In-Cylinder Pressure Feedback for Dual-Fuel Combustion Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for controlling combustion in dual fuel engines do not effectively detect and correct issues with combustion quality, leading to inefficiencies and potential power output deviations.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an in-cylinder pressure sensing system to monitor combustion pressures, using a fuel controller to adjust the opening times of pilot and primary fuel injectors to remediate out-of-range pressure-based combustion characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If pressure sensors and position sensors are used to detect piston position, then the position detection accuracy is improved, but the ability to detect combustion quality and correct combustion issues remains insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses in-cylinder pressure sensors to continuously monitor combustion pressure and feeds this information back to the control unit. The control unit compares actual pressure readings against expected values and automatically adjusts fuel injection timing and duration to correct combustion quality issues, creating a closed-loop feedback system that resolves the contradiction between position detection and combustion quality detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical position sensing methods with pressure-based sensing to detect combustion quality. By measuring pressure changes in the combustion chamber during the combustion cycle, the system can infer combustion characteristics and detect issues without additional mechanical sensors, thereby improving combustion quality detection capability.
2Reliability
If fuel delivery is adjusted to correct combustion issues, then combustion quality is improved, but the system complexity increases due to additional sensing and control requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The in-cylinder pressure sensor serves multiple functions: it monitors combustion pressure, detects combustion quality, identifies fuel injection issues, and provides data for control adjustments. By making this single sensor multi-functional, the system improves combustion quality without proportionally increasing device complexity, as the same sensor performs multiple detection and control tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit automatically adjusts fuel delivery parameters based on pressure sensor feedback without requiring external intervention. The system self-diagnoses combustion issues and corrects them by modifying injection timing and duration, thereby improving combustion quality while keeping the control architecture relatively simple and autonomous.
3Measurement precision
If in-cylinder pressure sensing is implemented to monitor combustion, then combustion quality detection is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the combustion quality detection function from the existing pressure sensing system used for combustion control. By using the same pressure sensor data for both control and quality monitoring, the system achieves improved combustion quality detection without adding separate sensing infrastructure, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure sensing system is designed to serve dual purposes: controlling the combustion process and monitoring combustion quality. This multi-functional approach allows the system to detect combustion issues and adjust fuel delivery without requiring additional dedicated sensors, thus improving measurement precision while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Maintains optimal combustion pressures by dynamically adjusting fuel delivery, ensuring consistent power output and improving engine efficiency and emissions control.
Implementation Method 1
receiving a first pressure reading indication of a first combustion pressure of a first cylinder of the internal combustion engine
Implementation Method 2
changing a first amount of time a pilot fuel injector for the first cylinder is open or a second amount of time a primary fuel injector for the first cylinder is open
Implementation Method 3
combustion in the first cylinder generates a first combustion pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A dual fuel, internal combustion engine system is described herein. The system uses in-cylinder pressure detectors to determine the combustion quality in a particular cylinder. The fuel controller commences a remediation process when a detected pressure indicates or is calculated indicating that an out-of-range pressure-based combustion characteristic is present. A remediation process may be to change the timing of the fuel injectors. The fuel controller can increase or decrease the time a fuel injector for a primary fuel or a pilot fuel is open, making adjustments until the out-of-range pressure-based combustion characteristic is cleared. In another example, the fuel controller can modify the amount of pilot fuel produced and/or the ratio of the pilot fuel to methanol/water in the reactor product can be modified to attempt to clear the out-of-range pressure-based combustion characteristic.