Patent US3713294A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3713294A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Auxilliary power unit and regenerative exhaust reactor
Assignee: Ford Motor Co
•
Filing: 1971-08-12
•
Granted: 1973-01-30
•
Expires: 1991-08-12
Abstract
Abstract A housing contains a burner for combusting the exhaust gases of a reciprocating internal combustion engine to increase the heat content thereof. Combustion products from the burner pass through a regenerator that transfers heat therefrom to inducted air for a turbine. The heated air passes through the turbine to produce useful work and then enters the burner to mix with the exhaust gases of the reciprocating engine. An alternator mounted within the housing is driven by the turbine to supply electrical power. An air cycle air conditioning system also is mounted within the housing and its compressor is driven by the turbine.
Inventors
- 👤 O Balje
- 👤 C Bouchard
- 👤 J Knowles
- 👤 M Pulick
- 👤 A Topouzian
- 👤 D Kosacheff
- 👤 E Pulick
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 02:27
CPC Classifications
F; F01; F01N; F01N3/00; F01N3/08; F01N3/10; F01N3/24; F01D; F01D15/00; F01D15/10; F02; F02C; F02C1/00; F02C1/04; F02C1/05; F02C1/06; F02C7/00; F02C7/08; F02C7/10; F02C7/105; F28; F28D; F28D19/00; F28D19/04; F28D19/041; F02B; F02B61/00; F02B61/04; F02B61/045; F05; F05D; F05D2220/00; F05D2220/50; Y; Y02; Y02A; Y02A50/00; Y02A50/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
104 words
An auxiliary power unit for an internal combustion engine comprising a housing, a turbine assembly in said housing, said turbine assembly including air induction means for inducting air into the turbine assembly, heat transfer means receiving the inducted air, and a turbine means receiving the gases from the heat transfer means, and reactor means in said housing for reacting the gases leaving said turbine means with the exhaust gases of said engine to increase the heat content of the resulting gases, said resulting gases passing into said heat transfer means, said heat transfer means transferring heat from the resulting gases to the inducted air.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
104 words
An auxiliary power unit for an internal combustion engine comprising a housing, a turbine assembly in said housing, said turbine assembly including air induction means for inducting air into the turbine assembly, heat transfer means receiving the inducted air, and a turbine means receiving the gases from the heat transfer means, and reactor means in said housing for reacting the gases leaving said turbine means with the exhaust gases of said engine to increase the heat content of the resulting gases, said resulting gases passing into said heat transfer means, said heat transfer means transferring heat from the resulting gases to the inducted air.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
104 words
An auxiliary power unit for an internal combustion engine comprising a housing, a turbine assembly in said housing, said turbine assembly including air induction means for inducting air into the turbine assembly, heat transfer means receiving the inducted air, and a turbine means receiving the gases from the heat transfer means, and reactor means in said housing for reacting the gases leaving said turbine means with the exhaust gases of said engine to increase the heat content of the resulting gases, said resulting gases passing into said heat transfer means, said heat transfer means transferring heat from the resulting gases to the inducted air.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
104 words
An auxiliary power unit for an internal combustion engine comprising a housing, a turbine assembly in said housing, said turbine assembly including air induction means for inducting air into the turbine assembly, heat transfer means receiving the inducted air, and a turbine means receiving the gases from the heat transfer means, and reactor means in said housing for reacting the gases leaving said turbine means with the exhaust gases of said engine to increase the heat content of the resulting gases, said resulting gases passing into said heat transfer means, said heat transfer means transferring heat from the resulting gases to the inducted air.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
The power unit of claim 1 comprising a dynamoelectric machine having a rotor and stator mounted is said housing and a shaft directly connecting said rotor of said dynamoelectric machine with said turbine means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The power unit of claim 2 in which the heat transfer means is a rotating regenerator that is driven by an electric motor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
The power unit of claim 3 in which the reactor means comprises a mixer means for mixing the air leaving said turbine means with the exhaust gases of said engine and a burner means for combusting the mixture produced by said mixer means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
The power unit of claim 4 in which the rotating regenerator is disc shaped and the burner means includes a cylindrical container having an outlet at one end and an inlet at the opposite end, said outlet being located adjacent one sector of the regenerator.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
58 words
The power unit of claim 5 in which the inlet of the cylindrical container receives the exhaust gases from the engine and the mixer means comprises a plurality of openings in the cylindrical surface of the container, said openings conducting the air leaving the turbine means into the cylindrical container where the air mixes with the exhaust gases.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
The power unit of claim 6 in which the turbine means is a disc shaped turbine wheel having turbine blades on one radial surface and compressor blades on the other radial surface.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
84 words
The power unit of claim 7 comprising a fluid cooling mechanism mounted in said housing, said fluid cooling mechanism including an air pumping means connected to said turbine means, an air expansion means for expanding the air pumped by said air pumping means, a heat transfer means for transferring heat to the expanded air leaving said air expansion means, and fluid flow means for flowing fluid through said heat transfer means, said heat transfer means transferring heat from said fluid to said expanded air.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
The power unit of claim 8 in which the heat transfer means of said cooling mechanism is a rotating regenerator that is driven by an electric motor.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
65 words
The power unit of claim 9 in which the fluid cooling mechanism comprises a second disc shaped turbine wheel attached to said shaft, said air pumping means comprising a plurality of compressor blades located on one radial surface of said second turbine wheel and said air expansion means comprising a plurality of turbine blades located on the other radial surface of said second turbine wheel.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
The power unit of claim 1 in which the heat transfer means is a rotating regenerator that is driven by an electric motor.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
43 words
The power unit of claim 1 in which the reactor means comprises a mixer means for mixing the air leaving said turbine means with the exhaust gases of said engine and a burner means for combusting the mixture produced by said mixer means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
The power unit of claim 1 in which the turbine means is a disc shaped turbine wheel having turbine blades on one radial surface and compression blades on the other radial surface.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
83 words
The power unit of claim 1 comprising a fluid cooling mechanism mounted in said housing, said fluid cooling mechanism including an air pumping means connected to said turbine means, an air expansion means for expanding the air pumped by said air pumping means, a heat transfer means for transferring heat to the expanded air leaving said expansion means, and fluid flow means for flowing fluid through said heat transfer means, said heat transfer means transferring heat from said fluid to said expanded air.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
27 words
The power unit of claim 14 in which the heat transfer means of said cooling mechanism is a rotating regenerator that is driven by an electric motor.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
65 words
The power unit of claim 14 in which the fluid cooling mechanism comprises a second disc shaped turbine wheel attached to said shaft, said air pumping means comprising a plurality of compressor blades located on one radial surface of said second turbine wheel and said air expansion means comprising a plurality of turbine blades located on the other radial surface of said second turbine wheel.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
135 words
A system for reducing the amount of undesirable components in the exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine comprising a gas turbine assembly including air induction means for inducting air into the gas turbine assembly, heat transfer means for transferring heat to the inducted air, and turbine means connected to said heat transfer means by a passage means for producing work from the heated gases leaving the heat transfer means, mixer means for mixing the gases leaving the turbine means with the exhaust gases of the engine, and reactor means for reacting the mixed gases from the mixer means to increase the heat content of the resulting gases, said resulting gases passing into said heat transfer means, said heat transfer means transferring heat from the resulting gases to the air inducted into the turbine assembly.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
135 words
A system for reducing the amount of undesirable components in the exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine comprising a gas turbine assembly including air induction means for inducting air into the gas turbine assembly, heat transfer means for transferring heat to the inducted air, and turbine means connected to said heat transfer means by a passage means for producing work from the heated gases leaving the heat transfer means, mixer means for mixing the gases leaving the turbine means with the exhaust gases of the engine, and reactor means for reacting the mixed gases from the mixer means to increase the heat content of the resulting gases, said resulting gases passing into said heat transfer means, said heat transfer means transferring heat from the resulting gases to the air inducted into the turbine assembly.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 17 in which the heat transfer means comprises a disc shaped regenerator and an electric motor for driving said regenerator.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 18 in which the reactor means exothermically oxidizes the undesirable components in the exhaust gases of the reciprocating engine.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
DE627514C
Cited
US2573289A
Cited
US2729073A
Cited
US2928261A
Cited
US3106821A
Cited
US3666422A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-01-30 | 1976-07-31 | 1977-01-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-01-30 | 1980-07-31 | 1981-01-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-01-30 | 1984-07-31 | 1985-01-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |