HIGH VISCOSITY FUEL INJECTION PRESSURE REDUCTION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20090217912A1
• Filed: 02/28/2008
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Gokhale, Manoj Prakash, Jett, Bryan Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,191,534 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/468
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/31 Control of the fuel pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0025 Controlling engines characterised by use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 43/00 Fuel-injection apparatus operating simultaneously on two or more fuels, or on a liquid fuel and another liquid, e.g. the other liquid being an anti-knock additive
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 55/02 Conduits between injection pumps and injectors , e.g. conduits between pump and common-rail or conduits between common-rail and injectors
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 59/44 Details, components parts, or accessories not provided for in, or of interest apart from, the apparatus of groups F02M59/02 - F02M59/42; Pumps having transducers, e.g. to measure displacement of pump rack or piston

Abstract

An improved high viscosity fuel injection pressure reduction system and method is disclosed for use in an internal combustion engine. The system may include a first fuel line and a second fuel line. The first fuel line may be configured to be coupled upstream of a combustion chamber of the engine when the engine is operated with the first fuel and to provide a first pressurized volume when installed. Likewise, the second fuel line may be configured to be coupled upstream of the combustion chamber of the engine when the engine is operated with the second fuel and to provide a second pressurized volume when installed. The first and second volumes of the fuel lines may provide peak injection pressures lower than a desired pressure when the engine is operated with the first and second fuels, respectively.

Claims

1. An engine system, comprising:

an internal combustion engine configured to operate by combustion of a first fuel or a second fuel;

a first fuel line configured to be coupled upstream of a combustion chamber of the engine when the engine is operated with the first fuel and to provide a first pressurized volume when installed; and

a second fuel line configured to be coupled upstream of the combustion chamber of the engine when the engine is operated with the second fuel and to provide a second pressurized volume when installed;

wherein the first and second volumes provide peak injection pressures lower than a desired pressure when the engine is operated with the first and second fuels, respectively.

2. The engine system of claim 1, wherein the first fuel is a diesel fuel, a number 1 diesel fuel, or a number 2 diesel fuel, and the second fuel is a marine diesel fuel, marine diesel oil, intermediate fuel oil, residual fuel oil, marine gas oil, or vegetable oil.

3. The engine system of claim 1, wherein the kinematic viscosity of the first fuel is between 1 to 6 centistokes at 40 degree centigrade and the kinematic viscosity of the second fuel is between 6 to 15 centistokes at 40 degree centigrade.

4. The engine system of claim 1, wherein the first volume is between approximately 3000 to 3300 cubic millimeters and the volume of the second fuel line is between approximately 5000 and 5300 cubic millimeters.

5. The engine system of claim 1, wherein the first and second volumes include an internal volume of an injector assembly.

6. The engine system of claim 5, wherein the injector assembly includes a plurality of flow paths.

7. The engine system of claim 1, where the first and second volumes provide a needle lift interval greater than a minimum needle lift interval when the engine is operated with the first and second fuels, respectively.

8. The engine system of claim 7, wherein the minimum needle lift interval is approximately 5 as measured with respect to an angle of a fuel cam of the internal combustion engine.

9. The engine systems of claim 1, wherein the desired pressure is at least approximately 1,000 bar.

10. An engine system, comprising:

an internal combustion engine configured to operate by combustion of a first fuel or a second fuel; and

a fuel line configured to be coupled upstream of a combustion chamber of the engine and to provide a desired pressurized volume when installed, the fuel line being selected from two interchangeable fuel lines with different internal volumes based upon whether the engine is operated with the first fuel or the second fuel, the selected fuel line providing a peak injection pressure lower than a desired pressure.

11. The engine system of claim 10, wherein the first fuel is a diesel fuel, a number 1 diesel fuel, or a number 2 diesel fuel, and the second fuel is a marine diesel fuel, marine diesel oil, intermediate fuel oil, residual fuel oil, marine gas oil, or vegetable oil.

12. The engine system of claim 10, wherein the kinematic viscosity of the first fuel is between 1 to 6 centistokes at 40 degree centigrade and the kinematic viscosity of the second fuel is between 6 to 15 centistokes at 40 degree centigrade.

13. The engine system of claim 10, wherein the internal volume of a first interchangeable fuel line is between approximately 3000 to 3300 cubic millimeters and the volume of a second interchangeable fuel line is between approximately 5000 and 5300 cubic millimeters.

14. The engine system of claim 10, wherein the internal volume includes an internal volume of an injector assembly.

15. The engine system of claim 14, wherein the internal volume of the injector assembly includes a plurality of flow paths.

16. A method for configuring an internal combustion engine, comprising:

selecting a fuel line configured to be coupled upstream of a combustion chamber of the engine and to provide a desired pressurized volume when installed, the fuel line being selected from two interchangeable fuel lines with different internal volumes based upon whether the engine is operated with a first fuel or a second fuel, the selected fuel line providing a peak injection pressure lower than a desired pressure; and

installing the fuel line on the engine.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the fuel line is selected based on the first fuel including a diesel fuel, a number 1 diesel fuel, or a number 2 diesel fuel, and the second fuel including a marine diesel fuel, marine diesel oil, intermediate fuel oil, residual fuel oil, marine gas oil, or vegetable oil.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein selecting the fuel line includes selecting an injector assembly that includes a plurality of flow paths.

19. A method for configuring an internal combustion engine, comprising:

removing a first fuel line from the engine, the first fuel line being coupled upstream of a combustion chamber of the engine when the engine is operated with the first fuel and to provide a first pressurized volume when installed; and

installing a second fuel line in place of the first fuel line, the second fuel line being configured to be coupled upstream of the combustion chamber of the engine when the engine is operated with the second fuel and to provide a second pressurized volume when installed;

wherein the first and second volumes provide peak injection pressures lower than a desired pressure when the engine is operated with the first and second fuels, respectively.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first fuel line is selected based on the first fuel including a diesel fuel, a number 1 diesel fuel, or a number 2 diesel fuel, and the second fuel line is selected based on the second fuel including a marine diesel fuel, marine diesel oil, intermediate fuel oil, residual fuel oil, marine gas oil, or vegetable oil or vice versa.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the desired pressure is at least approximately 1000 bar.