Process for increasing the process temperature of an air compressing internal combustion engine

Claim 2

A process for increasing the process temperature of an air compressing internal combustion engine having an exhaust gas recirculation line arranged between an exhaust gas line and an intake air line, with a final control element which is adjusted by a power-assisted actuator activated by a control unit, said actuator setting an amount of recirculated exhaust gas in dependence upon speed and loading of the internal combustion engine and the atmospheric pressure, said process including: preheating of the intake air when the temperature of a coolant is below a first predetermined limit, and the speed of the engine is (a) between a lower speed and an upper speed, and said engine is operating at a power level below 90% of the useful power of the internal combustion engine, or (b) between said upper speed and a speed corresponding to 90% of a nominal engine speed, and said engine is operating at a power level below 75% of the useful power of the internal combustion engine; recirculating exhaust gas when said coolant temperature is between said first predetermined limit and a lower second predetermined temperature limit, said engine speed is between said upper speed and a higher speed, and said engine is operating at a power level below 75% of the useful power of the internal combustion engine; and reducing said recirculation when at least one of a predetermined vehicle velocity is exceeded and said engine is operating at a power level at or above 50% of the useful power.

Claim 3

The process according to claim 1, wherein said lower second predetermined limit of the coolant temperature is 25° C. and said first predetermined limit of the coolant temperature is 97° C.

Claim 4

The process according to claim 1, further including mixing of approximately 50% of the exhaust gas with air when said exhaust gas is being recirculated and said engine load is less than 50% of the useful power.

Claim 5

The process according to claim 1, further including: opening a final control element in said exhaust gas recirculation line when said exhaust gas is being recirculated and said engine load is less than 50% of the useful power; and pivoting a pressure control valve in a mixing segment into a closed position to increase a partial vacuum in said mixing segment.

Claim 6

The process according to claim 1, further including partially opening a final control element in the exhaust gas recirculation line and opening the pressure control valve when said exhaust gas is being recirculated and said engine load is greater than 50% of the useful power.

Claim 7

The process according to claim 5, further including determining said useful power by measuring a pivot angle of an adjusting lever on an injection pump governor of said engine.

Claim 8

The process according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined vehicle velocity is approximately 90 km/h.

Claim 11

An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said pressure governor includes a bimetal element around which preheated intake air flows.

Claim 12

An apparatus according to claim 8, including connecting lines for connecting a passenger compartment of the vehicle with atmosphere-side connections of the vacuum control valve of the pressure converter and those of the three directional valves.

Claim 13

An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the power-assisted actuators of the three directional valves is an electromagnet.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 11, including switches for triggering the actuators of the directional valves, and a cam disc connected with the adjusting lever for controlling said switches.

Claim 15

A process for increasing the process temperature of an air compressing internal combustion engine having an exhaust gas recirculation line arranged between the exhaust gas line and the intake air line, with a final control element which is adjusted by a power-assisted actuator, which is activated by a control unit that sets an instantaneous amount of recirculated exhaust gas with reference to speed and load of the internal combustion engine and also a coolant temperature and atmospheric pressure, said process including: determining a temperature value dependent on load and speed from a predetermined family of characteristic intake air temperature curves, correcting said temperature value in dependence on coolant temperature, supplying said temperature value as a set value to a governor which changes the influx of preheated intake air to the stream of intake air by means of a first final control element; and mixing of exhaust gas with the preheated stream of intake air by the operation of a second final control element which is in the exhaust gas recirculation line, depending on a predetermined internal combustion engine speed, and controlling the pivot angle of a pressure control valve which is upstream of the junction of the exhaust gas recirculation line into an air circulation housing depending on load and speed from a predetermined family of characteristic pressure control valve curves, correcting said pivot angle by intake air temperature, coolant temperature, and atmospheric pressure, supplying said corrected pivot angle to a pressure control valve position governor which positions the pressure control valve via an actuator; and determining the position of said second final control element in dependence on speed and load from a family of characteristic exhaust gas recirculation curves, and correcting said final control element position depending on the intake air temperature, coolant temperature and the atmospheric pressure and then supplying said corrected second final control element position to an exhaust gas recirculation position governor.

Claim 16

A process for increasing the process temperature of an air compressing internal combustion engine having an exhaust gas recirculation line arranged between the exhaust gas line and the intake air line, with a final control element which is adjusted by a power-assisted actuator, which is activated by a control unit that sets an instantaneous amount of recirculated exhaust gas with reference to speed and load of the internal combustion engine and also a coolant temperature and atmospheric pressure, said process including: determining a temperature value dependent on load and speed from a predetermined family of characteristic intake air temperature curves, correcting said temperature value in dependence on coolant temperature, supplying said temperature value as a set value to a governor which changes the influx of preheated intake air to the stream of intake air by means of a first final control element; and mixing of exhaust gas with the preheated stream of intake air by the operation of a second final control element which is in the exhaust gas recirculation line, depending on a predetermined internal combustion engine speed, and controlling the pivot angle of a pressure control valve which is upstream of the junction of the exhaust gas recirculation line into an air circulation housing depending on load and speed from a predetermined family of characteristic pressure control valve curves, correcting said pivot angle by intake air temperature, coolant temperature, and atmospheric pressure, supplying said corrected pivot angle to a pressure control valve position governor which positions the pressure control valve via an actuator; and determining the position of said second final control element in dependence on speed and load from a family of characteristic exhaust gas recirculation curves, and correcting said final control element position depending on the intake air temperature, coolant temperature and the atmospheric pressure and then supplying said corrected second final control element position to an exhaust gas recirculation position governor.

Claim 17

The process according to claim 13, further including determining the load condition of the internal combustion engine by control rod displacement on a fuel injection pump.

Claim 18

The process according to claim 13, wherein said predetermined internal combustion engine speed is approximately 500 rpm.