U.S. patent application number 13/164171 was filed with the patent office on 2011-12-22 for exhaust gas cooler for an internal combustion engine.
Invention is credited to Holger BREHM, Peter GESKES, Thomas HECKENBERGER, Dirk NEUMEISTER.
Application Number | 20110308771 13/164171 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41631735 |
Filed Date | 2011-12-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110308771 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
HECKENBERGER; Thomas ; et
al. |
December 22, 2011 |
EXHAUST GAS COOLER FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE
Abstract
An exhaust cooler for a combustion motor is provided that
includes a flow path for guidance of the exhaust from a combustion
motor, wherein the flow path has a wall to separate the exhaust gas
flow from a cooling fluid and wherein heat is exchangeable via the
wall between the exhaust and the cooling fluid, wherein the wall is
covered at least partially by a flexible thermoelectric film.
Inventors: |
HECKENBERGER; Thomas;
(Leinfelden-Echterdingen, DE) ; GESKES; Peter;
(Ostfildern, DE) ; BREHM; Holger; (Erdmannhausen,
DE) ; NEUMEISTER; Dirk; (Stuttgart, DE) |
Family ID: |
41631735 |
Appl. No.: |
13/164171 |
Filed: |
June 20, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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PCT/EP2009/066507 |
Dec 7, 2009 |
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13164171 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
165/104.14 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02T 10/166 20130101;
F01N 2240/02 20130101; H01L 35/32 20130101; Y02T 10/16 20130101;
F01N 2240/04 20130101; F01N 3/043 20130101; F01N 5/025 20130101;
Y02T 10/20 20130101; Y02T 10/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/104.14 |
International
Class: |
F28D 15/00 20060101
F28D015/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 19, 2008 |
DE |
10 2008 063 701.7 |
Claims
1. An exhaust gas cooler for an internal combustion engine,
comprising: a flow path configured to guide exhaust gas from an
internal combustion engine; a wall arranged in the flow path for
separating the exhaust gas flow from a cooling fluid, wherein heat
is exchangeable between the exhaust gas and the cooling fluid via
the wall; and a flexible thermoelectric foil arranged such that the
thermoelectric foil at least partially covers the wall.
2. The exhaust gas cooler according to claim 1, wherein the fluid
is a liquid coolant of a coolant circuit.
3. The exhaust gas cooler according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust
gas cooler is in the form of a bundle heat exchanger, wherein each
wall is designed as a wall of one of a plurality of exchanger
tubes.
4. The exhaust gas cooler according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust
gas cooler is in the form of a plate heat exchanger, wherein each
wall is designed as the surface of a plate stack of the heat
exchanger.
5. The exhaust gas cooler according to claim 1, wherein the
thermoelectric foil is applied to the wall at least on the
exhaust-gas side.
Description
[0001] This nonprovisional application is a continuation of
International Application No. PCT/EP2009/066507, which was filed on
Dec. 7, 2009, and which claims priority to German Patent
Application No. DE 10 2008 063 701.7, which was filed in Germany on
Dec. 19, 2008, and which are both herein incorporated by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to an exhaust gas cooler for an
internal combustion engine.
[0004] 2. Description of the Background Art
[0005] Fundamental discussions have addressed the use of the
exhaust gas of internal combustion engines to operate
thermoelectric elements such as Seebeck elements. The overall
efficiency of the internal combustion engine can be improved as a
result. Solutions that can be applied in series production have
been hindered by, inter alia, the costs and structural complexity
of available thermoelectric elements.
[0006] DE 10 2006 055 120 A1, which corresponds to U.S.
20080121263, which is incorporated herein by reference, and which
describes a thermoelectric foil that withstands high temperatures
due to the properties thereof, and has sufficient mechanical
flexibility for application onto curved or angled surfaces. A
thermoelectric foil in the sense of the present invention can be a
foil as illustrated in DE 10 2006 055 120 A1. In suitable
embodiments at least, the foil has sufficient temperature
resistance for operation using hot exhaust gas as the heat
source.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide an exhaust gas cooler for an internal combustion engine,
which can be used to convert the thermal energy of the exhaust gas,
in part, into a more valuable form of energy.
[0008] This problem is solved according to an embodiment of the
invention for a heat exchanger, by covering a wall with a flexible
thermoelectric foil, a thermoelectric element having a large
surface area can be disposed in the exhaust-gas flow of the engine
in a low-cost and effective manner. Since the exhaust gas cooler is
regularly provided anyway for other reasons, such as to recirculate
exhaust gas to reduce emissions, hardly any additional design
changes are required, except for providing the foil and possibly
also control electronics to supply the current withdrawn therefrom
to a vehicle electrical system, for instance. In such an exhaust
gas cooler, the exhaust gas also flows across a particularly large
surface or wall of the flow duct, thereby making it possible to
generate high electric power. Furthermore, the cooling fluid
represents a powerful and defined heat sink for the thermoelectric
element.
[0009] In an embodiment of the invention, the fluid is a liquid
coolant of a coolant circuit, thereby ensuring that the local
temperature difference is particularly great and the thermal
capacity is great.
[0010] In an embodiment of the invention, the exhaust gas cooler is
in the form of a bundle heat exchanger, wherein each wall is
designed as a wall of one of a plurality of exchanger tubes. In an
alternative embodiment of the invention, the exhaust gas cooler is
in the form of a plate heat exchanger, wherein each wall is
designed as a surface of a stacked plate of the heat exchanger. In
the case of exchanger tubes and in the case of stacked plates, the
flexible thermoelectric foil can be applied easily and reliably to
the heat-conveying surfaces and to the wall disposed between the
exhaust gas and the cooling fluid.
[0011] In an embodiment, the thermoelectric foil is applied to the
wall at least on the exhaust-gas side. As a result, a particularly
great temperature difference between the opposite surfaces of the
foil and, therefore, particularly high efficiency, can be
attained.
[0012] Further scope of applicability of the present invention will
become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter.
However, it should be understood that the detailed description and
specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the
invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various
changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the
invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from
this detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0013] The present invention will become more fully understood from
the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying
drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are
not limitive of the present invention, and wherein the sole figure
shows a partial side view of an exhaust gas cooler according to the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] The exhaust gas cooler shown in the figure is in the form of
a bundle heat exchanger, in which a plurality of parallel exchanger
tubes 1--each of which forms a flow path 1a--are disposed in a
housing or water jacket 3 through which coolant flows. Exhaust gas
from an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle flows through
exchanger tubes 1 in order to transfer heat from the exhaust gas to
the coolant through the walls of exchanger tubes 1. The cooled
exhaust gas is then supplied at least in part to the inlet side of
the internal combustion engine, e.g. to reduce the emission of
nitrogen oxides in the case of diesel engines.
[0015] A flexible thermoelectric foil 2 is applied to the inner
side of exchanger tubes 1, on the exhaust-gas side. Foil 2
therefore has the best possible thermal contact with the wall of
the exchanger tube. Depending on the design of the foil, the
contact can be thermally and mechanically configured, e.g. by flat
soldering.
[0016] The foils are electrically contacted at intended contact
points (not depicted), thereby enabling electrical energy to be
withdrawn therefrom during operation of the exhaust gas cooler.
This energy can be supplied to an electric circuit of the motor
vehicle, for which purpose appropriate control electronics may be
provided.
[0017] Depending on the requirements, a plurality of foils can also
be disposed one above the other and, alternatively or in addition
thereto, a foil can be provided on the coolant side of the
exchanger tubes.
[0018] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that
the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be
regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention,
and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in
the art are to be included within the scope of the following
claims.
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