Patent ID: 6145497
Filing Date: 2000-11-14
Classification: F02B,Y02T

Abstract:
Method of recovering thermal energy in supercharging combustion-supporting air produced by a combustion-supporting air compressor (2, 2.1, 2.2) of an internal combustion engine (6, 6.1, 6.2) wherein thermal energy is taken by means of a heat exchanger (4, 4.1, 4.2) in which a heat-transfer fluid flows and which is situated on a combustion-supporting air circuit between the compressor and the engine and thermal energy (18. 6.1, 6.2) recovered by the fluid is transferred to a thermal energy consumer unit, characterized in that it further consists in:detecting (A, A.1, A.2) the temperature of the supercharging air upstream of the heat exchanger; andif the temperature detected is less than a first set point temperature, short-circuiting (30, 30.1, 30.2, 13, 13.1, 13.2) the heat exchanger and heating the heat-transfer fluid approximately to the set point temperature by means of an auxiliary heating device (21);wherein the temperature of the heat-transfer fluid is further detected (B. B.1, B.2) at the exit of the heat exchanger and, if the temperature detected exceeds a second set point temperature, the temperature of the heat-transfer fluid is reduced by passing at least some of it (30, 30.1, 30.2, 9, 9.1, 9.2) through an exchanger-cooling device (8, 8.1, 8.2) in which a cooling fluid flows; andfurther wherein the second set point temperature is at least approximately equal to said first set point temperature.