Patent ID: 8166759

Claim:
An exhaust heat recovery apparatus comprising: a heat engine that generates motive power by burning a mixture of fuel and air, the heat engine including a row of cylinders associated with a first crankshaft; a manifold for exhaust gases of the heat engine, the manifold being associated with an upper portion of the row of cylinders; and an exhaust heat recovery device that recovers thermal energy of an exhaust gas discharged from the heat engine, converts the thermal energy into kinetic energy, wherein the exhaust heat recovery device includes a heater and at least one cylinder, wherein the heat engine and the exhaust heat recovery device are united into a single structure, and said heater is disposed inside a central portion of said manifold on the side of said row, wherein the exhaust heat recovery device is associated with a second crankshaft, and an upper portion of the exhaust heat recovery device is connected to the manifold for the exhaust gases, wherein the first crankshaft is different from the second crankshaft, wherein the heater of the exhaust heat recovery device extends into the manifold via a downward facing opening of the manifold, wherein the downward facing opening encircles an upper portion of the at least one cylinder of the exhaust heat recovery device, wherein an exhaust heat recovery device-side housing and a heat engine-side housing are united, and wherein a partition separates an inside of the exhaust heat recovery device-side housing and an inside of the heat engine-side housing from one another such that a pressure in the exhaust heat recovery device-side housing and a pressure in the heat engine-side housing are isolated from one another.