Patent ID: 7523613

Claim:
An internal combustion engine system, comprising: a liquid cooled internal combustion engine with a liquid coolant inlet and a liquid coolant outlet; a coolant forming the only liquid coolant medium for cooling said liquid cooled internal combustion engine; a fluid conduit forming a closed loop means, said closed loop means including a first liquid conduit portion, a second liquid conduit portion and a vapor conduit portion, said first liquid conduit portion extending at least from said liquid coolant inlet to said liquid coolant outlet, said first liquid conduit portion including a first pressure delimiting means upstream of said liquid coolant inlet and a second pressure delimiting means downstream of said liquid coolant outlet said first pressure delimiting means and said second pressure delimiting means cooperating for maintaining an engine coolant pressure in said first liquid conduit portion; a pump comprising said first pressure delimiting means, said pump being connected to said fluid conduit between said first liquid conduit portion and said second liquid conduit portion such that said coolant in said liquid state is transported within said first liquid conduit portion and said second liquid conduit portion, said first liquid conduit portion connecting said pump to said liquid coolant inlet, said pump receiving said coolant in said liquid state at a first pressure prevailing in said second liquid conduit portion, said pump transporting said coolant in said liquid state within said first liquid conduit portion at said engine coolant pressure for cooling the internal combustion engine via said coolant and for heating the coolant by said internal combustion engine at said engine coolant pressure to a first temperature below a boiling point of the coolant at said engine coolant pressure such that said coolant remains in a liquid state without any part thereof vaporizing in said first liquid conduit portion; an evaporating means connected to said internal combustion engine via said first liquid conduit portion for receiving the coolant in said liquid state and for evaporating the coolant in said liquid state by heating the coolant to a second temperature above the boiling point of the coolant and/or by expanding the coolant to a vapor pressure such that said coolant changes from said liquid state to an evaporated state, whereby evaporated coolant is produced via said evaporating means; and a turbine connected to said evaporating means via said vapor conduit portion, said evaporating means being provided directly upstream of said turbine with respect to a direction of flow of the coolant to feed evaporated coolant directly from said evaporating means to said turbine.