Snowmobile with a supercharged engine

Abstract

An air charging system for use with a vehicle includes a heat exchanger for cooling an air charge by melting a mass of snow/ice that is external to and in thermal communication with the heat exchanger.

1 . An air charging system for use with a snowmobile engine, the snowmobile engine being mounted for propelling a snowmobile over a snow/ice covered terrain, the system comprising:
 a first heat exchanger for cooling an air charge, an efficiency of the first heat exchanger being enhanced by the first heat exchanger being disposed on a snowmobile such that the first heat exchanger cools the air charge by means of latent heat including at least the heat of fusion required to melt a mass of snow/ice that is separate from the air charge, and that is in thermal communication with the first heat exchanger, the efficiency of the first heat exchanger being further enhanced by conduction, the first heat exchanger thermally conductive material being mounted to a thermally conductive structure of the snowmobile such that heat is conducted from the first heat exchanger thermally conductive material to the snowmobile thermally conductive structure; and   a second heat exchanger operating in cooperation with the first heat exchanger to cool the air charge, the second heat exchanger including a liquid reservoir for holding a volume of liquid, the reservoir being in fluid communication with the second heat exchanger for convectively cooling the air charge in the second heat exchanger.   
   
   
       2 . The air charging system of  claim 1 , including the first heat exchanger being in thermal communication with a mass of snow/ice communicated to the first heat exchanger by the snowmobile from a snow/ice covered terrain. 
   
   
       3 . The air charging system of  claim 2 , including the efficiency of the first heat exchanger being further enhanced by the latent heat of vaporization of entrained water being in thermal communication with the first heat exchanger and being vaporized thereby. 
   
   
       4 . The air charging system of  claim 1 , including the efficiency of the first heat exchanger being further enhanced by convective heat exchange by means of a volume of ram air being moved over the first heat exchanger. 
   
   
       5 . The air charging system of  claim 1 , wherein the mass of snow/ice is external to the first heat exchanger. 
   
   
       6 . The air charging system of  claim 1 , further comprising a knock sensor coupled to the snowmobile engine and an injector valve for selectively injecting liquid from the liquid reservoir into the air charge based on an output from the knock sensor. 
   
   
       7 . The air charging system of  claim 6 , further comprising a liquid level sensor to determine the amount of liquid in the liquid reservoir. 
   
   
       8 - 13 . (canceled) 
   
   
       14 . An air charging system for use with a snowmobile, the system comprising a heat exchanger for cooling an air charge by melting a mass of snow/ice that is external to and in thermal communication with the heat exchanger. 
   
   
       15 . The air charging system of  claim 14 , further including a second heat exchanger including a liquid reservoir for holding a volume of liquid and operating in cooperation with the heat exchanger to cool the air charge. 
   
   
       16 . The air charging system of  claim 14 , further including a snowmobile thermally conductive structure such that heat is conducted from the heat exchanger to the snowmobile thermally conductive structure. 
   
   
       17 . The air charging system of  claim 14 , wherein the heat exchanger includes:
 an air charge inlet receiving the air charge to be cooled;   an air pathway in fluid communication with the air charge inlet; and   a snow/ice receiving surface exterior to the air pathway and air charge inlet, the snow/ice receiving surface providing for the collection of snow/ice thereon to allow heat transfer from the heat exchanger to the snow/ice.   
   
   
       18 . The air charging system of  claim 17 , wherein the snow/ice receiving surface defines a wall of a snow/ice retention area. 
   
   
       19 . The air charging system of  claim 17 , wherein the snow/ice receiving surface is disposed within a snow/ice retention area. 
   
   
       20 . The air charging system of  claim 19 , wherein the snow/ice retention area includes a snow/ice inlet positioned to receive snow/ice via a track tunnel of the snowmobile.