Multi-Fuel Engine Control for Leak Detection and Fuel Ratio Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multi-fuel engines face challenges in maintaining performance due to wear, degradation, and inefficiencies in fuel delivery systems, leading to issues such as emissions and reduced efficiency, which current systems fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
A multi-fuel capable engine system that includes a liquid fuel system, a gaseous fuel system, and a control system to monitor pressure drops across gaseous fuel valves, control fuel combustion ratios, and perform degradation tests to ensure optimal operation and minimize emissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a multi-fuel engine system operates with both liquid and gaseous fuels, then fuel flexibility and adaptability are improved, but system complexity increases due to multiple fuel delivery systems and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The engine is designed to accept and combust multiple fuel types (liquid diesel and gaseous natural gas) through a unified combustion system. The control system manages both fuel types using common sensors and actuators, allowing a single engine platform to operate with different fuel sources without requiring separate dedicated systems for each fuel type.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines liquid fuel injection and gaseous fuel delivery systems into a single engine architecture. The control system merges the management of both fuel types by using integrated sensors to monitor combustion conditions and coordinating both fuel delivery mechanisms through a unified control strategy, reducing overall system complexity.
2Reliability
If pressure monitoring is implemented to detect leaks in the gaseous fuel system, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional sensors and monitoring systems
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure sensors in the gaseous fuel system serve dual purposes: they monitor fuel delivery pressure for proper combustion operation and simultaneously detect leaks in the system. This multi-functional use of sensors allows leak detection without requiring separate dedicated leak detection devices, thereby improving reliability while minimizing additional complexity.
3Productivity
If the engine operates at high power output, then productivity is improved, but emissions of harmful constituents increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control system dynamically adjusts combustion parameters including fuel injection timing, fuel-air mixture ratios, and exhaust recirculation rates based on real-time operating conditions. By optimizing these parameters at high power outputs, the system maintains efficient combustion that reduces harmful emissions while preserving high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The engine control system uses sensors to continuously monitor combustion conditions, exhaust gas composition, and operating parameters. This feedback information is processed to automatically adjust fuel delivery and combustion timing, ensuring that high power output is achieved with minimized emissions through continuous optimization.
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
The system effectively maintains engine performance by detecting leaks, adjusting fuel ratios, and ensuring efficient fuel delivery across various operating conditions, thereby reducing emissions and enhancing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
monitor a respective pressure drop across the one or more closed gaseous fuel valves at least in part by receiving information indicating a respective pressure upstream and a respective pressure downstream of the one or more closed gaseous fuel valves
Implementation Method 2
a liquid fuel system to deliver liquid fuel to the engine
Implementation Method 3
a gaseous fuel system to deliver gaseous fuel to the engine
Implementation Method 4
combusting the first fuel and the second fuel in an engine
Data Source
AI summary
Various methods and systems are provided for a multi-fuel capable engine. The system includes a liquid fuel system to deliver liquid fuel to an engine, a gaseous fuel system to deliver gaseous fuel to the engine, and a control system. The control system can control and test the liquid and gaseous fuel systems.