Two Stage Mixed Fuel Sensing System for Engine Water Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dual fuel systems for internal combustion engines face challenges in accurately determining and compensating for water absorption by fuels, leading to inconsistent power output and potential engine damage due to unknown fuel composition before stabilization, making them unsuitable for dynamic power needs.
Innovation Solution
An internal combustion engine system with a controller that uses water sensors to detect water concentration in both fuel tanks and the fuel mixture, adjusting the flowrates and ratios of fuels through a mixing valve to maintain desired power levels by modifying the default fuel ratios and pump speeds based on real-time water content measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the fuel mixture composition is determined after combustion using extrapolation methods, then the system can operate with existing fuels, but the mixed fuel may not meet current operational needs and can damage the engine during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary measurement of water content in fuels before they are mixed and introduced into the engine. This advance detection allows the control system to calculate the correct fuel mixture ratios beforehand, ensuring the fuel composition meets operational requirements before combustion begins, thereby eliminating the need for stabilization periods and preventing engine damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses water content sensors to continuously monitor the water content in both fuels and the mixed fuel output. This feedback information is used by the controller to dynamically adjust the fuel mixture ratios, ensuring real-time compliance with operational requirements and maintaining engine safety under varying conditions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the fuel mixture composition is determined after stabilization, then the system can achieve steady state operation, but it cannot meet dynamic or changing power needs in real-time
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates the expected water content in the mixed fuel based on preliminary measurements from the individual fuel tanks and the predetermined mixture ratio. This allows the system to have accurate knowledge of the fuel composition before it enters the engine, enabling immediate response to dynamic power demands without requiring stabilization periods for composition determination.
Solution Approach 2:
A water content sensor in the mixed fuel line provides continuous feedback on the actual water content of the mixed fuel. The controller uses this feedback to verify and adjust the mixture ratios in real-time, ensuring measurement precision is maintained even as the system dynamically adapts to changing power requirements.
3Reliability
If water content in fuel is not detected and compensated, then the system structure remains simple, but the fuel composition is unknown and can damage the engine
Solution Approach 1:
Water content sensors are introduced as intermediary measurement devices between the fuel tanks and the engine. These sensors detect the water content in the fuels and mixed fuel, providing critical information to the control system without significantly complicating the overall architecture. The sensors act as mediators that enable protective control actions while maintaining system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system uses feedback from water content sensors to dynamically adjust fuel mixture ratios. This feedback mechanism enables the system to protect the engine from harmful fuel compositions by automatically correcting mixture ratios based on real-time water content measurements, adding intelligence without excessive 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
This solution ensures consistent power output by accurately accounting for water absorption, preventing engine damage and enabling operation in dynamic power environments by continuously adjusting fuel ratios and flowrates, thus improving the engine's responsiveness and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a first water sensor configured to detect a volume of water in the second fuel stored in the second fuel tank and output a first water volume signal
Data Source
AI summary
An internal combustion engine system is described herein. The internal combustion engine system uses one or more fuels that may be hydrophilic. The system uses a water measuring sensor to determine the concentration of water in the hydrophilic fuel. To meet power demands, the system uses the measured water concentration to modify data stored in a fuel map. The fuel map provides a controller the pump speeds and mixing ratio of the fuels for a given power level. The system receives that data and modifies it based on the measured concentration of water.