US7490462B2 — Turbocharged exhaust gas recirculation system

Claim 1

Independent Claim 120 words

A method for recirculating exhaust gas comprising: operating a power source including at least one first cylinder and at least one second cylinder, the first and second cylinders outputting exhaust gas; reducing an amount of particulates from the exhaust gas using a first aftertreatment device; compressing at least a portion of the exhaust gas; sending a first flow including the compressed reduced-particulate exhaust gas through a first intake duct of the at least one first cylinder; and sending a second flow through a second intake duct of the at least one second cylinder, a characteristic of the second flow passing through the second intake duct being different from a characteristic of the first flow passing through the first intake duct.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 120 words

A method for recirculating exhaust gas comprising: operating a power source including at least one first cylinder and at least one second cylinder, the first and second cylinders outputting exhaust gas; reducing an amount of particulates from the exhaust gas using a first aftertreatment device; compressing at least a portion of the exhaust gas; sending a first flow including the compressed reduced-particulate exhaust gas through a first intake duct of the at least one first cylinder; and sending a second flow through a second intake duct of the at least one second cylinder, a characteristic of the second flow passing through the second intake duct being different from a characteristic of the first flow passing through the first intake duct.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method of claim 1 , further including: compressing intake air; and sending the compressed intake air to at least one of the intake ducts of the first and second cylinders.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 39 words

The method of claim 2 , wherein substantially all of the second flow is directed from an intake and includes the compressed intake air, and the first flow includes the compressed intake air and the compressed reduced-particulate exhaust gas.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 64 words

The method of claim 1 , further including: producing exhaust gas including NOx in the at least one first cylinder; converting at least a portion of exhaust gas from the at least one second cylinder into ammonia; and combining the exhaust gas including NOx from the at least one first cylinder with the exhaust gas including ammonia from the at least one second cylinder.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 18 words

The method of claim 4 , further including reacting the combined exhaust flow with a NOx reducing catalyst.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 59 words

The method of claim 4 , further including operating the at least one second cylinder with a near stoichiometric fuel-to-air ratio, and the converting of the at least a portion of the exhaust gas from the at least one second cylinder into ammonia includes reacting the exhaust gas from the at least one second cylinder using an ammonia-producing catalyst.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 36 words

The method of claim 2 , further including cooling the compressed intake air before the sending of the compressed intake air to the at least one of the intake ducts of the first and second cylinders.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 26 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein the first aftertreatment device includes at least one of a particulate filter, a regeneration device, and a particulate trap.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 111 words

An exhaust recirculation system comprising: a power source including at least one cylinder outputting exhaust gas; a particulate reducing device fluidly connected to at least one exhaust duct of the power source, the particulate reducing device being configured to reduce an amount of particulates in the exhaust gas; a recirculation compressor configured to receive and compress a flow including at least a portion of the exhaust gas, substantially all of the flow compressed by the recirculation compressor being directed from the power source; and an intake duct of the at least one cylinder of the power source being fluidly connected to the recirculation compressor to receive the compressed reduced-particulate exhaust gas.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 111 words

An exhaust recirculation system comprising: a power source including at least one cylinder outputting exhaust gas; a particulate reducing device fluidly connected to at least one exhaust duct of the power source, the particulate reducing device being configured to reduce an amount of particulates in the exhaust gas; a recirculation compressor configured to receive and compress a flow including at least a portion of the exhaust gas, substantially all of the flow compressed by the recirculation compressor being directed from the power source; and an intake duct of the at least one cylinder of the power source being fluidly connected to the recirculation compressor to receive the compressed reduced-particulate exhaust gas.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 84 words

The exhaust recirculation system of claim 9 , wherein: the at least one cylinder of the power source includes at least one first cylinder and at least one second cylinder; a first intake duct of the at least one first cylinder is configured to receive a first flow including the compressed reduced-particulate exhaust gas; and a second intake duct of the at least one second cylinder is configured to receive a second flow having a characteristic different than a characteristic of the first flow.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 52 words

The exhaust recirculation system of claim 10 , further including a recirculation turbocharger including the recirculation compressor and a recirculation turbine driving the recirculation compressor, the recirculation turbine being propelled by exhaust gas, substantially all of the exhaust gas propelling the recirculation turbine being directed from the at least one second cylinder.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 68 words

The exhaust recirculation system of claim 10 , further including at least one main compressor for compressing a flow including intake air supplied to the power source, substantially all of the flow compressed by the at least one main compressor being directed from an intake, the at least one main compressor being fluidly connected to at least one of the intake ducts of the first and second cylinders.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 72 words

The exhaust recirculation system of claim 12 , further including a main turbocharger including the at least one main compressor and at least one main turbine, each of the at least one main turbines driving the respective main compressor, the at least one main turbine being propelled by exhaust gas, substantially all of the exhaust gas propelling the at least one main turbine being directed from the at least one first cylinder.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 44 words

The exhaust recirculation system of claim 10 , further including an ammonia-producing device for converting at least a portion of the exhaust gas from the at least one second cylinder into ammonia and the at least one first cylinder produces exhaust gas including NOx.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 31 words

The exhaust recirculation system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one second cylinder is a single cylinder and the at least one first cylinder is a plurality of cylinders.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 107 words

The exhaust recirculation system of claim 12 , further including: a combining device for combining at least a portion of the compressed intake air and the compressed exhaust gas, the combining device being fluidly connected to the at least one intake duct of the at least one first cylinder, the combining device supplying the combined compressed flow to the intake duct of the at least one first cylinder, an after-cooler fluidly connected to an output of the at least one main compressor, the after-cooler cooling the compressed intake air, and the combining device being directly and fluidly connected to each of the recirculation compressor and the after-cooler.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 157 words

An exhaust recirculation system comprising: a power source comprising at least one first cylinder and at least one second cylinder, each of the first and second cylinders outputting exhaust gas, the at least one first cylinder operating under different combustion conditions than the at least one second cylinder, the first and the second cylinders having separate intake ducts and separate exhaust ducts; an aftertreatment device fluidly connected to at least one exhaust duct of the power source; at least one recirculation compressor configured to receive and compress at least a portion of the exhaust gas, and at least one recirculation turbine driving the at least one recirculation compressor and being propelled by a flow of the exhaust gas, substantially all of the flow propelling the at least one recirculation turbine being directed from the at least one second cylinder, and the intake duct of the at least one first cylinder being fluidly connected to the recirculation compressor.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 157 words

An exhaust recirculation system comprising: a power source comprising at least one first cylinder and at least one second cylinder, each of the first and second cylinders outputting exhaust gas, the at least one first cylinder operating under different combustion conditions than the at least one second cylinder, the first and the second cylinders having separate intake ducts and separate exhaust ducts; an aftertreatment device fluidly connected to at least one exhaust duct of the power source; at least one recirculation compressor configured to receive and compress at least a portion of the exhaust gas, and at least one recirculation turbine driving the at least one recirculation compressor and being propelled by a flow of the exhaust gas, substantially all of the flow propelling the at least one recirculation turbine being directed from the at least one second cylinder, and the intake duct of the at least one first cylinder being fluidly connected to the recirculation compressor.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 44 words

The exhaust recirculation system of claim 17 , further including an ammonia-producing device for converting at least a portion of the exhaust gas from the at least one second cylinder into ammonia, the exhaust gas from the at least one first cylinder includes NOx.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 22 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein a composition of the first flow is different than a composition of the second flow.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 20 words

The exhaust recirculation system of claim 9 , wherein at least a majority of the compressed flow is exhaust gas.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 17 words

The exhaust recirculation system of claim 17 , wherein the different combustion conditions include different fuel-to-air ratios.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 67 words

The exhaust recirculation system of claim 17 , wherein: the flow of exhaust gas propelling the recirculation turbine is a first flow of exhaust gas; and the exhaust recirculation system further includes at least one main turbine propelled by a second flow of exhaust gas, substantially all of the second flow propelling the at least one main turbine being directed from the at least one first cylinder.

Claim 26

Independent Claim 99 words

A method for recirculating exhaust gas comprising: operating a power source including at least one first cylinder and at least one second cylinder, the first and second cylinders outputting exhaust gas; reducing an amount of particulates from the exhaust gas using a first aftertreatment device; compressing at least a portion of the exhaust gas; sending a first flow including the compressed reduced-particulate exhaust gas to an intake duct of the at least one first cylinder without cooling the compressed reduced-particulate exhaust gas; and cooling a second flow directed to an intake duct of the at least one second cylinder.

Claim 27

Independent Claim 99 words

A method for recirculating exhaust gas comprising: operating a power source including at least one first cylinder and at least one second cylinder, the first and second cylinders outputting exhaust gas; reducing an amount of particulates from the exhaust gas using a first aftertreatment device; compressing at least a portion of the exhaust gas; sending a first flow including the compressed reduced-particulate exhaust gas to an intake duct of the at least one first cylinder without cooling the compressed reduced-particulate exhaust gas; and cooling a second flow directed to an intake duct of the at least one second cylinder.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method of claim 23 , wherein the first flow includes the compressed reduced-particulate exhaust gas and compressed intake air, and substantially all of the second flow is compressed intake air.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 22 words

The method of claim 23 , wherein a characteristic of the second flow is different from a characteristic of the first flow.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein the first flow including the compressed reduced-particulate exhaust gas is sent only to the first intake duct of the at least one first cylinder.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 33 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein substantially all of the first flow including the compressed reduced-particulate exhaust gas is directed to the first intake duct of the at least one first cylinder.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 40 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the first flow includes a first ratio of intake air to exhaust gas, and the characteristic of the second flow includes a second ratio of intake air to exhaust gas.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 27 words

The exhaust recirculation system of claim 9 , wherein a flow including intake air is combined with the compressed reduced-particulate exhaust gas downstream from the recirculation compressor.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 24 words

The exhaust recirculation system of claim 9 , wherein all of the flow compressed by the recirculation compressor is directed from the power source.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2012-02-17	2012-08-18	2013-02-17	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2016-02-17	2016-08-18	2017-02-17	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2020-02-17	2020-08-18	2021-02-17	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Turbocharged exhaust gas recirculation system

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