SE527649C2 - An engine, a vehicle equipped with such an engine, and a connecting element between a first and a second element of an engine - Google Patents

Abstract

An engine includes a first element, a second element, an exhaust duct which extends from the first element into the second element, a connecting element which connects the first element to the second element and delimitates the exhaust duct at the transition between the first and second elements, the connecting element being flexible to allow relative movements between the first and the second elements. The connecting element includes a ring whose fastening to the first element is offset radially relative to its fastening to the second element.

Description

25 30 527 649 0000 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 00 0 0 0 010000 0 one and the same frame and thus to some extent positioned in relation to each other. In the transition between the elements, a connecting element is arranged which must thus be both fl visible and corrosive with respect to the exhaust gases which can be expected to flow through the elements in question.

In particular, the invention comprises engines in which a gas turbine is arranged in or forms part of the first element, and in which a heat exchanger is arranged in or forms part of the second element, wherein exhaust gases from the gas turbine are led away from it via the exhaust duct.

The heat exchanger is advantageously a stationary heat exchanger in which heat exchange takes place between exhaust gases and combustion air that is supplied to the gas turbine. The first element can then be constituted by a housing which surrounds the gas turbine, while the second element can be constituted by a housing which surrounds or forms part of the heat exchanger.

The connecting element advantageously comprises a so-called compensator, preferably of the type called fabric compensator and which comprises a flexible fabric which in itself or by coating with suitable material can be substantially gas-tight. It can be mentioned in this context that the second element, which surrounds or forms part of the heat exchanger, is externally heat insulated while the first element, the gas turbine housing, is internally heat insulated, so that a significant temperature difference can occur between these components, with mutual movements between the elements as a result.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the development of modern vehicles, there is a constant need to reduce the space required by the engine. In vehicles where the engine is located under the floor, there is a need to reduce the height required by the engine to a 0 0 0e0n00 0 000000 O 0 a 100000 00 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 o 0 0010 I 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0000 00 000 000 00 II 00 0 0000 0 0 00 0 0 0 o 10 15 20 25 30 527 649 Heat exchangers, so-called recuperators, for gas turbines are generally designed so that the outer casing of these assumes a temperature near the hot gas. Insulation is applied to the outside of the recuperator to reduce the temperature impact on the environment. This means that the temperature of the outer casing with connection fl âns on the inlet part of the gas side can vary from cold start to maximum temperature during operation by up to 700 ° C.

The outer housing details of the engine, ie the gas turbine, on the other hand, are internally insulated to enable the use of conventional segregated housing or in some cases aluminum housing. The aim here is for the temperature of the outer house to be relatively low, preferably below 150 ° C.

Connecting the engine / gas turbine outlet housing to a recuperator thus presupposes that a connection can absorb the relative movements that occur between the parts due to thermal expansion.

The connection must also be gas. In most cases this can be done with some type of fabric compensator or metal bellows, which usually has a preferably axial extent. For an automotive gas turbine, however, it is necessary to try to minimize the distance between the recuperator and the motor for reasons of space. Prior technology could be improved in this respect.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is generally to provide an engine of the kind mentioned in the introduction, with a compact design, in particular as low a construction height as possible where the first and second elements are for instance arranged vertically. 000 0 0 0 0 0 0000 0 0 0 0 0 000 000 00 00 0 00 0 0000 00 00 0 0 0 00 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 GOOD 'O 0 00 0 0 IOOI 00 10 15 20 25 30 527 649 000 000 0 0 00 0 I 0 0 0 0 v: o "0 0" 0: g ... z Q Û IIIOIII ICO I 0 0 0 0 0 0000 s 0 0 n 0 0 0::: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 o 0 4 0 0 0 00 qg. Above / below each other and where the engine is located under a floor or similar of the vehicle where it is mounted.

It is a further object of the invention to propose a connecting element between a first element, which suitably surrounds or forms part of an internal combustion engine, preferably a gas turbine, and a second element, which preferably surrounds or forms part of a heat exchanger connected to the first element. , wherein the connecting element must favor a compact engine construction and be to the construction simple and favorable to produce from a cost point of view.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is achieved with the motor mentioned in the introduction, characterized in that the connecting element forms a ring, the attachment of which in the first element is displaced radially relative to its attachment in the second element. By annular is meant not only annular shape with circular inner and outer peripheries, but also other geometries may come into question, depending on, for example, the geometry of the recuperator. A preferred ring shape with regard to the shape of the second element, as this consists of a so-called recuperator, which will be described later, are therefore essentially rectangular or square inner and outer peripheries, respectively. This is a significant difference compared to the tubular bellows that previous technology used as flexible connecting elements, and requires significantly less space.

Due to the fact that the connecting element is built in a radial direction relative to the exhaust duct rather than in an axial direction from the first element towards the second element, the elements can be placed closer to each other in the exhaust direction while maintaining the possibility of absorbing thermally related movements between the elements in question. 520000 649 The connecting element advantageously has an inner periphery to which it is attached to the first element, and an outer periphery to which it is attached to the second element. The inner periphery of the connecting element can be said to face the exhaust duct and its outer periphery faces the second element. In other words, the second element extends radially outside the exhaust duct in the area where it connects to the connecting element, and the connecting element is a flexible connecting element extending radially from the duct towards the second element.

The connecting element preferably has the shape of a flexible disc with a thickness which is substantially less than its extent in its plane of propagation. In this way, the flexibility of the connecting element in the exhaust duct direction is seen.

The disc formed by the connecting element suitably extends across the longitudinal direction of the exhaust duct in the transition between the first and second elements.

The second element, in the area where it is attached to the compensator, advantageously has an inner circumference which is significantly larger than the circumference of the exhaust duct in the corresponding cross section. The first element suitably has the shape of a relatively thin-walled tube in the area in which it opens into the second element, the inner circumference of the second element in said area being larger than the outer circumference of the first element, and may even conceivably overlap. the latter in the exhaust duct richness. The invention comprises that a thermal insulation is arranged outside the first element and inside the second element in said area and shields the connecting element from the exhaust duct itself and the hot gas which can be expected to flow in it. The invention includes that a gas turbine is arranged in or forms part of the first element, and that a heat exchangers are arranged in or form part of the second element, and that exhaust gases from the gas turbine are led away from it via the exhaust duct.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and from the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Hereinafter, the heating will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a cut-away overview view of a part of an engine according to the invention, with a heating-connected connecting element between a first and a second element of the engine. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of a part of a connecting element according to the invention, Fig. 3 is a cross-section of an alternative design of a connecting element according to fi g. 2, and Fig. 4 is a top view of a connecting element according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION I IS v I 10 IS 20 25 30 527 649 n o o oo o oooooo Fig. 1 schematically shows a part of an engine 1 according to the invention.

The engine 1 is a gas turbine engine and comprises a recuperator 2 and an engine housing 3, i.e. a housing surrounding the engine gas turbine.

From the engine housing 3, exhaust gases are led via an exhaust duct 4 to the recuperator.

According to the invention, the motor housing 3 is an example of a first exhaust duct-forming element and the recuperator 2 is an example of a second exhaust duct-forming element. The motor housing 3 and the recuperator 2 are normally suspended in a frame (not shown in more detail) in such a way that they are somewhat fi xxed and require a flexible joint for accommodating thermally initiated mutual movements.

The second element, here the recuperator 2, forms a stationary heat exchanger (unlike mobile, for example rotary, heat exchangers) in which heat exchange takes place between the hot exhaust gases, which are supplied to the recuperator 2 from the engine housing 3, and combustion air which via recuperate the rator 2 is delivered to a combustion chamber (not shown). It should be understood that the engine may include one or fl your compressors, intercoolers and additional components that may normally be included in a gas turbine engine.

As shown in fi g. 2, the recuperator 2 is externally provided with spring insulation 7, which means that the temperature of the recuperator plate closest to the exhaust duct will vary between the ambient temperature and exhaust temperatures, which can be around 700 'C.

The first element, here the motor housing 3, is provided with spring insulation 8 on the inside to allow the use of motor housing materials with lower heat strength, such as aluminum or the saw. The temperature of the motor housing wall can thus vary between ambient temperature and about 150 ° C. Due to thermal expansion, relative movements between the recuperator 2 and the motor housing 3 will occur. To accommodate these movements, a compensator 9 is arranged between and connected to the motor housing 3 and the recuperator 2. battery 0000cc 10 15 20 25 30 527 649 The compensator 9 forms a flexible connecting element between the recuperator 2 and the motor housing 3 to the extent that it is arranged to allow axial movement of the recuperator 2 towards and away from the motor housing 3. To allow a compact construction, where the distance between the recuperator 2 and the motor housing 3 is as small as possible, the recuperator plate is in the area where it is intended to be attached to the compensator 9, furthermore, it has an inner circumference which is larger than the portion at the motor housing 3 to which the compensator 9 is intended to be attached. Preferably, the recuperator extends radially outwardly about and by a distance to the part of the motor housing 3 at which the compensator 9 is attached. The compensator 9 extends substantially radially, i.e. its radial component is larger than its axial component of a vector or the vectors describing its extent from the motor housing 3 to the recuperator 2 and relative to the exhaust direction (shown by an arrow i fi g. 2) or the exhaust duct 4. It thus forms a disc or cone, with a cone angle which is preferably greater than 90 °, and even more preferably greater than 140 ', and most preferably near 180', that is to say a substantially flat plate, in order to build as little in the axial direction as possible.

The compensator 9 is in the form of a flexible disc or plate, or a board extending around the outlet of the motor housing 3. In the embodiment shown in fi g. 2, it is fastened by means of bolts 10 to a shaft 1 1 emanating from the motor housing 3 and by means of bolts 12 fastened to one end of the recuperator 2 which is located radially outside the shaft 1 1.

The compensator 9 is, as shown in fi g. 4, provided with means 5, 6 for fastening in the motor housing and the recuperator, the means 6 for fastening in the recuperator being arranged radially outside the means 5 for fastening in the motor housing, and said means consist of holes for receiving the bolts 10 and 12, respectively. The radially internal bolt joints formed by the first-mentioned bolts 10, and the radially 00 0 0 0 0 0 OI oo 0 0 0 no o 0000 oo 0 I an I 0. Q g con u 0 O 0 0 0 oo on: 00; nu to 0 O OO 0 I 0 0 I 0 Oulu IA o 10 15 20 25 30 527 649 Income 0 ecco 0 oc to nano Q n external bolt joints, formed by the later bolts 12, lie largely in the same radial plane, thus only to a small extent to build up the distance between recuperator 2 and motor housing 3. The flange 1 1 is a sheet of sheet metal and is bent back towards the motor housing 3 in an area radially outside the area in which it is attached to the motor housing 3. In this way the construction height is further reduced.

I fi g. 3 shows an alternative embodiment, in which the compensator 9 is attached directly to the motor housing 3 without any intermediate fl. This is a possible solution if the motor housing 3 has such a low temperature that the compensator material can withstand it.

To return to in particular fi g. 2, a heat-insulating cushion 13 is arranged between the engine housing 3 and the recuperator 2, which shields and heat-insulates the compensator 9 from the exhaust gases in the exhaust duct 4.

A first annular guide plate 14 for controlling the exhaust gases past the compensator 9 is attached to the engine housing 3, and a second annular guide plate 15 for controlling the exhaust gases past the compensator 9 is attached to the recuperator 2. The guide plates 14, 15 together form the part of the exhaust duct 4 extending from the motor housing 3 towards the recuperator 2 in the area where the compensator 9 is arranged radially outside these.

The guide plate 14 attached to the engine housing 3 and the guide plate 15 attached to the recuperator 2 overlap each other in the longitudinal direction of the exhaust duct 4. The first and second guide plates 14 and 15, respectively, overlap and together shield the heat-insulating cushion 13 from the exhaust gases in the exhaust duct. The guide plate 14 attached to the motor housing 3 extends, in the area where it overlaps the other won no 0 onoøøl 10 15 20 527 649 10 the guide plate 15, radially inside the latter with a clearance which allows thermal movement due to the sometimes strong Distinguish temperatures that the components to which they are attached have. The contact surface of the guide plate 14 against the motor housing 3 should be minimized in order to minimize the heat conduction from the guide plate 14 to the motor housing 3.

Furthermore, the compensator 9 comprises sealing means 16 for sealing it against the motor housing 3 or the recuperator 2. The sealing means 16 in this case consist of a string of a sealing material, preferably teon or some other suitable material such as silicone rubber, which is arranged between the compensator 9 and the component, recuperator 2 and motor housing 3, respectively, to which the compensator is attached.

It will be appreciated that a number of alternative designs of the inventory will be apparent to one skilled in the art. The features stated above for the example where the first element comprises a housing for a gas turbine and the second element comprises a relucuator are not limited to such an application, but may advantageously occur in other applications, where the first and the other elements form completely different exhaust duct-forming components in an engine. ad o aoooou

Claims (15)

10 15 20 25 30 527 649 u n o ø nu I a o on 0 0 Qcønoo 0 0 c 100000 PATENT CLAIMS An engine, comprising a first element (3), a second element (2), an exhaust duct (4) extending from the first element (3) into the second element, a connecting element (9) connecting the first element (3) with the second element (2) and delimits the exhaust duct (4) at the transition between the first and second elements (3, 2), the connecting element (9) being fl visible to allow mutual movements between the first and the second element (3, 2), characterized in that the connecting element (9) forms a ring whose mounting in the first element (3) is displaced radially relative to its attachment in the second element (2). 2. Engine according to lav 1, features! in that the connecting element (9) has an inner periphery to which it is attached to the first element, and an outer periphery to which it is attached to the second element. Motor according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the connecting element (9) has the shape of a flexible disc with a thickness which is substantially smaller than its extent in its plane of propagation. Engine according to claim 3, characterized in! in that the plate formed by the connecting element (9) extends transversely to the longitudinal direction of the exhaust duct (4) in the transition between the first and second elements (3, 2). Engine according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the second element (2), in the area in which it is attached to the connecting element (9), has an inner circumference which is substantially larger than that of the exhaust duct (4). scope in the corresponding cross section. 000000 0 0 0 000000 10 15 20 25 30 527 649 12 šacgš. Motor according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a spring-insulating cushion (13) is arranged between the first element (3) and the second element (2), which shields and heat-insulates the connecting element (9) from gas flowing in the exhaust duct (4). Engine according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in: in that a guide plate (14) for controlling exhaust gases internally past and at a distance to the connecting element (9) is attached to the first element (3). Engine according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that a guide plate (15) for controlling the exhaust gases internally past and at a distance from the connecting element (9) is attached to the second element (2). Engine according to Claims 7 and 8, characterized in: in that the guide plate (14) attached to the first element (3) and the guide plate (15) attached to the second element (2) overlap each other in the exhaust direction. Engine according to Claim 6 and one of Claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the heat-insulating cushion (13) is overlapped by at least one guide plate (14 or 15) and is shielded from the exhaust gases in the exhaust duct (4). ' 11. ll. Engine according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that a gas turbine is arranged in or forms part of the first element, and in that a heat exchanger is arranged in or forms part of the second element, and that exhaust gases from the gas turbine are led away from the same via the exhaust duct (4). Engine according to claim 1 1, characterized in! in that the heat exchanger is a stationary heat exchanger in which heat exchange takes place between exhaust gases and combustion air supplied to the gas turbine. 10 15 20 527 649 aan 0 n 00 0 n: 00 0 0 00 00 0 00 0 00 00 0 00 00 00 000 0 0000 0 000 00 0 00 0000000 00 00 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 cc 0 00 00 000 Vehicle, equipped with an engine according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the engine is located with the second element (2) vertically above or below the first element (3) and under a floor of the vehicle. Connecting element for accommodating thermal movements between a first element (3) and a second element (2) in an engine, an exhaust duct (4) extending from the first element (3) into the second element (2 ), characterized in that it has the shape of a flexible disc with a thickness which is considerably smaller than its extent in its distribution plane. Connecting element according to claim 14, characterized in that it is provided with means (5, 6) for fastening in the first element (3) and the second element (2) and that the means for fastening in the second element (2) are arranged radially outside the means for fastening in the first element (3).