This disclosure generally relates to an exhaust gas turbocharger for an internal combustion engine. More particularly, this disclosure relates to a multilayer encapsulated heat shield disposed between the bearing housing and the turbine wheel of a turbocharger.
A turbocharger is a type of forced induction system that may be used with internal combustion engines of trucks, cars, trains, aircraft and construction equipment, for example. Turbochargers deliver compressed air to an engine intake, allowing more fuel to be combusted, thus boosting the horsepower of the engine without significantly increasing the engine weight. In turn, turbochargers allow the use of smaller engines that are capable of producing the same amount of horsepower as larger, normally aspirated engines. Using a smaller engine in a vehicle has the desired effect of decreasing the mass of the vehicle, increasing performance and enhancing fuel economy. Moreover, the use of turbochargers permits more complete combustion of the fuel delivered to the engine, which contributes to the highly desirable goal of a cleaner environment.
Turbochargers typically include a turbine housing connected to the exhaust manifold of the engine, a compressor housing connected to the intake manifold of the engine, and a center bearing housing disposed between and coupling the turbine and compressor housings together. A turbine wheel in the turbine housing is rotatably driven by an inflow of exhaust gas supplied from the exhaust manifold. A shaft, typically supported by bearings for rotation in the center bearing housing, connects the turbine wheel to a compressor impeller in the compressor housing so that rotation of the turbine wheel causes rotation of the compressor impeller. The bearings are often free-floating bearings; and crankcase lubricant under pressure is pumped through the free-floating bearings to lubricate the rotating bearing interfaces. The shaft connecting the turbine wheel and the compressor impeller defines a line, which is the axis of rotation. As the compressor impeller rotates, it increases the air mass flow rate, airflow density and air pressure delivered to the cylinders of the engine via the engine intake manifold.
In a turbocharger, the exhaust gas spins the turbine wheel at speeds that may approach hundreds of thousands of revolutions per minute thereby contributing to the temperature increase within the already high temperature exhaust gas environment of the turbine housing. For example, temperatures of up to 850° C. occur in the exhaust gas turbine of diesel engines, and of up to 1,050° C. in the case of Otto cycle engines. Turbochargers therefore must be designed to combat two significant problems: first, the high temperature of the turbine must not be allowed to adversely affect the lubricating oil in the bearing housing or otherwise damage other components of the turbocharger; and second, oil should not be allowed to escape from the bearing housing into the turbine or compressor housing, and thereafter into the environment. These problems may be partially addressed by conventional heat shields placed between the turbine wheel and the bearing housing in order to reduce the heat transferred into the bearing housing from the turbine housing.
Such heat shields provide a degree of thermal protection for various components of the turbocharger, including, for example, the lubrication system and the piston rings oftentimes associated with the shaft of the turbocharger in order to seal the oil in the bearing housing off from the turbine housing. While conventional heat shields have contributed to the improved efficiency of turbochargers, damage associated with the high heat environment during operation and during a heat soak period after the hot shut down of an engine may nevertheless occur. Such damage may include burning of the oil in the bearing housing. In turn, sludge, coked oil or other burned oil deposits may accumulate on the bearings and on bearing housing surfaces. Due to the abrasive nature of such deposits and the fact that their buildup reduces clearances, these deposits may be detrimental to optimal turbocharger performance and should therefore be avoided. Because a turbocharger and its various components are expected to have a lifespan that matches that of the engine with which it operates, the design of turbochargers and turbocharger components must evolve to meet the current challenges and the harsh, increasingly demanding operating conditions of internal combustion engines.
In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a heat shield configured to be disposed between a bearing housing and a turbine wheel of a turbocharger is disclosed. The disclosed heat shield may include a closed end wall and a sidewall extending from the closed end wall, and a center opening in the closed end wall, the center opening configured to receive a shaft of the turbocharger. The heat shield may further include an outer layer and an inner layer. In addition, the disclosed heat shield may include an insulation material disposed between the outer layer and the inner layer of the heat shield, the outer layer and the inner layer encapsulating the insulation material.
In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a turbocharger is disclosed which may include a bearing housing and a shaft mounted for rotation in the bearing housing. The disclosed turbocharger may also include a turbine wheel attached to one end of the shaft and configured to be driven by exhaust gas flow. The turbocharger may further include a heat shield disposed between the bearing housing and the turbine wheel. The heat shield of the disclosed turbocharger may include a closed end wall and a sidewall extending from the closed end wall, and a center opening in the closed end wall, the center opening configured to receive a shaft of the turbocharger. In addition, the heat shield may include an outer layer and an inner layer, and an insulation material disposed between the outer layer and the inner layer, the outer layer and the inner layer encapsulating the insulation material.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a turbocharger is disclosed which may include a turbocharger housing having a compressor housing, a bearing housing and a turbine housing. The disclosed turbocharger may also include a turbine wheel located in the turbine housing, a compressor wheel located in the compressor housing, and a shaft extending through the bearing housing and connecting the turbine wheel and the compressor wheel. In addition, the disclosed turbocharger may include a multilayered heat shield disposed between the turbine wheel and the bearing housing. The heat shield of the disclosed turbocharger may include a first layer comprising stainless steel, a second layer comprising an insulation material, and a third layer comprising stainless steel, the first and the third layers being attached to encapsulate the second layer.
Advantages of the present disclosure will be readily appreciated as the disclosure becomes better understood with reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
While the following detailed description will be given with respect to certain illustrative embodiments, it should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale and the disclosed embodiments are sometimes illustrated diagrammatically and in partial views. In addition, in certain instances, details which are not necessary for an understanding of the disclosed subject matter or which render other details too difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It should therefore be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed and illustrated herein, but rather to a fair reading of the entire disclosure and claims, as well as any equivalents thereto.
Referring to the drawings generally, an exemplary heat shield for use in a turbocharger of an internal combustion engine is depicted. The disclosed heat shield may be employed in turbochargers of internal combustion engines used to power trucks, cars, trains, aircraft and construction equipment, for example. In addition, the heat shield disclosed herein may be employed in turbochargers of diesel cycle or Otto cycle internal combustion engines.
Referring specifically to
The heat shield 12, described in detail below, is provided in the turbine section 16 between the turbine wheel 34 and the bearing housing 20 to reduce heat transfer from the turbine section 16 to the bearing housing 20 thereby increasing the efficiency and durability of the turbocharger 10. With further reference to
The closed end wall 48 may include a shoulder 60 formed about a periphery thereof, and an angled portion 62 that connects the shoulder 60 and closed end wall 48 to the center opening 54. While the shoulder 60 and angled portion 62 are depicted in
Referring again to
Turning to
As further illustrated in
In an additional embodiment, as illustrated in
The disclosed turbocharger 10 can be integrated with the internal combustion engine of any number of vehicles to improve the performance of the vehicles and to enhancing fuel economy. In operation, the turbine wheel 34 of the turbocharger 10 is rotatably driven by an inflow of exhaust gas supplied from the exhaust manifold of an engine. Since the shaft 40 connects the turbine wheel 34 to the compressor wheel in the compressor housing, the rotation of the turbine wheel 34 causes rotation of the compressor wheel. As the compressor wheel rotates, it increases the air mass flow rate, airflow density and air pressure delivered to the engine's cylinders via an outflow from the compressor air outlet, which is connected to the engine's air intake manifold. As described above, the temperature within the turbocharger may reach or exceed 1,000° C. while operating. In addition to this high operating temperature that transfers heat into the bearing housing 20, significant heat soak may occur after the hot shut down of an engine, thereby continuing the conductive and radiative heat transfer to the bearing housing 20. While turbochargers provide several advantages, care must be taken to avoid the potential damage that may be incurred by the components of the turbocharger due to the very high heat environment. Such damage could not only decrease the efficiency of the turbocharger, but could also potentially result in the release of oil into the turbine housing and into the environment.
The disclosed heat shield 12, designed to be disposed in the turbocharger 10 between the bearing housing 20 and the turbine wheel 34 of the turbocharger 10, can significantly reduce the heat transferred from the turbine side of the turbocharger to the bearing side, thereby protecting many of the components of the turbocharger 10. Among other things, the disclosed heat shield 12 may protect piston ring-type seal rings oftentimes disposed on the shaft 40, which help to maintain an oil separation between the bearing 20 housing and the turbine housing 24. Importantly, damage to or breakdown of these rings due to high heat is detrimental to both the functioning of the turbocharger and to the environment. In addition, by reducing the heat transferred into the bearing housing 20, the disclosed heat shield 12 protects the lubricating oil in the bearing housing 20 from excessive heat, thereby avoiding the potentially damaging burned oil deposits oftentimes found on the bearings and bearing housing surfaces of conventional turbochargers with conventional heat shields. Moreover, with a significant enough heat reduction, the use of water-cooled bearing housings may not be required.
In comparison to conventional, single layer stamped heat shields, the disclosed multilayered encapsulated heat shield 12 having an insulation material 74 encapsulated by the inner and outer layers 72, 76 may have a reduced heat shield temperature thereby reducing conductive, convective and radiative heat transfer into the bearing housing 20. This reduction in heat transfer may be during turbocharger operation, or after the hot shut down of the engine, as may be appreciated from a thermal survey of the turbocharger 10 after a hot shut down (during a heat soak period). For example, the disclosed heat shield 12 may improve heat soak at numerous locations within the bearing housing 20, including an 11% improvement at piston rings, as well as improvements at bearing supports, i.e., a 6% improvement at a turbine cradle and a 9% improvement at a compressor cradle. The shape, the multiple faces/edges, the air gap component, the material make up and the layered configuration of the disclosed heat shield 12 may contribute to this reduction of heat transferred into the bearing housing 20 from the turbine side of the turbocharger 10. The disclosed heat shield 12 therefore further adds to the already improved efficiency and durability of turbochargers employing conventional heat shields. Moreover, because the disclosed heat shield 12 further protects the components of the turbocharger 10 from damage and breakdown, the potential for release of lubricating oil into the environment may also be lowered. Finally, the disclosed heat shield 12 may be retrofitted to existing turbochargers, i.e., it can take the place of an existing heat shield without requiring any turbocharger modifications. The disclose heat shield 12 may therefore provide a cost-effective fix for a turbocharger having a damaged or less efficient heat shield, or may be provided as a replacement part in a remanufactured turbocharger, for example.
All references to the disclosure or examples thereof are intended to reference the particular example being discussed at that point and are not intended to imply any limitation as to the scope of the disclosure more generally. Also, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the stabilizer pads of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the embodiments disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims.