Patent ID: 9051851
Filing Date: 2015-06-09
Classification: F01K,F02G,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A method for recovering heat and converting the heat into mechanical power in a drive system for motor vehicles, which comprises the steps of: evaporating a working medium carried in a working medium circuit with an aid of at least one evaporator integrated into the working medium circuit by means of waste heat from an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle, the working medium circuit having at least one valve being subjected to one of open-loop or closed-loop control by an open-loop or closed-loop controller, and a vapor accumulator disposed downstream of the at least one evaporator such that when motive of an expansion machine is not required or the internal combustion engine is not being operated under power, vapor generated is fed at least in part into the vapor accumulator; feeding the vapor stored in the vapor accumulator back at least in part into the working medium circuit for driving of the expansion machine if at least one of a motive power of the expansion machine is required or the internal combustion engine is being operated under power; feeding the vapor generated to the expansion machine coupled to the internal combustion engine; converting exhaust vapor from the expansion machine back into a liquid phase in at least one condenser; and performing at least one of: using an exhaust system of the internal combustion engine as a heat source for the at least one evaporator during at least one of an overrun phase or an engine braking phase when the internal combustion engine has at least one throttling device in an exhaust section for generating engine braking power; or heating the vapor accumulator by exhaust gases from the internal combustion engine.