Dual fuel engine having multiple dedicated controllers connected by a broadband communications link

• US 6,694,242 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2002
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clean Air Power, Inc. (Clean Air Power Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Clean Air Power, Inc. (Clean Air Power Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wong, Hoi-Ching
• Primary Examiner(s): WOLFE JR, WILLIS RAY
• Application Number:
  US10/102,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20030187565A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 123/25.R, 123/25.A, 123/25.C, 123/27.GE, 123/396, 123/525, 123/526, 123/568.11, 123/568.21, 123/575, 701/101, 701/102, 701/103, 701/104, 701/105, 701/108, 701/114, 701/115, 701/29, 701/30, 701/50, 602/74, 602/84, 602/85, 423/213.5, 340/870.14, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 701/104
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/027 Determining the fuel pressure, temperature or volume flow, the fuel tank fill level or a valve position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/061 by controlling fuel injectors
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0692 Arrangement of multiple injectors per combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/105 operating in a special mode, e.g. in a liquid fuel only mode for starting
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/266 the computer being backed-up or assisted by another circuit, e.g. analogue
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0281 Adapters, sockets or the like to mount injection valves onto engines; Fuel guiding passages between injectors and the air intake system or the combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels

Abstract

A control system for a dual fuel engine that can operate in either dual fuel mode or in diesel only mode includes two controllers. One controller controls operation of the gaseous fuel supply system, and the other controls the liquid fuel supply system. Each controller receives signals from sensors monitoring particular engine operation characteristics and is able to transmit the data it collects to the other controller by way of a broadband communications link such as a controller area network (CAN). When the engine is operating in dual fuel mode, one controller directly controls the gaseous fuel supply and also controls the liquid fuel supply by its control of the other controller. When the engine is operating in diesel only mode, the other controller controls all aspects of engine operation. A method of controlling operation of a dual fuel engine is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A dual fuel engine control system comprising:

(A) a first, dedicated controller for controlling operation of some operational aspects of a dual fuel engine;

(B) a second, dedicated controller for controlling operation of some operational aspects of the dual fuel engine; and

(C) a broadband communications link that couples said first and second controllers together so as to permit either of said controllers to operate based at least on part on information input to only one of said controllers.

2. The control system as recited in claim 1, wherein said broadband communications link comprises a controller area network (CAN).

3. The control system as recited in claim 1, wherein

the engine is operable in both a dual fuel mode and a diesel only mode,

said first controller is configured to control a gaseous fuel supply device of the engine,

said second controller is configured to control a liquid fuel supply device of the engine, and

said first controller is configured to control said second controller in a master-slave relationship when the engine is operating in the dual fuel mode.

4. The control system as recited in claim 1, wherein said second controller is configured to control all aspects of engine operation when the engine is operating in the diesel only mode.

5. The control system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of sensors that are configured to monitor engine operation and to transmit data to said first and second controllers, at least one of said sensors being configured to transmit data directly to one of said controllers, and said broadband communications link being operable to transmit data from said one sensor to the other of said controllers from said one controller.

6. The control system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a single input/output port adapted to transmit data from a manual interface device to both of said controllers.

7. The control system as recited in claim 6, wherein said input/output port is coupled to only one of said controllers, and wherein said broadband communications link is configured to transmit programming data to the other controller from the manual interface device and said one controller.

8. The control system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a third dedicated controller that is coupled to said broadband communications link and that controls another subsystem of the engine based at least on part on information input to only one of said first and second controllers and transmitted to said third controller over said broadband communications link.

9. The control system as recited in claim 8, wherein said third controller controls at least one of an EGR subsystem and a water injection subsystem.

10. A dual fuel engine control system comprising:

(A) a plurality of sensors configured to monitor operation of the engine, said sensors including a single intake air pressure sensor and a single intake air temperature sensor;

(B) a dedicated dual fuel controller configured to receive signals from at least some of said sensors;

(C) a dedicated diesel controller configured to receive signals from at least others of said sensors; and

(D) a controller area network (CAN) that couples said dual fuel controller and said diesel controller to one another, said CAN providing two-way broadband communication between said controllers, wherein the engine is operable in both a dual fuel mode and a diesel only mode;

the dual fuel controller is configured, based on information received directly from said same sensors and on information received from said diesel controller via said CAN, to control operation of a gaseous fuel supply device of the engine;

said diesel fuel controller is configured, based on information received directly from said other sensors and from information received from said dual fuel controller via said CAN, to control operation of a liquid fuel supply device of the engine,

said dual fuel controller is configured to control said diesel controller in a master-slave relationship when the engine is operating in dual fuel mode; and

said diesel controller is configured to control all aspects of engine fueling when the engine is operating in diesel only mode.

11. The control system as recited in claim 10, further comprising a single input/output port adapted to transfer programming data from a manual interface device to one of said controllers, said network being configured to transmit programming data to the other of said controllers from said manual interface device and said one controller.

12. The control system as recited in claim 10, further comprising a third dedicated controller that is coupled to said broadband communications link and that controls another subsystem of the engine based at least on part on information input to only one of said diesel controller and said dual fuel controller and transmitted to said third controller over said CAN.

13. A dual fuel engine comprising:

(A) a plurality of cylinders;

(B) an air supply system configured to supply air to said cylinders;

(C) a gaseous fuel supply system configured to supply gaseous fuel to said cylinders;

(D) a liquid fuel supply system configured to supply liquid fuel to said cylinders;

(E) a plurality of sensors configured to monitor operation of said engine;

(F) a dedicated dual fuel controller;

(G) a dedicated diesel controller; and

(H) a controller area network (CAN) that provides two-way broadband communication between said dual fuel controller and diesel controller controllers, wherein

said dual fuel controller is configured, based on information received directly from at least some of said sensors and from information received from said diesel controller via said CAN, to control operation of said gaseous fuel supply system; and

said diesel controller is configured, based on information received directly from at least some of said sensors and from information received from said dual fuel controller via said CAN, to control operation of said liquid fuel supply system.

14. The engine as recited in claim 13, wherein

said engine is operable in both a dual fuel mode and a diesel only mode,

said dual fuel controller is configured to control said diesel controller in a master-slave relationship when said engine is operating in the dual fuel mode,

said diesel controller is configured to control all aspects of engine operation when said engine is operating in the diesel only mode.

15. The engine as recited in claim 14, wherein said sensors include a single intake air pressure sensor and a single air intake temperature sensor, each of which transmits data to only one of said controllers, and wherein the other controller receives data from said intake air pressure sensor and said intake temperature sensor via the one controller and said CAN.

16. The engine as recited in claim 13, further comprising a single manual input device connected to both of said controllers via a single input/output port.

17. The engine as recited in claim 16, wherein said input/output port is connected to only one of said controllers and transmits information between said manual input device and the other controller via the one controller and said CAN.

18. The engine as recited in claim 13, further comprising a third dedicated controller that is coupled to said broadband communications link and that controls another subsystem of said engine based at least on part on information input to only one of said diesel controller and said dual fuel controller and transmitted to said third controller over said CAN.

19. A method comprising:

(A) monitoring operation of a dual fuel engine via a plurality of sensors;

(B) transmitting data from at least one of said sensors to only one of first and second dedicated controllers;

(C) transmitting the data from said at least one sensor to the other of said controllers from said one controller via a broadband communications link coupling said first and second controllers to one another;

(D) controlling operation of said engine using at least said first and second controllers, the controlling step using data transmitted by said sensors and relying on two-way communication over said broadband communications link.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein

said engine is operable in both a dual fuel mode and a diesel only mode,

said first controller controls a gaseous fuel supply device of said engine,

said second controller controls a liquid fuel supply device of said engine, and

said first controller controls said second controller in a master-slave relationship when said engine is operating in the dual fuel mode.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein said second controller controls all aspects of engine operation when said engine is operating in the diesel only mode.

22. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising programming one of said first and second controllers by transmitting data from a manual interface device directly to said one controller and programming the other of said first and second controllers by transmitting data to the other controller from said manual interface device via the one controller and said broadband communications link.

23. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the broadband communications link is a controller area network.

24. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising controlling another subsystem of said engine using a third dedicated controller that receives information over said broadband communications link that is input to only one of said first and second controllers.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein said third controller controls at least one of an EGR subsystem and a water injection subsystem.