Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Douglas Dickson

Daniel J Shepard

Lawrence P Ziehr

James R Salvador

Eugene Victor Gonze

An automobile vehicle exhaust gas heat recovery system includes an engine having a turbocharger. A cooling pump provides coolant flow to the engine and the turbocharger. A combined coolant discharge header receives coolant discharged from the engine and the turbocharger. A main rotary valve receives coolant discharged from the combined coolant discharge header. The main rotary valve includes multiple rotary valves selectively distributing all of the coolant in the combined coolant discharge header to at least one of an engine heater, a heater core and a transmission oil heater during a cold start operation. An exhaust gas heat recovery (EGHR) device is positioned to receive the coolant discharged from any one, any two or all of the engine heater, the heater core and the transmission oil heater and in a path to return the coolant to the cooling pump during the cold start operation of the engine.

Exhaust gas heat recovery energy extraction strategy

A method of using a thermoelectric generator for warming a transmission on a vehicle having an internal combustion engine is provided. The method includes starting the internal combustion engine, thereby generating a hot exhaust gas; circulating coolant through a heating loop in fluid communication with the internal combustion engine and the thermoelectric generator; passing the hot exhaust gas through a hot-side of the thermoelectric generator and circulating the coolant through the cold-side of the thermoelectric generator, thereby transferring heat from the hot exhaust gas to the coolant and generating an electric current; and selectively powering an electric heating element with the electric current. The electric heating element is in thermal communication with a transmission fluid of the transmission. The coolant is circulated through the thermoelectric generator, by an auxiliary coolant pump powered by the electrical current, for a predetermined length of time after shutdown of the internal combustion engine.

Thermoelectric generator for transmission warm-up

A vehicle, system, and method of warming the transmission fluid with a thermoelectric generator is also provided. Disclosed is vehicle having an internal combustion engine, a transmission containing a transmission fluid, a coolant circuit configured to remove heat from the engine, and a thermoelectric generator. The thermoelectric generator is in non-contact thermal communication with the hot exhaust gas produced by the engine and the relatively cooler coolant circulating through the coolant circuit. The thermoelectric generator produces a current from the temperature gradient between the exhaust gas relative and coolant and transfers heat from the exhaust gas to the coolant. The heat coolant is conveyed to a transmission heat exchanger to heat the transmission fluid. A heating element is disposed in thermal contact with the transmission fluid and the heating element is powered by the electric current produced by the thermoelectric generator.

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White Lake, MI, United States of America

Douglas Dickson