Cooling Engine Intake Air via Fuel Regulator Decompression
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The inefficient decompression process of compressed natural gas in internal combustion engines, which requires high-pressure storage and subsequent reduction to a lower pressure for consumption, lacks efficiency and is not effectively addressed by existing technologies.
Innovation Solution
A fuel system where the internal combustion engine is positioned gravitationally above a fuel regulator, with an air supply assembly that includes parallel air supply lines in thermal communication with the regulator, allowing air to flow across it and adjust temperatures to cool the fuel and air entering the engine, thereby optimizing pressure reduction and fuel consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If compressed natural gas is decompressed through a regulator, then the fuel pressure is reduced from high pressure to consumption pressure, but the decompression process is inefficient and energy is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful heat generated during decompression into a beneficial cooling effect. The decompression process naturally generates heat, which would normally be wasted energy. Instead, this heat is used to preheat the incoming air charge, improving overall system efficiency and converting what was previously a loss into a useful function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the decompression function with the air charging function by positioning the regulator in the air charge path. The air flow passes through or near the regulator, allowing thermal energy transfer from the decompressing fuel to the incoming air. This combines two separate processes (decompression and air charging) into one integrated system, improving efficiency.
2Ease of operation
If the internal combustion engine is positioned above the fuel regulator, then gravitational flow aids fuel delivery, but the air supply lines must be configured to provide thermal communication with the regulator
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the engine above the regulator to create a gravitational potential difference that naturally drives fuel flow. This eliminates the need for additional pumping mechanisms and uses the gravitational field to assist fuel delivery, improving ease of operation and reducing mechanical complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The air supply lines serve multiple functions: they deliver air to the engine and simultaneously provide a thermal pathway from the air charge to the regulator. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate cooling systems and integrates thermal management into the existing air supply infrastructure.
3Temperature
If air is cooled by thermal communication with the fuel regulator, then the intake air temperature is reduced improving combustion efficiency, but the air flow must be carefully controlled through parallel supply lines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the air supply into parallel lines, allowing independent control of air flow paths. One line provides cooled air through thermal communication with the regulator, while the other provides ambient temperature air. This segmentation enables precise temperature control by adjusting the proportion of cooled versus ambient air.
Solution Approach 2:
The air valve provides dynamic control of the air flow distribution between parallel lines, allowing the system to adapt to varying engine conditions. The valve can adjust the ratio of cooled to ambient air in real-time, optimizing intake temperature for different operating conditions and maintaining combustion efficiency.
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 configuration enhances the efficiency of fuel decompression by cooling the air flow and ensuring effective fuel utilization, while also providing leak management and fuel-to-air ratio balancing, leading to improved engine performance and reduced waste.
Implementation Method 1
the first air supply line being in thermal communication with the fuel regulator
Implementation Method 2
The compressed natural gas must be then decompressed to be consumed by the internal combustion engine. Technical effects of embodiments of the present disclosure include cooling the air flow into an internal combustion engine using the decompression of fuel
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A fuel system is comprising: a fuel tank; an internal combustion engine; a fuel regulator fluidly connecting the fuel tank to the engine, the fuel regulator being configured to reduce the pressure of the fuel from a first fuel pressure at the fuel tank to a second fuel pressure at the engine; an air supply assembly configured to supply air from an air inlet to the engine, the air assembly comprising: a first air supply line fluidly connecting the air inlet and the engine, the first air supply line being in thermal communication with the fuel regulator; a second air supply line fluidly connecting the air inlet and the engine, the second air supply line being in parallel with the first air supply line; and an air valve configured to adjust the air flowing through at least one of the first air supply line and the second air supply line.