MULTI-FUEL CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20110288744A1
• Filed: 08/08/2011
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: GOKHALE, Manoj Prakesh, Klingbeil, Adam E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,977,469 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/102
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0414 Air temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0602 Fuel pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0606 Fuel temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0625 Fuel consumption, e.g. measured in fuel liters per 100 kms or miles per gallon
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/02 on interior conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/023 by determining the cylinder pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/025 by determining temperatures inside the cylinder, e.g. combustion temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/028 by determining the combustion timing or phasing
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0007 for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines control of the pumps per se F02B37/12
• 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 41/401 Controlling injection timing F02D41/402 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A system includes a controller operable to control an engine in an operating mode. The controller operation is based at least in part on a first parameter set and on a second parameter set. The first parameter set is associated with an engine fuel supply and includes information regarding characteristics of a first fuel and a second fuel. The first fuel and second fuel are not the same type of fuel. The second parameter set is associated with one or more engine operation threshold values.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a controller operable to control an engine in an operating mode; and

the controller operation is based at least in part on a first parameter set and on a second parameter set, and the first parameter set is associated with an engine fuel supply and includes information regarding characteristics of at least a first fuel and a second fuel, wherein the first fuel and second fuel are not the same type of fuel, and the second parameter set is associated with one or more engine operation threshold values.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller responds to sensed operational data of the engine during combustion of the first and/or second fuels, and thereby to reduce a total specific fuel consumption of the engine during operation while maintaining the sensed operational data below the sensed engine operation threshold values.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller modifies the fuel ratio of the first fuel relative to the second fuel, and thereby to preferentially reduce a specific fuel consumption of one of the first fuel or of the second fuel by the engine during operation.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first parameter set comprises specific fuel consumption rates associated with the first fuel, the second fuel, or both the first and second fuels.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first parameter set comprises an exhaust emissions parameter associated with the first fuel, the second fuel, or both the first and second fuels, and the exhaust emissions parameter is based on at least one exhaust component comprising nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, hydrocarbon, or carbon monoxide.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second parameter set comprises a pre-turbine temperature threshold value.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second parameter set comprises a fuel injection pressure threshold value.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second parameter set comprises a turbocharger rotational speed threshold value.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second parameter set comprises a peak firing pressure threshold value.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the second parameter set comprises a rate of pressure rise threshold value.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the second parameter set comprises a knock intensity as inferred by pressure trace or measured by a knock sensor.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein controlling the second parameter set comprises a fuel injection pressure threshold value.

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

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the first fuel comprises diesel fuel and the second fuel comprises ethanol.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the first fuel or the second fuel comprises vegetable oil, animal-based oil, kerosene, bio-diesel, hydrogen, or alcohol.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller controls for the first fuel, the second fuel, or for both the first and second fuels supplied to the engine at least one of:

fuel injection timing, fuel supply pressure, fuel supply temperature, the fuel supply rate, or a ratio of the first fuel to the second fuel.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller controls the manifold air pressure or the engine speed, or both, in response to sensed operational data of the engine during combustion of the first and/or second fuels.

18. A system, comprising:

a controller operable to control an operation of an engine with regard to a peak firing pressure, rate of pressure rise, knock intensity, a pre-turbine temperature, a turbocharger rotational speed, and a maximum fuel injection pressure to be within corresponding engine operational threshold values; and

the controller controls the operation of the engine based at least in part on combustion characteristics of each of a plurality of different fuels used simultaneously in the engine.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller is operable to vary one or more of fuel injection timing, fuel supply pressure, fuel supply temperature, fuel ratio, manifold air pressure, engine speed, or EGR rate.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller is operable to:

advance fuel injection timing and/or decrease engine speed if the peak tiring pressure is not greater than a peak firing pressure threshold value; and

retard fuel injection timing and/or increase engine speed if the peak firing pressure is greater than the peak tiring pressure threshold value.

21. The system of claim 18, operating in a premixed dual fuel combustion mode wherein the controller is operable to:

retard fuel injection timing if the peak firing pressure is not greater than a peak firing pressure threshold value; and

advance fuel injection timing if the peak firing pressure is greater than the peak firing pressure threshold value.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller responds to operation in a premixed dual fuel combustion mode to increase fuel injection amount of one of the fuels if the peak firing pressure is not greater than a peak firing pressure threshold value.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller is operable to derate the engine, decrease engine speed, or decrease a manifold air pressure in response to a sensed measurement that a turbocharger rotational speed is greater than a turbocharger rotational speed threshold value.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller is operable to derate the engine, increase engine speed, or increase a manifold air pressure in response to a sensed measurement that a pre-turbine temperature is greater than a pre-turbine temperature threshold value.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller is operable to:

increase a fuel supply temperature or to decrease a fuel supply pressure of at least one of the plurality of different fuels if the maximum fuel injection pressure is greater than a fuel injection pressure threshold value; and

decrease the fuel supply temperature or increase the fuel supply pressure of at least one of the plurality of different fuels if the maximum fuel injection pressure is not greater than the fuel injection pressure threshold value.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller is operable to control one or more engine operating parameters to account for fuel characteristics of one or more of the plurality of different fuels, and the fuel characteristics include the fuel heating value, fuel density, or fuel compressibility.

27. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller is operable to change a fuel flow rate to the engine of a first fuel relative to a second fuel, and thereby to change a fuel ratio of the first fuel relative to the second fuel.

28. The system of claim 18, further comprising a heat exchanger and a fuel pump coupled to a fuel supply leading to the engine, and the controller is operable to adjust the fuel pump and the heat exchanger to adjust the fuel supply pressure, the fuel supply rate, or and the fuel supply temperature.