Internal combustion engine system and an exhaust treatment unit for such a system

An internal combustion engine system includes a compressor arranged to compress air, at least one combustor, at least one of the at least one combustor being arranged to receive the compressed air, and an exhaust treatment device arranged to process exhaust gases produced by at least one of the at least one combustor, a heat exchanger arranged to receive the compressed air from the compressor before it reaches the at least one of the at least one combustor, and wherein the heat exchanger is arranged to transfer heat from the compressed air to the exhaust treatment device.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

The invention relates to an internal combustion engine system and an exhaust treatment unit for such a system.

The invention can be applied in heavy-duty vehicles, such as trucks, buses and construction equipment, e.g., working machines. The invention can also be applied to cars. Although the invention will be described with respect to a truck, the invention is not restricted to this particular vehicle type.

It is known that internal combustion engines with two stages of compression and two stages of expansion, e.g. by a compressor, a combustor and an expander, may provide for reaching very high pressures and for extracting more energy from the fuel. An example of such an engine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,371,256. It is suggested therein that upon exiting an expander cylinder, the engine exhaust gases might be routed to an exhaust gas after treatment system. However, a highly efficient vehicle engine may have very cool tailpipe exhaust, which may prevent or reduce the efficiency of exhaust treatment processes provided by exhaust treatment devices such as catalytic converters of various types. For certain processes, e.g. selective catalytic reduction (SCR), it is possible to compensate for low temperatures by providing large exhaust treatment devices; however, this will increase the weight and volume of the engine system, which may be a problem, particularly in vehicles, where often there are demanding space requirements.

It is desirable to reduce emissions from a highly efficient internal combustion engine. It is also desirable to provide a highly efficient internal combustion engine system, which provides an effective treatment of exhaust gases, while avoiding large increases of the volume and/or weight of the engine system.

According to an aspect of the invention, an internal combustion engine system is provided comprising

a compressor arranged to compress air,

at least one combustor, at least one of the at least one combustor being arranged to receive the compressed air, and

an exhaust treatment device arranged to process exhaust gases produced by at least one of the at least one combustor,

characterized in that the system comprises a heat exchanger arranged to receive the compressed air from the compressor before it reaches the at least one of the at least one combustor, and that the heat exchanger is arranged to transfer heat from the compressed air to the exhaust treatment device.

The heat exchanger being arranged to transfer heat to the exhaust treatment device provides a solution to the problem of exhaust gas temperatures being too low for an effective exhaust treatment process. By drawing heat from the compressed air, and transferring this heat to the exhaust treatment device, the temperature of the exhaust treatment device may be increased to improve the process therein. Also, the invention makes it possible to avoid the need to compensate for low temperatures by increasing the size of the exhaust treatment device, and thereby increasing the weight and volume of the engine system.

It should be noted that the engine system may comprise more a plurality of compressors, combustors, and heat exchangers and exhaust treatment devices. Thereby, separate groups of the combustors may be each arranged to receive compressed air from a respective of the compressors. It should be noted in particular that a combustor which is arranged to receive the compressed air from a particular compressor, may or may not be a combustor which produces exhaust gases which a particular exhaust treatment device processes.

The invention is particularly advantageous where the engine system comprises an expander arranged to receive the exhaust gases from the at least one of the at least one combustor, and to expand and extract energy from the exhaust gases, the exhaust treatment device being arranged to receive the exhaust gases from the expander. The high efficiency provided by the expander will bring the exhaust gas temperature to a relatively low level. However, by the heat exchanger being arranged to transfer heat from the compressed air to the exhaust treatment device, the exhaust gas temperature may be brought to a level which benefits the exhaust treatment device process. For example, the expander contributing to a highly efficient engine may result in exhaust gases in the range of 50-250° C. However, where the exhaust treatment device is a typical catalyst for NOx reduction, such a device may not work under 150° C. and may not become fully efficient until the temperature has reached 250° C. If the compressor compresses air e.g. to a temperature of around 260° C., the transfer of heat from the compressed air may bring the exhaust treatment device temperature up so as for the device to become fully efficient. It should be noted that in preferred embodiments, the heat exchanger is arranged to receive the exhaust gases from the expander.

Any suitable heat exchanger type may be used. The heat exchanger is preferably a counterflow heat exchanger. However, in some embodiments, the heat exchanger may be a parallel flow heat exchanger.

The invention is particularly advantageous where the system comprises a crankshaft, and the expander comprises a piston, and is arrange to drive the crankshaft, since a very effective expansion of the exhaust gases may thereby be provided, providing very low exhaust gas temperature. As mentioned, the invention provides for effectively running an exhaust treatment device despite such low exhaust gas temperature.

The system may comprise an oil separator arranged to receive exhaust gases from the expander, and to separate oil from the exhaust gases before the exhaust gases reach the exhaust treatment device. Thereby, oil introduced to the exhaust gases, e.g. by the expanders, will be removed therefrom, avoiding or reducing detrimental effects it may have on the heat exchanger and/or post-expander exhaust treatment device.

In some embodiments, the heat exchanger is arranged to transfer the heat to the exhaust treatment device via the exhaust gases. Thereby, where the heat exchanger is arranged to receive the exhaust gases, and the exhaust treatment device is arranged to receive the exhaust gases from the heat exchanger, the heat from the compressed air may the effectively transferred to the exhaust treatment device. The exhaust treatment device may be located in a path of the exhaust gases, downstream of the heat exchanger.

In some embodiments, a direct heat transfer is provided by the heat exchanger from the compressed air to the exhaust treatment device. The heat exchanger and the exhaust treatment device may be integrated. Thereby, the heat exchanger may comprise a wall separating the air and the exhaust gases, and the exhaust treatment device may comprise an exhaust treatment layer on an exhaust gas side of the wall. Thus, an exhaust gas part of the heat exchanger may be coated with the exhaust treatment layer. The exhaust treatment layer may be a catalyst.

The integration which reduces the total volume of the combination of the heat exchanger and the exhaust treatment device. Also, the integration enhances the heat transfer, and may therefore serve to reduce the time to a “working catalyst” during a cold start procedure of the engine system. It should be noted that whilst the exhaust treatment device is arranged to receive the exhaust gases, the heat exchanger itself may or may not be arranged to receive the exhaust gases.

Preferably, said wall of the heat exchanger presents a plurality of protruding flanges on an air side of the wall. Such flanges will enhance the absorption of the wall of heat from the compressed air, for transfer of the heat to the exhaust treatment layer.

It should be noted that in some embodiments, the exhaust treatment device may comprise a first portion which is integrated with the heat exchanger and a second portion which is arranged to receive heat from the compressed air via exhaust gases received from the heat exchanger. Thereby an effective use of the heat exchanger and a beneficial distribution of the exhaust treatment device may be provided. The first portion may comprise an exhaust treatment layer on the exhaust gas side of the wall the heat exchanger, separating the air and the exhaust gases, and the second portion may comprise a further exhaust treatment element located in a path of the exhaust gases, downstream of the heat exchanger.

Said first portion of the exhaust treatment device may be an oxidation catalyst arranged to convert at least a portion of nitrogen monoxide (NO) to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and to oxidize oil and hydrocarbons (HC). The second portion may be an SCR catalyst. An injector may be arranged to inject reductant for the SCR catalyst between the first and second portions. In other embodiments the first portion may be an SCR catalyst and the second portion may be a further SCR catalyst. Thereby, an injector may be arranged to inject reductant upstream of the first portion, preferably in the vicinity of or into the expander. Regardless of whether the first and second portions are oxidation and SCR catalysts, respectively, or whether both portions are SCR catalysts, a coating of an ammonia slip catalyst (ASC) is preferably provided in the end of the second portion.

The invention is particularly beneficial where the exhaust treatment device comprises an oxidation catalyst, and/or a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst. Such catalysts may need a minimal exhaust gas temperature to work efficiently, and this is provided by the heat exchanger being arranged to transfer heat from the compressed air to the exhaust treatment device.

Where the exhaust treatment device comprises an SCR catalyst, the system preferably comprises an injector arranged to inject reductant for the SCR catalyst, upstream of the heat exchanger. Thereby, where the SCR catalyst is located downstream of the, such an arrangement of the injector may provide a good mixing of the reductant with the exhaust gases, before reaching the SCR catalyst.

Preferably, where the system comprises an expander arranged to receive the exhaust gases from the at least one of the at least one combustor, and to expand and extract energy from the exhaust gases, the exhaust treatment device is arranged to receive the exhaust gases from the expander, and the system comprises an injector arranged to inject the reductant for the SCR catalyst, upstream of the expander or into the expander.

Thereby, a particularly good mixing of the reductant with the exhaust gases may be provided. The injectors are preferably controllable by a control unit of the engine system, to control the timing, the flow and the duration of the redundant injections. Specifically, the timing and duration of the reductant injections may be coordinated with the actuations of one or more expander inlet valves, in order to enable good mixing of the reductant with the exhaust gases in the expander.

Preferably, the system is arranged so that during an operation thereof, the exhaust treatment device presents a temperature above 150° C., above preferably 250° C. As suggested above, this may secure an efficient process in the exhaust treatment device, e.g. where the latter comprises an SCR catalyst.

In some embodiments, the heat exchanger is a first heat exchanger, and the system further comprises a second heat exchanger arranged to receive the air from the first heat exchanger before it reaches the at least one of the at least one combustor, and to receive the processed exhaust gases from the exhaust treatment device, the second heat exchanger being arranged to allow heat to be exchanged between the air and the exhaust gases. Thereby, the system may allow, during an operation thereof, heat to be transferred in the second heat exchanger from the exhaust gases to the air. Thus, energy in the exhaust gases can be recovered by heating the intake air after the air has delivered heat, by means of the first heat exchanger, to the exhaust treatment device.

The second heat exchanger is preferably a counterflow heat exchanger. However, in some embodiments, the second heat exchanger may be a parallel flow heat exchanger.

Advantageously, the heat exchanger forms a buffer volume for the air.

The air buffer volume reduces or eliminates any requirements of correlation of the actuation timing of compressor outlet valves and combustor inlet valves403to avoid losses with pulsating flows. Thanks to the air buffer volume, such valve actuation timing correlation requirements may be relaxed without increasing the risk of pulsating flows. Thereby simpler and cheaper valve control systems may be employed.

Preferably, where the system comprises an expander arranged to receive the exhaust gases from the at least one of the at least one combustor, and to expand and extract energy from the exhaust gases, the system comprises in addition to said exhaust treatment device a pre-expander exhaust treatment device arranged to receive exhaust gases from the at least one of the at least one combustor, to provide an exhaust treatment process to the exhaust gases, and to deliver processed exhaust gases to the expander. The pre-expander exhaust treatment device may comprise an oxidation catalyst, and/or a particulate filter. Where both are provided, the particulate filter may be located downstream of the oxidation catalyst. The system may further be arranged so that during an operation thereof, the pre-expander exhaust treatment device presents a temperature which is considerably higher than the temperature of the exhaust treatment device to which the heat exchanger is arranged to transfer heat from the compressed air. Thereby, an advantageous distribution of exhaust treatment devices along the path of the exhaust gases may be provided, giving different temperatures which are each optimized for the respective exhaust treatment device.

It is understood that depending on the provision of the pre-expander exhaust treatment device, the expander is arranged to receive processed or unprocessed exhaust gases from the combustor. Exhaust gases are herein understood as being processed if they are received from an exhaust treatment device.

The invention is particularly advantageous where the system comprises a crankshaft, and the combustor comprises a piston arranged to reciprocate in a cylinder, and to drive the crankshaft. It is understood that the system may comprise a plurality of combustors, each comprising a piston arranged to reciprocate in a respective cylinder, whereby the piston are all arranged to drive the crankshaft.

Where an expander is provided as exemplified above, the expander is preferably a piston expander arranged to drive the crankshaft with the extracted energy. Similarly, the compressor may be a piston compressor, arranged to be driven by the crankshaft. Thus, the invention may be advantageously implemented in a multistage compression and expansion engine where the compressor(s) and the expanders are connected to the crankshaft. Such a connection may be direct or indirect, as exemplified below. Typically, the expanders may provide 30-50%, e.g. 40%, of the total power of the engine, and the compressor(s) may take 10-20% of the total power of the engine.

The invention may be advantageously implemented as an engine system, where the combustor comprises a fuel injector and is arranged to combust fuel and at least a portion of the received air in a Diesel cycle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1shows a vehicle in the form of a truck, or a tractor for a semitrailer. It should be noted however that the invention is applicable to a variety of alternative types of vehicles, such as a car, a bus, or a working machine such as a wheel loader. The vehicle comprises an internal combustion engine system1.

FIG. 2is schematic and does not show, for simplicity of this presentation, certain parts such as devices for the actuation of inlet and outlet valves in cylinders of the engine system. The engine system1comprises a multi-stage compression and expansion internal combustion engine. The engine comprises three combustors4, in the form of cylinders with pistons, and three piston compressors3.

The system further comprises an air guide34arranged to guide compressed air from the compressors3to the combustors4. The air guide34is arranged such that the air therein passes through a heat exchanger6, described closer below.

The system further comprises three piston expanders5arranged to expand exhaust gases from the combustors4and to extract energy from the expanded exhaust gases. An exhaust guide9is arranged to guide exhaust gases from the combustors4to the expanders5. The exhaust guide9comprises a pre-expander exhaust treatment device91described closer below. The exhaust guide9is further arranged to guide exhaust gases from the expanders5to the heat exchanger6. The exhaust guide9is also arranged to guide exhaust gases from the heat exchanger6to a post-expander exhaust treatment device8, described closer below.

It is understood that the engine system may comprise any number of combustors4, compressors3, and expanders5. In this example, the combustors4, compressors3, and expanders5share a single heat exchanger6, a single pre-expander exhaust treatment device91, and a single post-expander exhaust treatment device8. However, the number of air guides34, heat exchangers6, exhaust guides9, pre-expander exhaust treatment devices91, and post-expander exhaust treatment devices8may vary as well. For example, it is conceivable that a plurality of pairs of air guides34and exhaust guides9with respective heat exchangers6to and from subgroups of the cylinders.

Reference is made toFIG. 3in which only one of the combustors4, only one of compressors3, and only one of the expanders5are shown. The piston401of each combustor4is arranged to reciprocate in the respective cylinder402, whereby the pistons are all arranged to drive a crankshaft2of the engine. For simplicity, the combustor4, the compressor3, and the expander5are shown as all being located in the same cross-sectional plane; in a real implementation of the embodiment, the combustor4, the compressor3, and the expander5are preferably offset in relation to each other along the crankshaft2.

The combustors4are provided with respective sets of inlet and outlet valves403,404, arranged to be actuated in a manner which may be known per se, e.g. with cams mounted on camshafts, (not shown). The timing and the maximum movements of the valves403,404may also be variable, as is also known per se.

In addition, the combustors4are provided with respective fuel injectors405for injecting a fuel into the cylinders402. In this example, the combustors4are arranged to provide a Diesel cycle to extract work from the air and fuel provided. However, the invention is equally applicable to engines in which the combustors are arranged to provide an Otto cycle, wherein the engine system may be provided with means for air mass flow control, such as variable inlet and outlet valves303,304of the compressors3, described further below, for controlling the air supply to the combustors4. Alternatively, or in addition, the means for air mass flow control may comprise one or more throttles for controlling the air supply to the combustors4. The engine system may be provided with spark plugs in the combustors.

The pistons501of the expanders5are arranged to drive the crankshaft2with the energy extracted from the exhaust gases from the combustors4. The expanders5are provided with respective sets of inlet and outlet valves503,504, arranged to be actuated with cams mounted on camshafts, (not shown). The timing and the maximum movements of the valves503,504may also be variable, as is known per se.

Further, the pistons301of the compressors3are all arranged to be driven by the crankshaft2. The compressors3are provided with respective sets of said inlet and outlet valves303,304, arranged to be actuated with cams mounted on camshafts, (not shown). The timing and the maximum movements of the valves303,304may also be variable, as is known per se.

The pre-expander exhaust treatment device91is arranged to provide an exhaust treatment process to the exhaust gases from the combustors4. The pre-expander exhaust treatment device91comprises an oxidation catalyst11, and a particulate filter12located downstream of the oxidation catalyst11. The pre-expander exhaust treatment device91presents in this example a circular cross-section.

The post-expander exhaust treatment device8is in this example provided in the form of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst. The SCR catalyst8is arranged to receive exhaust gases from the expanders5and to provide an exhaust treatment process to the received exhaust gases, which process reduces nitrogen oxides (NOx) as is known per se.

Alternatively, the post-expander exhaust treatment device8comprises an oxidation catalyst.

The system also comprises three injectors10arranged to inject reductant for the SCR catalyst8. Each injector10is arranged to inject the reductant directly into a respective of the expanders5. The injectors10are controllable by a control unit (not shown), to control the timing, the flow and the duration of the redundant injections. Specifically, the timing and duration of the reductant injections are coordinated with the actuations of the expander inlet valves503, in order to enable good mixing of the reductant with the exhaust gases in the expander. In alternative embodiments, as exemplified below, the injectors10are arranged to inject the reductant into the exhaust guide9, upstream of the expanders5and downstream of the pre-expander exhaust treatment device91.

In alternative embodiments, a single reductant injector may be provided, e.g. where the engine system is provided with a single expander5arranged to receive exhaust gases from a plurality of combustors4. The single reductant injector may be thereby be arranged to inject the reductant upstream of, or into the single expander.

It is understood that the multi-stage compression and expansion internal combustion engine of the system inFIG. 2andFIG. 3provides a compression of the air by the compressors3, and a further compression by the combustors4. An expansion is provided by the combustors4, and a further expansion is provided by the expanders5. The multistage expansion provides a high utilization of the energy in the combustions of the engine. As a result, the exhaust gas temperature downstream of the expanders5will be relatively low, e.g. within the range of 50-250° C. This means that the temperature might be too low for the NOx reducing process in the SCR catalyst8to be efficient. Such a process may not be possible at all in temperatures below 150° C., and for the process to be fully efficient, the temperature usually have to reach 250° C.

The heat exchanger6provides a solution to this problem. The heat exchanger6is arranged to receive exhaust gases produced by the combustors4and delivered by the expanders5. The heat exchanger6is further arranged to receive compressed air from the compressor3before it reaches the combustors4. The compressed air reaching the heat exchanger6may present a temperature of 200-450° C., preferably 260-350° C.

The heat exchanger6is arranged for a heat exchange between the compressed air and the exhaust gases. Thereby, the heat exchanger6is arranged to transfer heat to the post-expander exhaust treatment device8via the exhaust gases. Thus the temperature of the exhaust gases may be increased before reaching the post-expander exhaust treatment device8to improve the process therein. The combination of the heat exchanger6and the post-expander exhaust treatment device8is herein also referred to as an exhaust treatment unit.

In addition to increasing the temperature for said exhaust treatment process, the heat exchanger6also forms a buffer volume for the air. The air buffer volume reduces or eliminates any requirements of correlation of the actuation timing of the compressor outlet valves304and the combustor inlet valves403to avoid losses with pulsating flows. Thanks to the air buffer volume, such valve actuation timing correlation requirements may be relaxed without increasing the risk of pulsating flows. Thereby simpler and cheaper valve control systems may be employed.

It is understood that the air buffer volume of the heat exchanger6suitably presents a cross-section which is larger than any lateral cross-section, perpendicular to a local intended air flow direction, of portions of the air guide34upstream and downstream of the heat exchanger6.

The system comprises an oil separator14arranged to receive exhaust gases from the expander5, and to separate oil from the exhaust gases before the exhaust gases reach the heat exchanger6and the post-expander exhaust treatment device8. Thereby, oil introduced to the exhaust gases, e.g. by the expanders5, will be removed therefrom, avoiding or reducing detrimental effects it may have on the post-expander exhaust treatment device8.

The expanders5inFIG. 3are herein also referred to as first expanders5. In addition, the system may comprise one or more second expanders15arranged to receive and expand exhaust gases from the post-expander exhaust treatment device8and to extract energy from the expanded exhaust gases. The second expander15, schematically represented inFIG. 3, may be mechanically connected, as indicated inFIG. 3with a broken line153, to an additional compressor31. The additional compressor31may be arranged to compress intake air before it reaches the piston compressor3.

Reference is made toFIG. 4, showing an engine system according to an alternative embodiment of the invention. This embodiment shares features with the embodiment described with reference toFIG. 2-FIG. 3. However, some further advantageous features are also provided.

The engine system inFIG. 4comprises a first heat exchanger6, arranged similarly to the heat exchanger in the engine system inFIG. 3. In addition, the system inFIG. 4comprises a second heat exchanger7. The second heat exchanger7is provided in the path of the air guide34, between the first heat exchanger6and the combustors4. Thus, the second heat exchanger7is arranged to receive the air from the first heat exchanger6before it reaches the combustors4.

Further, the second heat exchanger7is provided in the path of the exhaust guide9, downstream of the post-expander exhaust treatment device8, and is thereby arranged to receive the processed exhaust gases from the exhaust treatment device8. Thus, the second heat exchanger7is arranged to allow heat to be exchanged between the air and the exhaust gases. In particular, heat may be transferred in the second heat exchanger7from the exhaust gases to the air. Thereby, energy in the exhaust gases can be recovered by heating the intake air after the air has delivered heat, by means of the first heat exchanger6, to the exhaust gases for the post-expander exhaust treatment device8.

The system inFIG. 4also comprises three injectors10arranged to inject reductant for the SCR catalyst8into the exhaust guide9, upstream of the expanders5and downstream of the pre-expander exhaust treatment device91. More specifically, each injector10is arranged to inject reductant into a respective branch901of the exhaust guide9; seeFIG. 2. Each branch901is arranged to guide exhaust gases from a non-branched portion of the exhaust guide to a respective of the expanders5. The injectors10are controllable by a control unit (not shown), to control the timing, the flow and the duration of the redundant injections. Specifically, the timing and duration of the reductant injections of each injector10are coordinated with the actuations of the respective expander inlet valve503, in order to enable good mixing of the reductant with the exhaust gases in the respective expander5.

Reference is made toFIG. 5presenting a detail of a further embodiment of the invention. In the embodiments inFIG. 3andFIG. 5, the (first) heat exchanger6is arranged to transfer the heat to the post-expander exhaust treatment device8via the exhaust gases. As an alternative, the heat may be transferred in a more direct manner. In the example inFIG. 5, the heat exchanger6and the post-expander exhaust treatment device8are integrated.

The heat exchanger6comprises a wall601separating the air and the exhaust gases. It is understood that the heat exchanger preferably comprises a plurality of such walls, e.g. arranged in parallel with each other. Such a plurality of walls may define alternating cavities for the air and cavities for the exhaust gases.

The post-expander exhaust treatment device8comprises an exhaust treatment layer801on an exhaust gas side of the wall601, i.e. on a side of the wall facing a cavity arranged to house the exhaust gases. The exhaust treatment layer801is preferably a catalyst. Thus, an exhaust gas part of the heat exchanger6is in this example coated with a catalyst. This integration which reduces the total volume of the combination of the heat exchanger6and the post-expander exhaust treatment device8. Also, the integration enhances the heat transfer, and therefore serves to reduce the time to a “working catalyst” during a cold start procedure of the engine system.

It should be noted that in addition to the integrated catalyst801, the post-expander exhaust treatment device8may also present a portion which is arranged to receive the heat from the heat exchanger6via the exhaust gases, e.g. by being located downstream of the heat exchanger as inFIG. 3.

As can be seen inFIG. 5, said wall601of the heat exchanger6presents a plurality of protruding flanges602on an air side of the wall601, i.e. on a side of the wall facing a cavity arranged to house the air. Such flanges602will enhance the absorption of the wall601of heat from the compressed air, for transfer of the heat to the exhaust treatment layer801.

In the embodiments described with reference toFIG. 2-FIG. 4, the pistons of the compressors3and the expanders5are directly connected to the crankshaft2via respective connecting rods. In alternative embodiments, the pistons of the compressors3and the expanders5may be indirectly connected to the crankshaft2, e.g. via an additional crankshaft and a chain, belt or gear connection between the crankshafts.