 10 shown has a cooling unit 27 for actively cooling the coolant in the return line 16 downstream of the valve arrangement 17 and upstream of the coolant tank 13 . As also in 1 shown, the internal combustion engine 10 has a temperature sensor 28 for determining the temperature of the coolant in the coolant tank 13, a temperature control means 53 for temperature control and in particular for actively heating the coolant in the coolant tank 13 and a controller 30. The controller 30 is configured to control the temperature control means 53 based on a determined temperature of the coolant in the coolant tank 13 such that the coolant in the coolant tank 13 is heated to a predefinable temperature. For example, the coolant in the coolant tank 13 can be heated as soon as the temperature sensor 28 detects that the temperature of the coolant in the coolant tank falls or is below 5° C., for example. The controller 30 is also configured to adjust the coolant pump 29 depending on the determined coolant fill level in the coolant tank 13 .

A temperature sensor 47 and a pressure sensor 48 for pressure and temperature measurements in the feed line section 46 are also configured upstream of the turbine housing 18 . The controller 30 is configured to adjust the coolant pump 29 depending on the measured pressure and depending on the measured temperature of the coolant in the supply line 14 . Another pressure sensor 35 is arranged in the coolant tank 13 . A further temperature sensor 36 is configured on the feed line section 46 downstream of the turbine housing 18 or the heat exchanger 15 and upstream of the valve arrangement 17 . The coolant pump 29 is configured to compress the coolant to the operating pressure of the injectors 23, 25, for example 10 bar.

In 2 an internal combustion engine 10 according to a second embodiment is shown, in which the coolant is not injected via the intake port 22 but directly into the combustion chamber 60 . The coolant pump 29 can be set to an activated state, in which the coolant pump 29 pumps coolant through the supply line 14, and to a deactivated state, in which the coolant pump 29 does not pump coolant through the supply line 14, the coolant pump 29 having a check valve 44 , using which a system pressure generated in the activated state of the coolant pump 29 in the supply line 14 can also be maintained in the deactivated state of the coolant pump 29 in the supply line 14. In the 2 The coolant pump shown is arranged at the bottom of the coolant tank 13 .

In addition to the illustrated embodiments, the invention permits further design principles. That is, the invention should not be considered limited to the exemplary embodiments explained with reference to the figures.

Reference List

10

internal combustion engine

11

vehicle

12

level sensor

13

coolant tank

14

supply line

15

heat exchanger

16

return line

17

valve assembly

18

turbine housing

19

turbine

20

compressor housing

21

compressor

22

inlet channel

23

injector

24

inlet channel

25

injector

26

branch line

27

cooling unit

28

temperature sensor

29

coolant pump

30

controllers

35

pressure sensor

36

temperature sensor

44

check valve

46

feed line section

47

temperature sensor

48

pressure sensor

53

tempering agent

60

combustion chamber

61

combustion chamber

62

Housing

63

chamber

Claims (10)

Internal combustion engine (10) for a vehicle (11), having a combustion chamber (60, 61) for fuel combustion, a coolant tank (13) and a supply line (14) for supplying coolant from the coolant tank (13) to the combustion chamber before or during fuel combustion for reducing an exhaust gas temperature during fuel combustion and/or for preventing irregular combustion phenomena, characterized by a coolant pump (29) for pumping the coolant from the coolant tank (13) through the supply line (14) towards the combustion chamber, the coolant pump (29) is arranged in the coolant tank (13). Internal combustion engine (10) after claim 1 , characterized in that the coolant pump (29) in an activated state in which the coolant pump (29) pumps coolant through the supply line (14), and in a deactivated state in which the coolant pump (29) no coolant through the supply line ( 14) pumping, is adjustable, the internal combustion engine (10) having a check valve (44) for maintaining a system pressure in the feed line (14) generated in the activated state of the coolant pump (29) even in the deactivated state of the coolant pump (29) in the feed line ( 14). Internal combustion engine (10) after claim 2 , characterized in that the check valve is configured in and/or on the coolant pump (29). Internal combustion engine (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by an inlet channel (22, 24) for conducting a fuel mixture or fresh gas into the combustion chamber and an injector (23, 25) for injecting the coolant from the feed line (14) into the inlet channel (22, 24), wherein the coolant pump (29) is configured to compress the coolant to the operating pressure of the injector (23, 25). Internal combustion engine (10) according to one of Claims 1 until 3 , characterized in that an injector (23) is designed on the supply line (14) for supplying the coolant directly into the combustion chamber and the coolant pump (29) is configured for compressing the coolant to a coolant pressure above the combustion chamber pressure prevailing at the time of injection. Internal combustion engine (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a pressure sensor (48) and/or a temperature sensor (47) for measuring the pressure and/or the temperature of the coolant in the feed line (14) downstream of the coolant pump (29) and a Controller (30) for adjusting the coolant pump (29) depending on the measured Pressure and/or the measured temperature of the coolant in the supply line (14). Internal combustion engine (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a fill level sensor (12) for determining the coolant fill level in the coolant tank (13) and a controller (30) for adjusting the coolant pump (29) depending on the coolant fill level determined in the coolant tank (13). Internal combustion engine (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by an exhaust gas turbocharger with a turbine housing (18), a turbine (19) arranged in the turbine housing (18), a compressor housing (20) and a compressor (21) arranged in the compressor housing (20) and a heat exchanger (15) for transporting heat from exhaust gas in the turbine housing (18) to the coolant in the supply line (14). Internal combustion engine (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a temperature control means (53) for temperature control of the coolant tank (13) and/or the coolant in the coolant tank (13). Vehicle (11) with an internal combustion engine (10) according to one of the preceding claims.

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