Fuel mixture control system
First Claim
1. A control system operative to establish a coordinated mixture of gaseous and distillate fuels for a high-capacity off-road vehicle, said control system comprising:
- an electronic control unit including programming capabilities and recognition capabilities;
said programming capabilities operative to recognize a first predetermined number of operating modes and a second predetermined number of operating modes of the vehicle,said recognition capabilities cooperative with said programming capabilities and being operative to recognize operating characteristics of the vehicle,said electronic control unit structured to receive an original throttle position signal from a vehicle throttle assembly and generate a modulated throttle position signal to a vehicle engine control assembly, dependent on said first predetermined number of operating modes,a gaseous control unit structured to generate an auxiliary fuel control signal to said gaseous control unit dependent on said second predetermined number of operating modes,said modulated throttle position signal and said auxiliary control signal determinative of quantities of distillate fuel and gaseous fuel to be included in an operative fuel mixture on which the vehicle engine operates during said first and second predetermined number of operating modes respectively,said operative fuel mixture comprising both said gaseous fuel and said distillate fuel when the vehicle is operating in said first predetermined number of operating modes,said operative fuel mixture comprising said distillate fuel and substantially void of said gaseous fuel when the vehicle is operating in said second predetermined number of operating modes, andsaid programming capabilities further operative to perform a throttle mapping function comprising the ability to preselect discrete throttle maps for at least some of said first operating modes.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A control system operative to establish a coordinated composition of gaseous fuel and distillate fuel specifically adaptable for use in high capacity, off-road, mine haul vehicles and including an electronic control unit structured to modulate a throttle position signal from the vehicle throttle assembly and transmit the modulated throttle position signal to a vehicle engine control assembly. The electronic control unit concurrently generates an auxiliary fuel control signal to a gaseous control unit, dependent at least in part, on the operating modes and operating characteristics of the vehicle. The auxiliary control signal is determinative of a quantity of gaseous fuel to be included in an operative fuel mixture, wherein said modulated throttle position signal and said auxiliary control signal are determinative of the operative fuel mixture on which the vehicle engine operates during predetermined ones of the operating modes of the vehicle engine.
164 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A control system operative to establish a coordinated mixture of gaseous and distillate fuels for a high-capacity off-road vehicle, said control system comprising:
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an electronic control unit including programming capabilities and recognition capabilities;
said programming capabilities operative to recognize a first predetermined number of operating modes and a second predetermined number of operating modes of the vehicle,said recognition capabilities cooperative with said programming capabilities and being operative to recognize operating characteristics of the vehicle, said electronic control unit structured to receive an original throttle position signal from a vehicle throttle assembly and generate a modulated throttle position signal to a vehicle engine control assembly, dependent on said first predetermined number of operating modes, a gaseous control unit structured to generate an auxiliary fuel control signal to said gaseous control unit dependent on said second predetermined number of operating modes, said modulated throttle position signal and said auxiliary control signal determinative of quantities of distillate fuel and gaseous fuel to be included in an operative fuel mixture on which the vehicle engine operates during said first and second predetermined number of operating modes respectively, said operative fuel mixture comprising both said gaseous fuel and said distillate fuel when the vehicle is operating in said first predetermined number of operating modes, said operative fuel mixture comprising said distillate fuel and substantially void of said gaseous fuel when the vehicle is operating in said second predetermined number of operating modes, and said programming capabilities further operative to perform a throttle mapping function comprising the ability to preselect discrete throttle maps for at least some of said first operating modes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A control system operative to establish a coordinated mixture of gaseous and distillate fuel for operation of a high capacity off-road vehicle, said control system comprising:
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an electronic control unit including programming capabilities and recognition capabilities;
said programming capabilities operative to recognize a first predetermined number of operating modes and a second predetermined number of operating modes of the vehicle,said recognition capabilities cooperative with said programming capabilities and being operative to recognize operating characteristics of the vehicle, said electronic control unit structured to modulate a throttle position signal from the vehicle throttle assembly and generate a modulated throttle position signal directly to a vehicle engine control assembly dependent on said first predetermined number of operating modes; a gaseous control unit;
said electronic control unit further structured to generate an auxiliary fuel control signal to said gaseous control unit dependent on said second predetermined number of operating modes of the vehicle,said auxiliary control signal determinative of a quantity of gaseous fuel to be included in an operative fuel mixture, said modulated throttle position signal and said auxiliary control signal being determinative of said operative fuel mixture on which the vehicle engine operates during said first predetermined number and said second predetermined number of said operating modes respectively, said programming capabilities operative to pre-select one of a plurality of discrete throttle maps, each of said plurality of discrete throttle maps corresponding to at least one of said first predetermined number of operating modes;
each of said discrete throttle maps defined by said operative fuel mixture comprising a predetermined gaseous and distillate fuel mixture for vehicle engine operation within normal combustion parameters of the vehicle with respect to at least one of said first predetermined number of operating modes,said operative fuel mixture further comprising a maximum amount of gaseous fuel possible within said normal combustion parameters, said operative fuel mixture comprising both said gaseous fuel and said distillate fuel when the vehicle is operating in said first predetermined number of operating modes, and said operative fuel mixture comprising said distillate fuel and substantially void of said gaseous fuel when the vehicle is operating in said second predetermined number of operating modes. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification