Granted Patent B2

US 10,655,534 · App. 15/889,642 · Granted May 19, 2020

Inventors: Miroslav Zatko (Brno, CZ); Jaroslav Krejci (Pribyslav, CZ); Jakub Planka (Zlin, CZ); Jan Klement (Brno, CZ)

Assignee: GARRETT TRANSPORTATION I INC.

F02B37/183F02B37/22F02M26/05F02M26/43F02M26/52F02M26/70F02M26/71F16K11/0525F16K11/085F01N3/101F02M26/22

Abstract

Claims (78)

1. A turbocharger system comprising:

a housing defining an inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet, the inlet configured for receiving flow of an exhaust gas from an engine;

a turbine wheel of a turbocharger that is configured to be driven in rotation by a first flow of the exhaust gas, the first flow received from the first outlet of the housing;

a second exhaust system that is configured to receive a second flow of the exhaust gas, the second flow received from the second outlet of the housing; and

a valve structure that is disposed within the housing;

the valve structure including a body configured to rotate about an axis of rotation between a first position and a second position, the body having a first surface that projects tangentially with respect to the axis of rotation and a second surface that projects tangentially with respect to the axis of rotation;

the valve structure defining a flow passage with an upstream end, a downstream end, and a nonlinear axis that extends between the upstream end and the downstream end, the upstream end directed along the axis of rotation and configured to receive the exhaust gas from the inlet, the downstream end configured to deliver the exhaust gas to one of the first outlet and the second outlet;

the valve structure, in the first position, configured to direct the exhaust gas along the first flow from the upstream end, through the flow passage, to the downstream end and the first outlet for driving the turbine wheel;

the first surface of the body, with the valve structure in the first position, configured to close off the second outlet;

the valve structure, in the second position, configured to direct the exhaust gas along the second flow from the upstream end, through the flow passage, to the downstream end and the second outlet for delivery to the second exhaust system;

the second surface of the body, with the valve structure in the second position, configured to close off the first outlet.

2. The turbocharger system of claim 1 , wherein the valve structure includes the body and a shaft that extends from a downstream face of the body;

wherein the shaft is supported for rotation about the axis of rotation;

wherein the upstream end is included in an upstream face of the body, the upstream face facing opposite the downstream face; and

wherein the downstream face is configured to compress against the housing under a load from the exhaust gas on the body.

3. The turbocharger system of claim 1 , wherein the valve structure includes the body and a shaft that extends from the body;

wherein the shaft is supported for rotation between the first position and the second position;

wherein the body, in the first position, is configured to close off the second outlet; and

wherein the body, in the second position, is configured to close off the first outlet.

4. The turbocharger system of claim 3 , further comprising a bushing with a first portion and a second portion that are spaced apart along the axis of rotation;

wherein the first portion receives the shaft and is received by the valve housing; and

wherein the second portion is received within the body of the valve structure.

5. The turbocharger system of claim 3 ,

wherein the downstream end of the flow passage is disposed between the first surface and the second surface.

6. The turbocharger system of claim 5 , wherein the body has a radial face extending about the axis of rotation;

wherein the first surface and the second surface define respective portions of the radial face.

7. The turbocharger system of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the first surface and the second surface is a planar surface.

8. The turbocharger system of claim 3 , wherein the body includes an upstream face, a downstream face, and a radial face that extends between the upstream face and the downstream face;

wherein the upstream end of the flow passage is defined in the upstream face;

wherein the downstream end of the flow passage is defined in the radial face;

wherein the downstream face opposes an inner surface of the housing.

9. The turbocharger system of claim 1 , further comprising an actuator configured to actuate the valve structure between the first position and the second position.

10. The turbocharger system of claim 9 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect a condition;

further comprising a control system with a processor;

wherein the processor is configured to receive an input from the sensor, the input corresponding to the detected condition; and

wherein the processor is configured to generate a control command for the actuator to actuate the valve structure between the first position and the second position based, at least partly, on the input received by the processor.

11. The turbocharger system of claim 1 , wherein the turbine wheel is supported for rotation within a turbine housing;

wherein the turbine housing includes a plurality of volute structures; and

wherein at least one of the volute structures is configured to receive the first flow of the exhaust gas from the first outlet.

12. The turbocharger system of claim 1 , further comprising an internal combustion engine with a plurality of combustion chambers; and

wherein only one of the plurality of combustion chambers is fluidly connected to the inlet of the housing.

13. The turbocharger system of claim 1 , wherein the second exhaust system is one of an exhaust aftertreatment system and a wastegate assembly.

14. The turbocharger system of claim 1 , wherein the valve structure includes the body and a shaft that extends from a downstream face of the body;

wherein the shaft is received within a bushing that is attached to the housing, wherein the bushing supports rotation of the shaft about the axis of rotation, and wherein the bushing includes an axial end;

wherein the upstream end is included in an upstream face of the body, the upstream face facing opposite the downstream face; and

wherein the downstream face is configured to compress against the axial end of the bushing under a load from the exhaust gas on the body.

15. A method of operating a turbocharger system comprising:

generating, with an engine, an exhaust gas flow directed toward an inlet of a housing, the housing having a first outlet and a second outlet;

selectively rotating, with a control system, a valve structure about an axis of rotation within the housing between a first position and a second position to regulate the exhaust gas flow through the housing, the valve structure including a body and defining a flow passage with an upstream end, a downstream end, and a nonlinear axis that extends between the upstream end and the downstream end, the upstream end directed along the axis of rotation and configured to receive the exhaust gas from the inlet, the downstream end configured to deliver the exhaust gas to one of the first outlet and the second outlet, the body having a first surface that projects tangentially with respect to the axis of rotation and a second surface that projects tangentially with respect to the axis of rotation;

the valve structure, in the first position, directing the exhaust gas flow from the upstream end, through the flow passage, to the downstream end and the first outlet for driving a turbine wheel of a turbocharger, and the first surface of the body closing off the second outlet when the valve structure is in the first position; and

the valve structure, in the second position, directing the exhaust gas flow from the upstream end, through the flow passage, to the downstream end and the second outlet for delivery to a second exhaust system, and the second surface of the body closing off the first outlet when the valve structure is in the second position.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising detecting, with a sensor, a condition;

further comprising receiving, by the control system, an input corresponding to the detected condition; and

wherein selectively rotating the valve structure includes generating, with a processor of the control system, a control command for rotating the valve structure based at least partly on the input.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein detecting the condition includes detecting at least one of a current load on the engine and a current fuel consumption requirement of the engine.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the valve structure includes the body and a shaft that is supported for rotation by a bushing that is fixed to the housing;

the bushing having a first portion and a second portion that are spaced apart along the axis of rotation, wherein the second portion is received within the body of the valve structure; and

wherein rotating the valve structure includes rotating the valve structure relative to the bushing.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the valve structure includes the body with an upstream face, a downstream face, and a radial face that extends between the upstream face and the downstream face;

wherein the upstream end of the flow passage is defined in the upstream face;

wherein the downstream end of the flow passage is defined in the radial face; and

wherein the downstream face opposes an inner surface of the housing.

20. A turbocharger system comprising:

an engine configured to output a flow of exhaust gas;

a turbocharger with a turbine wheel;

an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system; and

a valve assembly that includes:

a valve housing defining an inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet;

a bushing that is fixed to the valve housing, the bushing having a first portion that is received within the valve housing and a second portion that projects from an inner surface of the valve housing;

a valve structure that is disposed within the housing, the valve structure including a body and a shaft that extends from a downstream face of the body, the shaft received within and supported for rotation by the bushing between a first position and a second position about an axis of rotation;

the body including an upstream face that is directed along the axis of rotation and a downstream face that faces opposite the upstream face, the body including a radial face that is directed radially with respect to the axis of rotation and that extends between the upstream face and the downstream face, the downstream face facing toward an inner surface of the valve housing, the radial face having a first control surface that projects tangentially with respect to the axis of rotation and a second control surface that projects tangentially with respect to the axis of rotation;

wherein the body includes a flow passage with an upstream end in the upstream face and a downstream end in the radial face;

wherein the upstream end is configured to receive the exhaust gas from the inlet, wherein the downstream end is configured to deliver the exhaust gas to one of the first outlet and the second outlet, and wherein the downstream face is configured to compress against the bushing and the inner surface of the valve housing under a load from the exhaust gas on the body;

wherein the body, in the first position, is configured to direct the exhaust gas from the upstream end, through the flow passage, to the downstream end and the first outlet for driving the turbine wheel;

wherein the first control surface of the radial face, in the first position, is configured to close off the second outlet;

wherein the body, in the second position, is configured to direct the exhaust gas from the upstream end, through the flow passage, to the downstream end and the second outlet for delivery to the (EGR) system;

wherein the second control surface of the radial face, in the second position, is configured to close off the first outlet; and

wherein the downstream end is disposed circumferentially between the first control surface and the second control surface on the radial face.

Assignments (8)