Patent ID: 7891186

Claim:
A waste heat recovery system configured to be used with an internal combustion engine having at least one piston and at least one cylinder in fluid communication with an intake manifold, the system comprising: a heat loop configured to transport a heat transfer fluid and to be in thermal communication with at least a portion of the internal combustion engine to receive waste heat therefrom and be heated thereby to increase the temperature of the heat transfer fluid; a compressor configured to be in fluid communication with the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine to supply compressed air thereto; at least a first Stirling engine in thermal communication with the heated heat transfer fluid in the heat loop and directly powered by the waste heat transferred thereto from the heated heat transfer fluid, and operatively coupled to the compressor to operate the compressor; and a cooling device directly or indirectly operated by the waste heat transferred thereto by the heated heat transfer fluid in the heat loop, the cooling device configured to be in thermal communication with the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine to cool the compressed air and communicate the cooled compressed air to the cylinder of the internal combustion engine.