FUEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20110257869A1
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: KUMAR, Ajith Kuttannair, KLINGBELL, Adam Edgar
• Granted Patent: US 9,201,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/103
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 5/00 Locomotives or motor railcars with IC engines or gas turbines characterised by power transmission B61C9/00; engines F02
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0058 On-board optimisation of vehicle or vehicle train operation
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/026 Relative localisation, e.g. using odometer
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/16 Trackside optimisation of vehicle or train operation
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/006 On-board optimisation of vehicle or vehicle train operation track-side optimisation of operation B61L27/16
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/501 Vehicle speed
• 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 41/0027 the fuel being gaseous non-electrical control F02D19/02
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1406 with use of a optimisation method, e.g. iteration
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/26 using computer, e.g. microprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 59/102 Mechanical drive, e.g. tappets or cams F02M45/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 59/366 Valves being actuated electrically
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/021 in which a variable is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 30/00 Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance

Abstract

A system includes an engine and a controller. The engine is capable of multiple operating modes, and each mode has a relatively different fuel ratio such that as the engine is changed from a first operating mode having a first ratio of a first fuel to a second fuel to a second operating mode having a second ratio of the first fuel to the second fuel. The controller is operable to change the engine from one operating mode to another operating mode.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an engine that is capable of multiple operating modes, and each mode has a relatively different fuel ratio, and in a first operating mode the engine is configured to operate with a first ratio of a first fuel to a second fuel, and in a second operating mode the engine is configured to operate with a second ratio of the first fuel to the second fuel; and

a controller operable to change the engine from one operating mode to another operating mode.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first fuel comprises diesel-based fuel and the second fuel comprises natural gas.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first fuel or the second fuel comprises methane gas.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first fuel or the second fuel comprises alcohol, biodiesel, palm oil, or rapeseed oil.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the alcohol is ethanol.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to change the engine operating mode based at least in part on characteristic information for each fuel type of the first and second fuels, and the characteristic information includes at least one of fuel efficiency, emission efficiency, respective tank volumes of the first and second fuels, respective amounts of the first and second fuels available to the engine, relative fuel costs, or fuel location availability.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller is operable to control the engine according to a first trip plan, wherein control of the engine according to the first trip plan at least one of reduces or minimizes an amount of at least one of the first fuel or the second fuel consumed or reduces or minimizes a total amount of emissions released relative to operation of the engine without the first trip plan, or wherein the controller is configured to adjust at least one of the first ratio or the second ratio over a defined trip by applying weighted coefficients to each of the first and second fuel types, and by applying the weighted coefficients to the first trip plan or a different, second trip plan.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the weighted coefficients for the first and second fuel types depend on at least one of a respective emission rate, fuel cost, fuel reliability, fuel energy density, respective fuel tank volume, or fuel location availability of the first and second fuels.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first trip plan or said different, second trip plan comprises a plurality of segments, and the coefficient weighting in one respective segment differs from the coefficient weighting in another respective segment.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein reducing the total amount of emissions released or fuel consumed comprises minimizing a weighted sum having weighted coefficients of each respective emission output for each of the first and second fuels, and determining each respective weighted coefficient for the first trip plan that reduces or minimizes the total emission output or fuel consumed of each of the first and second fuels.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the engine is operable to propel a vehicle;

and the controller is operable to control at least one of the vehicle or the engine according to a trip plan that minimizes or reduces the amount consumed of each type of fuel, relative to operation of the vehicle or engine without the trip plan, in accordance with an operational criteria of the vehicle, the operational criteria comprising at least one emission rate limit.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the engine is operable to propel a vehicle, the controller is operable to control at least one of the engine or vehicle according to a trip plan, and the controller is operable to respond to an autonomous update to the trip plan as the vehicle progresses on a trip.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the engine is operable to propel a vehicle, and further comprising a tender car fluidly coupled to the vehicle so as to provide the first fuel to the engine, and the first fuel is irreversibly changeable from a liquid state on the tender car to a gaseous state prior to delivery of the first fuel to the engine, and the controller is operable to signal the tender car to convert a portion of the first fuel from the liquid state to the gaseous state based at least in part on a trip plan.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein a portion of the liquid fuel converts to a gaseous state over time in addition to the controller signaling the tender car to convert a portion of the liquid fuel to a gaseous state, and in response to a pressure value of the gaseous state fuel being above a defined pressure threshold value the controller preferentially directs the gaseous state fuel to the engine for use by changing the fuel ratio to have a higher proportion of gaseous state fuel, and the controller maintains the high gaseous state fuel proportion at least until the measured gaseous state fuel pressure is below the defined pressure threshold value.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a locator device to determine a location of a vehicle propelled by the engine, and the locator device is configured to communicate the vehicle location to the controller so that the controller can change the operating mode based, at least in part, on the vehicle location.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the locator device can determine an altitude of the vehicle and/or a change in altitude of the vehicle, and the controller can change the operating mode based, at least in part, on one or more of an ambient pressure, an ambient temperature, or a rate of change in grade of the vehicle.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to communicate with a user interface element to selectively display one or more of:

a respective volume of each of the first and second fuels already used during a trip;

a respective future anticipated mileage remaining for each of the first and second fuels;

a respective volume remaining of each of the first and second fuels available to the engine;

a cost calculated based on the consumption of each of the first and second fuels available to the engine;

a cost savings calculated based on predicted consumption of each of the first and second fuels available to the engine at a determined fuel ratio;

or

an emissions value based on predicted emission amounts at a determined fuel ratio for one or more of NOx, SOx, hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, or particulate matter (PM).

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to respond to sensor feedback automatically by changing the operating mode of the engine.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to adjust one or both of the first ratio or the second ratio based on one or more of fuel availability, time or date of use, power requirements, geographically agnostic emissions requirements, local emissions requirements, or relative fuel costs.

20. A method for operating a vehicle including an engine operating on at least two fuels of different types, the method comprising:

implementing an engine operating mode based on characteristic information for each of the at least two fuels, and operational criteria for the vehicle.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the characteristic information for each of the at least two fuels comprises at least one of fuel efficiency, emission efficiency, respective tank volume, fuel cost, fuel availability on the vehicle, and fuel location availability at a fueling station for the vehicle.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising minimizing a total amount of fuel consumed of the at least two fuels by the vehicle by dynamically selecting a fuel ratio of one of the fuels relative to another of the fuels.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the minimizing the total amount of fuel consumed comprises applying weighted coefficients of each respective one of the fuels consumed.

24. A method, comprising:

controlling a fuel system to supply a first fuel at a first flow volume and a second fuel at a second flow volume to an engine to define an initial fuel ratio; and

changing the first flow volume, the second flow volume, or both the first and second flow volumes to define a subsequent fuel ratio in response to a change in a power demand on the engine or in a speed of the engine.

25. A method, comprising:

controlling a fuel system to supply a first fuel at a first flow volume and a second fuel at a second flow volume to an engine to define an initial fuel ratio; and

changing the first flow volume, the second flow volume, or both the first and second flow volumes to define a subsequent fuel ratio in response to a change in a location of the engine.

26. A method, comprising:

receiving a control input responsive to a trip plan for a vehicle from a user interface that is configured to display aspects of the trip plan to a user; and

controlling a fuel system of the vehicle automatically based on the control input to supply a first fuel to an engine and to supply a different, second fuel to the engine, and the engine is operable to propel the vehicle using the first fuel and the second fuel, and

the control input is generated responsive to manipulation of the user interface, and the control input comprises at least one of;

a first signal that indicates a user-selected throttle setting for the vehicle, and the fuel system is automatically controlled to supply the first fuel, the second fuel, or a combination of the first and second fuels to the engine based at least in part on the throttle setting;

or

a second signal that indicates a user-selected fuel ratio of the first fuel relative to the second fuel, and the fuel system is automatically controlled to supply the first fuel, the second fuel, or the combination of the first and second fuels to the engine based at least in part on the user-selected fuel ratio.