SE542592C2

SE542592C2 - Waste heat recovery system comprising receiver tank heated by working fluid

Info

Publication number: SE542592C2
Application number: SE1851318A
Authority: SE
Inventors: Ola Hall; Thomas Sederholm; Zoltan Kardos
Original assignee: Scania Cv Ab
Priority date: 2018-10-25
Filing date: 2018-10-25
Publication date: 2020-06-09
Also published as: DE112019004547T5; SE1851318A1; WO2020085966A1

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a waste heat recovery (WHR) system (9) for a vehicle (1). The WHR system comprises a receiver tank (27) having a substantially constant inner volume and being equipped with a heater (41) having a heater inlet (43) arranged in fluid connection to an evaporator outlet line (21) or expander outlet line (23), and wherein the heater is arranged to facilitate heat transfer from working fluid in the heater to working fluid in the receiver tank.The present disclosure further relates to methods for controlling and shutting down such a WHR system, as well as a vehicle comprising such a WHR system.

Description

1 Waste heat recovery system comprising receiver tank heated by working fluid TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a waste heat recovery system, methods for controlling such a system, and a vehicle comprising such a waste heat recovery system.

BACKGROUND ART Vehicle manufacturers are today striving to increase engine efficiency and reduce fuelconsumption. This is especially an issue for manufacturers of heavy vehicles, such as trucksand buses. One way of improving engine efficiency and fuel consumption is waste heatrecovery. ln vehicles with combustion engines most ofthe energy from the fuel does notproduce useful work, but instead is dissipated as heat through the exhaust pipes and theengine cooling system. By the use of a waste heat recovery system the waste heat may insteadbe used to heat various vehicle components or to produce electricity or mechanical work.Such mechanical work may for example be transferred to the driveline and thus be used to propel the vehicle.

A waste heat recovery (WHR) system typically comprises at least one heat exchangertransferring heat between a heat source, such as exhaust gases, and a working fluid. The heattransfer between the working fluid and the heat source is an exchange of energy resulting in achange in temperature of both the working fluid and heat source. A waste heat recoverysystem may for example be based on a Rankine cycle, or an organic Rankine cycle for lowtemperature heat recovery. Such systems typically comprise a working fluid, a pump forcirculating the working fluid in a circuit, at least one evaporator (heat exchanger), anexpansion device (expander), a condenser and an expansion tank for receiving excess workingliquid. The working fluid in such waste heat recovery system is suitably in a liquid state to startwith. The pump pressurizes the working fluid which is pumped through the evaporator. ln theevaporator, the working fluid is heated by heat exchange with a heat source, for example exhaust gases, led through the evaporator. This causes the working fluid to evaporate. The 2 resulting vapour is subsequently expanded in the expansion device, e.g. a turbine. By means ofthe expansion device the recovered heat may thereby be converted into mechanical work orelectrical energy. The vapour is thereafter coo|ed in the condenser, such that the working fluidis brought back to its initial liquid state. The condenser is thus typically connected to a coolingsystem, which may be part ofthe engine cooling system or a separate cooling system. Aftercondensing back to the liquid state, the working fluid may be received in the expansion tank.The working fluid received in the expansion tank is thus ready for further pumping around the WHR circuit. lt is essential that the working fluid on the low-pressure side ofthe WHR circuit, i.e. betweenthe condenser and the pump inlet, is sub-coo|ed, i.e. coo|ed to a temperature below theboiling point at the pressure prevailing in the low-pressure side of the WHR circuit. The boilingpoint may also be referred to as the saturation temperature or condensation temperature ofthe working fluid. lf the working fluid is not sufficiently sub-coo|ed, transient increases intemperature or decreases in pressure may cause undesired boiling or flashing of the liquid.This may for example result in cavitation in the working fluid pump, potentially leading todamage of pump components. ln order to avoid such problems, the working fluid entering thepump must be sufficiently subcooled, i.e. held under conditions sufficiently removed from saturation.

DE 102009050068 A1 describes an internal combustion engine with a cooling circuit and aClausius-Rankine cycle for waste heat recovery. ln the Clausius-Rankine cycle a surge tank isprovided to compensate for volume and/or pressure fluctuations. ln an embodiment, thesurge tank comprises a primary chamber and a secondary chamber, which are divided by amembrane. The primary chamber is in communication with the Clausius-Rankine cycle and thesecondary chamber is in communication with a pressure regulator. This makes it possible tocontrol or regulate a condensing pressure and thus a condensation temperature ofthe Clausius-Rankine cycle working fluid.

There remains a need for improved means for controlling a waste heat recovery system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The inventors of the present invention have identified a number of shortcomings in prior artwaste heat recovery systems. Expansion tanks comprising a membrane or bladder capable ofbeing actively pressure regulated are complex in design, require a source of pressurizing f|uidsuch as compressed air (which is not readily available in all vehicles), and, most importantly,are prone to premature failure. A potential factor in the premature failure of the expansiontank is the constant mechanical stress the membrane or bladder material undergoes due toexpansion and contraction of the expansion tank volume. Another potential factor is the oftenpoor compatibility between the material ofthe membrane/bladder, which is often rubber or a synthetic elastomer, and the working f|uid, which is often an organic solvent. lt would be advantageous to achieve a waste heat recovery system overcoming, or at leastalleviating, at least some of the above mentioned shortcomings. ln particular, it would bedesirable to provide a waste heat recovery system that has an improved longevity, especially with regard to the tank for storing working f|uid. ln order to better address one or more of these concerns, a waste heat recovery system for avehicle is provided, the waste heat recovery system having the features defined in the independent claims.The waste heat recovery system comprises: - a working f|uid pump; - an evaporator; - an expander; - a condenser; - a pump outlet line arranged to channel working f|uid from the working f|uid pump to theevaporator; - an evaporator outlet line arranged to channel working f|uid from the evaporator to theexpander; - an expander outlet line arranged to channel working f|uid from the expander to the condenser; 4 - a condenser outlet line arranged to channel working fluid from the condenser to the workingfluid pump; - a receiver tank comprising a tank inlet and a tank outlet; - a tank inlet line arranged to channel working fluid from a first junction in the condenseroutlet line to the tank inlet; and - a tank outlet line arranged to channel working fluid from the tank outlet to a second junctionin the condenser outlet line, wherein the second junction is arranged between the first junction and the working fluid pump.

The receiver tank has a substantially constant inner volume or constant inner volume and isequipped with a heater having a heater inlet arranged in fluid connection to the evaporatoroutlet line or expander outlet line. The heater is arranged to facilitate heat transfer from working fluid in the heater to working fluid in the receiver tank.

By utilizing a receiver tank having a constant or during operation substantially constant innervolume, the receiver tank volume is no longer required to contract and expand in order toregulate the WHR system, and the receiver tank may be fully constructed of relatively inelasticmaterials that tolerate prolonged contact with working fluid. The receiver tank may forexample be constructed from metal, such as stainless steel. Due to the receiver tank beingequipped with a heater utilizing heated working fluid from the evaporator or expander asheating medium, working fluid contained in the receiver tank may be vaporized using theheater. Vaporizing working fluid in this manner leads to an increase in pressure in the receivertank and its environs, including within the condenser. This increase in condensation pressureleads to a corresponding increase in condensation temperature, and means that the degree of sub-cooling achieved by the condenser may be controlled by the heater.

An expander by-pass line may be arranged to channel working fluid from the evaporatoroutlet line to the expander outlet line. An expander by-pass valve in this case may be arrangedat a junction of the expander by-pass line and evaporator outlet line, wherein the expanderby-pass valve is arranged to controllably redirect a flow of working fluid from the evaporatoroutlet line to the expander by-pass line. Such a by-pass line and valve allows working fluid tobe redirected past the expander in appropriate situations, for example whenever the working fluid exiting the evaporator is not fully vaporized. 5The heater may be arranged in the expander by-pass line. This provides a simple means offurnishing the heater with heating medium using a minimum of supplementary componentsand without requiring excessive redesign, since many WHR systems already utilize an expander by-pass line.

A heater feed line may be arranged to channel working fluid from the expander outlet line tothe heater inlet. ln such a case, a heater by-pass valve may be arranged at a junction oftheheater feed line and expander outlet line, wherein the heater by-pass valve is arranged tocontrollably redirect a flow of working fluid from the expander outlet line to the heater feedline. By using working fluid having exited the expander as heating medium, the performanceof the expander is not negatively impacted, and heat is utilized in the regulating the WHR system that otherwise would potentially have been lost to the condenser.

A heater return line may be arranged to channel working fluid from an outlet of the heater tothe expander outlet line. lf the system comprises a heater by-pass valve as described hereinthen the heater return line should join the expander outlet line at a point downstream ofthe heater by-pass valve.

A recuperator may be arranged to facilitate heat transfer from working fluid in the heaterreturn line to working fluid in the pump outlet line. This allows recovery of heat that otherwise would be lost in the condenser and thus increases the overall efficiency of the WHR system.

The recuperator may be further arranged to facilitate heat transfer from working fluid in theevaporator outlet line to working fluid in the pump outlet line. This means that all workingfluid passes through the recuperator regardless of whether it is redirected through the heater or not, thus further increasing the efficiency of the WHR system.

A first controllable flow regulating means may be arranged in the tank inlet line, and a secondcontrollable flow regulating means may be arranged in the tank outlet line. Such flowregulating means allow the receiver tank to be isolated. For example, during shutdown oftheWHR system, the WHR system may be controlled to ensure that vaporized working fluid ispresent only in the receiver tank and the rest of the system is filled with liquid working fluid.Once such a state is achieved, the receiver tank may be isolated by closure of the first and second flow regulating means, and the working fluid pump may then be switched off to stop 6working fluid circulating in the WHR system. Upon further cooling ofthe working fluid, thevaporized working fluid condenses and sub-atmospheric pressures are generated in thereceiver tank. However, the receiver tank is easily designed to withstand such low pressures.Other WHR system components which are more difficult to sea| against sub-atmospheric pressures, such as the expander, are therefore protected from exposure to such conditions.

A third controllable flow regulating means may be arranged in the condenser outlet linebetween the first junction and the second junction. This allows the flow of working fluid to be directed via the receiver tank or directly through the condenser outlet line as desired.

The receiver tank may be arranged to separate gaseous working fluid from liquid workingfluid. The receiver tank may be arranged to channel liquid working fluid to the tank outlet.Such an arrangement ensures that the working fluid channelled to the working fluid pump is always in liquid form and prevents damage to the pump by, for example, cavitation.

A desiccator medium may be contained in the receiver tank. This allows the removal ofmoisture from the working fluid and ensures predictable and reliable behaviour ofthe working fluid.

The waste heat recovery system may be a subcooler-free system. The ability to regulate condensation pressure using the heater renders a sub-cooler unnecessary.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method for controlling a waste heat recoverysystem described herein is provided. The method comprises a step of increasing condensationpressure in the condenser by controllably directing a flow of working fluid from the evaporatoroutlet line or expander outlet line through the heater. By directing a flow of working fluid fromthe evaporator outlet line or expander outlet line through the heater, working fluid containedin the receiver tank is vaporized and the condensation pressure is increased. This provides acorresponding increase in the condensation temperature and allows the condensationtemperature of the working fluid to be controlled without resorting to the use of working fluid tanks having a variable volume that can be regulated, as known in the prior art According to a further aspect of the invention, a method for shutting down a waste heatrecovery system described herein is provided. The method comprises a step of, during a shutdown phase of the waste heat recovery system, isolating the receiver tank by closing the 7 first controllable flow regulating means and second controllable flow regulating means, suchthat working fluid contained in a remainder of the waste heat recovery system has atemperature below a condensation temperature ofthe working fluid at ambient pressure. Thisallows the sub-atmospheric pressures generated upon shutdown ofthe WHR system to belocalised to the receiver tank, where such pressures can be easily accommodated. Thus, WHRsystem components which are much more difficult to engineer to withstand negative pressures, such as the expander, are not required to withstand such pressures.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, a vehicle comprising a waste heat recovery system as described herein is provided.

Further objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art from the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a fuller understanding of the present invention and further objects and advantages of it,the detailed description set out below should be read together with the accompanyingdrawings, in which the same reference notations denote similar items in the various diagrams, and in which: Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a vehicle according to the invention; Fig. 2 schematically illustrates WHR system according to an embodiment of theinvention; Fig. 3 schematically illustrates WHR system according to another embodiment of theinvention; Fig. 4 schematically illustrates WHR system according to a further embodiment oftheinvention; Fig. 5 schematically illustrates WHR system according to yet another embodiment of the invention; 8 Fig. 6 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a method for controlling the WHR systemaccording to the invention; andFig. 7 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a method for shutting down the WHR system according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention is based upon the insight that a waste heat recovery system comprisinga receiver tank may be controlled to obtain appropriate subcooling in the condenser byequipping the receiver tank with a heater and using the heater to vaporize working fluid in thereceiver tank, thus controlling the condensation pressure at the condenser. The heater operates using heated working fluid as the heating medium.

The waste heat recovery system may be based on a Rankine cycle or organic Rankine cycle. Thewaste heat recovery system comprises a working fluid pump; an evaporator; an expander; acondenser; and a receiver tank equipped with a heater. The working fluid is compressed andpumped as a liquid by the pump to the evaporator. ln the evaporator, the working liquid isheated and vaporised by heat exchange from a heat source passing through the evaporator. Theworking fluid, now in the gaseous phase, flows to the expander where it is allowed to expand,doing mechanical work. The expanded vapour is then cooled back to liquid again by thecondenser. ln this application, the term ”downstream” as applied to the WHR system is definedas the typical direction of flow of the working fluid in the WHR circuit from the working fluid pump via the evaporator, expander and condenser to the receiver tank.

A variety of working fluids may be chosen for use in the waste heat recovery system, dependingon the quality of the heat source(s) to be utilised. The working fluid may be water, or may be an organic liquid such as for example ethanol or R-245fa.

The working fluid pump ofthe waste heat recovery system may be of any type known in the art, and may, for example, suitably be electrically driven or mechanically driven. ln the evaporator, the working liquid is heated and vaporised by heat exchange from a heat source. The evaporator may be ofany type known in the art, for example a plate heat exchanger. 9The heat source may be any available source of waste heat in a vehicle, such as the vehicleexhaust gases, hot oil from a retarder or hot liquids from the vehicle cooling system. The wasteheat recovery system may have a number of evaporators, each for a separate source of waste heat.

The working fluid is vaporised in the evaporator, and therefore the working fluid arriving at theexpander should be in gaseous form. A channel bypassing the expander, equipped with a valve,may be provided in the working fluid circuit in order to direct non-evaporated fluid past theexpander without passing through the expander. This may for example be useful during start up and initial operation ofthe vehicle, or if no mechanical work is needed from the WHR system.

The expander can be of any type known in the art, including but not limited to turbine, screw,scroll, or piston expanders. The mechanical work produced in the expander may be provided toa generator for electricity production, or may be transferred to the vehicle powertrain, e.g. the crankshaft, using for example a clutch or freewheel.

The condenser may be of any type known in the art. The condenser condenses the working fluidback to the liquid phase. lt may be connected to a cooling circuit, which may for example be thestandard engine cooling system, or may be a dedicated cooling system. The cooling power ofthe condenser may be regulated in order to ensure that an appropriate degree of subcooling atan advantageous temperature is obtained. This may be performed by regulating thetemperature of a cooling fluid passing through the condenser, or by regulating the flow ofcooling fluid through the condenser. However, the condenser may not be able to providesufficient cooling in all circumstances, such as for example during full load conditions. Thepresent invention provides a further means of regulating subcooling by regulating pressure inthe low-pressure side of the waste heat recovery system by heating working fluid contained in the receiver tank.

The condensed working fluid is collected in a receiver tank. The receiver tank has a fixed innervolume, i.e. it does not possess a membrane capable of varying the inner volume ofthe tank asknown in prior art solutions. Since the receiver tank is not required to vary in volume, it may bemanufactured from strong and stable materials, for example from metals such as stainless steel.This considerably increases the service life of the tank as compared to tanks having for example rubber bladders or membranes.

The receiver tank may be configured as commonly known in the art in order to facilitategravitational phase separation of working fluid into a vapour phase and a liquid phase. This maybe achieved by having the receiver tank outlet located at the bottom ofthe tank (as orientatedwhen mounted on the vehicle). This ensures that working fluid in the vapour phase is trappedin the receiver tank and is not conveyed through the WHR system towards e.g. the pump. Thereceiver tank inlet may be located high up in the receiver tank (as orientated when mounted onthe vehicle). Liquid working fluid entering the tank thus falls to the bottom of the tank andvaporized working fluid forms a vapour column above the pooled liquid working fluid. Thereceiver tank may contain a desiccant material in order to remove any water entering the wasteheat recovery system. The receiver tank may further comprise a filter arranged to preventcirculation of solids or particulates in the WHR system. Such a filter may preferentially be arranged in a flow path between the receiver tank inlet and receiver tank outlet.

The receiver tank inlet and outlet are connected to the condenser outlet line, i.e. the conduitchannelling working fluid between the condenser and the working fluid pump. The tank inlet isconnected by a receiver inlet line and the tank outlet is connected by a receiver outlet linearranged downstream ofthe receiver inlet line. Flow regulating means, such as controllable stopvalves, may be arranged in the receiver inlet line and receiver outlet line. This allows the receivertank to be isolated when required. For example, during shutdown of the WHR system, thesystem may be controlled to ensure that only the receiver tank is subjected to sub-atmosphericpressures and that the rest of the system is filled with liquid working fluid and thus not subjectto sub-atmospheric pressures. This facilitates design and construction of the WHR system sinceit means that only the seals of the receiver must be designed to withstand sub-atmosphericpressure, and that other seals in the system must only protect against leakage outwards from the system due to elevated pressures.

A flow regulating means, such as a controllable stop valve, may be arranged in the section ofthe condenser outlet line between the junction with the receiver inlet line and the junction withthe receiver outlet line. This allow flow of working fluid to be directed to the receiver tank or to bypass the receiver tank as desired.

During normal operation of the waste heat recovery system the receiver tank typically contains a volume of liquid working fluid, and may for example normally be approximately half-full with 11liquid working fluid. This is because the volume of working fluid required to fill the circuit isgreater at lower temperatures than at higher temperatures, and the volume of working fluidshould be dimensioned to be capable of always filling the circuit. However, the receiver tank harbours the excess working fluid, thus preventing overfilling of the system.

The present invention utilizes vaporization ofthe working fluid contained in the receiver tank inorder to control subcooling ofthe working fluid from the condenser. By vaporizing working fluidin the receiver tank, the pressure and/or volume occupied in the receiver tank by vaporizedworking fluid is increased. Assuming that the receiver tank has a constant volume, this increasein volume of the vapour phase is compensated by lowering the liquid level in the receiver tank,thus forcing working fluid into the condenser and resulting in a greater degree of subcooling ofworking fluid in the condenser. This effect may be utlilized for example in situations where thecondenser is incapable of providing sufficient cooling power to subcool the working fluid. Onthe contrary, if the condenser is providing excessive subcooling, the pressure prevailing in thereceiver tank should be decreased. This may for example be achieved by directing a flow ofcooled working fluid from the condenser through the receiver tank in order to lower the temperature in the receiver tank. ln order to provide for vaporization of the working fluid contained in the receiver tank, thereceiver tank is equipped with a heater. Heating medium passing through the heater providesheat transfer to the working fluid contained in the receiver, thus acting to vaporize the workingfluid in the receiver and increase the condensation pressure. Thus, the receiver tank mayresemble a shell and tube heat exchanger with the receiver tank corresponding to the shell and the heater corresponding to the tube. ln the present invention the heating medium passing through the heater is working fluidredirected from the hot side of the waste heat recovery circuit, i.e. the part of the circuit between the evaporator and the condenser.

The working fluid as heating medium may be redirected from the evaporator outlet line, i.e. theconduit extending between the evaporator and expander, or from the expander outlet line, i.e.the conduit extending between the expander and condenser. lf the heating medium is takenfrom the expander outlet line, this has the advantage that line and valve channelling working fluid to the heater and then onwards to the condenser may also serve the purpose of an 12expander by-pass valve and line. Since waste heat recovery systems commonly comprise sucha by-pass this means that extra components may be avoided. However, if after the heater theheated working fluid is directed to the condenser then the heat contained in this working fluidis lost, thus potentially reducing the efficiency ofthe waste heat recovery system. This drawbackmay be ameliorated by passing the heated working medium through a recuperator as described below.

The working fluid as heating medium may be redirected from the expander outlet line. This hasthe advantage of using working fluid containing only waste heat as the heating medium. That isto say that most heat carried in the working fluid and not converted to work in the expanderwould in any case have been removed and thus lost in the condenser. This solution may also becombined with a recuperator as described below, thus further increasing the utilization of waste heat.

The WHR system may comprise a recuperator that utilises the heat of the working fluid leavingthe heater to preheat the working liquid prior to entering the evaporator. This reduces heat lossin the condenser and improves the efficiency of the system. The recuperator may be any typeof recuperator known in the art, such as a counter-current heat exchanger utilizing tuber orplates. The recuperator may be arranged in series with the heater such that working fluidflowing through the recuperator has necessarily previously flowed through the heater.However, the recuperator and heater may be arranged such that the heater may be by-passedand the recuperator is still provided with heated working fluid prior to the working fluid travelling to the condenser.

The waste heat recovery system may be configured in an alternative manner or may comprisefurther components as known in the art. For example, the WHR system may comprise sensors,such as temperature and pressure sensors. The WHR system may comprise further valves. TheWHR system may comprise further condensers in order to cool the working fluid in severalstages, or further expanders in order to expand the working fluid in several stages. However,the present invention results in a lesser need for a dedicated subcooler in the waste heat recovery system and therefore such a component may not be required.

The waste heat recovery system may suitably be controlled using a control unit. The control unit may suitably be connected to the waste heat recovery system and/or the cooling system. The 13control unit may suitably be connected to the evaporator, the expander and the pump of thewaste heat recovery system. The control unit may suitably be connected to the cooling pumpand any further means of regulating the cooling system, such as further pumps or control valves.The control unit may suitably be connected to any valves controlling the flow of heat sourcethrough the evaporator. The control unit may be the engine control unit or may comprise a plurality of different control units. A computer may be connected to the control unit. lf a cooling circuit is connected to the condenser of the waste heat recovery system, it maysuitably comprise a cooling pump arranged to circulate a cooling fluid through the coolingcircuit, a radiator arranged for cooling the cooling fluid, and one or more valve units forcontrolling the flow of the cooling fluid through the cooling circuit. The condenser may forexample have a dedicated cooling loop branching off from the main cooling circuit and controlled by one or more valves or pumps.

The temperature of the working liquid leaving the condenser may be measured directly or itmay be determined virtually. For example, if the temperature and flow of vapour entering thecondenser is known, and the cooling characteristics of the condenser are known, the temperature of the working fluid leaving the condenser may be readily determined.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to certain exemplifyingembodiments and the drawings. However, the invention is not limited to the exemplifyingembodiments discussed herein and/or shown in the drawings, but may be varied within thescope of the appended claims. Furthermore, the drawings shall not be considered drawn to scale as some features may be exaggerated in order to more clearly illustrate certain features.

Figure 1 schematically illustrates a side view of a vehicle 1 comprising an internal combustionengine 3, and a waste heat recovery system 9 associated with the internal combustion engine3. The vehicle may furthermore comprise a cooling system 71 associated with the internalcombustion engine 3 and connected to the waste heat recovery system 9. The vehicle furthercomprises a transmission 5 connected to the driving wheels 7 ofthe vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 maybe a heavy vehicle, e.g. a truck as herein illustrated or a bus. The vehicle may alternatively be apassenger car. Furthermore, the vehicle may be a hybrid vehicle comprising an electric machine(not shown) in addition to the combustion engine 3. The vehicle may alternatively be a marine vessel, such as a ship. 14Figure 2 schematically shows a waste heat recovery system 9 and cooling system 71 associated with a combustion engine 3 of a vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the invention.

The waste heat recovery system 9 comprises a working fluid pump 11; an evaporator 13; anexpander 15, here shown as a turbine; a condenser 17; and a receiver tank 27 for working fluid.Pump outlet line 19 connects the pump 11 to the evaporator 13. Evaporator outlet line 21connects the evaporator 13 to the expander 15. Expander outlet line 23 connects the expander15 to the condenser 17. Condenser outlet line 25 connects the condenser to the working fluidpump 11, and thus completes the working fluid circuit. The receiver tank has an inlet 29connected to the condenser outlet line 25 by receiver inlet line 33, and an outlet 31 connectedto the condenser outlet line 25 by receiver outlet line 37. The junction 39 of the receiver outletline 37 with the condenser outlet line 25 is arranged downstream of the junction 35 of thereceiver inlet line 37 with the condenser outlet line 25. Flow regulating means 57 and 59 arearranged in the receiver inlet line 33 and receiver outlet line 37 respectively. A further flow regulating means 61 is arranged in the condenser outlet line 25 between junctions 35 and 39.

The evaporator 13 is arranged for heat exchange between the working fluid and a heat source(not shown) associated with the combustion engine. The condenser 17 of the waste heatrecovery system 9 is connected to the engine cooling system 71. Here the condenser coolingsystem is illustrated as a dedicated condenser cooling loop comprising condenser inlet line 107and condenser return line 105, but alternative arrangements are possible. Alternatively, thecondenser cooling system may be a cooling system entirely separate to the engine cooling system 71.

During routine operation the working fluid in the waste heat recovery system is pumped fromlow pressure to high pressure by the working fluid pump 11 and enters the evaporator 13. Theworking fluid is thereby heated by the heat source (not shown) connected to the evaporator 13and the working fluid is evaporated. The working fluid vapour is then expanded in the expander15 whereby mechanical work is produced and the temperature and the pressure of the vapouris decreased. The mechanical work may for example be transferred to the transmission 5 of thevehicle as illustrated, and may thus be used to propel the vehicle. The working fluid vapourthereafter enters the condenser 17 where condensation through heat exchange between the vapour and the cooling fluid of the cooling system 71 brings the working fluid back to its initial liquid state. The working fluid is then transported to receiver tank 27 via tank inlet 29, orconveyed directly to working fluid pump 11, depending on the status of flow regulating means57, 59 and 61. The receiver tank 27 allows liquid working fluid to separate from working fluidvapour, and the liquid working fluid harboured in the receiver tank is thus stored in a form readyfor further pumping around the WHR circuit. Overall, the heat source (e.g. exhaust gas) providesthe energy entering the waste heat recovery system 9 and the energy leaves the waste heatrecovery system 9 as mechanical work via the expander 15 and as heat via the cooling system 71. ln some circumstances the condenser 17 is unable to provide sufficient cooling power in orderto sufficiently subcool the working fluid leaving the condenser. The present invention addressesthis problem by allowing working fluid harboured in receiver tank 27 to be vaporized, thusincreasing the condensation pressure and condensation temperature at the outlet of the condenser 17.

To this end, the receiver tank 27 is equipped with a heater 41. The heater 41 has a heater inlet43 arranged in fluid connection with the evaporator outlet line 21 via an expander by-pass line45. An expander by-pass valve 47 is arranged to either permit working fluid flow along theevaporator outlet line 21 to the expander 15, or to redirect working fluid flow to the evaporatoroutlet line 23 via the by-pas line 45, heater 41 and heater return line 53. lf working fluid isredirected through heater 41, working fluid contained in the receiving tank 27 will beevaporated and the condensation pressure at the outlet of condenser 17 will be raised. Thisleads to a higher condensation temperature and a lesser need of cooling power in condenser17 in order to achieve subcooling, thereby ensuring that sufficient subcooling is provided by thecondenser. The by-pass line 45 also serves the purpose of allowing the expander 15 to bebypassed if required, and such bypass lines are commonly implemented in waste heat recoverysystems. Thus, the system as illustrated in Figure 2 permits regulation of the condensation pressure of the working fluid with a minimum of reconfiguration of existing WHR systems.

Figure 3 schematically illustrates another embodiment of the present invention. Here only thewaste heat recovery system 9 is illustrated and all other systems such as the engine 3 andcooling system 71 have been removed for clarity. ln this embodiment heater return line 53 is routed via a recuperator 55 arranged in the pump outlet line 11 in order to pre-heat working 16fluid prior to entering evaporator 13. After passing through the recuperator, the working fluidis routed onwards towards the expander outlet line 23 as previously. This embodiment allowsthe recovery of heat from the working fluid passing through the heater 41 and thus increases the efficiency of the waste heat recovery system.

Figure 4 schematically i||ustrates a further embodiment of the present invention. ln thisembodiment the working fluid being led through the heater 41 is obtained from the expanderoutlet line 23. A heater feed line 49 is arranged to channel working fluid from expander outletline 23 to heater inlet 43. A heater by-pass valve 51 is arranged at the junction of heater feedline 49 and expander outlet line 23 in order to controllably redirect the flow of working fluidfrom the expander outlet line 23 to the heater feed line 49. I this embodiment the heat beingused for the heater 41 is waste heat, since it would otherwise have been removed from theworking liquid by condenser 17. Therefore, the arrangement of heater 41 as depicted in this embodiment does not negatively affect the output of the expander 41.

Figure 5 schematically i||ustrates yet another embodiment ofthe invention. ln this embodiment,a heater feed line 49 is again arranged to channel working fluid from expander outlet line 23 toheater inlet 43 and a heater by-pass valve 51 is arranged to select between flow of working fluidin the expander outlet line 23 or heaterfeed line 49. However, in this embodiment a recuperator55 is arranged in the expander outlet line 23 in order to transfer heat to working fluid enteringthe evaporator 13. The heater return line 53 joins with the evaporator outlet line at a pointupstream of the recuperator 55. A heater by-pass valve 51 directs flow between the heaterfeedline 49 or evaporator outlet line 23, and a check valve 56 prevents fluid flow in the wrongdirection through the heater 41. ln this embodiment all working fluid exiting the expander 15will therefore pass through recuperator 55, regardless ofwhether the working fluid is redirectedto the heater 41 or not, and thus at least a proportion ofthe waste heat contained in the working fluid will always be recovered by the recuperator 55.

Figure 6 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a method for controlling a waste heat recoverysystem according to the invention. Step s601 denotes the start of the method. ln step s603 thewaste heat recovery system is operated routinely, as described herein; i.e. working fluid is notrouted via the heater 41. Step s605 denotes a decision: is the condenser providing sufficient subcooling of the working fluid? This may for example be determined using pressure and/or 17temperature sensors located in the waste heat recovery system, or by determining the coolingpower of the condenser. lf the answer is YES, the method returns to step s603. lf the answer isNO the method proceeds to step s607. ln step s607 condensation pressure is increased in thecondenser by controllably directing a flow of working fluid from the evaporator out|et line orexpander out|et line through the heater 41. This has the effect of increasing the condensationtemperature of the working fluid and ensuring that the condenser may provide sufficient subcooling. Step s609 denotes the end of the method.

On the contrary, if the condenser 17 is providing excessive subcooling, the temperatureprevailing in the receiver tank 27 should be decreased. This may for example be achieved bydirecting a flow of cooled working fluid from the condenser 17 through the receiver tank 27 in order to lower the temperature in the receiver tank 27.

Figure 7 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a method for shutting down a waste heatrecovery system according to the invention. The method is performed during a shutdown phaseof the waste heat recovery system in order to ensure that gaseous working liquid is isolated inthe receiver tank 27 and that the rest of the system is filled with liquid working fluid. Liquidgathers in the cooler parts ofthe WHR system and vapour gathers in the hotter parts. Therefore,in order to localize vaporized working fluid to the receiver tank 27, working fluid should becirculated and the receiver tank 27 should be heated until it is the hottest part of the WHRsystem. Step s701 denotes the start of the method. ln step s703 working fluid is circulatedaround the waste heat recovery system via heater 41 in order to heat receiver tank 27. Steps705 denotes a decision: does vaporized working fluid remain in the main waste heat recoverycircuit, that is to say all waste heat recovery components with the exception of the receivertank? lf the answer is YES, the method returns to step s703. lf the answer is NO the methodproceeds to step s707. ln step s707 the receiver tank is isolated by closing the first controllableflow regulating means 57 and second controllable flow regulating means 59, such that workingfluid contained in the main waste heat recovery circuit has a temperature below a condensationtemperature of the working fluid at ambient pressure, i.e. is liquid. The working fluid nowisolated in the receiver tank will gradually cool, leading to the generation of sub-atmosphericpressures in the receiver tank. However, the receiver tank may easily be provided with sealsable to withstand such low pressures. Other WHR components are much more difficult to seal effectively against sub-atmospheric pressures, especially the expander, so by limiting the 18occurrence of such pressures to the receiver tank, the design and construction of the WHRsystem is simplified. ln step s709 the working fluid pump is shut off. Step s711 denotes the end of the method.

Claims

CLAll\/IS

1. A waste heat recovery system (9) for a vehicle (1), the waste heat recovery systemcomprising: a working fluid pump (11); an evaporator (13); an expander (15); a condenser (17); a pump outlet line (19) arranged to channel working fluid from the working fluid pump tothe evaporator; an evaporator outlet line (21) arranged to channel working fluid from the evaporator tothe expander; an expander outlet line (23) arranged to channel working fluid from the expander to thecondenser; a condenser outlet line (25) arranged to channel working fluid from the condenser to theworking fluid pump; a receiver tank (27) comprising a tank inlet (29) and a tank outlet (31); a tank inlet line (33) arranged to channel working fluid from a first junction (35) in thecondenser outlet line to the tank inlet; and a tank outlet line (37) arranged to channel working fluid from the tank outlet to a secondjunction (39) in the condenser outlet line, wherein the second junction is arrangedbetween the first junction and the working fluid pump; wäereiwcharacteršzecš in that the receiver tank Qähas a substantially constant inner volume and is equipped with aheater (41) having a heater inlet (43) arranged in fluid connection to the evaporator outletline (lågor expander outlet linemlgå), and wherein the heater (ålljs arranged to heaxﬂftransfer heat from working fluid in the heater (41) to working fluid in the receiver tank 27).

2. The waste heat recovery system according to claim 1, wherein it comprisesan expander by-pass line (45) which is arranged to channel working fluid from the evaporator outlet line to the expander outlet line; and 2an expander by-pass valve (47) which is arranged at a junction of the expander by-passline and evaporator outlet line, and is arranged to controllably redirect a flow of working fluid from the evaporator outlet line to the expander by-pass line.

3. The waste heat recovery system according to claim 2, wherein the heater is arranged in the expander by-pass line.

4. The waste heat recovery system according to any one of claims 1-2, wherein it comprisesa heater feed line (49) which is arranged to channel working fluid from the expander outletline to the heater inlet; and a heater by-pass valve (51) which is arranged at a junction of the heater feed line andexpander outlet line, and which is arranged to controllably redirect a flow of working fluid from the expander outlet line to the heater feed line.

5. The waste heat recovery system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein itcomprisesa heater return line (53) which is arranged to channel working fluid from an outlet of the heater to the expander outlet line.

6. The waste heat recovery system according to claim 5, wherein it comprisesa recuperator (55) which is arranged to facilitate heat transfer from working fluid in the heater return line to working fluid in the pump outlet line.

7. The waste heat recovery system according to claim 6, wherein the recuperator is furtherarranged to facilitate heat transfer from working fluid in the evaporator outlet line to working fluid in the pump outlet line.

8. The waste heat recovery system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein itcomprisesa first controllable flow regulating means (57) which is arranged in the tank inlet line; and a second controllable flow regulating means (59) which is arranged in the tank outlet line.

9. The waste heat recovery system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein itcomprisesa third controllable flow regulating means (61) which is arranged in the condenser outlet line between the first junction and the second junction.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15. 3The waste heat recovery system according to any one of the preceding claims, whereinthe receiver tank is arranged to separate gaseous working fluid from liquid working fluid,and wherein the receiver tank is arranged to channel liquid working fluid to the tank outlet. The waste heat recovery system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a desiccator medium is contained in the receiver tank. The waste heat recovery system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the waste heat recovery system is a subcooler-free system. A method for controlling a waste heat recovery system (9) according to any one of claims1-12, the method comprising a step of increasing condensation pressure in the condenser(17) by controllably directing a flow of working fluid from the evaporator outlet line or expander outlet line through the heater (41). A method for shutting down a waste heat recovery system (9) according to claim 7, themethod comprising a step of, during a shutdown phase ofthe waste heat recovery system,isolating the receiver tank (55) by closing the first controllable flow regulating means (57)and the second controllable flow regulating means (59), such that working fluid containedin a remainder of the waste heat recovery system has a temperature below a condensation temperature of the working fluid at ambient pressure. A vehicle (1) comprising a waste heat recovery system (9) according to any one of claims 1-12.