Exhaust gas recirculation valve with integral feedback proportional to volumetric flow

Abstract

A control valve for an EGR system employs a variable pressure actuator connected to a valve for metering EGR flow and a differential pressure valve connected to supply actuation pressure to the actuator. The differential pressure valve incorporates a proportional solenoid connected to a pressure balancing piston which receives EGR pressure on one side and exhaust flow pressure on the other. The piston is connected to a shaft having an orifice positionable adjacent a pressure source in a first position and a pressure vent in a second position, an outlet of the orifice communicating with the pressure actuator. EGR control is accomplished by providing a signal to the proportional solenoid which shifts the pressure balance point for the piston.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is related generally to the field of internal combustion engine exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) for emissions improvement. More particularly, the invention provides a control valve for metering exhaust gas to be recirculated for combination with a turbocharger having a compressor wheel with impeller vanes mounted on a side opposite the compressor impeller to act as an EGR pump with a separate diffuser and volute for EGR flow output from the pump and a separate scroll inlet to the EGR pump and a mixer for entraining the recirculated exhaust gas in the charge air for the engine.

2. Description of the Related Art

EGR is a known method for reducing the NOX emissions in internal combustion engines. For effective use, an EGR system must overcome the adverse pressure gradient created by a positive pressure gradient across the engine which is typical of modern high efficiency diesel engines in at least a portion of their operating range. Various approaches to implementing EGR have included pumping of a portion of the exhaust gas from the exhaust manifold to the intake manifold. Pumping has been accomplished by introducing the exhaust gas into the compression inlet of a conventional turbocharger or supercharger present on the engine or, alternatively, providing a separate compressor receiving the exhaust gas and pressurizing it to a suitable pressure for insertion into the charge air downstream of the charge air boosting system on the engine. Some fuel consumption penalty is generally incurred by these systems.

EGR also requires adequate mixing of recirculated exhaust gas with the incoming fresh air charge to avoid performance degradation and to minimize mixing losses to avoid additional fuel consumption penalties. Further, positive control of the recirculated exhaust gas flow is required to assure proper proportions in the charge air mixture supplied to the engine intake manifold under varying operating conditions. Additionally, the components and features of an EGR system must be accommodated within the constraints of limited volume available for allocation in modern engine compartments.

It is, therefore, desirable to provide a highly integrated EGR system employing pumping components for recirculation of exhaust gas in close physical and functional cooperation with existing engine system components such as turbochargers. It is further desirable to configure an EGR flow path and provide novel control components to allow necessary control over exhaust gas flow rates and mixing into the charge air for aspiration by the engine to minimize variation of the percentage of exhaust gas from cylinder to cylinder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A control valve for an EGR system for an internal combustion engine incorporates an EGR valve having a variable pressure actuator for operating a valve poppet to meter EGR flow from an exhaust flow line to an EGR flow line. The pressure actuator has a pressure port and is responsive to the pressure in the pressure port. A differential pressure controller is attached to the EGR valve and has a first pressure port connected to the exhaust flow line and a second pressure port connected to the EGR flow line. A proportional electrical solenoid is connected to a piston in a cylinder forming a first chamber on a first side of the piston communicating with the first pressure port and a second chamber on a second side of the piston communicating with the second pressure port. The piston is further connected to a shaft supporting a movable orifice with an inlet positioned adjacent a pressure source in a first position of the piston induced by lower pressure in the first pressure port than the second pressure port and the inlet of the orifice positioned adjacent a pressure vent in a second position of the piston induced by higher pressure in the first pressure port than the second pressure port. An outlet of the orifice is connected to the actuator pressure port. Control of the EGR flow is accomplished by providing a control signal to the proportional electrical solenoid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The details and features of the present invention will be more clearly understood with respect to the detailed description and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an engine and EGR system employing the combination and components of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a detailed section view of an EGR pump employed in an embodiment of the invention which is integral with a turbocharger;

FIG. 3 is a detailed section view of a mixer for recirculated exhaust gas from the EGR pump and fresh charge air from the turbocharger compressor incorporated in the disclosed embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a detailed section view of a valve used in the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings for control of exhaust gas to be recirculated; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the operation and elements of the valve of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a detailed section view of a second embodiment of the mixer of FIG.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows an internal combustion engine 10 having an intake manifold 12 and an exhaust manifold 14. A turbocharger 16 is provided for charge air boost, receiving intake air for compression by a compressor rotor 18 which provides the pressurized air to a charge air cooler 20 prior to introduction into the intake manifold. The compressor rotor is driven by a shaft 22 connected to a turbine 24 receiving exhaust gas from the exhaust manifold of the engine.

Exhaust gas for recirculation is diverted from the flow out of the exhaust manifold through a control valve 26 to an EGR cooler 28. Gas from the EGR cooler is provided to the inlet of an EGR pump which, for the embodiment shown in the drawings, is a compressor rotor 30 mounted to the turbocharger shaft to be driven by the turbine. The pressurized exhaust gas from the EGR pump flows to a mixer 32 which combines the recirculated exhaust flow with the charge air to create a substantially homogenous flow stream for introduction into the intake manifold.

FIG. 2 shows the details of a turbocharger employing an integral EGR compressor according to the present invention. The turbine is contained in a cast turbine housing 34 which incorporates a radial exhaust gas inlet 36 feeding a bifurcated volute 38, for the embodiment shown in the drawings. Gas flowing through the turbine exits at turbine outlet 40. Shaft 22 is supported by a bearing system including journal bearings 42 separated by spacer 44 and thrust collar 46 with bearing 48 all carried within a center housing 50 which incorporates lubrication channels 52. The charge air compressor is contained within a cast compressor housing 54 which provides an air inlet 56, a diffuser 58 and a volute 60 for the compressed charge air.

The EGR pump is incorporated into the existing rotor group of the turbocharger by adding impeller vanes 62 to the backside of the compressor wheel. A scroll inlet 64 provides exhaust gas for recirculation and a separate diffuser 66 carries the pressurized exhaust gas to a volute 68. The EGR pump inlet, diffuser and volute are incorporated in a casting 70 which replaces the conventional compressor back plate for the turbocharger, thereby requiring only a small increase in the length of the rotor group and turbocharger as a whole. Segregation of the charge air flow in the compressor and the recirculated exhaust gas in the EGR pump is maintained by a baffle 72 which is constrained between the compressor housing and EGR pump casting. The EGR pump casting is mounted to the compressor housing using a retaining ring 74 and bolts 76 received in the compressor housing.

Pressurized exhaust gas from the EGR pump and pressurized charge air from the turbocharger compressor and charge air cooler are combined in mixer 32 which is shown in detail in FIG. 3. Exhaust gas from the pump is introduced to the mixer through an inlet 78 to a volute 80 circumferentially distributed about the main fresh air flow path entering through inlet 82 from the charge air cooler. The volute introduces the exhaust gas uniformly about the circumference of the fresh air flow path through slot 84 which has a tailored upstream lip 86 of relatively smaller diameter and a downstream lip 88 of relatively larger diameter to produce a three dimensional angle for the EGR flow to promote both penetration into the core flow stream and a swirl to further mix the flow downstream.

The inner wall 90 of the fresh air flow passage is shaped to provide a convergent/divergent nozzle effect which increases the velocity of the fresh air charge, reduces the static pressure of the flow and enhances the entrainment of EGR into the fresh air charge. The mixed flow exits through outlet 92.

A second embodiment of the mixer is shown in FIG. 6 which incorporates a diverging nozzle section 91 to further enhance mixing of the EGR and fresh air charge and enhance velocity matching in the flow.

FIG. 1 shows the mixer as a separate component placed near the intake manifold inlet. However, placement of the mixer varies in alternative embodiments and where an EGR cooler is employed, the mixer is located near or integrated into the charge air cooler outlet or as a cast or machined portion of the intake manifold of the engine. In applications where an EGR cooler is not employed, the mixer is located near or incorporated as an integral portion of the compressor housing outlet or the charge air cooler inlet.

Exhaust gas for recirculation is provided to the EGR pump through control valve 26. FIGS. 4 and 5 describe the mechanical configuration and operation of one embodiment of the valve. A proportional electrical solenoid 94 acts on a three-way pneumatic or hydraulic valve 96 with opposing force provided by a piston or diaphragm 97 which is, in turn, acted on by a differential pressure generated by the flow through a separate exhaust gas recirculation valve 98. The differential pressure is sensed through ports 100 and 102. The three way valve provides supply air from line 104 to an actuator 106 for the EGR valve or vents actuator air through vent 108. When the electrical solenoid force is exactly balanced by the force of the piston, no flow occurs to or from the EGR valve actuator. When the force of the piston is not sufficient to balance the force of the solenoid, the three-way valve opens to supply air to the actuator, thus increasing the EGR flow from the primary exhaust flow line 110 through the EGR valve into the EGR flow line 112 and thus increasing the differential pressure across the valve, restoring the balance of forces. Conversely, when the force of the piston is greater than the force of the solenoid, the three-way valve opens to vent air from the EGR valve actuator, thus decreasing the EGR flow and the differential pressure across the valve, again restoring the balance of forces. Control of the amount of EGR is then accomplished by providing a control signal to the proportional electrical solenoid from the engine control system.

As shown in FIG. 4, the EGR valve actuator, for the embodiment shown in the drawings, employs a diaphragm 114 and spring 116 enclosed in a pressure case 118, which position a shaft 120 for controlling valve poppet 122 on seat 124 to meter EGR flow. The three way valve employs a multi port body 126 incorporating the supply and vent lines with a movable orifice 128 supported on a shaft 130 engaging the solenoid and piston. A centering spring 132 balances reaction forces of the solenoid and pressure piston.

Having now described the invention in detail as required by the patent statutes, those skilled in the art will recognize modifications and substitutions to the specific embodiments disclosed herein. Such modifications and substitutions are within the scope and intent of the present invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. A control valve for an EGR system for an internal combustion engine comprising:

an EGR valve having a variable pressure actuator for operating a valve poppet to meter EGR flow from an exhaust flow line to an EGR flow line, the pressure actuator having a pressure port, the pressure actuator responsive to pressure in the pressure port;

a differential pressure controller having

a first pressure port connected to the exhaust flow line and a second pressure port connected to the EGR flow line,

a proportional electrical solenoid connected to a piston in a cylinder forming a first chamber on a first side of the piston communicating with the first pressure port and a second chamber on a second side of the piston communicating with the second pressure port,

a shaft connected to the piston and containing an orifice, the shaft movable with the piston to position an inlet of the orifice adjacent a pressure source in a first position of the piston induced by lower pressure in the first pressure port than the second pressure port and the inlet of said orifice positioned adjacent a pressure vent in a second position of the piston induced by higher pressure in the first pressure port than the second pressure port, an outlet of said orifice connected to the variable pressure actuator pressure port;

means connected to the shaft for balancing the electrical solenoid and piston; and

means for providing a control signal to the proportional electrical solenoid.

2. A control valve for an EGR system as defined in claim 1 wherein the balancing means comprises a spring attached to the shaft.