Patent ID: 7717097

Claim:
A method for controlling the temperature of the gases entering an internal combustion engine ( 58 ), comprising: 1) circulating the gases in a liquid/gas heat exchanger ( 2 , 12 , 22 , 34 , 44 ) prior to entering the internal combustion heat engine ( 58 ); 2) circulating a high temperature liquid through the liquid/gas heat exchanger, said high temperature liquid coming from a main loop ( 52 ), the main loop ( 52 ) comprising the internal combustion engine ( 58 ) and a high temperature radiator ( 64 ); and 3) circulating a low temperature liquid through the liquid/gas heat exchanger, said low temperature liquid coming from a secondary loop ( 54 ) in order to heat and/or cool the gases, said secondary loop comprising a low temperature radiator ( 78 ); wherein the heat exchanger includes a single stage heat exchanger ( 2 , 12 ) and the method further comprises the step of circulating either a low temperature liquid, a high temperature liquid or a mixture of the low temperature liquid and the high temperature liquid through the single state heat exchanger ( 2 , 12 ); and wherein the single stage heat exchanger ( 2 , 12 ) includes two sections ( 14 , 16 ) and the method further comprises the step of passing engine intake air ( 15 ) through one section ( 14 ) and a re-circulated fraction of exhaust gas ( 18 ) through the other section ( 16 ).