EXHAUST DRIVEN AIR CONDITION FOR SMALL VEHICLES

The present invention refers to an innovative regenerative system that employs one gas turbine for transforming the kinetic energy of exhaustion gases of an internal combustion engine into mechanical energy capable to activate a centrifugal compressor that integrates the vehicle conventional air conditioning equipment.

The vehicle air conditioning equipment takes advantage of compression cooling systems, whose compressor is set in motion through transmission system by pulleys and belt connected to the arbor of cranks of the internal combustion engine. Knowingly such arrangement steals power from the engine, being able to circumstantially jeopardize its performance severely. In vehicles of lower power, such as those with engine up to 1000 cubic cm of cylinder capacity, the loss of power is significant. In these cases, in order to overcome such limitation, systems called "smart" were developed, which cut the air conditioned in moments of higher acceleration, such as during overtaking maneuvers or in stretches of strong acclivity.

It is also another inconvenience of conventional air conditioning systems the increase in the consumption of fuel, which is higher, in terms of percentage, depending on how lower is the vehicle engine power.

Therefore, the present invention has the objective of introducing an innovative air conditioning system for vehicles that overcomes the referred to limitations of state of the technique, This is achieved through a regenerative system that comprises a gas turbine coupled, in series, to the exhaust manifold of the vehicle engine, capable to transform the kinetic energy of exhaustion gases into mechanical energy. To the turbine shaft, the conventional compressor shaft of a compression cooling system is coupled by compression, which integrates the vehicle air conditioning equipment.

The turbine used by the invention should present a regime of rotation compatible with the one of an air conditioning compressor, that is, between 1500 and 4000 rpm, without being necessary the use of complex mechanical reductions,

It is, therefore, the second objective of the invention the improvement of a gas turbine capable to present a satisfactory yield in the range of rotations of a vehicle conventional air conditioning compressor,

Preferably, the regenerative system of the invention uses a turbine of "Michell-Banki" type, also called "Ossberger", "cross-flow", "mixed" or "tangential", which is characterized by an extremely simple conception with few moving parts and of easy manufacturing. This type of turbine presents the advantage of being little sensitive to flow rate variations, mainly if compared with the traditional turbine "Francis". This characteristic is indispensable for the system proposed by the invention, because the operation regime of a vehicle, especially in the city, is very variable, undergoing constant accelerations and decelerations, thereby imposing on the engine a large alternation of rotations. The selected turbine presents a performance little susceptible to flow rate variations of exhaustion gases of the vehicle internal combustion engine.

The following are advantages of the regenerative system activated by the invention turbine in view of the vehicle conventional air conditioning systems:

- It substitutes the traditional method of activation by belt, reducing the consumption of fuel in about 13%;

- Unlike other methods for fuel saving with air conditioning, the invention reduces the consumption in 100% of the operation time and not just in bursts of speed or in excessive demands of the vehicle power;

- It exempts the use of belts, pulleys and electromagnetic clutch, as well as the upgrade in batteries and alternators;

- It is of easy assembly and installation, and simple maintenance;

- It has special application in vehicles with low power engine (cars of 1000 cc), because it works without directly depending on the engine useful power, taking advantage of the energy that is wasted by the exhaust.

These and other advantages of the present invention will become more evident through the following detailed description, which is based on the drawings attached (listed below, which illustrate a preferential materialization that should not be considered restrictive to the invention:

Figure 1 - schematic perspective of the regenerative system for activation of the vehicle air conditioning- proposed by the invention; Figure 2 - perspective of a preferential turbine of the invention; Figure 3 - cut side view of the invention turbine fully open; Figure 4 - cut side view of the invention turbine partially open; Figure 5 - cut side view of the invention turbine totally closed; Figure 6 - perspective of a preferential bearing for support of the turbine shaft,

Figurei illustrates the innovative energy regenerative system for vehicle air conditioning that includes one gas turbine (1) coupled, in series, to the exhaust manifold (2) of the vehicle internal combustion engine (3), which transforms the kinetic energy of exhaustion gases into mechanical energy. To the rotor shaft (4) the compressor shaft (5) of the vehicle conventional air conditioning equipment is coupled.

Figures 2 up to 5 detail a preferential model of gas turbine (1), of "Michell-Banki" type, which includes one shell (11), one inlet manifold (12) and one outlet manifold (13). The case (11) presents flat lateral walls, in whose interior a rotor of curved blades (4) rotates , whose shaft (41) is mono leant against an external bearing (6). The inlet manifold (12) is directly connected to the engine (3) exhaust manifold (2), while the outlet manifold (13) is connected to the vehicle exhaust pipe.

A system of gas distribution inside the turbine (1) comprises a curved deflector (14) of angular movement in the shell (11) internal part that deviates from the rotor (4) the path of gases originating from the inlet manifold (12). A command (15) that comes out on the external side of the case (11) wall allows the deflector (14) movement, The adjustment of the deflector (14) position can be manually activated by the driver, from the vehicle panel, or in an automatic way, by means of sensors of the engine loss of power. This conception allows an intrinsic bypass, since the deflector (14) by being totally backward forces the gas to divert its path and escape from the turbine, causing a minimum rotation in the turbine (1) rotor (4).

Figures 3, 4 and 5 detail, respectively, the positions of the deflector (14) totally backward and the turbine (1) with the maximum flow of gas rate, the deflector (14) moderately advanced and the turbine (1) with the average flow of gas rate and the deflector (14) totally advanced and the turbine (1) with the minimum flow of gas rate.

Figure 6 details a preferential model of bearing (6) of the rotor shaft (41) that presents two bearings (42), which are permanently maintained in oil bath that enters by an upper opening (43), and after circulating in the bearing internal part comes out by the inferior opening (44).