Fuel management for dynamic gas mixing disablement

Abstract

A system and method for conditioning a primary fuel when mixing of the primary fuel and a secondary fuel is disabled is provided. The method includes: disabling the mixing of the primary fuel and the secondary fuel for the DGB at a mixing disabling angle; determining whether the secondary fuel has been injected for a current cycle of the cylinder prior to the mixing disabling angle; in response to determining that the secondary fuel has been injected for the current cycle prior to the mixing disabling angle, injecting a pilot injection of the primary fuel for the current cycle; and in response to determining that the secondary fuel is not injected for the current cycle prior to the mixing disabling angle, injecting a full injection of the primary fuel for the current cycle.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to dynamic gas blending for dual fuel engines, and more particularly, to fuel management when the dynamic gas blending is disabled. BACKGROUND

[0002] Some internal combustion engines, referred to as dual fuel engines, are configured to operate on two different fuels. For example, such engines can operate on a mixture of diesel fuel and natural gas, where the diesel fuel is supplied through a diesel fuel supply system and the natural gas is supplied through a natural gas supply system, where the ratio of the diesel fuel to natural gas mixture can vary. In a port injection dual fuel system, such as a dynamic gas blending (DGB) system, the diesel injectors of the diesel fuel supply system that inject diesel fuel directly into the combustion chamber have a shorter recharging angle than the corresponding gas intake valves of the natural gas supply system that inject natural gas into the intake ports. In other words, when a fuel mixture change is initiated (e.g., disable blending and operate on diesel fuel only), the diesel fuel supply system is able to react to the fuel mixture change faster than the gas intake valves of the natural gas supply system. If the DGB is disabled and the diesel injectors are switched to charge full diesel injection, some cylinders that have been loaded with natural gas outside of the intake valves can be overcharged. If the DGB is disabled and the diesel injectors are delayed to switch to charge full diesel injection, some cylinders can be undercharged.

[0003] One example of regulating the mixing of a fuel mixture is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 9,752,515 to Stroup (“the ‘515 patent”), issued September 5, 2017. Specifically, the ‘515 patent describes determining a maximum amount of a secondary fuel that can be injected into a cylinder during a cycle to meet a desired amount of heat energy to be produced in a next cycle based on a rotational speed (RPM) of the engine and an amount of heat energy provided by a primary fuel in a previous cycle. Then, after an exhaust valve closes, the secondary fuel is injected into an intake port of the cylinder in an amount calculated based on the maximum amount that can be injected.

[0004] While useful for calculating a desired amount of secondary fuel for a next cycle to supplement a primary fuel to produce a desired heat energy, the apparatus of the ‘515 patent can be limited. Specifically, the ‘515 patent describes a limited scenario with respect to providing secondary fuel for a next cycle based on a previous injection of a primary fuel.

[0005] The systems and methods described herein can be directed to addressing one or more of the problems described above. SUMMARY

[0006] According to a first aspect, there is provided a method in a dynamic gas blending (DGB) system for adjusting a primary fuel when blending of the primary fuel and a secondary fuel is disabled. The method comprises: disabling the blending of the primary fuel and the secondary fuel for the DGB at a blending disable angle; determining whether the secondary fuel has been injected for a current cycle of a cylinder prior to the blending disable angle; in response to determining that the secondary fuel has been injected for the current cycle prior to the blending disable angle, injecting a pilot injection of the primary fuel for the current cycle; and in response to determining that the secondary fuel has not been injected for the current cycle prior to the blending disable angle, injecting a full injection of the primary fuel for the current cycle. Disabling the blending of the primary fuel and the secondary fuel comprises disabling injection of the secondary fuel and disabling the blending of the primary fuel and the secondary fuel in response to detecting a command to disable the blending. Where the cylinder is a first cylinder of a plurality of cylinders of an engine having a firing order, the method further comprises: for each cylinder of the plurality of cylinders, determining whether the secondary fuel has been injected for a respective current cycle prior to the blending disable angle; in response to determining that the secondary fuel has been injected for the respective current cycle prior to the blending disable angle, injecting the pilot injection of the primary fuel for the respective current cycle; and in response to determining that the secondary fuel has not been injected for the respective current cycle prior to the blending disable angle, injecting the full injection of the primary fuel for the respective current cycle.

[0007] According to another aspect, a dynamic gas blending (DGB) system is provided for adjusting a primary fuel when blending of the primary fuel and a secondary fuel is disabled. The DGB includes an electronic control module (ECM), a primary fuel delivery system coupled to the ECM and a cylinder, the primary fuel delivery system configured to deliver a primary fuel, and a secondary fuel delivery system coupled to the ECM and the cylinder, the secondary fuel delivery system configured to deliver a secondary fuel, wherein the ECM includes a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing processor-executable instructions thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to disable blending of the primary fuel and the secondary fuel for the DGB at a blending disable angle, determine whether the secondary fuel has been injected for a current cycle of the cylinder prior to the blending disable angle, inject a pilot injection of the primary fuel for the current cycle in response to determining that the secondary fuel has been injected for the respective current cycle prior to the blending disable angle, and inject a full injection of the primary fuel for the current cycle in response to determining that the secondary fuel has not been injected for the current cycle prior to the blending disable angle. The processor-executable instructions further cause the processor to disable injection of the secondary fuel in response to detecting a command to disable the blending to disable the blending of the primary fuel and the secondary fuel, and disable the blending. For an engine having a plurality of cylinders and the plurality of cylinders having a firing order, the processor-executable instructions further cause the processor to determine whether the secondary fuel has been injected for a respective current cycle prior to the blending disable angle based at least in part on the firing order, inject the pilot injection of the primary fuel for the respective current cycle in response to determining that the secondary fuel has been injected for the respective current cycle prior to the blending disable angle, and inject a full injection of the primary fuel for the respective current cycle in response to determining that the secondary fuel has not been injected for the respective current cycle prior to the blending disable angle.

[0008] According to yet another aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer- readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a dynamic gas blending (DGB) system, cause the processor to perform certain operations for adjusting a primary fuel when blending of the primary fuel and a secondary fuel is disabled. The operations include: disabling the blending of the primary fuel and the secondary fuel for the DGB system at a blending disable angle; determining whether the secondary fuel has been injected for a current cycle of a cylinder prior to the blending disable angle; in response to determining that the secondary fuel has been injected for the current cycle prior to the blending disable angle, injecting a pilot injection of the primary fuel for the current cycle; and in response to determining that the secondary fuel has not been injected for the current cycle prior to the blending disable angle, injecting a full injection of the primary fuel for the current cycle. Disabling the blending of the primary fuel and the secondary fuel includes disabling injection of the secondary fuel and disabling the blending of the primary fuel and the secondary fuel in response to detecting a command to disable the blending. For an engine having a plurality of cylinders and the plurality of cylinders having a firing order, the operations further include, based at least in part on the firing order: determining whether the secondary fuel has been injected for a respective current cycle prior to the blending disable angle; in response to determining that the secondary fuel has been injected for the respective current cycle prior to the blending disable angle, injecting the pilot injection of the primary fuel for the respective current cycle; and in response to determining that the secondary fuel has not been injected for the respective current cycle prior to the blending disable angle, injecting the full injection of the primary fuel for the respective current cycle.

[0009] According to yet another aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer- readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a dynamic gas blending (DGB) system, cause the processor to perform certain operations for adjusting a primary fuel when blending of the primary fuel and a secondary fuel is disabled. The operations include disabling blending of the primary fuel and the secondary fuel for the DGB system at a blending disable angle; determining whether the secondary fuel has been injected for a current cycle of a cylinder prior to the blending disable angle; in response to determining that the secondary fuel has been injected for the current cycle prior to the blending disable angle, injecting a pilot injection of the primary fuel for the current cycle; and in response to determining that the secondary fuel has not been injected for the current cycle prior to the blending disable angle, injecting a full injection of the primary fuel for the current cycle. Disabling the blending of the primary fuel and the secondary fuel includes disabling injection of the secondary fuel and disabling the blending of the primary fuel and the secondary fuel in response to detecting a command to disable the blending. For an engine having a plurality of cylinders and the plurality of cylinders having a firing order, the operations further include, based at least in part on the firing order: determining whether the secondary fuel has been injected for a respective current cycle prior to the blending disable angle; in response to determining that the secondary fuel has been injected for the respective current cycle prior to the blending disable angle, injecting the pilot injection of the primary fuel for the respective current cycle; and in response to determining that the secondary fuel has not been injected for the respective current cycle prior to the blending disable angle, injecting the full injection of the primary fuel for the respective current cycle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of each reference number identifies the figure in which that reference number first appears. Like reference numbers in different figures indicate like or similar items.

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic side view of an example machine having a track for a propulsion system driven by an internal combustion engine (ICE).

[0012] Figure 2 is a schematic view of a dynamic gas blending (DGB) system having a primary fuel supply system and a secondary fuel supply system.

[0013] Figure 3 is a schematic view of a cylinder in a cycle with fuel blending disabled at a particular angle.

[0014] Figure 4 is a schematic view of a cylinder in a cycle with fuel blending disabled at another angle.

[0015] Figure 5is a flowchart illustrating a process of a primary fuel and a secondary fuel based hybrid disable operation (DGB) system.

[0016] Figure 6 is a block diagram of a DGB system coupled to a cylinder. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the features claimed. As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "has," "having," "includes," "including," "contains," "containing," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains a list of elements does not include only those elements but can include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. For purposes of this disclosure, the term "ground" refers broadly to all types of surfaces or materials that can be worked during a material moving process and / or that can be cut, spread, sculpted, smoothed, leveled, graded, or otherwise treated (e.g., gravel, clay, sand, dirt, etc.). In the present disclosure, unless otherwise stated, relative terms such as, for example, "about," "substantially," and "approximately" are used to indicate a possible variation of ±10% of the stated value.

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic side view of an example machine 100 having a track for a propulsion system driven by an internal combustion engine (ICE). Figure 1 The example machine 100 shown is a bulldozer. However, the machine 100 can be any type of work machine configured to travel over terrain and perform operations, such as agricultural vehicles and work vehicles, such as track loaders, track excavators, pavers, drilling rigs, and / or any other machine known to those skilled in the art. Additionally, the machine 100 can also include any type of stationary work machine, such as a generator, a drill, a pump, and / or any other stationary work machine known to those skilled in the art.

[0019] The machine 100 includes a chassis or frame 102 to which is attached an internal combustion engine or "engine" 104 as a prime mover. The engine 104 is configured to provide power for operating the machine 100 (including, for example, operating work implements, electronics, and steering), and / or for supplying torque to drive members to propel the machine 100 over terrain. For example, Figure 1 The machine 100 shown includes a propulsion system, such as a pair of tracks 106 (only one set of tracks is shown), which are configured to propel the machine 100 over a road surface, gravel, dirt, or other work surface. The tracks 106 are driven by a main reducer 108.

[0020] While machine 100 includes tracks 106, it is contemplated that machine 100 may include one or more wheels in addition to tracks 106. Machine 100 also includes a cab 110 operably connected to frame 102 for protecting and / or providing comfort to an operator 112 of machine 100 and / or for protecting control-related devices of machine 100. In some examples, machine 100 may be semi-autonomous or fully autonomous and capable of operating without an onboard operator or a remote operator, and may not include cab 110. In examples where machine 100 is semi-autonomous or fully autonomous, machine 100 is prevented or avoided from accidentally colliding with or operating in undesirable proximity to other machines, people, and / or objects.

[0021] exist Figure 1 In the example shown, the machine 100 also includes a work tool 114 for performing operations associated with the machine 100, such as digging, moving, lifting, and / or storing materials. Figure 1 The work tool 114 is illustrated as a shovel, but other forms of work tools are also contemplated. For example, the work tool 114 may include an auger, a brush cutter, a broom, a grapple, a hammer, a crusher, a ripper, a rotor, a bucket, and the like. The machine 100 includes a work tool actuator 116 coupled at one end to the frame 102 and / or a proximal end of the work tool 114. The work tool actuator 116 may be a hydraulic cylinder powered by one or more hydraulic pumps 118. The work tool actuator 116 may be an electric motor or a pneumatic cylinder. The work tool actuator 116 is configured to extend and retract, for example, to pivot the work tool 114 between an upright orientation and an at least partially inverted orientation. In the upright orientation, the work tool 114 may hold material, and in the at least partially inverted orientation, the work tool 114 may store or dump material.

[0022] Machine 100 may include a battery 120 to power various electrical devices within machine 100, including an electronic control module (ECM) 122. ECM 122 may house one or more processors 124, which may execute any modules, components, or systems associated with machine 100, some of which may be housed within ECM 122, such as module 126. In some examples, processor 124 may include a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), both a CPU and a GPU, or other processing units or components known in the art. Additionally, each of processors 124 may have its own local memory, which may also store program modules, program data, and / or one or more operating systems.

[0023] Computer-readable media associated with the machine 100, such as memory 128, may include volatile memory (e.g., RAM), non-volatile memory (e.g., ROM, flash memory, micro hard drive, memory card, etc.), or some combination thereof. The computer-readable media may be non-transitory computer-readable media. The computer-readable media may include or be associated with one or more of the aforementioned modules that perform various operations associated with the machine 100. In some examples, one or more of these modules may include or be associated with computer-executable instructions stored by the computer-readable media and executable by one or more processors to perform these operations.

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a dynamic gas mixing (DGB) system 200 having a primary fuel delivery system and a secondary fuel delivery system is illustrated. The DGB system 200 can be operated using an internal combustion engine that can run on two fuels. For example, the DGB system 200 can use liquid fuel and / or gaseous fuel, or a combination of both liquid and gaseous fuels. Although diesel fuel is used in the exemplary embodiment, it should be understood that any type of liquid fuel, such as gasoline, methanol, ethanol, or any other type of liquid fuel, can be used. In addition, as used herein, "gaseous fuel" may include fuel supplied to the DGB system 200 in gaseous form. The gaseous fuel may include, for example, natural gas, propane, biogas, landfill gas, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, or a mixture thereof. It should be understood that the DGB system 200 may use only a single fuel (liquid or gaseous fuel) at a time, or may use both liquid and gaseous fuels simultaneously.

[0025] like Figure 2 As shown, the DGB system 200 includes a diesel fuel delivery system 202 as a primary fuel delivery system and a gaseous fuel delivery system 204 as a secondary fuel supply system. The diesel fuel delivery system 202 and the gaseous fuel delivery system 204 are coupled to the ECM 122, which can monitor and control the operation of the diesel fuel delivery system 202 and the gaseous fuel delivery system 204. The DGB system 200 may also include an intake system 206 and a plurality of engine cylinders ( Figure 2A single example engine cylinder 208 is depicted. The diesel fuel delivery system 202 can deliver diesel fuel to the cylinder 208, the gaseous fuel delivery system 204 can deliver gaseous fuel to the cylinder 208, and the intake system 206 can deliver intake air to the cylinder 208. The engine cylinder 208 can include a piston 210 that is slidably and reciprocally disposed to form a combustion chamber 212 of the cylinder 208. The piston 210 of each cylinder 208 can be connected to a crankshaft 214 via a connecting rod 216 and can provide power to a flywheel (not shown) of the engine 104. The cylinder 208 can also include an intake port 218 for providing an air (e.g., intake air) and fuel (e.g., gaseous fuel) mixture to the combustion chamber 212. The cylinder 208 can also include an exhaust port 220 for discharging combustion gases from the cylinder 208 to an exhaust system 222.

[0026] The diesel fuel delivery system 202 can include a diesel fuel supply 224, such as a diesel fuel tank, a fuel pump, a fuel rail, and a diesel fuel supply line 226 for supplying diesel fuel from the diesel fuel supply 224 to each of the plurality of cylinders 208. For example, diesel fuel can be supplied to the cylinder 208 via a diesel fuel injector 228. It should be understood that the diesel fuel delivery system 202 can include any number and / or combination of valves or other components known in the art.

[0027] The gaseous fuel delivery system 204 can include a gaseous fuel supply 230, such as a gas tank, and a gaseous fuel supply line 232 for supplying gaseous fuel from the gaseous fuel supply 230 to the cylinder 208. For example, gaseous fuel can be supplied to the cylinder 108 via a gaseous fuel injector 234, such as a solenoid operated gas admission valve (GAV), through the intake system 206. Accordingly, gaseous fuel can flow from the gaseous fuel supply 230 through the gaseous fuel supply line 232 and into the intake system 206. The gaseous fuel delivery system 204 can also include a filter 236, a gas shut-off valve (GSOV) 238, a regulator 240, a gaseous fuel rail 242, and a check valve 244.

[0028] The filter 236 can remove suspended liquids, dirt, and / or other particulates from the gaseous fuel to prevent the suspended liquids, dirt, and / or other particulates from clogging or damaging components of the gaseous fuel delivery system 204. The GSOV 238 can be disposed in the gaseous fuel supply line 232 downstream of the gaseous fuel supply 230. The GSOV 238 can include a closed state (in which the gaseous fuel supply line 232 is closed) and an open state (in which the gaseous fuel supply line 232 is open). The GSOV 238 can be configured to open when the engine 104 is operating and to close when the engine 104 is not operating. Figure 2) and an open state. In the closed state, the GSOV 238 may prevent gaseous fuel from flowing from the gaseous fuel supply source 230 into the gaseous fuel supply line 232. The GSOV 238 may include a check valve or the like for preventing the gaseous fuel supply source 230 from flowing toward each of the plurality of cylinders 208 when the GSOV 238 is in the closed state, while allowing high-pressure flow in the opposite reverse direction (e.g., in the event that the pressure in the gaseous fuel supply line 232 is greater than the pressure of the gaseous fuel supply source 230). In the open state, the GSOV 238 may enable gaseous fuel to flow from the gaseous fuel supply source 230 into the gaseous fuel supply line 232. The regulator 240 may include a valve for reducing and regulating the pressure of the gaseous fuel leaving the gaseous fuel supply source 230 and reducing the pressure to a predetermined level. The gaseous fuel rail 242 may distribute the gaseous fuel to the gaseous fuel injectors 234 ( Figure 2 Only one injector is shown.) It should be understood that GSOV 238, regulator 240, and gas fuel injector 234 may include any type of valves known in the art.

[0029] Intake system 206 may include an intake manifold 246 and may supply intake air to cylinders 208. In some embodiments, a gaseous fuel supply line 232 may be coupled to intake manifold 246 (e.g., via gaseous fuel injectors 234) for providing gaseous fuel to intake manifold 246. Thus, intake manifold 246 may supply a gaseous fuel and air mixture to cylinders 208 (e.g., via intake ports 218).

[0030] Figure 3 Schematic diagram 300 of cylinder 208 in a cycle with fuel mixing disabled at a specific angle. In the present disclosure, disabling fuel mixing refers to and includes a complete disabling of fuel mixing, such as changing the ratio of secondary fuel to primary fuel from 85%:15% to 0%:100%. Furthermore, a partial disabling of fuel mixing can be significant enough to result in a high indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) due to overfilling or a low IMEP due to underfilling. These conditions are typically caused by a large change in the ratio of secondary fuel to primary fuel (e.g., from 85%:15% to 20%:80%), where at least one of the primary fuel supply system (e.g., diesel fuel delivery system 202) or the secondary fuel supply system (e.g., gaseous fuel delivery system 204) is unable to react within a desired time period from the initiation of the change. Such disabling of fuel mixing can occur for a short period of time, such as a period of less than one combustion cycle.

[0031] Since the combustion cycle spans two revolutions of the crankshaft 214 (i.e., 720 degrees), the angle of the crankshaft or crankshaft angle may be represented as -360 degrees to 360 degrees to emphasize that, for example, -270 degrees is different from 90 degrees in the context of the present disclosure. The configurations of the cylinder 208 with the piston 210 at various crankshaft angles are represented as 302, 304, 306, 308, 310, 312, 314, 316, and 318. In this example, the combustion cycle begins at crankshaft angle A0, where, as shown at 302, the piston 210 is at bottom dead center (BDC) of the exhaust stroke, the intake port 218 is closed, and the exhaust port 220 begins to open, as described above with reference to FIG. Figure 2 As shown by arrow 320 at 304, piston 210 moves upward and discharges exhaust gas in combustion chamber 212 through exhaust port 220 over crankshaft angles A1 to A2, wherein piston 210 reaches top dead center and begins the intake stroke as shown at 306. Between crankshaft angles A0 and A2, gaseous fuel may be injected into the combustion chamber 212 via gaseous fuel injector 234 at a gaseous fuel injection angle of the crankshaft 214. Injection into intake manifold 246 , as indicated by arrow 322 .

[0032] When the intake stroke begins at crankshaft angle A2, exhaust port 220 closes and intake port 218 begins to open. As shown by arrow 324 at 308, piston 210 moves downward and draws gaseous fuel into combustion chamber 212 via intake port 218 over crankshaft angles A3 to A4, wherein piston 210 reaches BDC as shown at 310 and begins the compression stroke with intake port 218 closed. As shown by arrow 326 at 312, piston 210 moves upward and compresses the gaseous fuel in combustion chamber 212 over crankshaft angles A5 to A6, wherein piston 210 reaches TDC as shown at 314. Between crankshaft angles A4 and A6, diesel fuel may be injected via diesel fuel injector 228 at a diesel fuel injection angle of the crankshaft 214. is injected directly into the combustion chamber 212, as indicated by arrow 328. Since, in this example, the energy is also partially provided by the gaseous fuel, A pilot injection of diesel fuel, where the amount of diesel fuel of the pilot injection is such that the total amount of fuel provided for the cycle with the injected gaseous fuel is appropriate. At crank angle A6, the mixture of gaseous fuel and diesel fuel in combustion chamber 212 can be ignited to start the power stroke. As the mixture ignites and expands in the combustion chamber, piston 210 moves downward on crank angles A7 to AO, as shown with arrow 330 at 316, and transfers power to the flywheel of engine 104. At crank angle AO (shown at 318), piston 210 is equivalent to piston 210 at crank angle AO (shown at 302), and the combustion cycle repeats the process described above.

[0033] When a fuel mixture change is initiated, for example, disabling the mixture and relying only on diesel fuel to operate, diesel fuel delivery system 202 is able to react to the fuel mixture change faster than gaseous fuel delivery system 204. For example, if the mixture is disabled, i.e., operating engine 104 only with diesel fuel at a mixture disable angle of the crank 214 (As shown with arrow 332, between and ) diesel fuel delivery system 202 will be able to react to the change and be able to provide a full injection of diesel fuel at However, since gaseous fuel has been injected into intake manifold 246 at a pilot injection of diesel fuel would result in over-priming of cylinder 208 for the cycle.

[0034] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram 400 of cylinder 208 within a cycle where the fuel mixture is disabled at another angle of the crank between crank angles A6 and A7, as shown with arrow 402. In this example, a pilot injection of diesel fuel occurs at (As shown with arrow 404) before the mixture is disabled at i.e., DGB system 200 is supplying both diesel fuel and gaseous fuel, DGB operates diesel fuel delivery system 202 to provide a pilot injection of diesel fuel at 404. In this example, since 402 occurs before gaseous fuel is scheduled to be injected at (As shown with arrow 406), DGB system 200 operates gaseous fuel delivery system 204 not to inject gaseous fuel at and operates diesel fuel delivery system 202 to inject a full injection of diesel fuel at (As shown with arrow 408). ​

[0035] Figure 5 is a flowchart 500 illustrating a process for operating the DGB system 200 based on disabling mixing of primary and secondary fuels. The flowchart 500 is illustrated as a logical flow diagram, with reference to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The operations of this logic flow diagram represent a sequence of operations that can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. In this example, the process is illustrated as being implemented in the ECM 122. Although in this example, the primary fuel (i.e., diesel fuel) is directly injected via the diesel fuel delivery system 202 and the secondary fuel (i.e., gaseous fuel) is port injected via the gaseous fuel delivery system 204, the method described below is also applicable if the primary fuel is port injected and the additional fuel is directly injected (with or without spark).

[0036] To avoid overfilling, the ECM 122 may and Monitor and operate the diesel fuel delivery system 202 and the gaseous fuel delivery system 204. For example, at block 502, the ECM 122 may detect or receive a signal for The command to mix a primary fuel (such as diesel fuel) and a secondary fuel (such as gas fuel) is disabled and the mixing may be disabled to operate on diesel fuel only at block 504. At block 506, the ECM 122 may determine that Whether the gaseous fuel has been previously injected for the current cycle of a cylinder, such as cylinder 208. If the gaseous fuel has been previously injected ("yes" branch), the ECM 122 may operate the diesel fuel delivery system 202 to inject the gaseous fuel at block 508. A pilot injection of diesel fuel is injected. For example, Figure 3 , showing that A GAS After injecting gas fuel, The mixing of diesel fuel and gas fuel is prohibited. and The ECM 122 operates the diesel fuel delivery system 202 to A pilot injection of diesel fuel is injected. However, if the ECM 122 determines that If gaseous fuel has not been previously injected into the cylinder 208 (“No” branch), the ECM 122 may operate the diesel fuel delivery system 202 to inject gaseous fuel into the cylinder 208 at block 510. A full injection of diesel fuel is injected.

[0037] Cylinder 208 can be a first cylinder of a plurality of cylinders of the engine, where the plurality of cylinders has a particular firing order. Because in a multi-cylinder engine, the firing and fuel injection are staggered, each cylinder can be in a different combustion cycle phase when the blending is disabled. Accordingly, at block 506, ECM 122 can determine whether the gaseous fuel has been injected for a current cycle of each cylinder of the engine based at least in part on the firing order of the plurality of cylinders. Depending on the outcome of block 506 for each cylinder, one or more cylinders can receive a pilot injection of diesel fuel, while other cylinders can receive a full injection of diesel fuel.

[0038] Figure 6 is a block diagram 600 of DGB system 200 coupled to cylinder 208. For purposes of discussion, the following will describe the operation of ECM 122 with reference to processor 124 of ECM 122, unless otherwise noted, that executes the methods and steps described above with reference to Figure 5 Figures 2 to 5 Generally, computer-executable instructions include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, and the like that perform particular functions or implement particular data types. The order in which the operations are described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described operations can be combined in any order and / or

[0039] ECM 122 can also be hosted by a single server or distributed among a plurality of servers in a cloud environment. ECM 122 can include processor 124, memory 128 communicatively coupled to processor 124, and modules 126 communicatively coupled to processor 124. Modules 126 can include a communication module 602 and an interface 604, such as a user interface and an input / output (I / O) module capable of receiving input and providing output. Input and output can be communicated to and from communication module 602 via a communication network (not shown), which can be a cellular network, a Wi-Fi® network, or any other type of network.

[0040] ​​In some examples, processor 124 may include a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), both a CPU and a GPU, or other processing units or components known in the art. Additionally, processor 124 may have its own local memory, which may also store program modules, program data, and / or one or more operating systems. Memory 128 may include a computer-readable medium, which may include volatile memory (e.g., RAM), non-volatile memory (e.g., ROM, flash memory, a micro hard drive, a memory card, etc.), or some combination thereof. The computer-readable medium may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include or be associated with one or more of the aforementioned modules that perform various operations associated with ECM 122. In some examples, one or more of these modules may include or be associated with computer-executable instructions stored by the computer-readable medium and executable by one or more processors to perform these operations. For example, the memory 128 may store processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor 124 of the ECM 122, cause the processor 124 to perform operations for monitoring and operating the DGB system 200, as described above with reference to FIG. Figures 2 to 5 described.

[0041] References Figures 2 to 5 , with respect to operating the DGB system 200 based on design requirements, ease of construction and / or integration, cost, etc., the systems, components, algorithms, cloud, platform software, or functionality are discussed. Accordingly, although these elements are separated for discussion purposes, they may be combined as appropriate during implementation.

[0042] The ECM 122 can be configured to use artificial intelligence to maintain synchronization between the centralized (cloud-based) model and the distributed model. The ECM 122 can include a centralized computer processing system or a cloud-based computer processing system located in a backend server or one or more of a plurality of remote servers, one or more distributed, edge-based computer processing systems located in separate locations, each of the distributed computer processing systems being communicatively connected to the centralized computer processing system.

[0043] The machine learning engine can be included in at least one of a centralized computer processing system and a distributed computer processing system, such as the ECM 122. The machine learning engine can train a learning system using training data to enable the machine learning engine to safely mitigate the difference found between the first set of output control commands and the second set of output control commands using a learning function that includes at least one learning parameter. Training the learning system can include providing the training data as input to the learning function. The learning function can be configured to generate an output based on the input using the at least one learning parameter, cause the learning function to generate the output based on the input, and compare the output to one or more of the first set of output control commands and the second set of output control commands to determine a difference between the output and one or more of the first set of output control commands and the second set of output control commands. The learning function can modify the at least one learning parameter and the output of the learning function to reduce the difference under various different conditions in response to the difference being greater than a threshold difference.

[0044] Industrial applicability

[0045] Exemplary systems and methods of the present disclosure can be used to adjust a primary fuel of a dual-fuel engine when a mixture of the primary fuel and a secondary fuel is disabled to prevent over-fueling and under-fueling of a cylinder.

[0046] In a port injection dual fuel system, such as a dynamic gas blending (DGB) system, a diesel injector of a diesel fuel supply system that injects diesel fuel directly into a combustion chamber of a cylinder has a shorter recharging angle than a corresponding gas intake valve of a natural gas supply system that injects natural gas into an intake port. If DGB is disabled and the diesel injector is switched to charge full diesel injections, some cylinders that have been charged with natural gas outside of the intake valve can be overcharged. If DGB is disabled and the diesel injector is delayed to switch to charge full diesel injections, some cylinders can be undercharged. Methods to prevent overcharging and undercharging of cylinders include, for example, disabling the blending of the primary fuel and the secondary fuel for the DGB at a blend disable angle; determining whether the secondary fuel has been injected for a current cycle of a cylinder before the blend disable angle; injecting a pilot injection of the primary fuel for the current cycle in response to determining that the secondary fuel has been injected for the current cycle before the blend disable angle; and injecting a full injection of the primary fuel for the current cycle in response to determining that the secondary fuel has not been injected for the current cycle before the blend disable angle. Disabling the blending of the primary fuel and the secondary fuel includes disabling injection of the secondary fuel in response to detecting a command to disable the blending, and disabling the blending of the primary fuel and the secondary fuel. Where the cylinder is a first cylinder of a plurality of cylinders of an engine having a firing order, the method further includes, for each cylinder of the plurality of cylinders, determining whether the secondary fuel has been injected for a respective current cycle before the blend disable angle; injecting the pilot injection of the primary fuel for the respective current cycle in response to determining that the secondary fuel has been injected for the respective current cycle before the blend disable angle; and injecting a full injection of the primary fuel for the respective current cycle in response to determining that the secondary fuel has not been injected for the respective current cycle before the blend disable angle.

[0047] The use of the singular herein shall not exclude the use of plural such components, structures, operations or equivalents thereof, unless expressly excluded. In the context of describing the application, and particularly in the context of the appended claims, the use of the articles "a" and "an" and "the" and "at least one" or the use of the article "one or more" and similar referents is to be construed to cover both the singular and plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The use of the term "at least one" following the presentation of a list of one or more items (for example, "at least one of A and B" or "one or more of A and B") should be construed to mean one item from the list A or B or any combination of two or more of the items in the list (A and B; A, A and B; A, B and B), unless otherwise indicated herein or as is otherwise clear from the context. Similarly, the word "or" as used herein is intended to mean any possible permutation of a set of items. For example, the phrase "A, B, or C" is intended to mean at least one of A, B, C, or any combination thereof, such as any of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B, and C; or multiples of any item such as A and A; B, B, and C; A, A, B, B, and C, etc.

[0048] While aspects of the disclosure have been particularly shown and described with reference to the examples above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various additional embodiments can be contemplated by modification of the disclosed devices, systems and methods without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Such embodiments should be understood as falling within the scope of the disclosure as determined based on the claims and any equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A method in a dynamic gas blending (DGB) system, the method comprising: disabling blending of a primary fuel and a secondary fuel for the DGB at a blending disable angle; determining whether the secondary fuel has been injected for a current cycle of a cylinder prior to the blending disable angle; and in response to determining that the secondary fuel has been injected for the current cycle prior to the blending disable angle, injecting a pilot injection of the primary fuel for the current cycle.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising: in response to determining that the secondary fuel has not been injected for the current cycle prior to the blending disable angle, injecting a full injection of the primary fuel for the current cycle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein disabling the blending of the primary fuel and the secondary fuel comprises disabling injection of the secondary fuel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein disabling the blending of the primary fuel and the secondary fuel comprises disabling the blending of the primary fuel and the secondary fuel in response to detecting a command to disable the blending.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein: the primary fuel is a diesel fuel, and the secondary fuel is a gaseous fuel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the cylinder is a first cylinder of a plurality of cylinders of an engine.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of cylinders have a firing order, and the method further comprises, for each cylinder of the plurality of cylinders: determining whether the secondary fuel has been injected for a respective current cycle prior to the blending disable angle; and in response to determining that the secondary fuel has been injected for the respective current cycle prior to the blending disable angle, injecting the pilot injection of the primary fuel for the respective current cycle.

8. The method of claim 7, the method further comprising: in response to determining that the secondary fuel has not been injected for the respective current cycle prior to the blending disable angle, injecting a full injection of the primary fuel for the respective current cycle.

9. A dynamic gas blending (DGB) system, the dynamic gas blending (DGB) system comprising: an electronic control module (ECM); a primary fuel delivery system coupled to the ECM and a cylinder, the primary fuel delivery system configured to deliver a primary fuel; and a secondary fuel delivery system coupled to the ECM and the cylinder, the secondary fuel delivery system configured to deliver a secondary fuel, wherein the ECM comprises: a processor; and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing processor-executable instructions thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: disable blending of the primary fuel and the secondary fuel for the DGB at a blending disable angle; determine whether the secondary fuel has been injected for a current cycle of the cylinder prior to the blending disable angle; and in response to determining that the secondary fuel has been injected for the current cycle prior to the blending disable angle, inject a pilot injection of the primary fuel for the current cycle. injection of the primary fuel for the current cycle in response to determining that the secondary fuel has not been injected for the current cycle prior to the hybrid disable angle. injection of the primary fuel for the current cycle in response to determining that the secondary fuel has not been injected for the current cycle prior to the hybrid disable angle.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a dynamic gas blending (DGB) system, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: disabling blending of a primary fuel and a secondary fuel for the DGB system at a hybrid disable angle; determining whether the secondary fuel has been injected for a current cycle of a cylinder prior to the hybrid disable angle; pilot injection of the primary fuel for the current cycle in response to determining that the secondary fuel has been injected for the current cycle prior to the hybrid disable angle; and full injection of the primary fuel for the current cycle in response to determining that the secondary fuel has not been injected for the current cycle prior to the hybrid disable angle.

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