Energy conversion system

• Main Authors: KNÄLMANN, JOHAN, GÖRAS, ERIK
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 24.12.2014
• Subjects: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS INVEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OFTRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GASEXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS, IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; BLASTING; COMBUSTION ENGINES; CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE ORDIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; HEATING; HOT GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT ENGINEPLANTS; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TOTHE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT; TRANSPORTING; USE OF WASTE HEAT OF COMBUSTION ENGINES; VEHICLES IN GENERAL; WEAPONS

Energy conversion system (2) for a vehicle, comprising at least a Stirling engine (4) which has a warm side (6) and a cold side (8), a motion means (10) for transfer of mechanical energy from the Stirling engine (4), a heat module (12) situated close to the Stirling engine's warm side (6) and adapted to delivering heat (14) to said warm side for operation of the Stirling engine, which motion means (10) is adapted to driving a generator (16) to charge one or more of the vehicle's batteries (18). The heat module (12) is adapted to receiving heat (20, 22), for delivery to the warm side of the Stirling engine, from the vehicle's exhaust system (24) and from at least one separate heat source (26), and to switching between a first operating mode in which the heat (20) from the vehicle's exhaust system (24) is used and a second operating mode in which the heat (22) from the separate heat source (26) is used. The energy conversion system comprises a control unit (30) adapted to receiving one or more sensor signals (32) which represent one or more operating parameters for the vehicle, and to controlling the operating mode for said heat module (12) on the basis of said operating parameter or parameters.