Patent Application
20230054901
The present disclosure relates generally to internal combustion engines, and more particularly, to methods and systems for fuel supply in internal combustion engines.
Internal combustion engines are employed in many applications including, for example, vehicles, mobile machines, and stationary machines such as power generation systems. While most conventional engines are designed for use with gasoline and diesel fuels, recent engine systems are suitable for combustion of alternative fuels including gaseous fuels. Gaseous fuels, such as natural gas, offer advantages such as abundance, efficiency, and cleanliness when compared to conventional fuels for internal combustion engines.
When used in an internal combustion engine, gaseous fuel can be mixed with intake air, for example in a delivery system, before the fuel is delivered to the engine for combustion. Some engine systems introduce gaseous fuel via fumigation, in which fuel gas is drawn into this delivery system to supply the gaseous fuel, together with air, to the engine. Devices for supplying gaseous fuel can include venturi sections or carburetor sections that reduce the pressure of air at the location where the gaseous fuel is introduced. While venturi sections are effective in reducing the pressure at specific locations to facilitate the supply of fuel gas under some operating conditions, they may introduce undesired performance at high air flow rates, for example. In particular, venturi sections may introduce excessive pressure loss at high-flow conditions, such as when the engine is operating at a relatively high load.
An exemplary gas regulator and method for a multi-fuel engine is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0153371 A1 (“the '371 publication”) to Xinyu Ge. The gas regulator described in the '371 application regulates pressure of fuel supplied from a fuel source to a carburetor. While the gas regulator and method described in the '371 publication may supply fuel appropriately under various conditions, it may be beneficial to include an air and fuel supply passage having a plurality of individual paths to improve the supply of air and fuel to an internal combustion engine.
The disclosed methods and systems may solve one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems in the art. The scope of the current disclosure, however, is defined by the claims, and not by the ability to solve any specific problem.
In one aspect, a system for introducing a gaseous fuel to an internal combustion engine may include a fuel storage device, a compressor, and an air and fuel conduit in fluid communication with the fuel storage device and with the compressor. The air and fuel conduit may include a first passage and a second passage that includes a first portion and a second portion, the second portion being a venturi portion, the second passage being fluidly connected to the compressor in parallel with the first passage.
In another aspect, a fuel system may include a fuel storage device and a first passage. The first passage may include a first air inlet configured to receive intake air, a first fuel inlet in fluid communication with the fuel storage device and configured to receive gaseous fuel downstream of the first air inlet, and a valve configured to open and close the first passage. The system may also include a second passage connected in parallel with the first passage, the second passage including a second air inlet configured to receive intake air and a second fuel inlet configured to receive gaseous fuel downstream of the second air inlet.
In yet another aspect, a method for supplying fuel and air to an internal combustion engine may include controlling a flow of intake air and fuel through a first passage of an air and fuel conduit and receiving intake air and fuel with a second passage of the air and fuel conduit, the second passage being connected in parallel with the first passage. The method may also include opening in the first passage to permit a flow of the intake air and fuel and supplying the intake air and fuel from the first passage and from the second passage to the internal combustion engine.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various exemplary embodiments and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosed embodiments.
Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the features, as claimed. As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “having,” “including,” or other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Moreover, in this disclosure, relative terms, such as, for example, “about,” “substantially,” “generally,” and “approximately” are used to indicate a possible variation of ±10% in the stated value.
Air and fuel supply system 12 may include components that connect an air inlet 18 with an intake manifold 36 to supply air, together with fuel from a fuel storage device such as fuel source 26, to cylinders 16. Air and fuel supply system 12 may include clean air inlet 18, a low pressure inlet air passage 20, an air and fuel conduit 22, a mixing passage or connection passage 24, a turbocharger 30, and an intake manifold 36. Air and fuel supply system 12 may also include components for the storage and supply of gaseous fuel. For example, air and fuel supply system 12 may include the fuel source 26 and one or more fuel supply lines 28. Fuel source 26 may include one or more storage devices, such as fuel storage tanks, configured to store natural gas or another gaseous fuel. As used herein, “gaseous fuel” may include, in addition to fuel stored in gaseous form in fuel source 26, fuel stored in a liquid form in fuel source 26 and supplied, in gaseous form, via air and fuel supply system 12.
Air inlet 18 may allow clean intake air to enter air and fuel supply system 12 and may include one or more air filters, for example. Low pressure inlet air passage 20 may be connected to air inlet 18 upstream of a compressor 32 of turbocharger 30. An air and fuel conduit 22, also referred to herein as conduit 22, may be connected between air inlet 18 and compressor 32. Conduit 22 may include an inlet end connected to inlet air passage 20 and an outlet end connected to a connection passage 24. Conduit 22 may further include fuel inlet openings that are connected to a fuel source 26 via one or more fuel supply lines 28, as described below. The outlet end of conduit 22 may be connected to a compressor 32 of turbocharger 30 via connection passage 24. However, the outlet end of conduit 22 may be directly connected to an inlet of compressor 32, instead of being connected to compressor 32 via connection passage 24, if desired. While turbocharger 30 is shown in
An outlet of compressor 32 may be connected to cylinders 16 of engine 14 via an intake manifold 36. Downstream of cylinders 16, an exhaust manifold 38 may be connected to an inlet of turbine 34 by a high pressure exhaust passage 40. An outlet of turbine 34 may be connected to a low pressure exhaust passage 42. Low pressure exhaust passage 42 may include one or more aftertreatment systems, such as catalysts, filters, etc. (not shown). Exhaust may exit system 10 through an exhaust outlet 44 downstream of passage 42 after passing through any aftertreatment systems of system 10.
Venturi passage 52 of conduit 22 may have an approximately hourglass-shaped internal geometry that receives air at an inlet end and guides this air to an outlet end at connection passage 24 or at inlet 66. Venturi passage 52 may include a first widened portion 56 having an approximately constant diameter, widened portion 56 extending from an inlet end of venturi passage 52. This inlet end of widened portion 56 may receive intake air 46. A venturi portion or narrowed portion 58 may extend downstream of widened portion 56. One or more fuel inlet openings 62 may be positioned within narrowed portion 58. In an exemplary configuration, fuel inlet opening 62 may be formed in a wall of narrowed portion 58 at a narrowest diameter of the entire venturi passage 52. A second widened portion 60 may extend downstream from narrowed portion 58 to the outlet end of conduit 22. While portion 58 as well as passage 52 as a whole are each shown having asymmetrical shapes when upstream and downstream portions are compared to each other, passage 52 may instead be formed with an internal shape where narrowed portion 58 and/or an entirety of passage 52 is symmetrical, having a plane of symmetric that extends orthogonal to the flow path of air.
Bypass passage 54 may extend from the inlet end of conduit 22 to the outlet end of conduit 22. In the exemplary configuration shown in
Bypass valve 64 may be a pneumatically-actuated valve that is activated by actuator 72 at a predetermined threshold pressure. For example, bypass valve 64 may begin to open at a predetermined opening pressure, and may gradually open until reaching a predetermined maximum pressure at which valve 64 is fully opened. The predetermined opening pressure and predetermined maximum pressure may correspond to different pressures of gas that has been compressed with compressor wheel 68 of compressor 32 and output from compressor 32. In particular, these pressures may correspond to a pressure of gas output from compressor 32 via compressor outlet 70. To facilitate the actuation of actuator 72 according to the pressure of gas output from compressor 32, pressure line 74 may be in fluid communication with actuator 72 and with compressor outlet 70. The pressure of gas within line 74, which corresponds to the pressure of gas of compressor outlet 70, may act against a spring of actuator 72 that biases valve 64 to a closed position. In this example, the pressure of gas corresponding to the predetermined opening pressure may be the minimum pressure sufficient to overcome the biasing force of this spring.
While valve 64 may be configured to gradually open between a predetermined opening pressure and a predetermined maximum pressure so as to provide varying amounts of restriction through bypass passage 54, valve 64 and actuator 72 may instead be configured to fully open valve 64 immediately when the pressure of gas output from compressor 32 reaches the predetermined opening pressure, for example by selecting an appropriate spring member for actuator 72. As another example where actuator 72 is electrically actuated, a controller for controlling the position of valve 64 may cause actuator 72 to fully open valve 64 when the pressure of gas in compressor outlet 70 reaches the predetermined opening pressure. Electrically-actuated configurations of valve 64 may also enable gradual opening of valve 64 between the predetermined opening pressure and the predetermined maximum pressure.
While one fuel inlet opening 62 is shown for passage 52 and another fuel inlet opening 62 is shown for passage 54, a plurality of fuel inlet openings 62 may be formed within venturi passage 52, bypass passage 54, or both. When a plurality of fuel inlet openings 62 are provided, these passages may be circumferentially spaced apart from each other, longitudinally spaced apart from each other, or both.
The disclosed aspects of system 10 may be employed in a variety of internal combustion engines that are configured to combust gaseous fuel, either alone or together with another fuel source, such as a liquid fuel (e.g., diesel). Exemplary applications for system 10, including engine 14, may include power generation systems, machines (e.g., dozers, excavators, loaders, pipelaying machines, grading machines, etc.), vehicles, and others. System 10 may be applied, for example, in engine systems that are configured for combustion of gaseous fuel and air, and in particular, engine systems including a compressor that compress gaseous fuel and air before supplying mixed fuel and air to the cylinders of the engine.
During the operation of system 10, engine 14 combusts gaseous fuel and air supplied to cylinders 16 to generate power. As shown in
In a step 302, a flow of intake air and fuel may be controlled within air and fuel supply system 12 (
In a step 304, intake air 46 and gaseous fuel 48 may be received by venturi passage 52, via fuel inlet openings 62, to draw air 46 and fuel 48 into cylinders 16 of engine 14. As indicated above, when the pressure at compressor outlet 70 is below the predetermined opening pressure, valve 64 may fully close bypass passage 54, blocking the flow of fuel 48, in addition to the flow of air 46, through bypass passage 54. Thus, during step 304, passage of air 46 and fuel 48 through passage 54 may be blocked such that an entirety of the air 46 and fuel 48 received by engine 14 is supplied via venturi passage 52, as valve 64 prevents air 46 from flowing through passage 54 to draw fuel 48 through the fuel inlet openings 62 in passage 54. Thus, during relatively low-load and/or low-speed operation of engine 14, a desired quantity of gaseous fuel may be supplied to engine 14 by venturi passage 52.
A step 306 may be performed when the pressure of gas output with compressor outlet 70 reaches or exceeds the predetermined opening pressure following a period of time when the pressure of gas from outlet 70 was below this predetermined opening pressure. In response to a change in pressure in outlet 70, which may be associated with an increase in the load of engine 14 as an example, valve 64 of conduit 22 may open, permitting a flow of intake air and fuel received by bypass passage 54 to engine 14. This may facilitate supply of air 46 and fuel 48 to compressor 24 at a higher pressure as compared to the supply of air 46 and fuel 48 when valve 64 is closed, facilitating operation at relatively high load and/or high engine speeds. Valve 64 may be actuated from a closed position to an at least partially open position by actuator 72, e.g., a pneumatic actuator as illustrated in
In the exemplary pneumatic configuration of actuator 72, pressure line 74 is in fluid communication with gas output from compressor 32. For example, pressure line 74 may be connected to compressor outlet 70 such that, when the pressure in compressor outlet 70 reaches the predetermined opening pressure, the pressure of air compressed by compressor wheel 68 may act against a spring member of actuator 72, moving valve 64 from the fully-closed position. Actuator 72 may be configured to gradually open valve 64 when the pressure of gas reaches the predetermined opening pressure. In this exemplary configuration, actuator 72 may be configured to fully open when the pressure reaches a predetermined maximum pressure, which is larger than the predetermined threshold opening at which valve 64 begins to open. Thus, the flow of air 46 and fuel 48 through passage 54 may gradually increase according to a corresponding increase in the speed or output (e.g., torque) of engine 14. In other embodiments, such as an embodiment where actuator 72 is electronically-controlled (e.g., via an engine control module) or when actuator 72 includes a spring member having an appropriate biasing force, actuator 72 may instead be configured to fully open valve 64 when the pressure of gas output from compressor 32 reaches the predetermined threshold pressure.
Step 308 may include supplying intake air 46 and fuel 48 to internal combustion engine 14. As shown in
In the disclosed method and system, a bypass passage 54 may facilitate the supply of sufficient quantities of air and fuel under varying engine conditions, and in particular, under conditions where a higher air flow rate is desirable. For example, a bypass passage 54 may be configured to receive air and gaseous fuel when relatively high airflow is desired. A bypass passage 54 may provide a path having reduced restriction, as compared to a venturi passage 52, to the flow of air during such high flow-rate conditions, allowing air and fuel to be supplied to an inlet of a compressor 32 at a suitable pressure. A bypass passage 54 may be closed under some conditions, such as low-load conditions where desired flow of air is relatively low. Thus, the system may be configured to draw in a sufficient quantity of fuel for expected conditions of an engine system, including both low-load conditions and high-load conditions. The disclosed method and system may further facilitate a reduction in compressor rotation for a particular engine condition, reducing demands on the engine system.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the disclosed method and system without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Other embodiments of the method and system will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the systems disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.
