Power system having an ammonia fueled engine

• US 20100019506A1
• Filed: 07/22/2008
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Willi, Martin Leo, Gong, Weidong
• Application Number:
  US12/219,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20100019506A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/1.A
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/442 Series-parallel switching type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/10 Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/009 having two or more separate purifying devices arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/0093 the purifying devices are of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2560/021 for measuring or detecting ammonia NH3
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2560/026 for measuring or detecting NOx
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/106 Auxiliary oxidation catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2066 Selective catalytic reduction [SCR]
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 43/00 Engines characterised by operating on gaseous fuels; Plants including such engines engines characterised by the gas-air charge being ignited by compression ignition of an additional fuel F02B7/06; engines convertible from gas to other fuel consumption F02B69/04
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 43/10 Engines or plants characterised by use of other specific gases, e.g. acetylene, oxyhydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/12 peculiar to engines working with non-fuel substances or with anti-knock agents, e.g. with anti-knock fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0275 the exhaust gas treating apparatus being a NOx trap or adsorbent
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/146 the characteristics being an NOx content or concentration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A power system is disclosed. The power system may include an output device and a combustion engine configured to combust ammonia as a primary fuel to generate mechanical power directed to the output device. The power system may also include an electrical unit configured to supplement the mechanical power directed to the output device.

Claims

1. A power system, comprising:

an output device;

a combustion engine configured to combust ammonia as a primary fuel to generate mechanical power directed to the output device; and

an electrical unit configured to supplement the mechanical power directed to the output device.

2. The power system of claim 1, wherein the combustion engine is configured to combust ammonia as the only fuel to generate the mechanical power directed to the output device.

3. The power system of claim 1, wherein the electrical unit is configured to supplement the mechanical power when a power demand from the power system is outside of a predetermined engine load range.

4. The power system of claim 1, wherein the electrical unit is configured to supplement the mechanical power when a desired operating engine speed of the combustion engine exceeds a predetermined engine speed.

5. The power system of claim 1, wherein the electrical unit includes at least one of a power storage, a generator, or an electric motor.

6. The power system of claim 1, further including:

a sensor configured to measure at least one of an amount of NO_x or an amount of residual ammonia fuel within exhaust produced by the combustion engine; and

a controller configured to adjust an amount of ammonia supplied to the combustion engine as the primary fuel based on at least one of the measured amount of NO_x or residual ammonia fuel.

7. The power system of claim 1, further including a constituent reducing device configured to use residual ammonia fuel within exhaust produced by the combustion engine to reduce a constituent of the exhaust.

8. The power system of claim 7, wherein the constituent reducing device includes a selective catalytic reduction device.

9. The power system of claim 7, wherein the constituent of the exhaust is NO_x.

10. The power system of claim 1, wherein the electrical unit is configured to increase an engine load of the combustion engine when a power demand from the power system is insufficient to maintain consistent operation of the combustion engine.

11. A method of operating a power system, comprising:

combusting ammonia as a primary fuel to generate mechanical power directed to drive the power system; and

electrically supplementing the mechanical power directed to drive the power system.

12. The method of claim 11, further including:

converting a portion of the mechanical power into electrical power; and

directing the electrical power to supplement the mechanical power directed to drive the power system.

13. The method of claim 11, further including:

supplying ammonia fuel in excess of a stoichiometric amount into the power system; and

reducing a constituent of the exhaust using residual ammonia fuel within the exhaust.

14. The method of claim 11, further including:

measuring at least one of an amount of an exhaust constituent or an amount of residual ammonia fuel within the exhaust; and

adjusting an amount of ammonia fuel supplied to the power system based on the at least one of the measured amount of the exhaust constituent or the measured amount of the residual ammonia fuel within the exhaust.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein electrically supplementing the mechanical power includes electrically supplementing the mechanical power when a power demand from the power system is outside of a predetermined engine load range.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein electrically supplementing the mechanical power further includes electrically supplementing the mechanical power when a desired operating engine speed exceeds a predetermined engine speed.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein combusting ammonia as the primary fuel includes combusting ammonia as the only fuel.

18. The method of claim 11, further including increasing an engine load by converting mechanical power generated from combusting ammonia into electrical power when a power demand from the power system is insufficient to sustain consistent combustion of the ammonia.

19. A machine, comprising:

a traction device configured to propel the machine;

an onboard supply of ammonia fuel;

a combustion engine configured to combust the ammonia fuel as a primary fuel and generate mechanical power directed to the traction device;

an electrical unit powered by the combustion engine to electrically supplement the mechanical power directed to the traction device; and

a constituent reducing device configured to use residual ammonia fuel from exhaust exiting the combustion engine to reduce a constituent of the exhaust.

20. The machine of claim 19, wherein the electrical unit is configured to supplement the mechanical power when a power demand from a power system is outside of a predetermined engine load range, or when a desired operating engine speed exceeds a predetermined engine speed.