EP4248073A1 - Système de moteur à combustion interne - Google Patents

Système de moteur à combustion interne

Info

Publication number
EP4248073A1
EP4248073A1 EP20811547.7A EP20811547A EP4248073A1 EP 4248073 A1 EP4248073 A1 EP 4248073A1 EP 20811547 A EP20811547 A EP 20811547A EP 4248073 A1 EP4248073 A1 EP 4248073A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
piston
expander
compressor
cylinder
combustion
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
EP20811547.7A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Arne Andersson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Volvo Truck Corp
Original Assignee
Volvo Truck Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Volvo Truck Corp filed Critical Volvo Truck Corp
Publication of EP4248073A1 publication Critical patent/EP4248073A1/fr
Pending legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02B—INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL
    • F02B33/00—Engines characterised by provision of pumps for charging or scavenging
    • F02B33/02—Engines with reciprocating-piston pumps; Engines with crankcase pumps
    • F02B33/06—Engines with reciprocating-piston pumps; Engines with crankcase pumps with reciprocating-piston pumps other than simple crankcase pumps
    • F02B33/20—Engines with reciprocating-piston pumps; Engines with crankcase pumps with reciprocating-piston pumps other than simple crankcase pumps with pumping-cylinder axis arranged at an angle to working-cylinder axis, e.g. at an angle of 90 degrees
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
    • F01B—MACHINES OR ENGINES, IN GENERAL OR OF POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT TYPE, e.g. STEAM ENGINES
    • F01B1/00—Reciprocating-piston machines or engines characterised by number or relative disposition of cylinders or by being built-up from separate cylinder-crankcase elements
    • F01B1/08—Reciprocating-piston machines or engines characterised by number or relative disposition of cylinders or by being built-up from separate cylinder-crankcase elements with cylinders arranged oppositely relative to main shaft and of "flat" type
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02B—INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL
    • F02B41/00—Engines characterised by special means for improving conversion of heat or pressure energy into mechanical power
    • F02B41/02—Engines with prolonged expansion
    • F02B41/06—Engines with prolonged expansion in compound cylinders
    • F02B41/08—Two-stroke compound engines
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02B—INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL
    • F02B75/00—Other engines
    • F02B75/16—Engines characterised by number of cylinders, e.g. single-cylinder engines
    • F02B75/18—Multi-cylinder engines
    • F02B75/24—Multi-cylinder engines with cylinders arranged oppositely relative to main shaft and of "flat" type

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an internal combustion engine system comprising an expander cylinder and a compressor cylinder.
  • the invention is applicable on vehicles, in particularly heavy vehicles, such as e.g. trucks.
  • the internal combustion engine system may also be applicable for other types of vehicles propelled by means of an internal combustion engine.
  • the present invention can be applied in heavy-duty vehicles, such as trucks, buses and construction equipment, but also in cars and other light-weight vehicles etc.
  • the internal combustion engine is typically a hydrogen internal combustion engine.
  • ICE system One type of ICE system that has the potential to meet prevailing and future environmental regulations is a hydrogen ICE system in which the combustion of hydrogen with oxygen produces water as its only product.
  • a compressor for pressurizing the air before entering the combustion cylinder so as to provide an appropriate mixture of hydrogen and air in the combustion cylinder when performing and completing the combustion reaction.
  • some of these hydrogen ICE systems typically include an expander for expanding the exhaust gases arising from the combustion reaction.
  • An object of the invention is to provide an improved internal combustion engine (ICE) system comprising an expander cylinder and a compressor cylinder, in which the arrangement of the components of the ICE system allows for an efficient operation of the expander cylinder without compromising the overall size of the ICE system.
  • ICE internal combustion engine
  • an ICE system comprising at least one combustion cylinder housing a combustion piston, the combustion cylinder being configured to be energized by forces of combustion so as to drive a crankshaft of the ICE system; a compressor cylinder housing a compressor piston, the compressor cylinder being configured to compress a volume of air and transfer the compressed air to the at least one combustion piston; an expander cylinder housing an expander piston, the expander cylinder being configured to receive exhaust gases from the at least one combustion piston; a connecting element connecting the compressor piston and the expander piston such that the compressor piston and the expander piston move in unison. Further, the crankshaft is connected to the compressor piston by a connecting rod.
  • the invention is based on the insight that the mutual operations of the combustion cylinder, the compressor cylinder and the expander cylinder may have an impact on the general efficiency of the ICE system for certain fuels, such as hydrogen-based fuels.
  • ICE systems using an expander for expanding the contained gaseous medium may benefit from having responsive valves so as to permit a fast and efficient introduction of the gaseous medium into the expander cylinder, which generally may take place at the top dead centre (TDC) of the expander piston.
  • TDC top dead centre
  • a normal valve opening-closing event duration is typically around 200 crank degrees. In regard to an expander, however, the opening-closing event duration may need to be less than 1/3 of such normal valve opening-closing event.
  • valve flow capacity of the expander needs to be correspondingly higher than the valve flow capacity of a normal valve opening-closing event. At least for these reasons, the requirement on the expander intake valves may be considerably higher than the requirement on valves for a normal engine. Further, while a fast introduction of the gaseous medium into the expander cylinder may to some extent be accomplished with a responsive and efficient inlet valve arrangement, such arrangement is often also a relatively advanced and expensive component of the ICE system. To this end, it has been realized that one possible alternative way of improving the operation of an ICE system for use with a simpler arrangement of inlet valves at the expander side of the ICE system may be to allow the expander piston to displace slower during the intake event.
  • the closing of the intake valve is given by the expander piston position since there is a need for a certain expansion rate. For example, if an expansion rate of 10 is desirable, and the piston stroke is 100 mm, then the valve should close at 10 mm from TDC.
  • a piston does not move in a perfect sinusoidal way unless the connecting rod is infinitely long. The shorter the connecting rod, the more the piston movement will deviate from the perfect sinusoidal movement. Therefore, the piston will turn faster with a correspondingly higher acceleration at the TDC compared to the acceleration of the piston at its bottom dead centre (BDC). That is, a piston travels further during the top half of its motion than during the bottom half of its motion.
  • the invention addresses the problem of providing a sufficient time for the intake event at the expander side.
  • the expander By connecting the compressor piston with the expander piston so that the pistons move in unison, the expander will be at its TDC when the compressor is at its BDC.
  • the connecting rod directly to the compressor piston rather than having a connecting rod from the crankshaft to the expander piston, the expander piston will turn at its TDC as if it was its BDC. As such, the expander piston will move slower at its TDC, thereby extending the time available for the intake valve(s) event at the expander.
  • the present invention provides for extending the time period of the intake valve event at the TDC of the expander piston, so as to ensure that the expander cylinder can be filled with exhaust gases in a simple, yet efficient manner.
  • a connecting element rigidly connecting the compressor piston with the expander piston, and a compressor piston connecting rod transferring the reciprocating motion of both the expander and compressor pistons into a rotational motion of the crankshaft the resulting lateral forces at the expander piston are very small. Rather, the lateral forces are taken at the compressor piston. More specifically, the lateral forces arise due to the connecting rod angle and are applied to the compressor piston at the compressor piston pin (the piston pin connecting the compressor piston to the connecting rod).
  • the expander operates with hot gases and will therefore be subject to an immediate increase in temperature.
  • the temperature increase at the compressor is generally less than the temperature increase at the expander.
  • the compressor can generally be provided with a smaller clearance to the liner.
  • the ICE system can be made more compact. More specifically, as the expander piston and the compressor piston are rigidly connected to each other, the total height of the expander piston and the compressor piston can be lower compared to a design in which the expander piston and the compressor piston are not rigidly connected to each other.
  • the connecting element provide a mechanically stiff connection between the expander piston and the compressor piston, thus increasing the mechanically stability of the ICE.
  • the height of the piston i.e. the piston skirt (typically being of the same size as the diameter of the piston), aims to prevent misalignment of the piston inside of the cylinder.
  • the expander piston contributes in aligning the compressor piston inside of the compressor cylinder
  • the compressor piston contributes in aligning the expander piston inside of the expander cylinder.
  • the height (or skirt) of the respective piston can be reduced, resulting in e.g. lower friction losses.
  • the lubrication of the compressor piston connecting rod in the ICE system is relatively easy to carry out as the compressor piston is rigidly connected to the expander piston, and thus move in unison with the latter.
  • the journal bearing at the small end of the connecting rod is only moving back and forth during a crankshaft revolution. A non-rotating journal bearing is difficult to lubricate.
  • the small end of the connecting rod is lubricated at the top dead centre (TDC) between the exhaust stroke and the intake stroke.
  • the relatively low gas pressure and acceleration of the piston enable “lifting” of the piston from the piston pin whereby lubricating oil can enter the journal bearing.
  • the always relatively high gas pressure at TDC is too high for the piston acceleration to overcome, and thus it is difficult to get the lubrication oil into the journal bearing.
  • the ICE system of the example embodiments solves this problem (as for the four-stroke engine) since the gas pressure in the compressor exerts an upward force on the expander piston, and as this force is larger than the counter force from the gas in the expander cylinder during the second half of the expander power stroke.
  • lubricating oil can enter into the journal bearing at the small end of the expander connecting rod.
  • the invention is particularly useful for a hydrogen internal combustion system.
  • a hydrogen internal combustion system In such hydrogen ICE system, the combustion of hydrogen with oxygen produces water as its only product.
  • hydrogen can be combusted in an ICE over a wide range of fuel-air mixtures.
  • a hydrogen ICE system may be operated to produce low emissions during certain conditions, the amount of NOx emission may at least partly depend on the air/fuel ration, the engine compression ratio as well as the engine speed and the ignition timing.
  • combustion of air/fuel in a hydrogen ICE system may pose higher demands on the strength and size of the engine components compared to e.g. a traditional gasoline engine.
  • the ICE system is a hydrogen ICE system.
  • the hydrogen ICE system comprises the combustion cylinder for combusting hydrogen, the expander and the compressor.
  • the at least one combustion cylinder is configured for combustion of hydrogen gas.
  • the ICE system may be configured for combustion of another gaseous fuel.
  • the ICE system is a conventional diesel-type ICE system.
  • the expander piston is a connecting rod-free expander piston.
  • the compressor piston connecting rod transfers the reciprocating motion of the expander piston and the compressor piston to a rotational motion of the crankshaft.
  • the connecting rod of the compressor piston is operable to reciprocate the compressor piston between its bottom dead centre (BDC) and top dead centre (TDC), whereby the expander piston reciprocates between its TDC and BDC via the connecting element, such that the expander piston is at its TDC when the compressor piston is at its BDC.
  • the ICE system further comprises at least one expander intake valve for introducing exhaust gases into the expander cylinder.
  • the expander intake valve may be controllable to initiate an intake event of the exhaust gases into the expander cylinder when the connecting rod of the compressor piston is at its bottom half of movement, corresponding to the BDC of the compressor piston.
  • the expander piston is at its TDC. Accordingly, there is provided an even more improved operation of the expander of the ICE system, in which the intake event is initiated in response to a given position of the compressor piston so as to permit that the intake event of the expander can occur when the expander piston is at its TDC.
  • the crankshaft comprises an integrated cam lobe arranged to operate the expander intake valve.
  • the crankshaft is thus arranged to operate the at least one valve of the expander by means of the integrated cam lobe.
  • the integrated cam lobe may be arranged to mechanically operate the expander intake valve.
  • the integrated cam lobe is arranged to mechanically operate the expander intake valve by means of an intermediate member displaceable arranged between the integrated cam lobe and the at least one valve.
  • the intermediate member may e.g. be a conventional cam follower, rocker arm or the like.
  • the integrated cam lobe may be integrally formed with the crankshaft. Alternatively, the integrated cam lobe may be mounted on the crankshaft.
  • the crankshaft may include a number of integrated cam lobes.
  • the cam lobe of the crankshaft is generally arranged on the crankshaft so that a rotation of the crankshaft provides the cam lobe to operate the expander intake valve between an open position and a closed position relative the expander cylinder. Further, the cam lobe is arranged on the crankshaft to rotate at the crankshaft speed.
  • the crankshaft is rotatable about a longitudinal axis and having at least one integrated cam lobe arranged thereon for rotation therewith.
  • the at least one integrated cam lobe is driven in rotation about the longitudinal rotational axis of the crankshaft and further engageable with a displaceable intermediate member in the form of cam follower for operating the valve of the expander.
  • the fluid medium regulated by the at least one valve is typically exhaust gases received from the combustion.
  • the at least one valve is arranged to regulate the flow of exhaust gases into the cylinder of the expander.
  • the expander intake valve is a side valve arranged at a side of the expander piston, whereby the integrated cam lobe of the crankshaft is arranged to drive the expander intake side valve.
  • the expander piston is connected to the crankshaft via the compressor piston, such that a rotational motion of the crankshaft is transferred into a reciprocating motion of the expander piston via the compressor piston connecting rod.
  • the compressor piston and the expander piston are arranged with a common connecting rod. That is, the expander piston is connected to the crankshaft via the compressor piston connecting rod.
  • At least one combustion piston is arranged inside the at least one combustion cylinder, and is adapted for reciprocating motion therein.
  • the compressor piston and the expander piston are arranged inside the compressor cylinder and the expander cylinder, respectively, and are adapted for reciprocating motion therein.
  • a “downward” stroke of the compressor piston is referred to a stroke of the compressor piston in which the air in the compressor cylinder is compressed.
  • an “upward” stroke of the compressor piston is referred to a stroke of the compressor piston in the opposite direction.
  • the downward and upward strokes of the expander piston coincides with the respective strokes of the compressor piston.
  • crankshaft is driven by the at least one combustion piston via its connecting rod, i.e. a combustion piston connecting rod.
  • the crankshaft drives the compressor piston via its connecting rod, i.e. the compressor piston connecting rod.
  • the crankshaft is driven by the at least one combustion piston by means of the combustion piston connecting rod, and is driven by the compressor piston by means of the compressor piston connecting rod.
  • the expander piston is driven by the crankshaft by means of the compressor piston. That is, the crankshaft is driven, i.e. receives power from, the combustion cylinder and combustion piston due to forces of combustion, and from the expander cylinder and expander piston due to forces of expansion.
  • the crankshaft drives, i.e. deliver power to, the compressor piston and the compressor cylinder in order to compress the air.
  • the crankshaft is rotatably driven by at least the at least one combustion piston, by means of the corresponding connecting rod, and the crankshaft drives the power consuming piston, i.e. at least the compressor piston, by means of its corresponding connecting rod.
  • the expander piston is then driven by means of the already existing connecting rod of the compressor cylinder and the connecting element between the compressor piston and the expander piston.
  • the connecting element provides mechanical stability enabling the height, or skirt, of the compressor piston to be reduced.
  • the height, or skirt, of the compressor piston is sized and dimensioned relative the compressor piston sealing arrangement.
  • the height of the respective piston is often referred to as the skirt of the piston, and that the diameter of the expander piston is typically the diameter of the expansion volume facing surface, and the diameter of the compressor piston is typically the diameter of the compression volume facing surface.
  • the diameter of the compressor piston is smaller compared to the diameter of the expander piston.
  • the diameter of the compressor piston is between 1/2 to 1/99 of the diameter of the expander piston, such as e.g. about 2/3 of the diameter of the expander piston.
  • the compressor piston, the expander piston and a portion of the crankshaft are arranged along a geometrical axis, and wherein the portion of the crankshaft is arranged along the geometrical axis in between the compressor piston and the expander piston.
  • the portion of the crankshaft can be described as being intermediary of the expander piston and the compressor piston.
  • the portion of the crankshaft may e.g. be a segment of the crankshaft along a longitudinal direction of the crankshaft.
  • a reciprocating motion of the expander piston inside of the expander cylinder occurs along an expander axis
  • a reciprocating motion of the at least one combustion piston inside the combustion cylinder occurs along a combustion axis.
  • the geometrical axis coincides with the expander axis and the compressor axis.
  • the compressor piston, the expander piston and the portion of the crankshaft are arranged in a geometrical plane extending at least along one of the expander axis and the compressor axis, and perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the crankshaft, wherein the portion of the crankshaft is arranged in the geometrical plane in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the crankshaft between the compressor piston and the expander piston.
  • at least a portion of the compressor piston, at least a portion of the expander piston and at least a portion of the connecting element together form a compressor-expander arrangement surrounding the portion of the crankshaft.
  • the compressor-expander arrangement encloses, or encompasses, the portion of the crankshaft.
  • a compact design of the ICE can be achieved.
  • at least a portion of the expander piston, at least a portion of the connecting element, and at least a portion of the compressor piston may form a geometrical frustum, or geometrical cylinder, which surrounds, or houses or encloses, the portion of the crankshaft.
  • the expander piston may comprise at least an expander volume facing surface, and a crankshaft facing surface
  • the compressor piston may comprise at least a compressor volume facing surface, and a crankshaft facing surface, wherein the portion of the crankshaft is arranged in between the respective crankshaft facing surfaces.
  • the expander piston has a circular cross section extending in a first geometrical plane
  • the compressor piston has a circular cross section extending in a second geometrical plane, the first and second geometrical planes being positioned in a parallel configuration on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of the crankshaft.
  • the pistons may not be entirely circular in their respective cross section due to considerations of thermal expansion of the pistons.
  • the expander piston cross section may be referred to as a round or elliptical cross section, extending perpendicular to the expander axis (i.e. the expander axis extends perpendicular into the cross section)
  • the compressor piston cross section may be referred to as a round, or elliptical cross section, extending perpendicular to the compressor axis (i.e. the compressor axis extends perpendicular into the cross section), and wherein the portion of the crankshaft is arranged between the cross section of the expander piston and the cross section of the compressor piston.
  • the expander cylinder and the compressor cylinder are co-axially arranged.
  • the crankshaft is located closer to the compressor cylinder compared to the expander cylinder.
  • the combustion piston connecting rod is coupled to the crankshaft (i.e. the large end of the connecting rod) on the same crankshaft side as the compressor connecting rod, opposite to the expander piston.
  • a reciprocating motion of the expander piston inside of the expander cylinder occurs along an expander axis
  • a reciprocating motion of the at least one combustion piston inside the combustion cylinder occurs along a combustion axis
  • the expander cylinder and the at least one combustion cylinder is arranged inside the ICE in such way that the expander axis is angled in relation to the combustion axis by about 90 degrees.
  • the internal components such as e.g. the various pistons and corresponding connecting rods with their reciprocating and/or rotational motions, can be adapted to be kept out of the way from each other as the move internally inside the ICE.
  • the ICE may be made compact.
  • the at least one combustion cylinder may thus be described as protruding laterally from the crankshaft compared to the expander cylinder.
  • the compressor piston connecting rod and the combustion piston connecting rod are coupled to the crankshaft by a respective crank pin.
  • the compressor piston and the at least one combustion piston may individually be phased relative each other in relation to the crankshaft.
  • an even distribution of torque pulses can be achieved.
  • the compressor piston connecting rod and the combustion piston connecting rod are coupled to the crankshaft by the same crank pin.
  • the ICE system further comprises an expander piston sealing arrangement sealing the expander piston to an inner surface of the expander cylinder, and a compressor piston sealing arrangement sealing the compressor piston to an inner surface of the compressor cylinder, wherein the expander piston sealing arrangement is independent from the compressor piston sealing arrangement. That is, the expander cylinder and the compressor cylinder may be individually sealed. That is, the expander piston sealing arrangement may be configured and arranged with no, or very little, adaptation to the compressor piston sealing arrangement. In other words, as the expander piston is physically separated from the compressor piston by the connecting element, the expander piston may be sealed independently of the sealing of the compressor piston.
  • the expander piston is an oil-free piston arrangement. That is, the expander piston is arranged in the expander cylinder in an oil-free arrangement. In other words, no lubricating oil is used to seal the piston to the cylinder wall. Thus, any disadvantage related to the use of lubrication oil is avoided, e.g. the production of soot or particles as lubricating oil is leaked into the first compartment where it is combusted.
  • the compressor piston is physically separated from the expander piston by the connecting element. That is, the expander piston and the compressor piston are not a common piston, but rather two separate pistons rigidly connected by the connecting element.
  • the expander piston, the compressor piston and the connecting element may be referred to as a compressor-expander arrangement in which the two pistons are rigidly connected to each other by the connecting element.
  • the expander piston, the compressor piston and the connecting element may according to one embodiment be made in one piece, and/or be comprised in one single unit.
  • the at least one combustion cylinder is a first combustion cylinder and the combustion piston is a first combustion piston
  • the ICE further comprises a second combustion cylinder housing a second combustion piston, the second combustion cylinder being configured to be energized by forces of combustion.
  • the at least one combustion cylinder may be referred to as at least two combustion cylinders.
  • the second combustion piston is according to one embodiment connected to the crankshaft via a connecting rod. That is, the first and the second combustion pistons are connected to the same crankshaft. It should be understood that the at least one combustion cylinder, or the at least two combustion cylinders, is according to one embodiment at least partly arranged between the expander piston and the compressor piston.
  • the connecting rod(s) of the combustion cylinder(s) may be arranged between the expander piston and the compressor piston.
  • the first and second combustion cylinders operate in a four-stroke configuration, and each one of the compressor and expander cylinders operate in a two-stroke configuration.
  • the first and second combustion cylinders operate in common in a four-stroke configuration.
  • the first and second combustion cylinders each operate in a two-stroke configuration.
  • the first and second combustion cylinders each operate in a four-stroke configuration.
  • the overall stroke of the ICE may be referred to as an eight-stroke engine (the respective two- stroke configuration of the expander and the compressor cylinders, and the four-stroke configuration of the combustion cylinders).
  • the ICE is referred to as a dual compression expansion engine, DCEE.
  • the engine cycle in e.g. a hydrogen ICE system may vary for different types of engine concepts.
  • the cylinder performs four strokes in a cycle, i.e. intake, compression, power and exhaust.
  • a four-stroke ICE working by e.g. the conventional Otto cycle or the Diesel cycle
  • each cylinder in the engine performs four strokes per cycle.
  • each power stroke results in two revolutions of the crank shaft.
  • a two-stroke engine completes a power cycle with two strokes of the cylinder during only one crankshaft revolution, as the end of the power stroke and the beginning of the compression stroke happen simultaneously, and the intake and exhaust functions occurring at the same time.
  • the object is achieved by a vehicle according to claim 12.
  • the vehicle comprises an internal combustion engine according to the first aspect of the invention.
  • Fig. 1 is a side view of a vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine system according to an example embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the internal combustion engine system according to an example embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figs. 3a and 3b are side views of the internal combustion engine system of Fig. 2 according to an example embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the internal combustion engine system of Fig. 2 according to an example embodiment of the present invention.
  • DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which an exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown. The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiment set forth herein; rather, the embodiment is provided for thoroughness and completeness. Like reference character refer to like elements throughout the description.
  • a vehicle 1 with an internal combustion engine (ICE) system 100 according to the present invention.
  • the vehicle 1 depicted in Fig. 1 is a truck for which the ICE system 100, which will be described in detail below, is particularly suitable for.
  • the ICE system 100 includes an internal combustion engine (ICE).
  • ICE internal combustion engine
  • the ICE system is a hydrogen ICE system.
  • the combustion in such hydrogen ICE system is based on a combustion of air and hydrogen, as is commonly known in the art.
  • the ICE system here comprises a hydrogen ICE.
  • FIGs. 2, 3a and 3b there is illustrated an ICE system 100 according to an example embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted a that full illustration of the cylinders housing the respective pistons have been omitted from Figs. 2, 3a and 3b for simplicity of understanding the invention and the piston configuration.
  • the ICE system 100 here comprises at least a piston combustor assembly 110 having at least one combustion cylinder 111 housing a first combustion piston 112, and a second combustion cylinder 114 housing a second combustion piston 116.
  • the ICE system 100 further comprises a compressor 120 having a compressor cylinder 121 housing a compressor piston 122.
  • the compressor is a two-stroke machine.
  • the ICE system 100 comprises an expander 130.
  • the expander 130 is a two-stroke machine.
  • the expander 130 comprises an expander cylinder 131 housing an expander piston 132.
  • the term cylinder generally refers to a component having an interior space for accommodating a reciprocating piston, as is commonly known in the art.
  • first and second combustion pistons 112, 116 are individually arranged inside the first and second combustion cylinders 111 , 114, respectively, and are adapted for reciprocating motion therein.
  • the compressor piston 122 and the expander piston 132 are arranged inside the compressor cylinder 121 and the expander cylinder 131 , respectively, and are adapted for reciprocating motion therein.
  • the ICE system 100 comprises a crankshaft 140.
  • the crankshaft 140 is driven by the combustion piston and arranged to operate the compressor piston 122.
  • the crankshaft further operates the expander piston 132 indirectly via the compressor piston 122 and one or more connecting elements extending between the compressor piston and the expander piston.
  • the crankshaft 140 is rotatable arranged around an axis of rotation, generally corresponding to a longitudinal axis LA of the crankshaft 140 (see Fig. 2).
  • the ICE system 100 comprises a compression piston connecting rod 154 connecting the compression piston 122 to the crankshaft 140, as illustrated in Figs. 2 to 4. Further, as shown in Figs. 2, 3a and 3b, the expander piston 132 is connected to the compressor piston 122 by a connecting element 150.
  • a first combustion piston connecting rod 163 connects the first combustion piston 112 to the crankshaft 140
  • a second combustion piston connecting rod 164 connects the second combustion piston 114 to the crankshaft 140.
  • the expander piston 132 is connected to the compressor piston 122 by the connecting element 150 in the form of two connecting element arms 152, 156 arranged in a respective periphery portion of the expander and compressor pistons 132, 122.
  • Each one of the connecting element arms 152, 156 typically extends from the expander piston 132 to the compressor piston 122, respectively.
  • the connecting element 150 may be arranged with no connecting element arms, but instead as e.g.
  • the connecting element is adapted to connect the compressor piston 132 to the expander piston 122, such that the expander piston 132 and the compressor piston 122 move in unison when the crankshaft effects a movement of the compressor piston connecting rod 154.
  • the connecting element 150 rigidly connects the compressor piston 132 with the expander piston 122 such that when the compressor piston 122 moves in a down-stroke (i.e. in order to compress the air in the compressor cylinder 121), the expander piston 132 moves in a stroke following the motion of the compressor piston 122.
  • the compressor piston 122 moves in a stroke following the motion of the expander piston 132.
  • the compressor cylinder 121 and the expander cylinder 132 are positioned on opposite sides of, and in close proximity to, the crankshaft 140.
  • a substantial portion of the crankshaft 140 is generally arranged in between the expander piston 132 and the compressor piston 122, such that the substantial portion of the crankshaft is arranged between respective crankshaft facing surfaces of the compressor piston and the expander piston, as illustrated in e.g. Fig. 2.
  • the compressor piston 122, the expander piston 132 and the substantial portion of the crankshaft 140 are arranged along a geometrical axis GA, and the substantial portion of the crankshaft 140 is arranged along the geometrical axis GA in between the compressor piston 122 and the expander piston 132.
  • a so-called compressor-expander arrangement enclosing a substantial portion of the crankshaft 140.
  • the internal position of the components in the ICE system 100 may, however, also be described in a different manner.
  • the expander piston 132 has a circular, or round, cross section extending in a first geometrical plane
  • the compressor piston 122 has a circular, or round, cross section extending in a second geometrical plane, the first and second geometrical planes being positioned in a parallel configuration on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis LA of the crankshaft 140.
  • the expander piston 132 is configured for a reciprocating motion inside of the expander cylinder 131 along an expander axis EA.
  • the compressor piston 122 is configured for a reciprocating motion inside of the compressor cylinder 121 along a compressor axis CA.
  • the first combustion piston 112 is configured for a reciprocating motion inside of the first combustion cylinder 111 along a combustion axis CoA1
  • the second combustion piston 116 is configured for a reciprocating motion inside of the second combustion cylinder 114 along a combustion axis CoA2.
  • the expander cylinder 130 and the compressor cylinder 120 are co-axially arranged, i.e. the expander axis EA and the compressor axis CA are aligned.
  • first combustion cylinder 111 and the second combustion cylinder 114 may be described as protruding laterally from the crankshaft 140 compared to the expander cylinder 130.
  • the expander cylinder 130, and the first and second combustion cylinders 111 , 114 are arranged inside the ICE system 100 in such way that the expander axis EA is angled in relation to each one of the combustion axis CoA1 , CoA2 by about 90 degrees.
  • the expander axis may be angled in relation to each one of the combustion axes by between 40 degrees and 140 degrees, preferably between 50 degrees and 130 degrees, and more preferably between 80 degrees and 110 degrees.
  • the first combustion cylinder 111 , and the second combustion cylinder 114 may be described as protruding laterally from the crankshaft 140 compared to the compressor cylinder 120.
  • the compressor cylinder 120 is configured to draw a volume of ambient air, compress the air, and transfer the compressed air to the first and second combustion cylinders 111 , 114.
  • the first and second combustion cylinders 111 , 114 are configured to be energized by forces of combustion, e.g. by ignition of the fuel, such as fuel in the form of hydrogen, by means of a spark plug (e.g. as for a petrol or gasoline driven engine) or heat originating from compression (e.g. as for a diesel driven engine).
  • the expander cylinder 130 is configured to receive exhaust gases from the first and second combustion pistons 112, 116.
  • the generated exhaust is generally fed via an exhaust passage (not shown) to the expander 130, where the pressure and temperature of the exhaust reduce during expansion thereof.
  • Transportation of air, fuel and gases are carried out by means of inlet valves, transfer ports, and outlet valves known by the skilled person in the art, and which fluidly interconnects the compressor cylinder 121 , the first and second combustion cylinders 111 , 114 and the expander cylinder 131.
  • the crankshaft 140 is driven by at least one of the combustion pistons by means of a corresponding combustion piston connecting rod.
  • the expander piston 132 is connected to the crankshaft 140 via the connecting element 150, the compressor piston 122 and the compressor piston connecting rod 154.
  • the rotational motion of the crankshaft 140 is transferred into a reciprocating motion of the expander piston 132 via the compressor piston connecting rod 154.
  • the crankshaft 140 is driven by the first and second combustion pistons 112, 116 by means of the respective combustion piston connecting rods, while the compressor piston is driven by means of the crankshaft and the compressor piston connecting rod 154.
  • the expander piston 132 is thus driven by means of the compressor piston 122 and the compressor piston connecting rod 154.
  • the connecting rod 154 of the compressor piston 122 operates the compressor piston between its BDC and TDC, whereby the expander piston 132 reciprocates between its TDC and BDC via the connecting element 150.
  • the expander piston 132 is at its TDC when the compressor piston 122 is at its BDC, as illustrated in fig. 3a, while the expander piston 132 is at its BDC when the compressor piston 122 is at its TDC, as illustrated in fig. 3b.
  • the rotatable crankshaft is further arranged in the ICE system so as to cooperate with at least one valve of the expander 130.
  • the expander 130 comprises at least one valve 136 (see Fig. 2) for regulating a flow of fluid medium, such as exhaust gases.
  • the valve can be designed in several different manners to cooperate with the crankshaft
  • the crankshaft 140 typically has a cam lobe 142 for effecting a movement of the valve 136 upon rotation of the crankshaft 140 about the longitudinal axis LA.
  • the integrated cam lobe 142 is integrally formed with the crankshaft 140.
  • the cam lobe may thus generally be denoted as the integrated cam lobe.
  • the cam lobe 142 is generally arranged on the crankshaft 140 so that a rotation of the crankshaft provides the cam lobe to operate the valve 136 between an open position and a closed position relative the expander 130.
  • the cam lobe 142 is driven in rotation about the longitudinal axis of the crankshaft 140 and subsequently engages with an intermediate displaceable member in the form of a cam follower that effect a displacement of the valve 136 relative the expander 130 (i.e. relative the expander cylinder 131).
  • the intermediate member is configured to translate the rotational movement of the cam lobe 142 into a linear motion so as to effect actuation of the valve 136.
  • the integrated cam lobe 142 is arranged to mechanically operate the valve 136 by means of the cam follower 138 (see Fig. 3a) rotationally arranged between the integrated cam lobe and the valve.
  • the cam lobe 142 of the crankshaft 140 is arranged to operate the intake valve of the expander 130. That is, the cam lobe 142 of the crankshaft 140 is arranged to operate the intake valve 136 of the expander between the open position and the closed position so as to regulate the flow of exhaust gases into the expander cylinder.
  • the crankshaft 140 may optionally have a plurality of integrated cam lobes for operating a number of valves, e.g. a number of intake valves of the expander.
  • the expander intake valve 136 is here typically controllable to initiate an intake event of the exhaust gases into the expander cylinder 131 when the connecting rod 154 of the compressor piston 122 is at its bottom half of movement.
  • the bottom half of the compressor piston connecting rod corresponds to the BDC of the compressor piston 122, as illustrated in Fig. 3a.
  • the expander piston is at its TDC, as also illustrated in Fig. 3a.
  • the expander 130 is arranged in a so-called side-valve arrangement.
  • the intake and exhaust valves are located at the side portions of the axis of the expander cylinder 131.
  • the intake valves are considered side valves of the expander cylinder.
  • the exhaust valves are side valves to the expander cylinder.
  • the intake valves 136 are opened and closed by the cam lobe 142 arranged on the crankshaft.
  • the crankshaft 140 extends perpendicular to the expander, i.e. the longitudinal axis LA is arranged perpendicular to the axis of the expander EA.
  • the intake valve 136 of the expander 130 is a side valve arranged at a vertical side of the expander 130, whereby the cam lobe 142 of the crankshaft 140 is arranged to drive the vertical side valve of the expander 130.
  • the inlet valve is located at a side portion of the expander cylinder 131.
  • the exhaust valve of the expander is also typically located at a side portion of the expander cylinder.
  • the expander here comprises an oil-free piston arrangement.
  • Such arrangement is particularly suitable for hydrogen ICE systems, in which the combustion cylinders are configured for combustion of hydrogen gas.

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un système de moteur à combustion interne (MCI) comprenant au moins un cylindre de combustion logeant un piston de combustion, ledit cylindre de combustion étant conçu pour être alimenté par des forces de combustion ; un cylindre de compresseur logeant un piston de compresseur, ledit cylindre de compresseur étant conçu pour comprimer un volume d'air et transférer l'air comprimé vers le ou les pistons de combustion ; un cylindre d'expansion logeant un piston d'expansion, ledit cylindre d'expansion étant conçu pour recevoir des gaz d'échappement provenant du ou des pistons de combustion ; un élément de raccordement raccordant ledit piston de compresseur et ledit piston d'expansion de telle sorte que le piston de compresseur et le piston d'expansion se déplacent à l'unisson ; et un vilebrequin raccordé audit au moins un piston de combustion et audit piston de compresseur par une tige de raccordement respective.
EP20811547.7A 2020-11-17 2020-11-17 Système de moteur à combustion interne Pending EP4248073A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/EP2020/082381 WO2022105984A1 (fr) 2020-11-17 2020-11-17 Système de moteur à combustion interne

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Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2294501A (en) * 1994-10-25 1996-05-01 John Andrew Charles Spiteri Compound expansion supercharged i.c. piston engine
US8371256B2 (en) * 2009-05-27 2013-02-12 GM Global Technology Operations LLC Internal combustion engine utilizing dual compression and dual expansion processes
US8267056B2 (en) * 2010-03-16 2012-09-18 GM Global Technology Operations LLC Split-cycle internal combustion engine
US10041404B2 (en) * 2013-12-19 2018-08-07 Volvo Truck Corporation Internal combustion engine
WO2018166591A1 (fr) * 2017-03-15 2018-09-20 Volvo Truck Corporation Moteur à combustion interne

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