Internal Combustion Engine With Integrated Waste Heat Recovery System

Abstract

An engine assembly may include a first heat exchanger, a fluid supply system providing a fluid flow to the first heat exchanger, a fuel system, an engine block defining first and second cylinder bores, a first piston disposed within the first cylinder bore, and a second piston disposed within the second cylinder bore. The first cylinder bore may receive fuel from the fuel system for combustion therein to drive the first piston. The fluid flow may be pressurized within the first heat exchanger and the pressurized fluid may be provided to the second cylinder bore to drive the second piston.

1 . An engine assembly comprising:
 a first heat exchanger;   a fluid supply system providing a fluid flow to the first heat exchanger, the fluid flow being pressurized within the first heat exchanger;   a fuel system;   an engine block defining first and second cylinder bores, the first cylinder bore receiving fuel from the fuel system for combustion therein and the second cylinder bore receiving pressurized fluid exiting the first heat exchanger;   a first piston disposed within the first cylinder bore and being reciprocally displaced by combustion within the first cylinder bore; and   a second piston disposed within the second cylinder bore and being reciprocally displaced by the pressurized fluid.   
     
     
         2 . The engine assembly of  claim 1 , wherein an exhaust gas produced by the combustion within the first cylinder bore is in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger, the exhaust gas providing a heat source to the first heat exchanger to raise the pressure of the fluid flow passing through the first heat exchanger. 
     
     
         3 . The engine assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid flow enters the first heat exchanger as a liquid and exits the first heat exchanger as a vapor. 
     
     
         4 . The engine assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the fluid flow entering the first heat exchanger includes liquid water and the fluid flow exiting the first heat exchanger includes steam. 
     
     
         5 . The engine assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising an engine cooling system including a second heat exchanger having a engine coolant passing therethrough, the fluid supply system being in fluid communication with the second heat exchanger, the fluid flow being heated by the engine coolant passing through the second heat exchanger. 
     
     
         6 . The engine assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the engine block includes a third cylinder bore having a third piston disposed therein, the third cylinder bore receiving exhaust from the second cylinder bore to reciprocally drive the third piston. 
     
     
         7 . The engine assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the engine block includes a fourth cylinder bore having a fourth piston disposed therein, the fourth cylinder bore receiving fuel from the fuel system for combustion therein to reciprocally drive the fourth piston, the first and fourth cylinder bores being directly adjacent one another. 
     
     
         8 . The engine assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the second cylinder bore is adjacent to the first cylinder bore and the third cylinder bore is adjacent to the fourth cylinder bore. 
     
     
         9 . The engine assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the second and third cylinder bores are directly adjacent to one another. 
     
     
         10 . The engine assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a crankshaft, the crankshaft engaged with and rotationally driven by the first and second pistons. 
     
     
         11 . An engine waste heat recovery system comprising:
 a first heat exchanger; and   a fluid supply system providing a fluid flow to the first heat exchanger, the fluid flow being pressurized within the first heat exchanger and provided to a first cylinder bore of an engine block to drive a first piston disposed therein, the engine block defining a second cylinder bore having a second piston disposed therein driven by combustion of fuel therein.   
     
     
         12 . The engine waste heat recovery system of  claim 11 , wherein the first heat exchanger is in fluid communication with an exhaust gas from the second cylinder bore, the exhaust gas providing a heat source to the first heat exchanger to raise the pressure of the fluid flow passing through the first heat exchanger. 
     
     
         13 . The engine waste heat recovery system of  claim 11 , wherein the fluid flow enters the first heat exchanger as a liquid and exits the first heat exchanger as a vapor. 
     
     
         14 . The engine waste heat recovery system of  claim 13 , wherein the fluid flow entering the first heat exchanger includes liquid water and the fluid flow exiting the first heat exchanger includes steam. 
     
     
         15 . The engine waste heat recovery system of  claim 11 , further comprising a second heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger being in fluid communication with an engine coolant and the fluid supply system, the fluid flow being heated by the engine coolant passing through the second heat exchanger. 
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 providing a fuel supply to a first cylinder bore of an engine block;   igniting the fuel supply to power displacement of a first piston located in the first cylinder bore;   providing a fluid flow to a first heat exchanger to pressurize the fluid flow therein; and   providing the pressurized fluid flow to a second cylinder bore of the engine block to power displacement of a second piston locating in the second cylinder bore.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising providing an exhaust gas from the first cylinder bore to the first heat exchanger to pressurize the fluid flow within the first heat exchanger. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the pressurization of the fluid flow includes heating the fluid flow to transform the fluid flow from a liquid to a vapor. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the providing a fluid flow includes providing water to the first heat exchanger and the pressurized fluid flow provided to the second cylinder bore includes steam. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising providing the pressurized fluid flow exiting the second cylinder bore to a third cylinder bore of the engine block during an exhaust stroke of the second piston.