US7181919B2 — System utilizing waste heat of internal combustio…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 117 words

A system utilizing a waste heat of a power source, the system comprising: a Rankine cycle including a condenser cooling a refrigerant; a pump pumping the refrigerant from the condenser; a heater heating the refrigerant pumped by the pump with the waste heat of the power source; and an expansion device transforming pressure energy of the refrigerant from the heater into a kinetic energy by expanding the refrigerant from the heater; and a controller switching an operation status of the pump and the expansion device to activate or deactivate the Rankine cycle, the controller obtaining a time delay between the switching of operation status of the pump and the switching of operation status of the expansion device.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 117 words

A system utilizing a waste heat of a power source, the system comprising: a Rankine cycle including a condenser cooling a refrigerant; a pump pumping the refrigerant from the condenser; a heater heating the refrigerant pumped by the pump with the waste heat of the power source; and an expansion device transforming pressure energy of the refrigerant from the heater into a kinetic energy by expanding the refrigerant from the heater; and a controller switching an operation status of the pump and the expansion device to activate or deactivate the Rankine cycle, the controller obtaining a time delay between the switching of operation status of the pump and the switching of operation status of the expansion device.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 28 words

The system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller switches the operation status of the pump and the expansion device to activate and deactivate the Rankine cycle.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 21 words

The system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a refrigerant cycle including the condenser commonly used in the Rankine cycle.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 34 words

The system according to claim 3 , wherein the controller switches the operation status of the pump and the expansion device to change the cycle activated from the refrigerant cycle to the Rankine cycle.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 34 words

The system according to claim 3 , wherein the controller switches the operation status of the pump and the expansion device to change the cycle activated from the Rankine cycle to the refrigerant cycle.

Claim 7

Independent Claim 155 words

A system utilizing a waste heat of an internal combustion engine, the system comprising: a refrigerant cycle including a compressor and a condenser, the compressor compressing a refrigerant receiving a driving force from the internal combustion engine, the condenser cooling the refrigerant discharged from the compressor; a Rankine cycle including the condenser commonly used in the refrigerant cycle; a pump pressurizing the refrigerant flowing out from the condenser; a heater heating the refrigerant discharged from the pump with the waste heat of the internal combustion engine; and an expansion device generating a kinetic energy by expanding the gas-phase refrigerant flowing out of the heater; and a controller switching an operation cycle between the refrigerant cycle and the Rankine cycle, and controlling operations of the refrigerant cycle and the Rankine cycle, wherein the controller starts an operation of the expansion device after the pump is operated when the refrigerant cycle is changed into the Rankine cycle.

Claim 8

Independent Claim 155 words

A system utilizing a waste heat of an internal combustion engine, the system comprising: a refrigerant cycle including a compressor and a condenser, the compressor compressing a refrigerant receiving a driving force from the internal combustion engine, the condenser cooling the refrigerant discharged from the compressor; a Rankine cycle including the condenser commonly used in the refrigerant cycle; a pump pressurizing the refrigerant flowing out from the condenser; a heater heating the refrigerant discharged from the pump with the waste heat of the internal combustion engine; and an expansion device generating a kinetic energy by expanding the gas-phase refrigerant flowing out of the heater; and a controller switching an operation cycle between the refrigerant cycle and the Rankine cycle, and controlling operations of the refrigerant cycle and the Rankine cycle, wherein the controller starts an operation of the expansion device after the pump is operated when the refrigerant cycle is changed into the Rankine cycle.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 29 words

The system according to claim 6 , wherein the controller starts the operation of the expansion device after a first predetermined period has elapsed since the pump was started.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 38 words

The system according to claim 6 , wherein the controller starts the operation of the expansion device after the pressure of the refrigerant pressurized by the pump has increased more than or equal to a first predetermined pressure.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 46 words

The system according to claim 6 , wherein the expansion device is coupled to the rotational electric machine having functions of a generator and a motor, and the controller starts an operation of the rotational electric machine as the motor before the expansion device is operated.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 67 words

The system according to claim 9 , further comprising a valve mechanism switching between the compressor and the expansion device into which the refrigerant flows, wherein when the expansion device is operated, the controller controls the valve mechanism in such a manner that the compressor is switched to the expansion device into which the refrigerant flows after the rotational electric machine has been operated as the motor.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 24 words

The system according to claim 6 , wherein when the compressor receives the refrigerant from the heater, the compressor serves as the expansion device.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 24 words

The system according to claim 6 , wherein the expansion device is coupled to a generator converting the kinetic energy to an electric energy.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 37 words

The system according to claim 6 , further comprising a motor driving the compressor, wherein the controller selects at least one of the motor and the internal combustion engine as a driving power source of the compressor.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 156 words

A system utilizing a waste heat of an internal combustion engine, the system comprising: a refrigerant cycle including a compressor and a condenser, the compressor compressing a refrigerant receiving a driving force from the internal combustion engine, the condenser cooling the refrigerant discharged from the compressor; a Rankine cycle including the condenser commonly used in the refrigerant cycle; a pump pressurizing the refrigerant flowing out from the condenser; a heater heating the refrigerant discharged from the pump with the waste heat of the internal combustion engine; and an expansion device generating a kinetic energy by expanding the gas-phase refrigerant flowing out of the heater; and a controller switching an operation cycle between the refrigerant cycle and the Rankine cycle, and controlling operations of the refrigerant cycle and the Rankine cycle, wherein the controller stops an operation of the expansion device after the pump has been stopped when the Rankine cycle is changed into the refrigerant cycle.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 156 words

A system utilizing a waste heat of an internal combustion engine, the system comprising: a refrigerant cycle including a compressor and a condenser, the compressor compressing a refrigerant receiving a driving force from the internal combustion engine, the condenser cooling the refrigerant discharged from the compressor; a Rankine cycle including the condenser commonly used in the refrigerant cycle; a pump pressurizing the refrigerant flowing out from the condenser; a heater heating the refrigerant discharged from the pump with the waste heat of the internal combustion engine; and an expansion device generating a kinetic energy by expanding the gas-phase refrigerant flowing out of the heater; and a controller switching an operation cycle between the refrigerant cycle and the Rankine cycle, and controlling operations of the refrigerant cycle and the Rankine cycle, wherein the controller stops an operation of the expansion device after the pump has been stopped when the Rankine cycle is changed into the refrigerant cycle.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 29 words

The system according to claim 14 , wherein the controller stops the operation of the expansion device after a second predetermined period has elapsed since the pump was stopped.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 38 words

The system according to claim 14 , wherein the controller stops the operation of the expansion device after the pressure of the refrigerant pressurized by the pump has decreased less than or equal to a second predetermined pressure.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 43 words

The system according to claim 14 , wherein the controller stops the operation of the expansion device after a pressure difference between a higher-side pressure and a lower-side pressure of the pump has decreased less than or equal to a predetermined pressure difference.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 46 words

The system according to claim 14 , wherein the expansion device is coupled to a generator, and the controller stops an operation of the expansion device after an amount of electricity generated by the generator has decreased less than or equal to a predetermined generating amount.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 70 words

The system according to claim 14 , further comprising a valve mechanism switching between the compressor and the expansion device into which the refrigerant flows, wherein the expansion device is couple to a generator, and when the expansion devise is stopped, the controller controls the valve mechanism in such a manner that the generator is stopped after the expansion devise is switched to the compressor into which the refrigerant flows.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 73 words

The system according to claim 14 , further comprising a motor driving the compressor, wherein the controller selects at least one of the motor and the internal combustion engine as a driving power source of the compressor, and when the expansion device is stopped to operate the refrigerant cycle, the controller controls the compressor in such a manner that the compressor is driven by the internal combustion engine after driven by the motor.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 30 words

The system according to claim 20 , wherein the controller determines whether it is necessary to drive the compressor by the motor based on a lower-side pressure of the compressor.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 38 words

The system according to claim 21 , wherein the controller controls the motor in such a manner to drive the compressor until the lower-side pressure of the compressor becomes less than or equal to a third predetermined pressure.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 27 words

The system according to claim 20 , wherein the controller controls the compressor in such a manner that the compressor is operated for a third predetermined period.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2010-02-26	2010-08-28	2011-02-27	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2014-02-26	2014-08-28	2015-02-27	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2018-02-26	2018-08-28	2019-02-27	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

System utilizing waste heat of internal combustion engine

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