Patent ID: 6450283
Filing Date: 2002-09-17
Classification: B60K,B60L,B60W,F01K,F01N,F02B,F02G,Y02T,Y10S

Abstract:
A waste heat conversion system for producing added useful work in a vehicle of the type that is powered by a waste heat producing primary heat engine, where the primary heat engine is controlled by a throttle operable within a range of throttle settings between zero power and full power, where the primary heat engine is coupled through a transmission to a vehicle drive shaft and where the vehicle drive shaft is also coupled to vehicle drive wheels, the waste heat conversion system comprising:(a) a boiler and a vapor engine, the boiler using waste heat produced by the primary heat engine to boil a pressurized working fluid to generate high pressure vapor, the vapor engine for receiving and expanding the high pressure vapor from the boiler to produce work, (b) a clutch coupling the vapor engine with the vehicle drive shaft, (c) a control unit, a drive shaft rotation sensor that sends a signal to the control unit in response to the rotation of the vehicle drive shaft and a power setting sensor that sends a signal to the control unit in response to the throttle setting of the primary heat engine, the control unit engaging the clutch when the vehicle drive shaft is rotating and when the throttle setting is greater than zero so that the system may operate in one of at least two modes: a first mode where the clutch is engaged so that power can transfer from the vapor engine to the vehicle drive shaft and a second mode where the clutch is not engaged so that power can not be transferred between the vapor engine and the vehicle drive shaft.