EP1049855B1 - Method and device for additional thermal heating for motor vehicle equipped with pollution-free engine with additional compressed air injection - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to land vehicles and more particularly those equipped with depolluted or depolluting engines with independent combustion chamber, operating with additional compressed air injection, and comprising a high compressed air tank pressure.

The author described in his published patent application WO 96/27737 a method of depollution of an engine with independent external combustion chamber, operating according to a dual-mode principle with two types of energy, using either a conventional fuel such as petrol or diesel on the road (single-mode air-fuel operation), or, at low speed, in particular urban and suburban areas, an addition of compressed air in the combustion chamber (or any other non-polluting gas) to the exclusion of any other fuel, (single-mode air operation, that is to say with the addition of compressed air). In his patent application FR 9607714, the author describes the installation of this type of motor in single-mode operation, with the addition of air compressed, on service vehicles, for example city buses.

In this type of engine, in air-fuel mode, the air fuel mixture is drawn in and compressed in an independent suction and compression chamber. Then this mixture is transferred, still under pressure, to an independent and volume combustion chamber constant to be ignited in order to increase the temperature and the pressure of said mixture. After the opening of a transfer connecting said combustion or expansion chamber to a trigger and exhaust, this mixture will be relaxed in the latter to produce a job. The expanded gases are then discharged to the atmosphere through an exhaust pipe.

In operation with air plus additional compressed air which interests us more particularly in the context of the invention, at low power, the fuel injector is no longer ordered ; in this case, it is introduced into the combustion chamber, substantially after the admission into the latter of compressed air - without fuel - coming from the chamber suction and compression, a small amount of additional compressed air from a external tank where the air is stored under high pressure, for example 200 bars, and at the temperature room. This small amount of compressed air at room temperature will heat up on contact with the mass of high temperature air contained in the combustion or expansion chamber will expand and increase the pressure in the chamber to allow delivery during relaxation motor work.

This type of dual-mode or dual-energy engine (air and petrol or air and compressed air can also be modified for preferential use in the city, for example on all vehicles and more particularly on city buses or other service vehicles (dumpster taxis, etc.), in additional air-compressed air single-mode, by deleting all the operating elements of the engine with conventional fuel.

The engine only works in single mode with compressed air injection additional in the combustion chamber which thus becomes an expansion chamber. In addition, the air drawn in by the engine can be filtered and purified through one or more carbon filters or other mechanical, chemical, molecular sieve, or other filters to make a motor decontaminating. The use of the term "air" in this text means "any non-polluting gas".

In this type of engine, additional compressed air is injected into the combustion or expansion under a working pressure determined as a function of the pressure prevailing in the room and significantly higher than the latter, to allow its transfer for example 30 bars. To do this, a conventional type regulator is used which performs relaxation without work absorbing no heat, therefore without lowering the temperature thus making it possible to inject a relaxed air into the combustion or expansion chamber (at the around 30 bars in our example) and at room temperature.

This method of injecting additional compressed air can also be used on conventional 2 or 4 stroke engines where said injection of additional compressed air is carried out in the engine combustion chamber substantially at top ignition dead center.

The method according to the invention proposes a solution which makes it possible to increase the amount of usable and available energy. It is characterized by the means implemented and more particularly by the fact that the compressed air, before its introduction into the combustion and / or expansion, is channeled into a thermal heater where it will increase by pressure and / or volume, thus considerably increasing the performance which can be performed by the engine.

The author also described in his patent application Nr 9700851 a method of recovery of surrounding thermal energy for this type of engine where the compressed air contained in the storage tank under very high pressure, for example 200 bars, and at temperature ambient, for example 20 degrees, prior to its final use at a lower pressure for example 30 bars, is expanded to a pressure close to that necessary for its final use, in a variable volume system, for example a piston in a cylinder, producing a job which can be recovered and used by any known means, mechanical, electrical, hydraulic or other. This expansion with work results in cooling to a very low temperature, by example minus 100 ° C, the compressed air expanded to a pressure close to that of use. This air tablet relaxed to its working pressure, and at a very low temperature is then sent to a exchanger with ambient air, will heat up to a temperature close to temperature ambient, and will thus increase its pressure and / or its volume, by recovering thermal energy borrowed from the atmosphere.

Another characteristic of the process according to the invention proposes a solution making intervene the thermal energy recovery process which has just been described above, and which further increases the amount of usable and available energy. It is characterized by means implemented and more particularly by the fact that, the compressed air, after its passage in the air air heat exchanger and before its introduction into the combustion chamber is channeled into a thermal heater where it will again increase pressure and / or volume before its introduction into the combustion and / or expansion chamber. thus increasing considerably the performance that can be achieved by the engine.

The use of a thermal heater has the advantage of being able to use clean continuous combustions which can be catalyzed or depolluted by any known means. it can be powered by conventional fuel such as gasoline, propane butane gas or LPG or other, as well as it can use chemical reactions and / or electrical energy to heat the compressed air passing through it.

Those skilled in the art can calculate the quantity of very high pressure air to be supplied to the expansion system with work, as well as the characteristics and volumes of the latter so to obtain at the end of this expansion with work and taking into account the heating power, the selected end-use pressure and the coldest possible temperature, depending on engine use. Electronic parameter management optimizes everyone moments the quantities of compressed air used, recovered and reheated. Those skilled in the art can also calculate the sizing and characteristics of the thermal heater which can use all the concepts known in this field without changing the process of the invention.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the thermal heater which is used to heat compressed air from the high pressure storage tank, through the system for recovering ambient or non-ambient thermal energy is also used, independently or in combination with the two solutions described above, i.e. directly from the storage tank or through the heat recovery unit, to reheat compressed air taken from the engine's suction and compression chamber, thus increasing its pressure and / or its volume before reintroducing it into the combustion and / or expansion to allow the latter to increase pressure gases contained in said chamber before expansion in the expansion and exhaust cylinder which causes the motor time.

The compressed air which is sent to the thermal heater comes from the storage, of the device for recovering ambient thermal energy, of a sample from the suction and compression chamber separately or in combination, in proportions determined according to the conditions of use.

• La figure 1 représente schématiquement, vu en coupe transversale, un moteur dépollué équipé d'un dispositif thermique
• La figure 2 représente, vu en coupe transversale, un moteur dépollué avec récupération d'énergie thermique ambiante équipé d'un dispositif de réchauffage thermique
• La figure 3 représente, un moteur équipé d'un réchauffeur thermique en dérivation sur l'air comprimé par la chambre d'aspiration compression
• La figure 4 représente un moteur combinant les trois solutions.

Other objects, advantages and characteristics of the invention will appear on reading the non-limiting description of several particular embodiments made with reference to the appended drawings where:

• Figure 1 shows schematically, seen in cross section, a clean engine equipped with a thermal device
• FIG. 2 represents, seen in cross section, a clean-up engine with recovery of ambient thermal energy equipped with a thermal heating device
• FIG. 3 represents a motor fitted with a thermal heater bypassing the compressed air by the compression suction chamber
• Figure 4 shows an engine combining the three solutions.

Figure 1 shows, schematically, seen in cross section, a motor cleaning and its compressed air supply installation, comprising a suction chamber and compression 1, a combustion or expansion chamber 2 at constant volume in which is located an additional air injector 22 supplied with compressed air stored in a very high pressure tank 23 and an expansion and exhaust chamber 4. The chamber suction and compression 1 is connected to the combustion or expansion chamber 2 by a conduit 5, the opening and closing of which are controlled by a sealed flap 6. The combustion or expansion 2 is connected to the expansion and exhaust chamber 4 by a conduit or transfer 7, the opening and closing of which are controlled by a sealed flap 8. The suction and compression chamber 1 is supplied with air by an intake duct 13 of which the opening is controlled by a valve 14 and upstream of which is installed a carbon filter depolluting 24.

The suction and compression chamber 1 functions as a set of piston compressor where a piston 9 sliding in a cylinder 10 is controlled by a connecting rod 11 and a crankshaft 12. The expansion and exhaust chamber 4 controls a conventional assembly piston engine with a piston 15 sliding in a cylinder 16, which drives by via a connecting rod 17 the rotation of a crankshaft 18. The exhaust of the relaxed air taking place through an exhaust duct 19, the opening of which is controlled by a valve 20. The rotation of the crankshaft 12 of the suction and compression chamber 1 is controlled through a mechanical link 21 by the engine crankshaft 18 of the trigger and exhaust 4.

According to the invention, between the high pressure storage tank 23 and a capacity almost constant final use pressure buffer 43, is installed on the conduit 37A a thermal heater 56, consisting of burners 57 which will considerably increase the temperature and therefore the pressure and / or volume of the compressed air from the reservoir 23 (in the direction of the arrows F), during its passage in the exchange coil 58 to allow a considerable improvement in engine performance.

The motor is equipped in FIG. 2 with an energy recovery device ambient thermal where the expansion with work of the high pressure compressed air stored in the reservoir 23 is produced in a connecting rod 53 and working piston 54 assembly directly coupled to the driving shaft 18. This piston 54 slides in a blind cylinder 55 and determines a work 35 into which opens on the one hand a high pressure air intake duct 37 of which opening and closing are controlled by a solenoid valve 38, and on the other hand a conduit exhaust 39 connected to the air air heat exchanger or radiator 41 itself connected by a leads 42 to a buffer capacity at almost constant final use pressure 43. When operation when the working piston 54 is at its top dead center, the solenoid valve 38 is open then closed in order to admit a charge of very high pressure compressed air which will relax by pushing the piston 54 to its bottom dead center and driving through the connecting rod 53 the engine crankshaft 18. During the up stroke of the piston 54, the solenoid valve exhaust 40 is then opened and the compressed but relaxed air and at very low temperature contained in the working chamber is discharged (in the direction of the arrow F) into the air-air exchanger or radiator 41. This air will thus heat up to a temperature close to ambient and increase volume by joining buffer capacity 43 having recovered a quantity of energy not negligible in the atmosphere.

According to the invention, between the air air exchanger 41 and the buffer capacity 43, on the duct 42A is installed a thermal heater 56, consisting of burners 57 which will increase considerably the temperature and therefore the pressure and / or the volume of the compressed air in source (in the direction of the arrows F) of the air air exchanger 41 when it passes through the exchange coil 58.

According to a characteristic of the invention, Figure 3, the thermal heater 56 is implanted as a bypass of the compression suction chamber 1, hence part of the air from compressed by the piston 9 is directed (in the direction of the arrows F) towards the thermal heater 56 and during its passage in the exchange coil 58 heated by the burners 57, it will increase pressure and / or volume before being introduced into the buffer capacity 43 and being injected by the injector 22 in the combustion and / or expansion chamber 2.

FIG. 4 schematically represents a device combining the three devices described in FIGS. 1 and 2 and 3, the burners 57 of the thermal heater 56 simultaneously heat part of the air compressed by the piston 9 of the suction chamber and compression 1 in an exchange coil 58 before propelling it into the buffer capacity 43 and the compressed air from the storage tank through the recovery device of ambient thermal energy and the air air exchanger 41.

The thermal heater 56 receives compressed air from the storage tank. storage 23 through a conduit 37A, coming from the thermal energy recovery device ambient 41 by another conduit 42 and coming from the suction and compression chamber 1 by a third conduit 42A; each of these conduits has a control valve 59.59A, 59B piloted which makes it possible to determine the proportions of compressed air, of each provenance, to be heated according to the conditions of use

Regulating, burner ignition and intensity regulation systems burners are installed to more or less heat the compressed air passing through the coil reheating according to the energy requirements for driving the vehicle thus equipped.

The buffer capacity 43 disposed between the thermal heater 56 and the injector 22 can advantageously be insulated by an insulating envelope 43A, of materials known for this to keep the calories accumulated in the heater in compressed air thermal 56 before being injected into the chamber. Those skilled in the art can choose the volume of the buffer capacity 43 and the heat-insulating material as well as the pipes and various conduits can also be insulated without changing the invention just described.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and represented, and it is susceptible of numerous variants accessible to those skilled in the art without that one does not depart from the spirit of the invention.

Claims (9)

1. A thermal heating method for engines comprising an intake chamber, a constant-volume combustion or expansion chamber and a separate expansion and exhaust chamber, capable of operating in a mode to the exclusion of any other fuel, or vehicles equipped with engines that are free of pollution or that reduce pollution operating with injection of additional compressed air in the combustion or expansion chamber and having a high pressure compressed air storage reservoir, characterized in that the compressed air contained in the high pressure storage reservoir is, prior to its end use at a lower pressure, directed to a thermal heater to allow its pressure and/or volume to increase prior to its injection into the combustion or expansion chamber.
2. The thermal heating method according to claim 1 in which the compressed air contained in the high pressure storage reservoir is, before being introduced into the thermal heater at lower pressure, expanded to a pressure near this pressure, in a variable-volume system, for example a piston in a cylinder, producing work which cools the expanded compressed air at low temperature which is then sent into a heat exchanger where it will be reheated, and thus increase its pressure and/or volume by recovering ambient thermal energy.
3. The thermal heating method for engines comprising an intake chamber, a constant-volume combustion or expansion chamber and a separate expansion and exhaust chamber, capable of operating in a mode to the exclusion of any other fuel, or vehicles equipped with engines that are free of pollution or that reduce pollution operating with injection of additional compressed air in the combustion or expansion chamber, characterized in that the compressed air at the end of compression is tapped off from the intake and compression chamber to be directed to the thermal heater so that its pressure and/or volume can be increased before it is injected into the combustion or expansion chamber.
4. The thermal heating method according to any one of claims 1 through 3, characterized in that the compressed air sent into the thermal heater comes from the storage reservoir, from the device for recovering heat energy from the ambient surroundings, from a tapping from the intake and compression chamber, separately or in combination, in proportions that are determined according to the conditions of use.
5. A thermal heater device for implementing the method according to claim 1, characterized in that a thermal heater (56), consisting of a burner (57) supplied by a fuel and a thermal exchange coil (58), is positioned between the storage reservoir (23) and the additional compressed air injector (22), the burner (57) reheating the air coming from the storage reservoir, as it passes through the exchange coil (58) thus increasing its pressure and/or volume prior to its injection into the combustion or expansion chamber (2), a buffer volume (43) positioned between the heat exchanger and the additional compressed air injector (22) allowing to control and avoid pumping action prior to said injection.
6. The thermal heater device according to claim 5 for the implementation of the process according to claim 2, characterized in that the thermal heater (56) is placed on a pipe (42) between the air/air heat exchanger or radiator (41) of the ambient thermal energy recovery device and the buffer volume (43), prior to its injection into the combustion or expansion chamber (2).
7. The thermal heater device according to claim 5 for implementing the method according to claim 3, characterized in that the thermal heater (56) is positioned between the intake and compression chamber 1 of the engine and the buffer volume (43) on a bypass circuit consisting of a pipe (42) in which the flow rate is controlled by a valve (59) which allows compressed air at the end of compression to be tapped off to be directed to the thermal heater so that its pressure and/or its volume can be increased before it is injected into the combustion or expansion chamber.
8. The thermal heater device according to claim 5 for implementing the method according to claim 4, characterized in that the thermal heater (56) receives compressed air from the storage reservoir (23) along one pipe (37A), from the device (41) for recovering heat energy from the ambient surroundings along another pipe (42), and from the intake and compression chamber (1) along a third pipe (42A), and is characterized in that each of these pipes comprises a controlled regulating valve (59, 59A, 59B) that makes it possible to determine the proportions of compressed air from each source that are to be heated according to the conditions of use.
9. The thermal heater device according to claim 5, characterized in that the buffer volume placed between the thermal heater (56) and the injector (22) is lagged by a jacket (43A) to allow the heat energy accumulated in the thermal heater to be retained.

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