Parallel Fuel Pumps for Dual-Fuel Engine Overheating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dual-fuel engines face challenges in efficiently managing fuel requirements, particularly in preventing overheating and cavitation issues due to varying fuel amounts and pressures during different operating modes, especially when switching between gaseous and liquid fuel operations.
Innovation Solution
A fuel-pumping device with a large and small high-pressure pump connected in parallel, controlled by a valve system that adjusts pump output into a low-pressure region, allowing for flexible fuel delivery and preventing overheating by using a 4/2-way or 3/2-way valve to manage the connection between the pumps and the discharge line, ensuring efficient fuel distribution and energy savings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a single large high-pressure pump is used, then the pump output is sufficient for liquid fuel operation, but overheating and cavitation occur during gas operation due to excessively low fuel throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The single large high-pressure pump is divided into two separate pumps: a large high-pressure pump for liquid fuel operation and a small high-pressure pump for gas operation. This segmentation allows each pump to be optimally sized for its specific operating condition, preventing overheating and cavitation while ensuring sufficient fuel throughput for each mode.
2Productivity
If a single large high-pressure pump is used, then liquid fuel operation is satisfied, but the pump cannot efficiently handle the small fuel amounts required during gas operation
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel delivery system is segmented into two parallel pump configurations that can be selectively activated based on operating mode. The large pump handles high fuel quantities during liquid fuel operation, while the small pump efficiently manages low fuel quantities during gas operation, optimizing productivity for each scenario.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between different pump configurations based on operating conditions. A control unit activates either the large pump, the small pump, or both pumps in parallel depending on whether the engine is operating in liquid fuel mode, gas mode, or transition mode, thereby adapting fuel delivery efficiency to the actual fuel amount requirements.
3Quantity of substance
If the large high-pressure pump operates at very low utilization during gas operation, then fuel delivery is possible, but pressure regulation problems and energy waste occur
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit dynamically selects the optimal pump configuration based on operating mode to match pump capacity with actual fuel demand. During gas operation, only the small pump is activated, preventing energy waste from operating the large pump at very low utilization. During liquid fuel operation, the large pump is activated to meet high fuel demand, optimizing energy efficiency across all operating conditions.
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 adapts to different fuel requirements by pumping small amounts of liquid fuel during gaseous operations and large amounts during liquid fuel operations, preventing overheating and cavitation, while maintaining efficient energy use and pump performance.
Implementation Method 1
a large high-pressure pump (16) and a small high-pressure pump (14), which are arranged in parallel. By means of the at least one large high-pressure pump (16) and the small high-pressure pump (14), fuel can be pumped into a high-pressure region (18)
Implementation Method 2
A control unit (30) is arranged in the fuel-pumping device (1), which unit can control the total pump output of the large high-pressure pump (16) or the total pump output of the small high-pressure pump (14) by means of a discharge line (15) into the low-pressure region (13)
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a fuel-pumping device (1) for a fuel injection device of an internal combustion engine with a large high-pressure pump (16) and a small high-pressure pump (14) arranged in parallel, wherein fuel can be pumped by the large high-pressure pump (16) and by the small high-pressure pump (14) from a low-pressure region (13) into a high-pressure region (18). The high-pressure region (18) is connected to at least one injector (21). A control device (30) is provided, which can be used to conduct the entire pump output of the large high-pressure pump (16) or the small high-pressure pump (14) into the low-pressure region (13) via a discharge line (15).