METHOD AND SYSTEMS FOR STORING FUEL FOR REDUCED USAGE

• US 20150120166A1
• Filed: 01/07/2015
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Fisher, Kevin Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,604,655 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/101
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 17/02 Bunkers; Tanks; Tenders coachwork B61D; Water or fuel pick-up or scoop apparatus; Water or fuel supply fittings trackside installations, e.g. bunkers, tanks, for filling locomotives with sand or water B61K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 17/12 Control gear; Arrangements for controlling locomotives from remote points in the train or when operating in multiple units control from points outside the train B61L3/00; fluid-actuated telemotors, servomotors F15B; control devices in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 30/00 Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance

Abstract

Various methods and systems are provided for initiating and executing a fuel routine for reducing a pressure of gaseous fuel in a gaseous fuel system for a vehicle. In one embodiment, a control system for a vehicle comprises a controller operable to: determine a required pressure relief event is needed for a fuel tank on a fuel tender coupled to a first vehicle; and communicate a request to reduce a pressure of a gaseous component disposed within the fuel tank or adjust operation of a first engine on board the first vehicle to consume the gaseous component.

Claims

1. A control system for a vehicle system, comprising:

a controller operable to;

determine a pressure relief event is needed for a fuel tank on a fuel tender coupled to a first vehicle; and

one or more of communicate a request to reduce a pressure of a gaseous component disposed within the fuel tank or adjust operation of a first engine on board the first vehicle to consume the gaseous component.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further operable to estimate a duration until the required pressure relief event and determine the required pressure relief event is needed based on one or more of the duration being less than a threshold duration or a pressure of the gaseous component being greater than a threshold pressure, and wherein the controller is further operable to communicate one of the request to reduce the pressure of the gaseous component or adjust operation of the first engine to consume the gaseous component responsive to one or more of the duration until the required pressure relief event being less than the threshold duration or the pressure of the gaseous component being greater than the threshold pressure.

3. The control system of claim 2, wherein the controller is further operable to, if the duration until the required pressure relief event is greater than the threshold duration or if the pressure of the gaseous component is less than the threshold pressure, fluidly de-couple the first vehicle from the fuel tender.

4. The control system of claim 2, wherein the duration until the required pressure relief event is based on a time until a vapor space pressure of the fuel tank reaches a threshold level for venting the gaseous component from the fuel tank to atmosphere, where the vapor space pressure is based on a temperature and volume of liquid fuel in the fuel tank.

5. The control system of claim 1, wherein the fuel tank is a liquid fuel tank containing liquid fuel and the gaseous component is gaseous fuel, and wherein the request to reduce the pressure of gaseous component is sent from the controller to the fuel tender and includes a request to stop vaporizing liquid fuel to gaseous fuel and send remaining gaseous fuel to the first engine when a supply pressure of the gaseous fuel is greater than a threshold supply pressure.

6. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further operable to adjust one or more valves to allow gaseous fuel to bypass a gaseous fuel supply regulator valve and flow to the first engine on board the first vehicle when a supply pressure of gaseous fuel from the fuel tender is less than a threshold supply pressure and in response to determining the required pressure relief event is needed.

7. The control system of claim 6, wherein the controller is further operable to adjust pressure settings of the gaseous fuel supply regulator valve to allow passage of the gaseous fuel from the fuel tender to the first engine when the supply pressure of the gaseous fuel is less than the threshold supply pressure and in response to determining the required pressure relief event is needed.

8. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further operable to decrease a substitution ratio of gaseous fuel to primary fuel at the first engine on board the first vehicle below a demanded ratio when a supply pressure of gaseous fuel from the fuel tender is less than a threshold supply pressure and in response to determining the required pressure relief event is needed.

9. The control system of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle and the fuel tender are part of a consist, the consist further including a second vehicle, and wherein the controller is further operable to decrease a first throttle setting of the first engine on board the first vehicle in order to reduce an intake manifold pressure below a supply pressure of gaseous fuel and increase a second throttle setting of a second engine on board the second vehicle to compensate for the decreased first throttle setting and produce a demanded torque output for the consist when the supply pressure of the gaseous fuel from the fuel tender is less than a threshold supply pressure and in response to determining the required pressure relief event is needed.

10. The control system of claim 1, wherein the required pressure relief event includes opening of a pressure relief valve of the fuel tank to vent at least part of the gaseous component, comprising boil-off gases, from the fuel tank to atmosphere.

11. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is coupled to an automatic engine start stop (AESS) device configured to restart the first engine to consume the gaseous component in response a vapor space pressure of the fuel tank increasing above a threshold level.

12. A vehicle system, comprising:

a controller configured to be disposed on a first vehicle and that is operable to;

during a first condition,

if a supply pressure of gaseous fuel in a gaseous fuel system is above a threshold pressure, send a fuel request to a fuel tender coupled to the first vehicle to stop vaporizing liquid fuel to gaseous fuel and consume a remaining amount of gaseous fuel at a first engine of the first vehicle; and

if the supply pressure of gaseous fuel is below the threshold pressure, adjust one or more vehicle operating parameters of the first vehicle to allow consumption of the gaseous fuel at the first engine.

13. The vehicle system of claim 12, wherein the controller is further operable to decrease a first throttle setting of the first engine to reduce an intake manifold pressure below the supply pressure of gaseous fuel when the supply pressure of gaseous fuel is below the threshold pressure.

14. The vehicle system of claim 13, wherein the vehicle system is a consist comprising the first vehicle, the fuel tender, and a second vehicle all coupled to one another and wherein the controller is further operable to increase a second throttle setting of a second engine of the second vehicle to compensate for the decreased first throttle setting of the first engine.

15. The vehicle system of claim 12, further comprising one or more gaseous fuel supply valves disposed in gaseous fuel supply lines of the first vehicle and configured to control a flow of the gaseous fuel to the first engine, and wherein the one or more vehicle operating parameters of the first vehicle include at least one of a gaseous fuel to diesel fuel substitution ratio used at the first engine or a position of the one or more gaseous fuel supply valves.

16. The vehicle system of claim 15, wherein when the supply pressure of gaseous fuel is below the threshold pressure the controller is further operable to adjust the one or more gaseous fuel supply valves to allow gaseous fuel below the threshold pressure to bypass a regulator valve configured to only allow gaseous fuel above the threshold pressure to flow to the first engine.

17. The vehicle system of claim 12, wherein the first condition includes one or more of when a duration until a liquid fuel tank on the fuel tender vents gas to atmosphere is less than a threshold duration, when a vapor space pressure of the liquid fuel tank is over a threshold pressure, or when a request to fluidly de-couple the fuel tender from the first vehicle is received at the controller.

18. A vehicle system, comprising:

a controller configured to be disposed on a vehicle and that is operable to;

in response to a vapor space pressure of a liquid fuel tank on board a fuel tender coupled to the vehicle being greater than a threshold pressure, send a request to the fuel tender to stop vaporizing liquid fuel to gaseous fuel and combine liquid fuel vapors from a liquid fuel tank with already vaporized gaseous fuel and deliver the combined liquid fuel vapors and vaporized gaseous fuel to an engine of the vehicle.

19. The vehicle system of claim 18, wherein the controller is further operable to determine the vapor space pressure based on one of an output of a pressure sensor disposed in the liquid fuel tank or a temperature and volume of liquid fuel in the liquid fuel tank.

20. The vehicle system of claim 18, wherein the controller is further operable to send the request to the fuel tender in response to receiving a request to enter a fuel storage mode where the fuel tender is fluidly de-coupled from the vehicle, and wherein the controller is further operable to adjust operation of the engine to consume the combined liquid fuel vapors and vaporized gaseous fuel in response to one or more of the request to enter the fuel storage mode or the vapor space pressure over the threshold pressure.