Intercooler system for internal combustion engine

Abstract

Disclosed is an intercooler system which uses an air conditioner evaporator coil or other mechanical refrigeration device to cool air flowing therethrough prior to intake of the air by an internal combustion engine. The invention thereby reduces the temperature of the air entering the engine well beyond the temperature reduction provided by a conventional intercooler. The invention may be used to chill the air to a point cooler than ambient temperature or even down to below freezing. In some embodiments, a conventional intercooler may be used to partially cool the air before it enters the intercooler of the invention. In other embodiments, the intercooler may be used in combination with a novel engine-driven supercharger having a variable-speed drive. The engine-driven supercharger of the invention may alternatively be used independently of the disclosed intercooler. In accordance with a further embodiment, an intercooler is reversed and used as a heat pump to warm the engine to a desired temperature, particularly after a cold start, thereby reducing engine warm-up time and increasing engine operating efficiency.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:  
     
         1 . A supercharged internal combustion engine, comprising: 
 first and second superchargers in series;    an intercooler interposed between said first and second superchargers so as to receive air from an output side of said first supercharger and discharge air into an intake side of said second supercharger.    
     
     
         2 . A method for operating an intercooler system, comprising: 
 at least one mechanical refrigeration device, said mechanical refrigeration device receiving compressed coolant and using said coolant to exchange heat from intake air received prior to intake of said air by said internal combustion engine;    reversing means to reverse the operation of said mechanical refrigeration device such that the device operates as a heat pump to provide warming air to said internal combustion engine.