Patent ID: 9435295
Filing Date: 2016-09-06
CPC Classification: F01N,F02B,F02D,F02M,Y02T

Claim Text:
1. A method of operating a volume-controlled internal-combustion engine having an intake tract and an exhaust system, an expansion machine being arranged in the intake tract in a flow direction of combustion air upstream of an inlet valve of the internal-combustion engine, and an output shaft of the expansion machine being coupleable with an output shaft of the internal-combustion engine or a drive shaft of an electric machine, the method comprising the acts of: providing a heat exchanger in the exhaust system; heating the combustion air in the heat exchanger by an exhaust gas of the internal-combustion engine before flowing the combustion air through the expansion machine; mixing, with unheated combustion air, the heated combustion air in a mixer before flowing the combustion air into the expansion machine; cooling the combustion air downstream of the expansion machine and upstream of the inlet valve in a cooler; compressing with a first compressor the combustion air upstream of the heat exchanger and upstream of the mixer; and operating the expansion machine as a second compressor.