FUEL CONTROL SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED METHOD

• US 20110224884A1
• Filed: 03/28/2011
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Immixt, LLC
• Inventors: Williams, Rodger K., Payne, Edward
• Granted Patent: US 8,726,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/102
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0605 to adjust the fuel pressure or temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/061 by controlling fuel injectors
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0618 depending on the engine's or vehicle's position, e.g. on/off road or proximity to a harbor
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0628 Determining the fuel pressure, temperature or flow, the fuel tank fill level or a valve position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0652 Biofuels, e.g. plant oils
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0689 for in-cylinder direct injection
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0692 Arrangement of multiple injectors per combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0694 operating with a plurality of fuels
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/08 simultaneously using pluralities of fuels F02D19/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/081 Adjusting the fuel composition or mixing ratio; Transitioning from one fuel to the other
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/701 Information about vehicle position, e.g. from navigation system or GPS signal
• 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: F02D 41/021 Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/0064 for engines being fed with multiple fuels or fuels having special properties, e.g. bio-fuels; varying the fuel composition controlling engines working with pluralities of fuels F02D19/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels

Abstract

A fuel control system and method for providing fuel to an internal combustion engine are provided. The fuel control system generally includes at least one valve device structured to deliver a fuel supply to the engine, a first fuel source structured to provide a primary fuel to the valve device, a second fuel source structured to provide an alternate fuel to the valve device, and an electronic controller structured to control the valve device. The electronic controller controls the valve device as a function of various data to selectively deliver the primary fuel and the alternate fuel to generate a fuel supply, e.g. as a mixture of the two fuels. The data used to control the fuel supply may include GPS data, engine data, environmental data, and/or other operational data.

Claims

1. A fuel control system, comprising:

at least one valve device configured to direct fuel to an engine of a vehicle;

a first fuel source configured to provide a primary fuel to the at least one valve device;

a second fuel source configured to provide an alternate fuel to the at least one valve device;

at least one fuel measurement device configured to measure either the primary fuel, the alternate fuel, or both the primary fuel and the alternate fuel provided to the at least one valve device; and

an electronic controller configured to control the at least one valve device to selectively direct a mixture of the primary fuel and/or the alternate fuel to the engine based on the measured primary fuel, the measured alternate fuel, or the measured primary fuel and the measured alternate fuel.

2. The fuel control system of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is configured to control the at least one valve device based on user preferences.

3. The fuel control system of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is configured to control the at least one valve device based on operational data concerning the vehicle.

4. The fuel control system of claim 3, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to:

control the at least one valve device to direct mainly the primary fuel to the engine when the operational data is below a data threshold value; and

control the at least one valve device to direct mainly the alternate fuel to the engine when the operational data is above a data threshold value.

5. The fuel control system of claim 1, further comprising a global positioning system (GPS) receiver configured to transmit GPS data to the electronic controller;

wherein the electronic controller is further configured to control the at least one valve device according to the GPS data to selectively deliver the mixture to the engine.

6. The fuel control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one fuel measurement device is comprised of at least one fuel flow measurement device configured to measure the fuel flow rate of the primary fuel, the alternate fuel, or both the primary fuel and the alternate fuel;

wherein the electronic controller is configured to selectively direct the mixture of the primary fuel and the alternate fuel to the engine based on the measured primary fuel flow rate, the measured alternate fuel flow rate, or the measured primary fuel and the measured alternate fuel flow rates.

7. The fuel control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one fuel measurement device is comprised of at least one fuel volume measurement device configured to measure the primary fuel volume, the alternate fuel volume, or both the primary fuel volume and the alternate fuel volume;

wherein the electronic controller is configured to selectively direct the mixture of the primary fuel and the alternate fuel to the engine based on either the measured primary fuel volume, the measured alternate fuel volume, or both the measured primary fuel volume and the measured alternate fuel volume.

8. A fuel control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one fuel measurement device is comprised of:

a primary fuel measurement device configured to measure the primary fuel provided to the at least one valve device; and

an alternate fuel measurement device configured to measure the alternate fuel provided to the at least one valve device;

wherein the electronic controller is configured to control the at least one valve device to selectively direct a mixture of the primary fuel and/or the alternate fuel to the engine based on the measured primary fuel and/or the measured alternate fuel.

9. The fuel control system of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is configured to provide an indication of the amount of use of the alternate fuel by the engine.

10. The fuel control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one valve device comprises at least one fuel injector structured to direct the fuel to a combustion chamber of the engine.

11. The fuel control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one valve device comprises a first fuel injector that receives the primary fuel from the first fuel source, and a second fuel injector that receives the alternate fuel from the second fuel source.

12. The fuel control system of claim 11, wherein the first fuel injector is controlled according to a first fuel injector output pulse and the second fuel injector is controlled according to a second fuel injector output pulse;

wherein an original fuel injector timing pulse is divided to create the first fuel injector output pulse and the second fuel injector output pulse.

13. The fuel control system of claim 11, wherein one of the first fuel injector and the second fuel injector is gated before the other.

14. The fuel control system of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensing device structured to sense the temperature of the alternate fuel and/or primary fuel.

15. The fuel control system of claim 14, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to heat the alternate fuel in the second fuel source based on the temperature of the alternate fuel and/or primary fuel.

16. The fuel control system of claim 14, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to heat the primary fuel in the first fuel source based on the temperature of the primary fuel and/or alternate fuel

17. A fuel control system, comprising:

at least one valve device configured to direct fuel to an engine of vehicle;

a first fuel source configured to provide a primary fuel to the at least one valve device;

a second fuel source configured to provide an alternate fuel to the at least one valve device; and

a second fuel source measurement device configured to measure a volume of the alternate fuel in the second fuel source; and

an electronic controller configured to control the at least one valve device to selectively direct the primary fuel and/or the alternate fuel to the engine based on the volume of the alternate fuel in the second fuel source.

18. The fuel control system of claim 17, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to control the at least one valve device to deliver the primary fuel to the engine when the alternate fuel source is empty.

19. The fuel control system of claim 17, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to control the at least one valve device to exclusively direct the primary fuel to the engine for a period of time to purge the engine prior to the engine being stopped.

20. The fuel control system of claim 17, wherein the electronic controller is configured to deliver a mixture of the primary fuel and the alternate fuel to the engine.

21. A fuel control system, comprising:

at least one valve device configured to direct fuel to an engine of a vehicle;

a first fuel source configured to provide a primary fuel to the at least one valve device;

a second fuel source configured to provide an alternate fuel to the at least one valve device; and

an electronic controller configured to control the at least one valve device to selectively direct the primary fuel and/or the alternate fuel to the engine based on one or more of altitude, grade, and acceleration of the vehicle.

22. The fuel control system of claim 21, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to control the at least one valve device to exclusively direct the primary fuel to the engine for a period of time to purge the engine prior to the engine being stopped.

23. The fuel control system of claim 21, wherein the electronic controller is configured to deliver a mixture of the primary fuel and the alternate fuel to the engine.