EA044741B1 - ULTRASONIC GAS CONVERTER SYSTEM AND DIESEL ENGINE OPERATION METHOD - Google Patents

Description

Field of technology

The invention relates to systems that allow the use of gas, namely alkane or mixtures, for example, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), natural gas (for example, CNG and LNG), as well as their corresponding biological equivalents - biological LPG, biological CNG and LNG - in diesel engines, especially for driving engines with dual gas-diesel fuel or gas-only (e.g. LPG, CNG, LNG, biological LPG, biological CNG, biological LNG) instead of diesel fuel.

State of the art

With the increasing impact of the environment on transport, the demand for long-term fuels and fuel systems is increasing. Alkanes, namely liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and natural gas, are considered the cleanest alternative fuel for industrial engines.

Engines that use both diesel fuel and LPG, CNG or LNG are called dual gas diesel engines. In such engines, gas fuel is usually used as a primary fuel, and diesel fuel is used as a secondary fuel. Twin gas-diesel engines have good thermal efficiency at high output, but are less efficient at part-load conditions due to poor emissions management. Many scientists have tried to solve this problem. Some researchers have proposed changing factors such as pilot fuel quantity, fuel injection control, fuel gas composition, and intake parameters to improve efficiency.

One of the most creative approaches was to add water to the internal combustion engine Lestz SJ et. al. Feasibility of Cooling Diesel Engines by Introducing Water into the Combustion Chamber. SAE Trans [1]. This study has shown that 5.5 pounds of water injection is required per pound of fuel to eliminate the waste heat that would normally be eliminated by hood cooling.

Lanzafame Study Lanzafame R. Water Injection Effects in a Single-Cylinder CFR Engine. SAE [2] has shown that injecting water into the inlet pipe can help avoid detonation to reduce compression work and control NOx formation in spark ignition engines.

It is known that water injection into an engine cylinder [3] occurs by using direct injection of water into the cylinder and supplying oxygen-enriched air when necessary. According to research conducted by the inventor, injecting low temperature water into the cylinder lowers the compression temperature, allowing increased levels of compression while avoiding pre-ignition. Also low temperature water injected into the air/fuel increases the overall efficiency of the engine. Typically an engine consists of: an internal engine with at least one combustion chamber, at least one cylinder head attached to the combustion chamber, and at least one piston that is located in the previously mentioned combustion chamber; an air/fuel intake manifold, which is hydraulically connected to the combustion chamber and cylinder head; at least one water injector, which is connected to the combustion chamber hydraulically; a constant pressure water source, which is connected to a water injector and a water supply; a water valve responsive to the engine compression cycle to open and allow water to flow into the water injector during each engine compression cycle; an enriched oxygen source that is connected to the air to the air/fuel intake manifold by an enriched oxygen line; and a turbocharger that is operatively coupled to the emission line and the enriched oxygen source to compress the air stream to the enriched oxygen source.

There is an internal combustion engine with steam expansion in a turbine [4], having at least one cylinder, a reciprocating piston located in the cylinder, a combustion chamber delimited by the cylinder and piston, and intake and exhaust valves controlled by a computerized control system . The internal combustion engine has elements of water or water vapor injection in the combustion chamber, and a control system is designed to control the intake and exhaust valves, and water or water vapor injection so that the engine stroke pistons, which are mainly based on the expansion of exhaust gases, are replaced by pistons engine operating cycle, which are mainly based on the expansion of water evaporation.

It is known that there is a water injection device into an internal combustion engine and a method of operation of the water injection device [5]. The water injection device consists of: a water tank, which is converted to store water; a portable member that is configured to carry water, the portable member being connected to a water tank; at least one water injector, which is converted to inject water, at least one given water injector connected to the portable element; a pressure sensor located between the portable element and at least one given water injector; as well as a control device, which is converted on the basis of information provided by the pressure sensor to determine the formation of steam at the point where at least one given water injector is closed and the portable element is disconnected.

- 1 044741

The essence of the invention

The present invention is an improvement provided to solve the existing problem of converting a diesel fuel engine into a gas-diesel engine, for example, a dual alkane gas system or mixtures thereof (for example, LPG, CNG, LNG, biological LPG, biological CNG, biological LNG), or the problem of pure gas engines fuel.

The ultrasonic gas converter system in battery fuel system engines consists of an electrical control unit; water tank; gas tank with gas shut-off valve; gas level sensor; a gas pump that is operatively connected to the gas tank; a water pump that is operatively connected to the water tank; a mixer, which consists of a water level sensor and an ultrasonic transducer, which is adapted for the formation of evaporation of water and a mixture of gases; in which the mixer forms two compartments: the upper and lower compartments, the upper and lower compartment separators forming a fuel outflow valve, which is adapted to allow evaporation of water from the lower compartment to pass through a check valve into the upper compartment and prevent any entry of liquid water into the upper compartment ; in turn, the upper compartment of the mixer consists of an opening that is functionally connected to the intake manifold; in turn, the hole of the gas pump is functionally connected to the upper compartment of the mixer, the hole of the water pump is functionally connected to the lower compartment of the mixer, where the ultrasonic transducer is at least partially located in the lower compartment of the mixer, i.e. under the outflow valve.

The controlled interaction of the system and vehicle elements forms a mixture of gas and water evaporation.

When using a dual fuel system, the gas-water mixture is calculated based on information provided by the electronic control unit (pressure from relay), engine temperature sensor (temperature), air flow sensor (anemometer) (air flow - m ³ /s), pedal unit gas (pedal position), oxygen sensor (coefficient equivalent to air-fuel). In case of conversion exclusively to gas, the gas-water mixture is calculated based on the information provided by the electronic control unit (pressure from the relay), engine temperature sensor (temperature), air flow sensor (anemometer) (air flow - m ³ /s), unit gas pedal (pedal position), crankshaft (engine revolutions per minute).

List of drawing figures

Fig. 1 contains a schematic representation of the proposed ultrasonic gas transducer system;

Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing elements of the proposed ultrasonic gas transducer system integrated into a diesel engine vehicle and operating as a dual gas-diesel engine;

Fig. 3 contains another embodiment of a block diagram showing elements of the proposed ultrasonic gas transducer system integrated into a diesel engine vehicle and operating as a dual gas-diesel engine;

Fig. 4 contains a graph showing examples of motors causing the system to enter sleep mode (A) and run mode (B);

Fig. 5 contains a flow diagram of the operating method of a diesel engine when using an ultrasonic gas converter system.

Detailed Description of the Invention

According to another embodiment, the proposed ultrasonic gas converter system for operation of a diesel engine (Fig. 1, 2) consists of: an electronic control unit 101; gas supply subsystem, forming functionally connected: gas tank 207, gas supply shut-off valve 213, gas pressure regulator 212, gas pump 102, gas level sensor 208; water supply subsystem, which is formed by functionally connected: water tank 209, water pump 103, water level sensor 105. Further, the ultrasonic gas converter system for diesel fuel action consists 10) of a mixer 104, which consists of a water level sensor 105 and an ultrasonic transducer 106, which is adapted to form a mixture of water and gas vapors. The output of the gas pump 102 is operatively connected to the upper compartment 104' of the mixer 104, the output of the water pump 103 is operatively connected to the lower compartment 104 of the mixer 104.

Thus, the mixer 104 (FIG. 1) defines two compartments: an upper compartment 104' and a lower compartment 104, means for separating the upper compartment 104' and the lower compartment 104 forming a fuel return valve 109, which is adapted to allow water to evaporate from the lower compartment 104 pass through the check valve 109 into the upper compartment 104' and prevent any entry of liquid water into the upper compartment 104'; in turn, the upper compartment 104' of the mixer 104 consists of an opening 108, which is operatively connected to the intake manifold 205. The ultrasonic transducer 106 is at least partially located in the lower compartment (104) of the mixer (104). In the intake manifold 205, a mixture of gas (e.g., LPG, CNG, LNG, biological LPG, biological CNG, biological LNG, etc.) and water vapor is transported along with the air into the combustion chamber of the engine, where the mixture of gas and water vapor ignites with air and diesel aerosol.

Further, the system consists of an anemometer sensor 204, which is operatively connected between the intake manifold 205 and the outlet 108 of the mixer 104, the anemometer sensor 204 is further electrically connected to the electronic control device 101 and is adapted to determine the measurements of the gas mixture and send corresponding signals to the electronic control unit 101 (Fig. 2). Also forming the system is an oxygen sensor 214, which is operatively connected to the engine exhaust system; The oxygen sensor 214 is further electrically connected to the electronic control unit 101 and is adapted to determine the proportion of oxygen in the gas or liquid being analyzed and send corresponding signals to the electronic control unit 101 (Fig. 2).

The electronic control unit 101 is electrically coupled to the relay 201 and is configured to receive pressure signals from the common relay and read from the relay 201. Also, the relay signal can be used to control the proposed system (ie, when entering the operating mode or standby mode). The electronic control unit 101 is further electrically connected to the LPG pump 102 to control its operation. The electronic control unit 101 is further electrically coupled to the accelerator pedal unit 202 to receive and read a signal from the accelerator pedal unit 202. The electronic control unit 101 is further electrically coupled to the engine temperature sensor 203 to receive and read a temperature signal from the engine temperature sensor 203. Electronic control unit 101 is further electrically coupled to throttle valve 206 to control opening and closing. A mixture of gas (for example, a mixture of alkane gas or alkane gases) and water vapor is distributed into the intake manifold 205, where the air flow is controlled by a throttle valve 206.

The electronic control unit 101 is further electrically coupled to the water level sensor 105 to receive and read a signal from the water level sensor 105. The water supply subsystem is designed to maintain the required water level for operation of the converter 106 under all circumstances. The electronic control unit 101 is further electrically coupled to the converter 106 and is designed to send an outgoing signal to the converter 106; the electronic control unit 101 is further electrically coupled to the gas level sensor 208 to receive and read a signal from the gas level sensor 208; the electronic control unit 101 is further electrically coupled to the gas shut-off valve 213 to send output signals to control the opening and closing of the shut-off valve 213.

The electronic control unit 101 is adapted to calculate the composition of the gas-water evaporation mixture for the mixer 104 according to previously established parameters and information (incoming signals) that are received from the gas pedal unit 202, relay 201, water level sensor 105, converter 106, gas level sensor 208 and anemometer sensor 204.

According to yet another embodiment, the electronic control unit 101 is further electrically coupled to the central electronic control unit 210 built into the machine. When the relay 201 sends a signal (for example, 0.55 V) to the electronic control unit 101 (which is used in conjunction with, for example, the sample signal 5 V from the central electronic control unit 210 built into the car - the system turns on the standby mode, in turn receiving, for example, a sample signal of 0.9 V from relay 201 (pressure in relay 201 approximately 230 bar +/- 10%), engine works, and the proposed system starts working in two seconds (Fig. 4). If the relay 201 signal is less than, for example, 0.9 V, the electronic control unit 101 starts to operate in standby mode. In an embodiment, the relay signal 201 (eg, 0.55 V) and the machine's built-in central electronic control unit 210 (eg, 5 V) are used together to initiate standby operation to avoid system interruptions. If any signal is missing, the proposed system will not start to operate in standby mode. It is obvious to an experienced person that the above voltage level is informative and can have different values.

According to the most preferred embodiment of the invention, the system forms a package consisting of:

electronic control unit 101; a mixer 104, which forms a water level sensor 105 and an ultrasonic transducer 106; a water pump 103 and a gas pump 102, adapted for installation on a vehicle with a diesel engine. The ultrasonic transducer 106 is adapted to form a mixture of vapors of water and gas (eg, alkane gas); The mixer 104 defines two compartments: an upper compartment 104' and a lower compartment 104, means of separating the upper compartment 104' and the lower compartment 104, which consists of a fuel return valve 109, which is adapted to allow evaporation of water from the lower compartment 104 to pass through a check valve 109 in upper compartment 104' and prevent any liquid water from entering the upper compartment 104'; in turn, the upper compartment 104' of the mixer 104 consists of an opening 108, which is operatively connected to the intake manifold 205; in turn, the output of the alkane gas pump 102 is adapted for functional connection with the upper compartment 104' of the mixer 104, the output of the water pump 103 is adapted for functional connection with the lower compartment 104 of the mixer 104, where the ultrasonic transducer 106 is at least partially located in the lower compartment 104 of the mixer 104 .

- 3 044741

According to this embodiment, the water tank 209 is a tank for windshield washer fluid already built into the vehicle, and the water level sensor 105 is a level sensor for windshield washer fluid already in the windshield washer fluid tank. The system can be adapted to operate from a car battery. Thus, the gas pump 102 is adapted to be operatively connected to a gas tank 207 already located in the vehicle. The water pump 103 is adapted to be operatively coupled to a water tank 209 already located in the vehicle. The electronic control unit 101 is adapted to be electrically connected to the following vehicle components:

relay 201, engine temperature sensor 206, gas pedal unit 202, gas level sensor 208, gas shut-off valve 213 and gas pressure regulator 212, anemometer sensor 204, throttle valve 206, vehicle battery 211. The module operates on the following principle: water pump 103 fills the mixer 104, the water level sensor 105 maintains the previously set, constant water level in the lower compartment 104, the ultrasonic transducer 106 turns on and begins to inject water towards the mixer 104 of the upper compartment 104'. The outflow valve 109 in the mixer 104 eliminates any entry of liquid water into the upper compartment 104' of the mixer 104. Receiving a signal from the vehicle accelerator pedal unit 202, the electronic control unit 101 sends a signal to the gas pump 102, which tangentially introduces gas into the upper compartment 104' mixer 104. The mixture of gas and injected water (water evaporation) is discharged from the mixer 104 through the outlet 108 to the engine intake manifold 205 through the throttle valve 206, controlled by the electronic control unit 101. The check valve 110, located in front of the water pump 103, ensures that the water does not returned to the water tank 209, gas was released during operation of the gas pump 102.

In another embodiment, the diesel engine can be converted to a pure gas engine (eg, LPG, CNG, LNG, biological LPG, biological CNG, biological LNG). According to this embodiment (Fig. 2), the system is formed by a spark plug 301 and an ignition coil 302, replacing the engine glow plug. The electronic control unit 101 is electrically coupled to the spark plug 301 and the ignition coil 302 to send an input signal to the spark plug 301 and the ignition coil 302. The electronic control unit 101 is further electronically coupled to the camshaft of the engine 303 and the crankshaft of the engine 304 to receive and read the signal from camshaft 303 and crankshaft 304. By replacing spark plug 301 and ignition coil 302, the ignition chamber becomes a fast-burning four-stroke engine, and detonation is initiated by spark only when using air and gas and a mixture of water vapor, rather than diesel fuel. According to the existing embodiment, the correct ignition timing of the spark plug 301 is calculated by the electronic control unit 101 using a signal from the cam shaft 303 and the crankshaft 304, where the ignition process is identical to the Otto engine.

The method of operation of diesel fuel using the proposed ultrasonic gas converter system includes the following steps:

(i) collect the pressure signal of the relay 201 by the electronic control unit 101;

(ii) collect the accelerator pedal unit signal by the electronic control unit 101 from the accelerator pedal unit 202;

(iii) collect the air flow signal from the anemometer sensor 204 by the electronic control unit 101 and collect the signal from the oxygen sensor 214;

(iv) Based on the engine pressure signal, gas pedal signal, air flow signal and oxygen signal collected in the previous steps, the electronic control unit calculates the mixture of water and gas evaporation;

(v) send a signal to the gas pump 120 and the water pump 103 by the electronic control unit to inject a predetermined amount of water into the mixer 104 and calculate the amount of gas;

(vi) send a signal to the ultrasonic transducer 106 by the electronic control unit 101 to form a mixture of water and gas vapor;

(vii) transfer the resulting mixture of water and gas vapors through outlet 108 of mixer 104 to inlet manifold 205.

According to one option, the following formula can be used to calculate the mixture of water (WV) and gas (G) evaporation in step (iv): WV+G, where G = ((A+B)/2-C)*D, where A is relay pressure signal, B - accelerator pedal signal, C - air flow signal, D - oxygen sensor signal and G - effective gas volume (for example, alkane gas), in turn, the volume of water vapor is a predetermined, constant value. The pressure relay signal, gas pedal signal, and oxygen sensor signal are calculated using the signal value in volts.

It should be noted that other methods of calculation, formulas and principles for the mixture of water and gas evaporation are also possible.

According to another option (Fig. 5), the method consists of the following actions before the first step (i):

(a) collect the engine temperature signal from the engine temperature sensor 203 by the electronic block

- 4 044741 control com 101, if the signal corresponds to the set value, go to step (b), if it does not correspond, return to step (a);

(b) collect the signal from relay 201 by the electronic control unit 101, if the signal matches the set value, go to step (c), if not, return to step (b);

(c) collect the signal from the electronic control unit of the engine 210 by the electronic control unit 101, if the signal matches the set value, go to step (d), if not, return to step (b);

(d) the system is in standby mode; collect the signal from the water level sensor 105 by the electronic control unit 101, if the signal corresponds to the set value, go to step (e), if it does not correspond, return to step (d);

(e) collect the signal from the engine relay 201 by the electronic control unit 101, if the signal matches the set value, go to step (f), if not, return to step (d);

(f) the system is operational; send a signal through the electronic control unit 101 to the gas shut-off valve 213, forcing the valve to open; continue with step (i) as previously described.

According to the same embodiment, the method is further formed by the following actions after step (vii), when transferring the resulting mixture of water and gas evaporation through the outlet 108 of the mixer 104 to the intake manifold 205: (z) collect the signal of the relay 201 by the electronic control unit 101; if the signal matches the set value of one, return to step (ii), collecting the gas pedal unit signal from the gas pedal unit 202; if the signal corresponds to the set value two, return to step (c), collecting the signal from the electronic engine control unit 210; if the signal does not correspond to the set values one and two, stop the action.

According to another option (Fig. 5), the method consists of the following actions before step (i):

(a) collect the engine temperature signal from the engine temperature sensor 203 by the electronic control unit 101, if the signal matches the set value, go to step (b), if not, return to step (a);

(b) collect the signal from relay 201 by the electronic control unit 101, if the signal matches the set value, go to step (c), if not, return to step (b);

(c) collect the signal from the electronic control unit of the engine 210 by the electronic control unit 101, if the signal matches the set value, go to step (d), if not, return to step (b);

(d) the system is in standby mode; assemble the water level sensor 105 with the electronic control unit 101, if the signal corresponds to the set value, go to step (e), if it does not correspond, return to step (d);

(e) collect the signal from the engine relay 201 by the electronic control unit 101, if the signal matches the set value, go to step (f), if not, return to step (d);

(f) the system is operational; send a signal from the electronic control unit 101 to the gas shut-off valve 213, forcing the valve to open; continue with step (i) as previously described above.

According to the same embodiment, the method is further formed by the following actions after step (vii), when transferring the resulting mixture of water and gas evaporation through the outlet 108 of the mixer 104 to the intake manifold 205: (z) collect the signal of the relay 201 by the electronic control unit 101; if the signal matches the set value of one, return to step (ii), collecting the gas pedal unit signal from the gas pedal unit 202; if the signal corresponds to the set value two, return to step (c), collecting the signal from the electronic engine control unit 210; if the signal does not correspond to the set values one and two, stop the action.

For the correct ignition timing of the resulting mixture of water and gas vapors in the ignition chamber, 10) the electronic control unit 101 collects a signal from the cam shaft 303 and the crankshaft 304. Based on the collected signals, the electronic control unit 101 sends a signal to the spark plug 301. Processing the signals of the cam shaft 303 and crankshaft 304 is produced according to the previously known description of the Otto engine.

Information sources:

1. Lestz S.J. et al. Possibility of cooling diesel engines by introducing water into the combustion chamber. SAE Trans 1975:606-19

2. Lanzafeim R. Effects of water injection in a single-cylinder CFR engine. SAE 1999

3. US 5937799, August 17, 1999

4. US 6986252, January 17, 2006

5. US 10378435, August 13, 2019

-

Claims (7)

CLAIM 1. An ultrasonic gas converter system for a diesel engine with a common fuel rail, comprising: an electronic control unit (101); water tank (209), gas tank (207) with gas shut-off valve (213); gas level sensor (208); a gas pump (102) which is operatively connected to the gas tank (207); a water pump (103) that is operatively connected to the water tank (209); mixer (104), which contains a water level sensor (105) and an ultrasonic transducer (106), adapted to form a mixture of water vapor and alkane gas; where the mixer (104) consists of two compartments: an upper compartment (104') and a lower compartment (104), connected through a check valve (109), allowing water evaporation from the lower compartment (104) to pass through the check valve (109) into the upper compartment (104') and preventing any entry of liquid water into the upper compartment (104'); in turn, the upper compartment (104') of the mixer (104) includes an outlet (108), which is operatively connected to the engine intake manifold (205), and the outlet of the gas pump (102) is operatively connected to the upper compartment (104') mixer (104), the outlet of the water pump (103) is functionally connected to the lower compartment (104) of the mixer (104), the ultrasonic transducer (106) is at least partially located in the lower compartment (104) of the mixer (104). 2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises an anemometer sensor (204), which is operatively connected between the outlet (108) of the mixer (104) and the engine intake manifold (205), the anemometer sensor (204) is also electrically connected to an electronic control unit (101) and is adapted to determine the flow of the gas mixture and send corresponding signals to the electronic control unit (101); the system also contains an oxygen sensor (214), which is functionally connected to the engine exhaust system, the oxygen sensor (214) is electrically connected to the electronic control unit (101) and is adapted to determine the proportion of oxygen in the gas or analyze the liquid and send corresponding signals to the electronic control unit ( 101). 3. The system according to any one of claims 1, 2, characterized in that the electronic control unit (101) is electrically connected to the common fuel rail (201) of the diesel engine and is configured to receive and read pressure signals from said rail; the electronic control unit (101) is electrically connected to the accelerator pedal unit (202) to receive and read a signal from the accelerator pedal unit (202); the electronic control unit (101) is further electrically coupled to the engine temperature sensor (203) to receive and read a temperature signal from the engine temperature sensor (203); the electronic control unit (101) is further electrically connected to the vehicle throttle valve (206) to control the opening and closing of the valve; the electronic control unit (101) is further electrically connected to the water level sensor (105) to receive and read a signal from the water level sensor (105); the electronic control unit (101) is further electrically connected to the converter (106) to send an output signal to the converter (106); the electronic control unit (101) is further electrically connected to the gas level sensor (208) to receive and read a signal from the gas level sensor (208); the electronic control unit (101) is further electrically coupled to the gas shut-off valve (213) to control the opening and closing of the shut-off valve (213); the electronic control unit (101) is further electrically connected to the oxygen sensor (214) to receive and read the signal from the oxygen sensor (214), in turn, the electronic control unit (101) is configured to calculate the composition of the mixture of gas and water evaporation for the mixer (104) according to previously set parameters and input signals that are received from the gas pedal unit (202), relay (201), water level sensor (105), converter (106), gas level sensor (208), anemometer sensor (204) and oxygen sensor (214). 4. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the electronic control unit (101) is further electrically connected to a central electronic control unit (210) built into the machine. 5. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the water tank (209) is a windshield washer fluid tank already built into the car, and the water level sensor (105) is a windshield washer fluid level sensor that is already located in the windshield washer fluid tank. windshield washer fluid. 6. The system according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that it is designed to operate from a car battery (211). 7. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it contains a spark plug (301) and an ignition coil (302), replacing the glow plug, in turn, the electronic control unit (101) is electrically connected to the spark plug ( 301) and an ignition coil (302) for sending an output signal to the spark plug (301) and the ignition coil (302); The electronic control unit (101) is further electrically coupled to the engine camshaft (303) and the engine crankshaft (304) to receive and read a signal from the camshaft (303) and the crankshaft (304). -