LPG Supply System for Internal Combustion Engines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing LPG supply systems for internal combustion engines face safety risks due to the immersion of electric pumps in gas, inconsistent engine performance from varying cylinder pressures, and difficulty in optimizing injector placement, especially when integrating with modern electronic injection systems and catalytic converters.
Innovation Solution
A system that injects liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) into the combustion chamber at a constant pressure, using a sealed container to maintain gas in a liquid state and a delivery pump to ensure consistent pressure, with electronic control for safe operation and integration with existing engine systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the electric pump is immersed in the LPG inside the cylinder, then the gas can be collected and sent at increased pressure, but the safety risk of explosion increases due to electric cabling in the gas
Solution Approach 1:
The electric delivery pump is extracted from the LPG cylinder and relocated to an external position. The pump remains connected to the cylinder via a conduit that allows it to draw liquid LPG from the bottom of the cylinder without being immersed in the fuel. This eliminates the explosion risk associated with electric cabling in the gas while maintaining the pressure increase capability.
2Quantity of substance
If the gas pressure in the cylinder drops from 10 bar to 3 bar as the gas is used up, then the cylinder can be emptied, but the injection pressure becomes inconsistent making it impossible to control the quantity of batched gas
Solution Approach 1:
A delivery pump is introduced as an intermediary device between the LPG cylinder and the injection system. This pump actively maintains a constant delivery pressure regardless of the varying pressure inside the cylinder. The pump receives liquid LPG from the cylinder and delivers it at a predetermined constant pressure to the injection system, enabling precise control of the quantity of batched gas throughout the entire gas supply cycle.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the aspirating manifolds are perforated to apply gas injectors, then gas injection is enabled, but the position and orientation of the gas injectors cannot be optimized due to confined spaces and interference with original petrol injectors
Solution Approach 1:
The gas injection system utilizes the existing petrol injection infrastructure by injecting liquid LPG through the original petrol injectors into the combustion chamber. This approach eliminates the need to perforate aspirating manifolds and install separate gas injectors in confined spaces. The liquid LPG is injected in a different state (liquid rather than gas) through the existing injection points, achieving gas injection capability without compromising injector positioning precision.
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 solution enhances safety by avoiding explosion risks, maintains consistent engine performance regardless of cylinder pressure, and allows seamless integration with both Otto and Diesel cycle engines, optimizing fuel efficiency and emissions while reducing installation complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a delivery pump, associated to the second conduit, suitable for increasing a pressure of the gas (LPG) in the liquid state by a predetermined gradient with respect to the pressure at which the gas is maintained internally of the container
Implementation Method 2
a sealed container, suitable for receiving internally thereof the gas (LPG) brought by the first conduit, and for maintaining the gas in a liquid state
Implementation Method 3
at least an injector, suitable for dispensing batched quantities of the fuel, supplied by the injection pump, to cylinders of the internal combustion engine
Data Source
AI summary
The system (100) is destined to flank an original fuel supply plant of an internal combustion engine (M) comprising: a tank (S), a supply pump (Pa) associated to a delivery pipe (T), an injection apparatus (A) and electronic control and command means (C), destined to pilot the injection apparatus (A). In the system, gas (LPG) is sourced intermittently in the liquid state from a cylinder (1 ) from which, due to pressure, it is sent internally of a sealed container (2), where it remains in the liquid state and with a predetermined constant pressure. The gas (LPG) in the liquid state is collected from the sealed container (2) by a delivery pump (3) which increases the pressure thereof by a predetermined gradient and sends it, via a second conduit (20), to the delivery pipe (T) downstream of the supply pump (Pa), appropriately deactivated such as to interrupt the Inflow of the original fuel. The gas (LPG) in the liquid state thus reaches the injection apparatus (A) at a constant pressure not depending on the residual gas present in the cylinder (1), and the Injection apparatus (A) supplies the gas to the engine (M) in place of the original fuel.