Pilot Fuel Injection for Stable Low-Carbon Gaseous Fuel Ignition
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing techniques lack effective methods for injecting a pilot fuel into internal combustion engines to ignite gaseous fuels, particularly for engines using high-pressure gaseous fuels with low cetane numbers like methane or natural gas, which require a diesel-fuel substitution factor that may not be appropriate for various gaseous fuels.
Innovation Solution
The method involves reducing the injection quantity and carbon content of the pilot fuel through techniques such as altering the geometry of pilot holes, using alternative fuels with lower carbon content, and employing transient response improvements to ensure stable ignition of gaseous fuels, including hydrogen, with a pilot energy ratio of less than 3% of the total fuel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional diesel fuel is used as pilot fuel for igniting gaseous fuel, then reliable ignition is achieved, but high carbon emissions and high fuel consumption occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the pilot fuel by blending diesel with alternative fuels (biofuels, synthetic fuels, or hydrogen) to reduce carbon content while maintaining ignition reliability. This allows the system to achieve reliable ignition of gaseous fuel with significantly reduced carbon emissions compared to conventional diesel-only pilot fuel systems.
2Reliability
If conventional diesel fuel is used as pilot fuel, then stable ignition is achieved, but high operational costs occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the energy content and combustion characteristics parameters of the pilot fuel through blending with lower-cost or lower-consumption alternatives. This enables reduced pilot fuel consumption while maintaining ignition stability, thereby lowering operational costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite pilot fuel mixture combining diesel with alternative fuels (biofuels, synthetic fuels, hydrogen) to achieve both cost reduction and reduced consumption. The composite fuel maintains the necessary ignition properties while reducing overall fuel quantity required compared to conventional diesel systems.
3Reliability
If larger fuel storage vessels are used to ensure sufficient pilot fuel supply, then reliable operation is maintained, but system size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the energy density and combustion efficiency parameters of the pilot fuel through alternative fuel blends. This allows reduced fuel storage requirements while maintaining operational reliability, thereby reducing the size and weight of fuel storage vessels.
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 approach achieves stable ignition of gaseous fuels with reduced pilot fuel consumption, lowering emissions and operational costs, and allows for smaller fuel storage vessels, while maintaining ignition stability across varying engine conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The pilot fuel can be injected later in the compression stroke into a pressure and temperature environment that causes the pilot fuel to auto-ignite and combust thereby creating another pressure and temperature environment suitable for igniting the gaseous fuel
Implementation Method 2
the injection pressure of the gaseous fuel needs to be greater than the pressure in the combustion chamber (also known as in-cylinder pressure) at the time of injection
Implementation Method 3
The pilot fuel can be injected later in the compression stroke into a pressure and temperature environment that causes the pilot fuel to auto-ignite
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for injection of a pilot fuel and a gaseous fuel into an internal combustion engine, the method including injecting a quantity of pilot fuel, a quantity of pilot gaseous fuel and a main quantity of the gaseous fuel into the combustion chamber; igniting and burning the pilot fuel to create a pressure and temperature environment in the combustion chamber; igniting and burning the pilot quantity of the gaseous fuel due to the pressure and temperature environment in the combustion chamber due to the burning of the pilot fuel; and igniting and burning the main quantity of the gaseous fuel due to the pressure and temperature environment in the combustion chamber due to the burning of the pilot quantity of the gaseous fuel.