Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Donald Masch

Michael Benjamin Levin

Furqan Zafar Shaikh

Danrich Henry Demitroff

James Patrick O'Neill

William Samuel Schwartz

Mark John Jennings

David Richens Brigham

Quazi Ehtesham Hussain

Lawrence Marshall

Yongfang Zhong

Jeffrey Scott Hepburn

Shiguang Zhou

Zhaoyang Zeng

Systems and methods for operating an engine that includes an exhaust gas heat recovery system are described. The system may reduce engine warm-up time and increase an amount of time an engine of a hybrid vehicle is deactivated while the hybrid vehicle is powered by a motor. In one example, a phase change material selectively stores and releases exhaust gas energy from and engine to improve vehicle operation.

Methods and systems for utilizing waste heat for a hybrid vehicle

A vehicle climate control system includes a thermal-adsorption heat pump driven by engine exhaust heat, the heat pump including two adsorbers asynchronously switching between adsorbing and desorbing modes, each adsorber coupled with a corresponding antifreeze tank via a plurality of refrigerant-containing wick chambers. Cold heat transfer fluid (HTF) flows through the adsorber during the adsorbing mode which causes evaporation of refrigerant from the wick chambers, thereby cooling antifreeze, whereas hot HTF flows through the adsorber during the desorbing mode which causes condensation of refrigerant at the wick chambers, thereby heating antifreeze. In this way, the thermal-adsorption heat pump may condition cabin air independent of engine coolant and without exerting a load on the engine.

Motor vehicle climate control system

An engine lubrication system is provided. The engine lubrication system includes an oil pan housing a lubricant, an oil pump having a pick-up tube including an inlet submerged in the lubricant, and a heat pipe assembly including a fluidly sealed heat pipe coupled to the oil pan adjacent to the inlet of the pick-up tube.

Heat pipe assembly in an engine lubrication system

An exhaust system for an engine is disclosed herein. The exhaust system includes a catalytic converter, a heat collector downstream from the catalytic converter, and a heat transfer system receiving waste exhaust heat via a thermosyphon evaporator for storage and/or use in a cabin heating system. In this way, waste heat is utilized to provide better cabin heating, particularly at engine cold start.

Heat system for an engine

An exhaust system for an engine is disclosed herein. The exhaust system includes a catalytic converter, an exhaust manifold upstream from the catalytic converter, and a heat pipe in thermal contact with the exhaust manifold and atmosphere. The system further includes a phase changing material that passively absorbs heat after catalytic light-off.

Method to protect the exhaust manifold from overheating using heat pipe

A method for recovering exhaust heat for an engine is disclosed herein. The method includes during an engine operation, reducing a volume of a circulating heat transfer fluid and discharging a heat storage device to heat an engine component. The method further includes distributing the circulating heat transfer fluid to one or more heat exchangers each in thermal contact with one or more engine systems.

Heat storage system for an engine

A heat transfer method for an engine is disclosed herein utilizing a heat battery configured to store waste exhaust heat in phase-chase materials for use during a subsequent engine start. By reusing waste exhaust heat in this manner, exhaust emissions may be reduced, and delays in heating the vehicle cabin and other vehicle systems after engine start may be reduced.

Growing community of inventors

White Lake, MI, United States of America

Donald Masch