Internal Combustion Engine Cylinder Head With Integral Exhaust Runners And Turbocharger Housing

Abstract

An internal combustion engine cylinder head is based upon a one-piece structure including a number of exhaust runners, an exhaust collector, and a turbocharger exhaust turbine housing, all formed as one-piece.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An internal combustion engine, comprising:
 a. a plurality of power cylinders;   b. a cylinder head attached to said plurality of power cylinders, wherein said cylinder head comprises:
 i. a plurality of exhaust runners that provide for conducting exhaust gases from said plurality of power cylinders to a first exhaust port; 
 ii. a cavity, wherein said first exhaust port is located in a side of said cavity; and 
   c. a turbocharger core operatively coupled to said cylinder head at a first end of said cavity, wherein said turbocharger core comprises:
 i. a bearing housing that provides for operatively coupling said turbocharger core to said cylinder head and that provides for closing said first end of said cavity; 
 ii. a turbine rotor operatively coupled to a rotor shaft, wherein said rotor shaft is supported by said bearing housing and capable of rotation with respect thereto; 
 iii. a turbine nozzle cartridge, wherein said turbine nozzle cartridge is located within said cavity and surrounds said turbine rotor; and 
 iv. a plurality of pins or bolts, wherein said plurality of pins or bolts operatively engage both said bearing housing and said turbine nozzle cartridge and provide for centering said turbine nozzle cartridge about said turbine rotor while providing for thermally-induced expansion or contraction of said turbine nozzle cartridge relative to said turbine rotor. 
   
     
     
         2 . An internal combustion engine as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said cylinder head further comprises a second exhaust port in communication with an end of said turbine nozzle cartridge, and said turbine nozzle cartridge provides for discharging said exhaust gases from said first exhaust port onto said turbine rotor and then to said second exhaust port at a second end of said cavity from which said exhaust gases are discharged from said cylinder head to an exhaust system of the internal combustion engine. 
     
     
         3 . An internal combustion engine as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said turbocharger core further comprises a compressor rotor operatively coupled to said rotor shaft, wherein said exhaust gases flowing through said nozzle cartridge provide of driving said turbine rotor, and said turbine rotor provides for driving said compressor rotor. 
     
     
         4 . An internal combustion engine as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said cylinder head further comprises a wastegate valve located therewithin that provides for said exhaust gases to discharge from said cylinder head without first interacting with said turbine rotor. 
     
     
         5 . An internal combustion engine as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said cylinder head further comprises at least one water cooling passage within said cylinder head assembly, wherein said at least one water cooling passage is in thermal communication with said cavity. 
     
     
         6 . An internal combustion engine as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said cylinder head is configured as a one-piece structure comprising said plurality of exhaust runners and said cavity. 
     
     
         7 . An internal combustion engine as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said one-piece structure comprises aluminum. 
     
     
         8 . An internal combustion engine as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said turbine rotor comprises an axial-flow turbine. 
     
     
         9 . An internal combustion engine as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said turbocharger core further comprises a compressor housing operatively coupled to said bearing housing, wherein said compressor rotor is operative within said compressor housing. 
     
     
         10 . An internal combustion engine as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said turbine rotor comprises a radial-flow turbine. 
     
     
         11 . An internal combustion engine as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said turbine rotor comprises a mixed-flow turbine. 
     
     
         12 . An internal combustion engine as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of pins or bolts are oriented in a radial direction. 
     
     
         13 . An internal combustion engine as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of pins or bolts are oriented in an axial direction. 
     
     
         14 . A cylinder head for a multicylinder internal combustion engine, comprising a one-piece structure having:
 a. a cylinder closure portion that provides for enclosing the upper ends of a plurality of power cylinders;   b. a plurality of exhaust runners extending from said cylinder closure portion, wherein said plurality of exhaust runners provide for conducting exhaust gases from the power cylinders to a first exhaust port;   c. a cavity, wherein said first exhaust port is located in a side of said cavity and a first end of said cavity is open and adapted to receive a turbine nozzle cartridge of a turbocharger core; and   d. a second exhaust port in communication with a second end of said cavity, wherein said second exhaust port is adapted to receive said exhaust gases from an end of said turbine nozzle cartridge, and said turbocharger core further comprises:
 i. a bearing housing that provides for operatively coupling said turbocharger core to said cylinder head and that provides for closing said first end of said cavity; 
 ii. a turbine rotor operatively coupled to a rotor shaft, wherein said rotor shaft is supported by said bearing housing and capable of rotation with respect thereto, and said turbine rotor is surrounded by said turbine nozzle cartridge; and 
 iv. a plurality of pins or bolts, wherein said plurality of pins or bolts operatively engage both said bearing housing and said turbine nozzle cartridge and provide for centering said turbine nozzle cartridge about said turbine rotor while providing for otherwise unconstrained thermally-induced expansion or contraction of said turbine nozzle cartridge relative to said turbine rotor. 
   
     
     
         15 . A cylinder head for a multicylinder internal combustion engine as recited in  claim 14 , wherein said one-piece structure comprises aluminum. 
     
     
         16 . A cylinder head for a multicylinder internal combustion engine as recited in  claim 14 , further comprising said turbocharger core. 
     
     
         17 . A cylinder head for a multicylinder internal combustion engine as recited in  claim 16 , wherein said turbine rotor comprises an axial-flow turbine. 
     
     
         18 . A cylinder head for a multicylinder internal combustion engine as recited in  claim 16 , wherein said turbine rotor comprises a radial-flow turbine. 
     
     
         19 . A cylinder head for a multicylinder internal combustion engine as recited in  claim 15 , wherein said turbine rotor comprises a mixed-flow turbine. 
     
     
         20 . A cylinder head for a multicylinder internal combustion engine as recited in  claim 14 , further comprising a wastegate valve located therewithin that provides for said exhaust gases to discharge from said cylinder head without first interacting with said turbine rotor. 
     
     
         21 . An internal combustion engine, comprising:
 a. a plurality of power cylinders;   b. a cylinder head attached to said plurality of power cylinders, wherein said cylinder head comprises:
 i. a plurality of exhaust runners that provide for conducting exhaust gases from said plurality of power cylinders to a first exhaust port; 
 ii. a cavity, wherein said first exhaust port is located in a side of said cavity; and 
   c. a turbocharger core operatively coupled to said cylinder head at a first end of said cavity, wherein said turbocharger core comprise:
 i. a bearing housing that provides for operatively coupling said turbocharger core to said cylinder head and that provides for closing said first end of said cavity; 
 ii. a turbine rotor operatively coupled to a rotor shaft, wherein said rotor shaft is supported by said bearing housing and capable of rotation with respect thereto; 
 iii. a turbine nozzle cartridge, wherein said turbine nozzle cartridge is located within said cavity and surrounds said turbine rotor, and said turbine nozzle cartridge is operatively coupled to said bearing housing in a manner that provides for centering said turbine nozzle cartridge about said turbine rotor while providing for thermally-induced expansion or contraction of said turbine nozzle cartridge relative to said turbine rotor.