Internal Combustion Engine Fuel Feed Control for Network Fault Recovery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for internal combustion engines in power plants struggle to quickly recover nominal load after a dynamic network fault, such as voltage drops, often leading to prolonged disruptions and adverse network conditions during fault restoration.

Innovation Solution

Increasing the fuel feed to the internal combustion engine upon detection of a network fault, combined with measures like mechanical braking and enrichment of the mixture, allows for rapid recovery to nominal load after the fault has passed, rather than reducing fuel feed or maintaining pre-fault levels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If fuel feed is reduced or maintained at pre-fault levels during network fault, then excessive acceleration of the internal combustion engine is prevented, but the engine cannot quickly recover nominal load after fault restoration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefault ride-through capabilityVSAvoidload recovery speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The control device increases the fuel feed to the internal combustion engine immediately upon detecting a network fault, preparing the engine in advance for rapid load recovery. This preliminary action ensures that when the network fault clears, the engine can quickly return to nominal load without excessive acceleration, as the fuel feed has already been optimized during the fault period.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The control device dynamically adjusts the fuel feed based on the network fault detection and the subsequent recovery phase. By making the fuel feed dynamic rather than static, the system can adapt to changing conditions - increasing fuel during the fault to prepare for recovery, and then quickly ramping up to nominal load when the fault clears, thus resolving the contradiction between preventing excessive acceleration and enabling fast recovery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Object-affected harmful factors

If ignition is deactivated or retarded during network fault to reduce power output, then engine acceleration is limited, but this causes massive problems with default presettings during network restoration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveexcessive accelerationVSAvoidcompliance with network operator defaults

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of deactivating or retarding ignition during network faults (the conventional approach), the invention inverts the strategy by maintaining or even increasing fuel feed while using alternative methods (such as mechanical braking or generator excitation control) to manage power output. This inversion allows the engine to be ready for rapid load recovery without violating network operator defaults during restoration, as the ignition system remains optimized for quick restart and load acceptance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Reliability

If mechanical braking or generator excitation increase is used to maintain resistance during voltage drop, then engine acceleration is prevented, but power output reduction causes issues during fault restoration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefault ride-throughVSAvoidpower output

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The control device dynamically switches between different control strategies - using mechanical braking or increased generator excitation during the voltage drop to prevent excessive acceleration, then quickly transitioning to full power output mode when the network fault clears. This dynamic control allows the system to maintain reliability during the fault while minimizing the impact on productivity during restoration, as the braking or excitation measures are temporarily applied only during the fault condition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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 enables the internal combustion engine to quickly return to nominal load after a voltage drop, preventing excessive acceleration and ensuring fast ramp-up without speed reduction, thus improving fault ride-through capabilities and reducing network disruption.

Implementation Method 1

Increasing the fuel feed to the internal combustion engine upon detection of a network fault, combined with measures like mechanical braking and enrichment of the mixture

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCombustion: Combustion

Implementation Method 2

measures like mechanical braking

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentUS10673363B2Regulating methods for operating an internal combustion engine upon network fault detection

Publication Date: 2020.06.02 GE JENBACHER GMBH & CO OG

AI summary

A method of operating an internal combustion engine, wherein a fuel-air mixture is burnt in the internal combustion engine and the internal combustion engine drives a generator, wherein the generator is connected to a power supply network and delivers power to the power supply network and wherein upon or after detection of a dynamic network fault by which the power delivery of the generator into the power supply network is reduced acceleration of the internal combustion engine is prevented or limited, wherein upon or after the detection of the network fault in the power supply network the fuel feed to the internal combustion engine is increased.