There are known solutions which depend on recovering work from the emitted heat from the combustion generator power plant turbines by exchanging heat into the steam, which drives the separate steam turbines wherein the additional electric power is created.

In the USA Patent Application no US 53 13 782 is presented the gas-steam power plant system which consists of two turbines generating electric power, which are driven by the internal combustion power unit. One turbine is driven by the steam produced from the heat obtained as a result of burning. In the system waste gas-from the first internal combustion turbine is passed to the combustion chamber of the second turbine and then it is passed to the heat receiver wherein steam is produced for driving the steam turbine. The additional energy which drives the steam turbine is obtained from the evaporating dish, which is situated behind the cooler which receives the heat from the first of the two compressors, the compressors are connected with the internal combustion turbines. The steam produced in the evaparating dish additionally helps with the steam turbine work. The system is used for increasing the efficiency of the power plant by reducing the energy heat losses.

From the USA Specification no US 60 03 298 is known the system which presents the internal combustion power plant, it consists of the high-pressure turbine connected with the high-pressure compressor, and the electric generator and the low-pressure turbine with the low-pressure compressor and it also consists of the low-pressure turbine with the low- pressure compressor and of the steam turbine connected with the additional electric generator.

The low-pressure turbine and the steam turbine are driven by the water steam which is- produced in the water heater by using the outlet heat of the high-pressure internal combustion turbine. The low-pressure turbine delivers energy for the cooler. The first heat pipe delivers the steam to the low-pressure turbine, and the second delivers the heat to the steam turbine are provided with the valves which enable the certain control of the amount of steam which is delivered to the specific elements of the system.

In the wehicles driven by the internal combustion engine particularly the vehicle engines significant part of the heat produced by the internal combustion engine while working, is led out of the vehicle, while cooling the engine. The heat is hardly used or it is used in a small percentage, for example in the air heater wherein it is used for heating the interior of a vehicle.

The present invention is realised in two independent alternative embodiments as a method and in two independent alternative embodiments as a system. However the subject- matters of the invention are linked by the same main idea.

In the first embodiment the method for recovering work from the emitted heat from the internal combustion engine, particularly the vehicle engine, where the fluid operating agent is used for cooling the engine in the closed cooling circulation system wherein the operating agent collects the engine's heat and then gives the heat back in the heat exchanger circulating in the closed circulation system according to the invention is characterised by that, the internal combustion engine is cooled by the operating agent preferable having the low boiling point, in the closed cooling circulation system which causes the increase of the temperature and the pressure of the operating agent. Between the pump and the valve of the closed cooling circulation system, the operating agent is maintained in the liquid form by using the valve until the operating agent reaches the certain temperature in which the agent reaches the certain pressure, causing the opening of the valve. The evaporated operating agent is getting out from the valve, the agent drives the turbine and next the operating agent is cooled in the cooling system and it is condensed. Then the cooled operating agent is pumped back to the internal combustion engine by the pump. The work obtained in the turbine is passed by means of releasable link preferable by the hydrodynamic coupling to the vehicle driving system.

It is preferable that the cooling operating agent, while getting out from the cooling system is additionally passed through the condenser.

It is also preferable that the work which is obtained in the turbine is passed to the vehicle driving system, and it generates the electric power in the generator powering the additional electric engine which is connected with the vehicle driving system by the means of releasable link.

In the second embodiment the method for recovering work from the emitted heat from the internal combustion engine, particularly the vehicle engine, where the fluid operating agent is used for cooling the engine in the closed cooling circulation system wherein the operating agent collects the engine's heat and then gives the heat back in the heat exchanger circulating in the closed circulation system, according to the invention is characterised by that the internal combustion engine is cooled by the operating agent, which collects the heat from the engine and gives it back in the heat exchanger and it circulates in the closed circulating system at the same time the second operating agent circulates in the second closed circulation system and it has the lower boiling point than the first operating agent. The second operating agent is heated to the boiling point in the heat exchanger by using the heat recovered from the first operating agent (directly cooling the engine) which causes the increase of pressure of the second operating agent. The first opreating agent after leaving the heat exchanger is pumped back to the engine or afterheating it in the cooler. The second operating agent which was evaporated in the heat exchanger drives the turbine and then it is cooled in the cooling system which can consist of one or more coolers or with the afterheater, then the cooled operating agent is pumped back by using the pump to the heat exchanger. The work obtained in the turbine is passed by the means of releasable linlc, preferable by the hydrodynamic coupling to the vehicle driving system.

It is preferable that the operating agent which drives the turbine is additionally heated in the superheater preferably using the heat of the combustion gas of the vehicle. The additional heating of the operating agent could be important because the water or another operating agent which leaves the engine has the temperture about 83-84° C which could be not sufficient for evaporating effectively the second operating agent in the heat exchanger. In the superheater could be used the heat, for example from the waste gase of the combustion engine usually having the temperature over 600° C It is preferable that the operating agent cooled in the cooling system is additionally passed through the condenser, if the temperature of the operating agent is not reduced in the cooling system sufficiently for it to be completely condensed. It is also preferable for the efectiveness of the heat exchange between both operating agents in the heat exchanger to be as high as possible.

In the above presented alternative embodiment, apart from the fact that the operating agent having higher boiling point collects the heat directly from the engine in the cooling process, it can be additionally heated by use of the independent heat exchanger after leaving the engine. The heat can be collected for example by means of direct contact with the oil sump or by using another kind of the heat exchanger or some heat exchangers at the same time. It is important to collect as much heat as possible, the heat is then passed to the operating agent having the lower boiling point in the heat exchanger and it drives the turbine.

The system for recovering work from the emitted heat from the internal combustion engine, particularly the vehicle engine which is designated for receiving the heat of the engine by using the operating agent which circulates in the closed circulation system and the system has at least one heat exchanger, according to the invention is characterised by that the internal combustion engine cooled by the operating agent is connected with the valve and then with the turbine which produces work. The turbine is linked to the the vehicle driving system by the means of releasable link preferably the hydrodynamic coupling, and the cooling system is situated on the outlet side of the turbine. The operating agent is cooled, and the cooling system is connected with the pump for pumping back the operating agent. The pump is connected with the internal combustion engine.

The valve is opening in a continous way or gradually, and the valve passes the certain amount of the operating agent when the agent has the sufficient temperature in which it has the sufficient high pressure.

In the preferable emboddiment the condenser is situated between the cooling system and the pump. It is also preferable when the additional generator is situated between the turbine and the vehicle driving system, and the generator is connected with the electric engine.

In the second embodiment the system for recovering work from the emitted heat from the internal combustion engine, particularly the vehicle engine which is designated for receiving the heat of the engine by using the operating agent which circulates in the closed circulation system, and the system has at least one heat exchanger according to the invention is characterised by that, it has two separate heat circulation systems having two different operating agents. The first operating agent circulates in the closed circulation system and is designated for cooling directly the internal combustion engine where the heat circulation system is connected with the heat exchanger where the one operating agent passes its heat to the second operating agent which has the lower boliling point than the first operating agent.

1 he heat exchanger is connected with the second different heat circulation system, and has the turbine at the outlet side of the heat exchanger, and the turbine works under the pressure of evaporated operating agent. The turbine is connected with the vehicle driving system by the means of releasable link, preferably by the hydrodynamic coupling. The cooling system is situated at the outlet side of the turbine, wherein the operating agent is cooled and the cooling system is connected with the pump which closes the circulation system by its connection with the heat exchanger.

It is preferable that, there is the superheater situated between the heat exchanger and the turbine in the heat circulation system which is filled with the operating agent, the superheater preferably uses the waste gase heat of the internal combustion engine.

In the preferable embodiment the condenser is situated between the cooling system and the pump. It is also preferable that there is an additional generator situated between the turbine and the vehicle driving system, and the generator drives the electric engine which is connected with the driving system by means of releasable link.

As the operating agent having the lower boiling point could be used, for example, the mixture offrons which boils at about 30° C or another substance.

The application of electronic controllers according to the invention can influence the efficiency of work as a method and as a system, and situating the two independent heat circulation system valves in the certain places controls the flow of the operating agents. For example: it is needless to activate the turbine while the engine is heated until the engine reaches the certain steady-state thermostat temperature. The turbine could be activated when it reaches the sufficient power by using elctronic control.

In all alternative embodiments according to the invention, the cooling system could consist of one or more coolers and could additionally contain the aftercooler. The main idea of the invention does not depend on the method of receiving the engine heat by the operating agent. The heat could be received directly from the engine by the commonly used cooling systems or additionally from the other elements emitting heat such as from the oil sump.

The method as well as the system according to the invention could be also characterised by that the work obtained in the working turbine under the influence of the evaporated operating agent is used in the turbocompressor.

The preferable technical effects of the subject matter of the invention are the reducing energy heat losses obtained in the burning process of the fuel in the vehicle internal combustion engine. The significant part of the engine work usually is transformed into heat which is led out while cooling the engine. The heat is wasted and led out to the air or is used only in a small percentage. The present invention significantly reduces the amount of fuel which is necessary to drive the vehicle, it reduces the operating costs and the emmision of harmfull substances to the air. The present invention could be used for providing the necessary amount of energy to power the independent electric drive of the vehicle, in vehicles having so called diesel-electric"hybrid power system". The advantage of the alternative embodiment of the invention where two operating agents are used, is the fact that the work is recovered from the heat of the engine without any interference in the cooling process while using water or the other known cooling liquid, could be taking place in a typical way.

The example of the subject matter according to the invention is presented in the drawing where fig 1 shows the alternative embodiment of the invention where one operating agent is used, fig 2 shows the example where two operating agents are used, fig 3 shows the example of the invention where two operating agents and the condenser are used and the turbine work is passed to generator which drives the electric engine.

The method for recovering work from the emitted heat from the internal combustion engine, particularly the vehicle engine in the first alternative embodiment according to the invention is described below on the background of fig 1 and fig 3 of the drawing.

The internal combustion engine 1 is cooled by the operating agent B preferable having the low boiling point, in the closed cooling circulation system which causes the increase of the temperature and the pressure of the operating agent B, wherein between the pump 7 and the valve 2 of the closed cooling circulation system, the operating agent B is maintained in the liquid form by using the valve 2 until the operating agent B reaches the certain temperature in which the agent reaches the certain pressure, causing the opening of the valve 2 and the evaporated operating agent B'is getting out from the valve 2, the agent B'drives the turbine Next the operating agent B'is cooled in the cooling system 6 and it is condensed. Then the cooled operating agent is pumped back to the internal combustion engine 1 by the pump 7 wherein the work obtained in the turbine 3 is passed by means of releasable link 4 preferable by the hydrodynamic coupling to the vehicle driving system 5.

The part of the closed circulation system where the operating agent is maintained in a liquid form, because of the high pressure, is shown in a bold line.

The method for recovering work from the emitted heat from the internal combustion engine, particularly the vehicle engine in the second alternative embodiment according to the invention is described below on the background of fig 2 and fig 3 of the drawing The internal combustion engine 1 is cooled by the operating agent A, next the agent is passed to the heat exchanger 8 wherein it is heated by using the heat of the passing operating agent A, wherein the operating agent B has lower boiling point than the operating agent A which circulates in the separate closed circulation systems. The operating agent A is supplied to the internal combustion engine 1, and the operating agent B is heated to the boiling point in the heat exchanger 8 which causes the increase of pressure of the operating agent B, then the evaporated operating agent B'drives the turbine 3. Then the operating agent B'is cooled in the cooling system 6 wherein the agent is condensed and then the condensed operating agent B is pumped back by using the pump 7 to the heat exchanger 8. The work obtained in the turbine 3 is passed by the means of releasable link 4 preferable by the hydrodynamic coupling to the vehicle driving system 5.

In the first embodiment of the system according to the invention the internal combustion engine 1 cooled by the operating agent B is connected with the valve 2 and then with the turbine 3 which produces work. The turbine 3 is linked to the the vehicle driving system 5 by the means of releasable link 4 preferably the hydrodynamic coupling, and the cooling system 6 is situated on the outlet side of the turbine 3 wherein the operating agent B'is cooled. The cooling system 6 is connected with the pump 7 for pumping back the operating agent B where the pump is connected with the internal combustion engine 1 It is preferable that the condenser 9 is situated between the cooling system 6 and the pump 7.

It is also preferable that the additional generator 10 is situated between the turbine and the vehicle driving system 5 and the generator is connected with the electric engine 11 connected with the vehicle driving system 5 by the means of releasable link 4.

The system in the second embodiment according to the invention has two separate heat circulation systems having two different operating agents, where the operating agent A circulates in the closed circulation system and is designated for cooling directly the internal combustion engine 1. The circulation system filled with the operating agent A consists of the heat exchanger 8 where the operating agent A passes its heat to the operating agent B which has the lower boliling point than the operating agent A. The heat exchanger 8 is connected with the second different heat circulation system filled with the operating agent B, and there is the turbine 3 on the outlet side of the heat exchanger 8 and the turbine works under the pressure of evaporated operating agent B'. The turbine 3 is connected with the vehicle driving system 5 by the means of releasable linlc 4, preferably by the hydrodynamic coupling, the cooling system 6 is situated on the outlet side of the turbine 3, wherein the operating agent B' is cooled and the cooling system 6 is connected with the pump 7 which closes the circulation system by its connection with the heat exchanger 8.

It is preferable that there is the superheater 12 situated between the heat exchanger 8 and the turbine 3 in the heat circulation sytem filled with the operating agent B, the superheater preferably uses the waste gase heat of the internal combustion engine 1, it is also preferable that the condenser 9 is situated between the cooling system 6 and the pump 7.

It is preferable that there is an additional generator 10 situated between the turbine and the vehicle driving system 5 and the generator is connected with the electric engine 11 and condenser 9 is placed between the cooling system 6 and the pump 7.

The subject matter of the invention could be usued not only for automotive vehicles but in all kinds of machines and vehicles driven by the combustion internal engins for example in the marine engines.