Abstract:
An operating cycle for a turbocompounded 2-stroke piston engine comprises a compression stroke, shown as B-A-G on the indicator diagram and an expansion stroke G-K-L-B. The expansion stroke expands the combustion gases to a pressure PB which is lower than the turbocharging pressure PA, scavenging of the combustion gases from the piston engine being facilitated by purging the piston engine with turbocharging air during an early part B-A of each compression stroke B-A-G. This causes the compression ratio RA of the piston engine to be substantially less (preferably, about half) of its expansion ratio RB. Among other advantages, the cycle enables better scavenging of combustion products from the cylinders, and enables the piston engine to be better matched to the associated turbine/turbocompressor set, which may be a gas turbine engine.
Abstract:
A compound engine comprises a positive displacement engine (100), such as a reciprocating or rotary piston diesel engine, which is linked to a turbine/turbocompressor set in the form of a gas turbine engine (102) with a free power turbine (138). The exhaust gases of the positive displacement engine pass through a duct (122) to the combustor (116) of the gas turbine engine to help drive its turbine (134), which drives the turbocompressor (106), when in turn turbocharges the positive displacement engine (100) through a duct (108). The turbocharging air duct (108) includes a valve (109) for selectively preventing delivery of turbocharging air to the positive displacement engine (100) so that the gas turbine engine can be operated while the positive displacement engine is shut down. In order to assure good scavenging of spent combustion products from the positive displacement engine (100) and a good match between the compression and expansion characteristics of the gas turbine engine (102) and the positive displacement engine, the turbocharging air duct (108) delivers the turbocharging air to the positive displacement engine at a first, higher, pressure and the combustion gas exhaust duct (122) exhausts the combustion gas to the combustor (116) at a second, lower pressure. Methods of operating the compound engine are also disclosed.
Abstract:
A prime mover comprises a positive displacement engine (100), such as a reciprocating or rotary piston engine, which is linked to a turbine/turbocompressor set, such as the gas turbine engine (102). The exhaust gases of the positive displacement engine pass through a duct (122) to drive the turbine (134), which drives the turbocompressor (106), which in turn turbocharges the positive displacement engine (100) through a duct (108). Disclosed are efficient overall operating cycles for such prime movers, advantangeous adaptations of prime movers capable of performing such operating cycles, and operating cycles for the positive displacement engine (100) which enable it to contribute most effectively to the efficiency of the overall operating cycles.
Abstract:
The cylinder head (401) of a turbocompounded 2-stroke piston engine incorporates, for each cylinder (400), an indirect combustion chamber (402), which is connected to the cylinder clearance volume (413) by a passage (412). The indirect combustion chamber (402) incorporates the inlet valve (408) so that when the valve opens, turbocharging air flows into the cylinder through the chamber (402) and the passage (412). This allows a large proportion of the cylinder head area to be devoted to the exhaust valves (410), with advantages in good scavenging and maximising mass flow rates through the cylinder.