Dual Fuel Engine Combustion Mode Control for LNG Pressure Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fuel systems that transport liquefied gaseous fuels, such as LNG, face issues with pressure loss due to unintended warming, causing the high-pressure pump to lose prime, which requires additional plumbing and increased complexity to purge vaporized fuel, leading to inefficiencies and environmental risks.
Innovation Solution
A dual fuel engine system that detects performance parameters and selects between multiple combustion modes based on pressure and temperature conditions, allowing gaseous fuel to be injected after liquid fuel during low pressure conditions and before liquid fuel during high pressure conditions, using a control system to manage fuel injection timing and mode selection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional plumbing and valves are added to redirect vaporized fuel back to the tank, then the pump can be primed, but the system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the engine itself to consume the vaporized fuel that would otherwise need to be redirected back to the tank. The control system detects vaporized fuel conditions and switches to a combustion mode that injects gaseous fuel directly, allowing the engine to self-clear the vaporized fuel from the fuel system without requiring additional plumbing or valves.
2Reliability
If vaporized fuel is redirected back to the tank, then the pump can be primed, but fuel temperature increases causing venting and pollution
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of treating vaporized fuel as a harmful condition that needs to be purged or redirected, the system converts this potentially harmful byproduct into a useful resource. The control system detects vaporized fuel and switches to a combustion mode that directly burns the gaseous fuel in the engine, transforming what would be waste and pollution into useful energy.
3Productivity
If the high-pressure pump operates with vaporized fuel, then the system can continue running, but pressure control is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts its operation based on fuel conditions. The control system continuously monitors the fuel state and switches between different combustion modes - using liquid fuel injection when pressure control is needed and gaseous fuel injection when the pump is unprimed or vaporized fuel is present. This dynamic switching allows continuous operation while maintaining pressure control when necessary.
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
This approach maintains fuel pressure control without the need for additional plumbing, reduces waste and pollution, and ensures the engine can operate effectively even when the high-pressure pump is unprimed, by utilizing combustion modes that utilize gaseous fuel until the pump is re-primed.
Implementation Method 1
a high pressure pump pressurizes LNG before it is warmed to a supercritical gaseous state
Implementation Method 2
a vaporizer fluidly connected to the high pressure pump and configured to convert the pressurized liquefied gaseous fuel to a supercritical gas
Implementation Method 3
The liquefied fuel is gasified through heating prior to reaching the engine
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel system is disclosed that is capable of operating in multiple combustion modes. A method is also disclosed of operating a dual fuel engine in conjunction with the fuel system. The method may include detecting a performance parameter of gaseous fuel in the fuel system. The method may also include selecting a combustion mode from a plurality of combustion modes based on the performance parameter. The method may further include injecting gaseous fuel and liquid fuel into at least one cylinder of the engine according to an injection timing corresponding to the selected combustion mode.