초록 ▼

A supercharged internal combustion engine system wherein during periods of high power demand the weight of combustion chamber charge is increased by cooling intake air in a vortex tube operated by high-pressure air from a storage tank. In addition to increasing engine output power, cold air intake a

A supercharged internal combustion engine system wherein during periods of high power demand the weight of combustion chamber charge is increased by cooling intake air in a vortex tube operated by high-pressure air from a storage tank. In addition to increasing engine output power, cold air intake also reduces engine pre-ignition (knocking) thereby reducing emissions. Included are means for sensing engine power demand and controlling the supercharging action. Output of the vortex tube may be also used to operate an ejector pump which further compresses intake air and increases charge weight. During periods of natural aspiration the ejector pump can be by-passed to reduce flow impedance. Effective supercharging is achieved even at low engine speeds. One of the objects of the invention is to obtain more power from small displacement ICE and thus providing automotive vehicles with sufficient acceleration in addition to good fuel economy. Another object of the invention is to enhance turbocharged engines and reduce their response lag.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A supercharger assembly for an ICE comprising: (a) a vortex tube having an inlet port and a cold outlet port; (b) a driving nozzle; (c) a means for regulating mass flow rate of high-pressure air through said vortex tube; (d) a means for sensing ICE power demand; and (e) a con

What is claimed is: 1. A supercharger assembly for an ICE comprising: (a) a vortex tube having an inlet port and a cold outlet port; (b) a driving nozzle; (c) a means for regulating mass flow rate of high-pressure air through said vortex tube; (d) a means for sensing ICE power demand; and (e) a control unit configured for operatively controlling said means for regulating mass flow of said high-pressure air in accordance with sensed ICE power demand; said cold outlet port being fluidly coupled to said nozzle; and said nozzle being adapted for inducing intake air into an ICE intake. 2. A supercharged internal combustion engine system comprising: an internal combustion engine (ICE), a flow control means an electronic control unit (ECU), and a vortex tube; said ICE having at least one combustion chamber and an intake passage; said intake passage being fluidly coupled to said combustion chamber and configured for flowing intake air thereinto; said intake passage being fluidly coupled to a source of intake air; said vortex tube having an inlet port fluidly coupled to a source of high-pressure air; said vortex tube having a cold outlet port fluidly coupled to said intake passage; said source of intake air being adapted for providing intake air at a first pressure; said source of high-pressure air being adapted for providing air at a second pressure; said second pressure being substantially greater than the first pressure; said flow control means for regulating the mass flow rate of said high-pressure air through said inlet port; said ECU operatively coupled to said flow control means; and said ECU regulating said mass flow rate to said inlet port according to a combination of parameters chosen from the group consisting of ICE output shaft torque, ICE rotational speed, intake passage pressure, intake passage temperature, intake air flow rate, fuel flow rate, vehicle speed, and position of accelerator pedal. 3. The supercharged internal combustion engine system as in claim 2, wherein said ECU is configured to increase said mass flow rate when ICE rotational speed is less than a predetermined ICE rotational speed value and ICE output torque is more than a predetermined ICE output torque value. 4. The supercharged internal combustion engine system as in claim 2, wherein said ECU is configured to decrease said mass flow rate when ICE rotational speed is more than a predetermined ICE rotational speed value and ICE output torque is less than a predetermined ICE output torque value. 5. The supercharged internal combustion engine system as in claim 2 wherein the ratio of said second pressure to said first pressure is at least 1.4. 6. The supercharged internal combustion engine system as in claim 2 wherein said vortex tube is being cooled by a medium selected from the group consisting of liquid coolant, ICE coolant, air, gaseous coolant, and phase change material. 7. The supercharged internal combustion engine system as in claim 2 further comprising a regulating valve configured for regulating the flow of intake air from said intake air source to said intake passage. 8. The supercharged internal combustion engine system as in claim 7 further comprising an electronic control unit (ECU) operatively coupled to said flow regulating valve for regulating intake air flow from said intake air source to said intake passage according to operating conditions of said ICE. 9. The supercharged internal combustion engine system as in claim 7 wherein said regulating valve is arranged to be closed when the mass flow rate of said high-pressure air through said inlet port is more than a first predetermined mass flow rate value and to be open when the mass flow rate of said high-pressure air through said inlet port is less than a second predetermined mass flow rate value. 10. The supercharged internal combustion engine system as in claim 7 wherein at least one of the closing speed and the opening speed of said regulating valve are controlled to produce substantially smooth variation in air density in said intake passage. 11. The supercharged internal combustion engine system as in claim 2 wherein said source of intake air is chosen from the group consisting of ambient atmosphere, engine driven supercharger, exhaust gas turbocharger, and electric turbocharger. 12. The supercharged internal combustion engine system as in claim 2 further comprising an ejector pump for pumping intake air into said intake passage; said ejector being disposed between said source of intake air and said intake passage; said ejector having at least one driving nozzle, a suction port, and a discharge port; said suction port being fluidly coupled to said source of intake air; said discharge port being fluidly coupled to said intake passage; and said driving nozzle fluidly being coupled to said cold outlet port of said vortex tube. 13. The supercharged internal combustion engine system as in claim 12 wherein said driving nozzle is chosen from the group consisting of a subsonic nozzle, sonic nozzle, supersonic nozzle, annular nozzle, lobed nozzle, supersonic lobed nozzle, variable area nozzle, and a pintle nozzle. 14. The supercharged internal combustion engine system as in claim 12 further comprising an ejector bypass duct and a bypass valve; said ejector bypass duct having a duct inlet fluidly coupled to said suction port and a duct outlet fluidly coupled to said intake passage; said bypass valve configured for controlling the air flow through said bypass duct. 15. The supercharged internal combustion engine system as in claim 14 wherein said bypass valve is arranged to be closed when mass flow rate of said high-pressure air through said inlet port is more than a predetermined mass flow rate value and to be open when mass flow rate of said high-pressure air through said inlet port is less than a predetermined mass flow rate value. 16. The supercharged internal combustion engine system as in claim 14 wherein said bypass valve is arranged to be closed when the difference between the air pressure at said duct outlet and the air pressure at said duct inlet is more than a predetermined pressure value, and to be open when the difference between the air pressure at said duct outlet and the air pressure at said duct inlet is less than a predetermined pressure value. 17. The supercharged internal combustion engine system as in claim 2 further comprising a cooling jacket in a good thermal contact with the exterior surface of said vortex tube and adapted for removing heat therefrom; said cooling jacket is configured for transferring heat from said vortex tube into a medium selected from the group consisting of liquid coolant, ICE coolant, gaseous coolant, air, and phase change material. 18. The supercharged internal combustion engine system as in claim 2 further comprising an intake duct and a driving nozzle; said intake duct having an upstream end and a downstream end; said upstream end being fluidly coupled to said source of intake air and configured to receive intake air therefrom; said downstream end being fluidly coupled to said intake passage; said driving nozzle being disposed inside said intake duct and configured to direct its discharge flow toward said downstream end; and said driving nozzle being fluidly coupled to said source of high-pressure air and configure to receive high-pressure air therefrom. 19. A supercharged internal combustion engine system comprising: (a) an internal combustion engine (ICE) having at least one combustion chamber, an intake passage; said intake passage being fluidly coupled to said combustion chamber and configured for flowing intake air thereinto; said intake passage fluidly coupled to a source of intake air; (b) a source of high-pressure air; (c) a vortex tube having an inlet port and a cold outlet port; i) said inlet port being fluidly coupled to said source of high-pressure air for admitting high-pressure air therefrom; ii) said cold outlet port being fluidly coupled to said intake passage; iii) said vortex tube being cooled by a medium selected from the group consisting of liquid coolant, ICE coolant, air, gaseous coolant, and phase change material; (d) a means for sensing ICE power demand; (e) means for varying the mass flow rate of said high-pressure air through said vortex tube in accordance with sensed ICE power demand; and (f) an electronic control unit (ECU) operatively coupled to said flow control means; said ECU being configured to increase said mass flow rate when a first operating condition is met, and to decrease said mass flow rate when a second operating condition is met; wherein said first operating condition is chosen from the group consisting of: 1) engine rotational speed is less than a predetermined engine rotational speed value and engine output torque is more than a predetermined engine output torque value, 2) engine rotational speed is less than a predetermined engine rotational speed value and engine fuel flow is more than a predetermined fuel flow value, and 3) the difference between the demand torque value and engine output torque value is more than a predetermined torque difference value, 4) the difference between the demand power value and engine output power value is more than a predetermined power difference value, and 5) the difference between the supercharger output air density value required to meet demanded power and the measured supercharger output air density value is more than a predetermined density difference value; and wherein said second operating condition is chosen from the group consisting of: 6) engine rotational speed is more than a predetermined engine rotational speed value and engine output torque is less than a predetermined engine output torque value, 7) engine rotational speed is more than a predetermined engine rotational speed value and engine fuel flow is less than a predetermined fuel flow value, 8) the difference between the engine output torque value and demand torque value is less more a predetermined torque difference value, 9) the difference between the engine output power value and demand power value is more than a predetermined power difference value, and 10) the difference between the measured supercharger output air density value and the supercharger output air density value required to meet demanded power is more than a predetermined density difference value. 20. The supercharged internal combustion engine system as in claim 19 further comprising an ejector pump for pumping intake air into said ICE; said ejector pump having a driving nozzle, a suction port, and a discharge port; said driving nozzle being fluidly coupled to said cold outlet port of said vortex tube and configured for admitting cold air therefrom; said suction port being fluidly coupled to a source of said intake air and configured receiving said intake air therefrom; and said discharge port being fluidly coupled to said intake passage and configured for flowing pressurized air thereinto. 21. The supercharged internal combustion engine system as in claim 19 further comprising an ejector bypass duct and a bypass valve; said ejector bypass duct having a duct inlet fluidly coupled to said suction port and a duct outlet fluidly coupled to said intake passage; and said bypass valve configured for controlling the air flow through said bypass duct.