Premixed charge compression ignition engine with optimal combustion control
First Claim
1. A premixed charge compression ignition internal combustion engine, comprising:
- an engine body;
a combustion chamber formed in the engine body;
an intake air system for delivering intake air, including at least one of air and a mixture of air and fuel, to said combustion chamber;
combustion history control system for controlling a combustion history of future combustion events to reduce emissions and optimize efficiency, said combustion history control system including a first fuel supply for supplying a first fuel to the engine and a second fuel supply connected to at least one of said intake air system and said combustion chamber for supplying a second fuel to the engine; and
a control device adapted to control a timing of a combustion event by controlling an amount of said second fuel delivered to said at least one of said intake air system and said combustion chamber.
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Abstract
A premixed charge compression ignition engine, and a control system, is provided which effectively initiates combustion by compression ignition and maintains stable combustion while achieving extremely low nitrous oxide emissions, good overall efficiency and acceptable combustion noise and cylinder pressures. The present engine and control system effectively controls the combustion history, that is, the time at which combustion occurs, the rate of combustion, the duration of combustion and/or the completeness of combustion, by controlling the operation of certain control variables providing temperature control, pressure control, control of the mixture'"'"'s autoignition properties and equivalence ratio control. The combustion control system provides active feedback control of the combustion event and includes a sensor, e.g. pressure sensor, for detecting an engine operating condition indicative of the combustion history, e.g. the start of combustion, and generating an associated engine operating condition signal. A processor receives the signal and generates control signals based on the engine operating condition signal for controlling various engine components to control the temperature, pressure, equivalence ratio and\or autoignition properties so as to variably control the combustion history of future combustion events to achieve stable, low emission combustion in each cylinder and combustion balancing between the cylinders.
362 Citations
63 Claims
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1. A premixed charge compression ignition internal combustion engine, comprising:
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an engine body;
a combustion chamber formed in the engine body;
an intake air system for delivering intake air, including at least one of air and a mixture of air and fuel, to said combustion chamber;
combustion history control system for controlling a combustion history of future combustion events to reduce emissions and optimize efficiency, said combustion history control system including a first fuel supply for supplying a first fuel to the engine and a second fuel supply connected to at least one of said intake air system and said combustion chamber for supplying a second fuel to the engine; and
a control device adapted to control a timing of a combustion event by controlling an amount of said second fuel delivered to said at least one of said intake air system and said combustion chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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15. A premixed charge compression ignition internal combustion engine, comprising:
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an engine body;
a combustion chamber formed in the engine body;
an intake air system for delivering intake air, including at least one of air and a mixture of air and fuel, to said combustion chamber;
combustion history control system for controlling a combustion history of future combustion events to reduce emissions and optimize efficiency, said combustion history control system including a mixture autoignition property control system for varying an autoignition property of the mixture, said mixture autoignition property control system including a first fuel supply for supplying a first fuel to the engine and a second fuel supply connected to at least one of said intake air system and said combustion chamber for supplying a second fuel to the engine, said first fuel having a first autoignition property and said second fuel having a second autoignition property different from said first autoignition property; and
a control device adapted to control a timing of a combustion event by controlling an amount of said second fuel delivered to said at least one of said intake air system and said combustion chamber.
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32. A multi-mode internal combustion engine capable of operating in a plurality of modes for initiating combustion, comprising:
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an engine body;
a combustion chamber formed in the engine body;
an intake air system for delivering intake air to said combustion chamber;
a fuel injection device mounted on said engine body for delivering fuel to the engine while the engine operates in a diesel mode;
a premixed charge compression ignition mode control system for operating the engine in a premixed charge compression mode, said premixed charge compression ignition mode control system including a combustion history control system for controlling a combustion history of future combustion events to optimize engine operation, said combustion history control system including at least one of a temperature control system for ultimately varying the temperature of the mixture of fuel and air, a pressure control system for ultimately varying the pressure of the mixture, an equivalence ratio control system for varying an equivalence ratio of the mixture and a mixture autoignition property control system for varying an autoignition property of the mixture; and
a mode processor for transferring engine operation between said premixed charge compression ignition mode and said diesel mode. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A multi-mode internal combustion engine capable of operating in a plurality of modes for initiating combustion, comprising:
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an engine body;
a combustion chamber formed in the engine body;
an intake air system for delivering intake air to said combustion chamber;
a spark ignition device mounted on said engine body for providing a spark for initiating combustion in said combustion chamber while the engine operates in a spark ignition mode;
a premixed charge compression ignition mode control system for operating the engine in a premixed charge compression mode, said premixed charge compression ignition mode control system including a combustion history control system for controlling a combustion history of future combustion events to optimize engine operation, said combustion history control system including at least one of a temperature control system for ultimately varying the temperature of the mixture of fuel and air, a pressure control system for ultimately varying the pressure of the mixture, an equivalence ratio control system for varying an equivalence ratio of the mixture and a mixture autoignition property control system for varying an autoignition property of the mixture; and
a mode processor for transferring engine operation between said premixed charge compression ignition mode and said spark ignition mode. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A method of operating a premixed charge compression ignition internal combustion engine having a piston assembly defining a combustion chamber, comprising the steps of:
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performing an intake stroke of the piston assembly;
providing intake air for delivery to said combustion chamber;
delivering a gaseous fuel to said combustion chamber during said intake stroke;
performing a compression stroke of the piston assembly after the intake stroke;
delivering a pilot fuel into the combustion chamber during an early portion of said compression stroke substantially before a top dead center position of said piston assembly;
mixing said gaseous fuel and said intake air prior to delivery of said pilot fuel; and
controlling an amount of said pilot fuel to control a timing of ignition of said gaseous fuel. - View Dependent Claims (58)
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59. A method of operating an engine having a piston assembly defining a combustion chamber, comprising the steps of:
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performing an intake stroke of the piston assembly;
supplying a first fuel for delivery to said combustion chamber during the intake stroke, said first fuel being a gaseous fuel;
supplying a second fuel for delivery to said combustion chamber;
performing a compression stroke of a piston assembly after the intake stroke;
supplying a pilot fuel into the combustion chamber during the compression stroke;
combusting the pilot fuel in the combustion chamber during the compression stroke so as to ignite the first and the second fuels, whereby the first and second fuels are mixed in the combustion chamber prior to the pilot fuel supplying step so as to facilitate ignition. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63)
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Specification