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Gas engine

  • US 9,086,022 B2
  • Filed: 05/18/2011
  • Issued: 07/21/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2010
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A gas engine comprising:

  • a generator coupled to an output shaft of the engine;

    an intake passage to which a low-concentration methane gas derived from mine venting is supplied;

    a gas mixing unit including a first flow rate control valve and being configured to mix a high-concentration methane gas to the low-concentration methane gas midway of the intake passage, so that a mixture of the low-concentration methane gas and the high-concentration methane gas is supplied to and burnt in a combustion chamber;

    a turbocharger provided in the intake passage upstream of the gas mixing unit;

    an air mixing part provided in the intake passage upstream of the turbocharger, the air mixing part being connected to a gas inlet pipe configured to introduce the low-concentration methane gas into the air mixing part and an air inlet pipe configured to introduce air into the air mixing part;

    a mixture ratio adjusting unit including a second flow rate control valve provided in the gas inlet pipe so as to control a flow rate of the low-concentration methane gas flowing in the gas inlet pipe and a third flow rate control valve provided in the air inlet pipe so as to control a flow rate of the air flowing in the air inlet pipe;

    an intake controller configured to control the mixture ratio adjusting unit to keep a temperature or a flow rate of a gas/air mixture flowing into the turbocharger in a predetermined range;

    a bypass passage arranged in parallel with a turbine of the turbocharger that is disposed in an exhaust passage, the bypass passage allowing a part of exhaust gas to bypass the turbine;

    a fourth flow rate control valve configured to control a flow rate of the exhaust gas in the bypass passage;

    a turbocharger controller configured to control the fourth flow rate control valve to control operation of the turbocharger; and

    an intake gas temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the gas/air mixture in the intake passage upstream of the turbocharger,wherein the turbocharger controller is configured to control a flow rate of the gas/air mixture passing through the turbocharger such that the gas/air mixture is supplied to the combustion chamber with a target excess air ratio, andwherein the intake controller includes an intake gas temperature control unit, the intake gas temperature control unit being configured to control the mixture ratio adjusting unit to adjust a mixture ratio of the gas/air mixture, the intake gas temperature control unit being configured to keep the temperature of the gas/air mixture in the intake passage upstream of the turbocharger detected by the intake gas temperature sensor in a constant temperature range that allows stable control by the turbocharger controller so as to achieve the target excess air ratio.

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