US20180003136A1 - Fuel supply system for an engine with an electric ignition power source - Google Patents
Fuel supply system for an engine with an electric ignition power source Download PDFInfo
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- US20180003136A1 US20180003136A1 US15/201,381 US201615201381A US2018003136A1 US 20180003136 A1 US20180003136 A1 US 20180003136A1 US 201615201381 A US201615201381 A US 201615201381A US 2018003136 A1 US2018003136 A1 US 2018003136A1
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- Prior art keywords
- fuel
- pressure
- engine
- fuel injector
- storage tank
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F02M37/00—Apparatus or systems for feeding liquid fuel from storage containers to carburettors or fuel-injection apparatus; Arrangements for purifying liquid fuel specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines
- F02M37/0047—Layout or arrangement of systems for feeding fuel
- F02M37/0064—Layout or arrangement of systems for feeding fuel for engines being fed with multiple fuels or fuels having special properties, e.g. bio-fuels; varying the fuel composition
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02B—INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL
- F02B17/00—Engines characterised by means for effecting stratification of charge in cylinders
- F02B17/005—Engines characterised by means for effecting stratification of charge in cylinders having direct injection in the combustion chamber
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02B—INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL
- F02B19/00—Engines characterised by precombustion chambers
- F02B19/10—Engines characterised by precombustion chambers with fuel introduced partly into pre-combustion chamber, and partly into cylinder
- F02B19/1019—Engines characterised by precombustion chambers with fuel introduced partly into pre-combustion chamber, and partly into cylinder with only one pre-combustion chamber
- F02B19/108—Engines characterised by precombustion chambers with fuel introduced partly into pre-combustion chamber, and partly into cylinder with only one pre-combustion chamber with fuel injection at least into pre-combustion chamber, i.e. injector mounted directly in the pre-combustion chamber
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02B—INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL
- F02B19/00—Engines characterised by precombustion chambers
- F02B19/12—Engines characterised by precombustion chambers with positive ignition
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02D—CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES
- F02D19/00—Controlling engines characterised by their use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures
- F02D19/06—Controlling engines characterised by their use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures peculiar to engines working with pluralities of fuels, e.g. alternatively with light and heavy fuel oil, other than engines indifferent to the fuel consumed
- F02D19/0602—Control of components of the fuel supply system
- F02D19/0607—Control of components of the fuel supply system to adjust the fuel mass or volume flow
- F02D19/061—Control of components of the fuel supply system to adjust the fuel mass or volume flow by controlling fuel injectors
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02D—CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES
- F02D19/00—Controlling engines characterised by their use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures
- F02D19/06—Controlling engines characterised by their use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures peculiar to engines working with pluralities of fuels, e.g. alternatively with light and heavy fuel oil, other than engines indifferent to the fuel consumed
- F02D19/0639—Controlling engines characterised by their use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures peculiar to engines working with pluralities of fuels, e.g. alternatively with light and heavy fuel oil, other than engines indifferent to the fuel consumed characterised by the type of fuels
- F02D19/0642—Controlling engines characterised by their use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures peculiar to engines working with pluralities of fuels, e.g. alternatively with light and heavy fuel oil, other than engines indifferent to the fuel consumed characterised by the type of fuels at least one fuel being gaseous, the other fuels being gaseous or liquid at standard conditions
- F02D19/0647—Controlling engines characterised by their use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures peculiar to engines working with pluralities of fuels, e.g. alternatively with light and heavy fuel oil, other than engines indifferent to the fuel consumed characterised by the type of fuels at least one fuel being gaseous, the other fuels being gaseous or liquid at standard conditions the gaseous fuel being liquefied petroleum gas [LPG], liquefied natural gas [LNG], compressed natural gas [CNG] or dimethyl ether [DME]
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02D—CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES
- F02D19/00—Controlling engines characterised by their use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures
- F02D19/06—Controlling engines characterised by their use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures peculiar to engines working with pluralities of fuels, e.g. alternatively with light and heavy fuel oil, other than engines indifferent to the fuel consumed
- F02D19/0663—Details on the fuel supply system, e.g. tanks, valves, pipes, pumps, rails, injectors or mixers
- F02D19/0665—Tanks, e.g. multiple tanks
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
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- F02D—CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES
- F02D19/00—Controlling engines characterised by their use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures
- F02D19/06—Controlling engines characterised by their use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures peculiar to engines working with pluralities of fuels, e.g. alternatively with light and heavy fuel oil, other than engines indifferent to the fuel consumed
- F02D19/0663—Details on the fuel supply system, e.g. tanks, valves, pipes, pumps, rails, injectors or mixers
- F02D19/0673—Valves; Pressure or flow regulators; Mixers
- F02D19/0681—Shut-off valves; Check valves; Safety valves; Pressure relief valves
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
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- F02D19/00—Controlling engines characterised by their use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures
- F02D19/06—Controlling engines characterised by their use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures peculiar to engines working with pluralities of fuels, e.g. alternatively with light and heavy fuel oil, other than engines indifferent to the fuel consumed
- F02D19/0663—Details on the fuel supply system, e.g. tanks, valves, pipes, pumps, rails, injectors or mixers
- F02D19/0686—Injectors
- F02D19/0689—Injectors for in-cylinder direct injection
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
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- F02D19/00—Controlling engines characterised by their use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures
- F02D19/06—Controlling engines characterised by their use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures peculiar to engines working with pluralities of fuels, e.g. alternatively with light and heavy fuel oil, other than engines indifferent to the fuel consumed
- F02D19/0663—Details on the fuel supply system, e.g. tanks, valves, pipes, pumps, rails, injectors or mixers
- F02D19/0686—Injectors
- F02D19/0692—Arrangement of multiple injectors per combustion chamber
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
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- F02D19/00—Controlling engines characterised by their use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures
- F02D19/06—Controlling engines characterised by their use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures peculiar to engines working with pluralities of fuels, e.g. alternatively with light and heavy fuel oil, other than engines indifferent to the fuel consumed
- F02D19/08—Controlling engines characterised by their use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures peculiar to engines working with pluralities of fuels, e.g. alternatively with light and heavy fuel oil, other than engines indifferent to the fuel consumed simultaneously using pluralities of fuels
- F02D19/10—Controlling engines characterised by their use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures peculiar to engines working with pluralities of fuels, e.g. alternatively with light and heavy fuel oil, other than engines indifferent to the fuel consumed simultaneously using pluralities of fuels peculiar to compression-ignition engines in which the main fuel is gaseous
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02D—CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES
- F02D41/00—Electrical control of supply of combustible mixture or its constituents
- F02D41/0025—Controlling engines characterised by use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02D—CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES
- F02D41/00—Electrical control of supply of combustible mixture or its constituents
- F02D41/0025—Controlling engines characterised by use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures
- F02D41/0027—Controlling engines characterised by use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures the fuel being gaseous
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
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- F02D41/00—Electrical control of supply of combustible mixture or its constituents
- F02D41/30—Controlling fuel injection
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02D—CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES
- F02D41/00—Electrical control of supply of combustible mixture or its constituents
- F02D41/30—Controlling fuel injection
- F02D41/3094—Controlling fuel injection the fuel injection being effected by at least two different injectors, e.g. one in the intake manifold and one in the cylinder
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02F—CYLINDERS, PISTONS OR CASINGS, FOR COMBUSTION ENGINES; ARRANGEMENTS OF SEALINGS IN COMBUSTION ENGINES
- F02F1/00—Cylinders; Cylinder heads
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02F—CYLINDERS, PISTONS OR CASINGS, FOR COMBUSTION ENGINES; ARRANGEMENTS OF SEALINGS IN COMBUSTION ENGINES
- F02F3/00—Pistons
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F02M21/00—Apparatus for supplying engines with non-liquid fuels, e.g. gaseous fuels stored in liquid form
- F02M21/02—Apparatus for supplying engines with non-liquid fuels, e.g. gaseous fuels stored in liquid form for gaseous fuels
- F02M21/0218—Details on the gaseous fuel supply system, e.g. tanks, valves, pipes, pumps, rails, injectors or mixers
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F02M21/00—Apparatus for supplying engines with non-liquid fuels, e.g. gaseous fuels stored in liquid form
- F02M21/02—Apparatus for supplying engines with non-liquid fuels, e.g. gaseous fuels stored in liquid form for gaseous fuels
- F02M21/0218—Details on the gaseous fuel supply system, e.g. tanks, valves, pipes, pumps, rails, injectors or mixers
- F02M21/0245—High pressure fuel supply systems; Rails; Pumps; Arrangement of valves
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F02M21/00—Apparatus for supplying engines with non-liquid fuels, e.g. gaseous fuels stored in liquid form
- F02M21/02—Apparatus for supplying engines with non-liquid fuels, e.g. gaseous fuels stored in liquid form for gaseous fuels
- F02M21/0218—Details on the gaseous fuel supply system, e.g. tanks, valves, pipes, pumps, rails, injectors or mixers
- F02M21/0284—Arrangement of multiple injectors or fuel-air mixers per combustion chamber
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F02M21/00—Apparatus for supplying engines with non-liquid fuels, e.g. gaseous fuels stored in liquid form
- F02M21/02—Apparatus for supplying engines with non-liquid fuels, e.g. gaseous fuels stored in liquid form for gaseous fuels
- F02M21/0218—Details on the gaseous fuel supply system, e.g. tanks, valves, pipes, pumps, rails, injectors or mixers
- F02M21/0287—Details on the gaseous fuel supply system, e.g. tanks, valves, pipes, pumps, rails, injectors or mixers characterised by the transition from liquid to gaseous phase ; Injection in liquid phase; Cooling and low temperature storage
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F02M37/00—Apparatus or systems for feeding liquid fuel from storage containers to carburettors or fuel-injection apparatus; Arrangements for purifying liquid fuel specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines
- F02M37/0076—Details of the fuel feeding system related to the fuel tank
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F02M39/00—Arrangements of fuel-injection apparatus with respect to engines; Pump drives adapted to such arrangements
- F02M39/005—Arrangements of fuel feed-pumps with respect to fuel injection apparatus
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F02M39/00—Arrangements of fuel-injection apparatus with respect to engines; Pump drives adapted to such arrangements
- F02M39/02—Arrangements of fuel-injection apparatus to facilitate the driving of pumps; Arrangements of fuel-injection pumps; Pump drives
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
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- F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F02M59/00—Pumps specially adapted for fuel-injection and not provided for in groups F02M39/00 -F02M57/00, e.g. rotary cylinder-block type of pumps
- F02M59/44—Details, components parts, or accessories not provided for in, or of interest apart from, the apparatus of groups F02M59/02 - F02M59/42; Pumps having transducers, e.g. to measure displacement of pump rack or piston
- F02M59/46—Valves
- F02M59/464—Inlet valves of the check valve type
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
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- F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F02M69/00—Low-pressure fuel-injection apparatus ; Apparatus with both continuous and intermittent injection; Apparatus injecting different types of fuel
- F02M69/04—Injectors peculiar thereto
- F02M69/042—Positioning of injectors with respect to engine, e.g. in the air intake conduit
- F02M69/046—Positioning of injectors with respect to engine, e.g. in the air intake conduit for injecting into both the combustion chamber and the intake conduit
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
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- F02D41/00—Electrical control of supply of combustible mixture or its constituents
- F02D41/30—Controlling fuel injection
- F02D41/3011—Controlling fuel injection according to or using specific or several modes of combustion
- F02D41/3017—Controlling fuel injection according to or using specific or several modes of combustion characterised by the mode(s) being used
- F02D41/3035—Controlling fuel injection according to or using specific or several modes of combustion characterised by the mode(s) being used a mode being the premixed charge compression-ignition mode
- F02D41/3041—Controlling fuel injection according to or using specific or several modes of combustion characterised by the mode(s) being used a mode being the premixed charge compression-ignition mode with means for triggering compression ignition, e.g. spark plug
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F02M57/00—Fuel-injectors combined or associated with other devices
- F02M57/06—Fuel-injectors combined or associated with other devices the devices being sparking plugs
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y02T10/00—Road transport of goods or passengers
- Y02T10/10—Internal combustion engine [ICE] based vehicles
- Y02T10/12—Improving ICE efficiencies
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y02T10/00—Road transport of goods or passengers
- Y02T10/10—Internal combustion engine [ICE] based vehicles
- Y02T10/30—Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels
Abstract
A fuel supply system for a reciprocating-piston engine includes a storage tank; a wall of the storage tank defining a first aperture and a second aperture therethrough; a first fuel injector fluidly coupled with the first aperture of the storage tank via a pressure control module and a first fuel injector supply conduit; a pump fluidly coupled with the second aperture of the storage tank; and a second fuel injector fluidly coupled with an outlet port of the pump via a second fuel injector supply conduit. The pressure control module is configured to maintain a pressure in the first fuel injector supply conduit within a pressure range that includes a pressure value that is less than a pressure inside the storage tank. The pump is configured to maintain a pressure inside the second fuel injector supply conduit that is greater than the pressure inside the first fuel injector supply conduit.
Description
- The present disclosure relates generally to reciprocating-piston internal combustion engines and, more particularly, to a fuel system for a reciprocating-piston internal combustion engine that draws fuel from a storage tank in both a gaseous phase and a liquid phase.
- Reciprocating-piston internal combustion (IC) engines are known for converting chemical energy from a fuel supply into mechanical shaft power. A fuel-oxidizer mixture is received in a variable volume of an IC engine defined by a piston translating within a cylinder bore. The fuel-oxidizer mixture burns inside the variable volume to convert chemical energy from the mixture into heat. In turn, expansion of the combustion products within the variable volume performs work on the piston, which may be transferred to an output shaft of the IC engine.
- Some constituents in the exhaust stream from an IC engine, such as, for example, nitrogen oxides (NOx), unburned hydrocarbons (UHCs), and particulate matter (PM), may be subject to government regulations. Accordingly, operators may wish to control concentrations of regulated exhaust constituents released to the environment. The composition of exhaust discharged from an IC engine may be affected by control of the combustion process within the variable volume combustion chamber, exhaust aftertreatment downstream of the combustion chamber, or combinations thereof.
- Some IC engines employ an externally-powered ignition source to initiate combustion of the fuel-oxidizer mixture within the variable volume. For example, an IC engine may include a spark plug defining a spark gap between an anode and a cathode, where the spark gap is in fluid communication with the variable volume and in electrical communication with an electric potential. Accordingly, applying the electric potential across the spark gap may cause an electric spark to arc across the spark gap, thereby initiating combustion of the fuel-oxidizer mixture within the variable volume.
- U.S. Pat. No. 8,215,284 (hereinafter “the '284 patent”), entitled “Micro-Pilot Injection Ignition Type Gas Engine,” purports to address the problem of starting a dual gaseous and liquid fueled engine. The '284 patent describes a micro-pilot injection ignition type gas engine and an air-fuel ratio control method thereof. According to the '284 patent gaseous fuel and air are mixed upstream of an intake valve, and the mixture of air and gaseous fuel are admitted into a combustion chamber during an intake stroke, while the intake valve is open. During a subsequent compression stroke, a portion of the mixture of air and gaseous fuel flow into a pre-chamber via at least one pre-chamber nozzle hole.
- Next according to the '284 patent, a fuel oil injector injects a small amount of fuel oil into the pre-chamber, and a mixture of the fuel oil injection and air autoignites within the pre-chamber. Autoignition of the fuel oil-air mixture within the pre-chamber further ignites the mixture of air and gaseous fuel within the pre-chamber, thereby causing hot combustion products within the pre-chamber to jet out through the at least one pre-chamber nozzle hole into the combustion chamber. In turn, the jets of combustion products from the pre-chamber ignite the mixture of air and gaseous fuel within the combustion chamber.
- However, the ignition strategy described in the '284 patent requires that two different types of fuel, namely a gaseous fuel and a liquid fuel oil, be available to the engine, which may cause logistical challenges in providing two different fuel types to the engine, as well as operational challenges in balancing consumption of the two different fuel types as not to prematurely deplete one of the two fuel types. Accordingly, there is a need for improved gaseous fuel combustion systems for internal combustion engines to address the aforementioned challenges and/or other problems in the art.
- It will be appreciated that this background description has been created to aid the reader, and is not a concession that any of the indicated problems were themselves known previously in the art.
- According to an aspect of the disclosure, a fuel supply system for a reciprocating-piston engine comprises a storage tank, a wall of the storage tank defining a first aperture and a second aperture therethrough, the first aperture being distinct from the second aperture; a first fuel injector fluidly coupled with the first aperture of the storage tank via a pressure control module and a first fuel injector supply conduit, the first fuel injector supply conduit being disposed fluidly in series between the pressure control module and first fuel injector, the pressure control module being configured to maintain a pressure in the first fuel injector supply conduit within a pressure range that includes a pressure value that is less than a pressure inside the storage tank; a pump fluidly coupled with the second aperture of the storage tank; and a second fuel injector fluidly coupled with an outlet port of the pump via a second fuel injector supply conduit, the pump being configured to maintain a pressure inside the second fuel injector supply conduit that is greater than the pressure inside the first fuel injector supply conduit.
- According to another aspect of the disclosure, an engine comprises a block defining a cylinder bore therethrough; a piston disposed within the cylinder bore and configured for reciprocating motion relative to the cylinder bore, the cylinder bore and the piston at least partly defining a main combustion chamber; an oxidizer intake conduit disposed in selective fluid communication with the main combustion chamber via an intake valve; an intake fuel injector having at least one outlet orifice disposed in fluid communication with the main combustion chamber via the oxidizer intake conduit; a direct fuel injector having at least one outlet orifice disposed in direct fluid communication with the main combustion chamber along a flow path that does not include the oxidizer intake conduit; a storage tank, a wall of the storage tank defining a first aperture and a second aperture therethrough, the first aperture being distinct from the second aperture, the first aperture of the storage tank being fluidly coupled to an inlet of the intake fuel injector via a pressure control module, the pressure control module being configured to maintain a pressure at the inlet of the intake fuel injector within a pressure range that includes a pressure value that is less than a pressure inside the storage tank; a pump fluidly coupled with the second aperture of the storage tank, an inlet of the direct fuel injector being fluidly coupled to an outlet of the pump, the pump being configured to maintain a pressure at the inlet of the direct fuel injector that is greater than the pressure at the inlet of the intake fuel injector.
- Another aspect of the disclosure provides a method for supplying a fuel to an engine. The method comprises drawing a first flow of the fuel from a storage tank, the first flow of the fuel leaving the storage tank in a gaseous state; delivering the first flow of the fuel from the storage tank to a first fuel injector via a pressure control module; decreasing a pressure of the first flow of the fuel to less than a pressure inside the storage tank via the pressure control module; injecting the first flow of the fuel into a main combustion chamber of the engine via an oxidizer intake conduit of the engine; drawing a second flow of the fuel from the storage tank, the second flow of the fuel leaving the storage tank in a liquid state, the gaseous state of the fuel coexisting with the liquid state of the fuel within the storage tank; pumping the second flow of the fuel to a pressure that is higher than a pressure inside the storage tank; delivering the second flow of the fuel to a second fuel injector at a pressure that is higher than the pressure of the first flow of the fuel within the first fuel injector; and injecting the second flow of the fuel directly into the main combustion chamber of the engine via the second fuel injector.
-
FIG. 1 is a side view of a machine, according to an aspect of the disclosure. -
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a fuel supply system, according to an aspect of the disclosure. -
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a pressure control module, according to an aspect of the disclosure. -
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a pressure control module, according to an aspect of the disclosure. -
FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an engine including a fuel injection system, according to an aspect of the disclosure. -
FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a fuel injection system, according to an aspect of the disclosure. -
FIG. 7 is a schematic view of an engine with a plurality of engine cylinders, according to an aspect of the disclosure. -
FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a method for operating an engine, according to an aspect of the disclosure. - Aspects of the disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to like elements throughout, unless specified otherwise.
-
FIG. 1 is a side view of amachine 100, according to an aspect of the disclosure. Themachine 100 can be a railroad vehicle, an over-the-road vehicle such as a truck used in transportation, an off-road vehicle, or may be any other type of machine that performs an operation associated with an industry such as mining, construction, farming, transportation, or any other industry known in the art. For example, themachine 100 may be an off-highway truck, a railroad locomotive, an earth-moving machine, such as a wheel loader, an excavator, a dump truck, a backhoe, a motor grader, a material handler, or the like. The term “machine” can also refer to stationary equipment that includes an internal combustion engine to provide shaft power to a load, such as an electric generator, a pump, or a compressor, for example. Thespecific machine 100 illustrated inFIG. 1 is a railroad locomotive. - The
machine 100 includes an internal combustion (IC)engine 102 operatively coupled to acontroller 104. TheIC engine 102 may be a reciprocating-piston IC engine, such as a compression ignition engine or a spark ignition engine, a turbomachine such as a gas turbine, combinations thereof, or any other internal combustion engine known in the art. - The
IC engine 102 may receive fuel from one or morefuel supply systems 106, including, but not limited to, a liquid fuel supply system, a gaseous fuel supply system, or combinations thereof. Liquid fuel provided by a liquid fuel supply system may include distillate diesel, biodiesel, dimethyl ether, seed oils, gasoline, ethanol, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), combinations thereof, or any other combustible liquid fuel known in the art. Gaseous fuel provided by a gaseous fuel supply system may include gaseous propane, hydrogen, methane, ethane, butane, natural gas, combinations thereof, or any other combustible gaseous fuel known in the art. TheIC engine 102 may be configured to simultaneously burn mixtures of fuel from two or morefuel supply systems 106 with an oxidizer. - According to an aspect of the disclosure, the
fuel supply system 106 is configured to deliver natural gas. According to another aspect of the disclosure, thefuel supply system 106 is configured to deliver a combustible gas comprising at least 50% methane by mole. According to yet another aspect of the disclosure, the low-pressure fuel system 120 is configured to deliver a fuel with a sufficiently low cetane value, or a sufficiently high octane value, for use in a spark-ignition reciprocating IC engine, such as natural gas, for example. - It will be appreciated that some fuels, such as LNG, may be stored in a liquid state and supplied to the
engine 102 in a liquid state, a gaseous state, or combinations thereof. It will be further appreciated that some liquid fuels may be stored at cryogenic temperatures that are much lower than an ambient temperature of themachine 100. According to an aspect of the disclosure, cryogenic temperatures are temperatures that are less than about −200 degrees Fahrenheit. - The
fuel supply system 106 includes afuel storage tank 108 that is fluidly coupled to theIC engine 102 via one or more fluid conditioning elements of thefuel supply system 106. The fluid conditioning elements of thefuel supply system 106 may include a pump, a filter, a heat exchanger, sensors, control valves, actuators, accumulators, regulators, check valves, combinations thereof, or any other structures known to benefit the conditioning of fuel for theIC engine 102. Thefuel supply system 106 may also be operatively coupled to thecontroller 104 for control thereof. - Although the specific
fuel supply system 106 illustrated inFIG. 1 is at least partly supported or carried by arailroad tender car 110, it will be appreciated that thefuel supply system 106 may be incorporated into other machines in other ways depending on the needs of the particular application. - The
machine 100 may include anoperator cab 112 that includes one or morecontrol input devices 114 that are operatively coupled to thecontroller 104. Thecontrol input devices 114 may include manual control input devices configured to communicate manual control inputs from an operator in thecab 112 to thecontroller 104; automatic control input devices such as open-loop controllers, closed-loop controllers, or programmable logic controllers, for example; remote control input devices such as wired or wireless telemetry devices; displays; combinations thereof; or any other control input device known in the art. -
FIG. 2 shows afuel supply system 106, according to an aspect of the disclosure. According to thefuel supply system 106 illustrated inFIG. 2 , afuel injection system 124 of anIC engine 102 is fluidly coupled with afuel storage tank 108 via two parallel flow paths, namely a low-pressure fuel system 120 and a high-pressure fuel system 122. - The
fuel storage tank 108 may be configured to simultaneously store agaseous phase 132 of a fuel and aliquid phase 134 of a fuel, where thegaseous phase 132 of the fuel is separated from theliquid phase 134 of the fuel by afree surface 136. Thus, thegaseous phase 132 of the fuel is in contact with theliquid phase 134 of the fuel at thefree surface 136. It will be appreciated that a quantity of the gaseous-phase 132 fuel relative to the liquid-phase 134 fuel within thefuel storage tank 108 may shift in response to changes in tank internal pressure, tank internal temperature, mass transfer into or out of thefuel storage tank 108, or combinations thereof. - According to an aspect of the disclosure, the
fuel storage tank 108 is the only source of fuel in thefuel supply system 106. However, it will be appreciated that a plurality of discreet tanks that are fluidly coupled to one another via connecting conduits are contemplated to be within the scope of thefuel storage tank 108, according to aspects of the present disclosure. According to another aspect of the disclosure, thefuel storage tank 108 may be a single discreet tank and the only storage tank in thefuel supply system 106. - According to an aspect of the disclosure, the
fuel storage tank 108 is configured to store fuel at a pressure that is greater than an ambient or atmospheric pressure surrounding thefuel supply system 106. According to another aspect of the disclosure, thefuel storage tank 108 is configured to cryogenically store LNG at a tank internal pressure greater than 20 psig and a tank internal temperature less than −200 degrees Fahrenheit. Thecontroller 104 may be configured to sense a temperature, a pressure, or both, within thefuel storage tank 108 and take control action to vary the temperature or pressure within thefuel storage tank 108. - The
fuel storage tank 108 includes awall 126 that defines afirst aperture 128 and asecond aperture 130 therethrough. Thefirst aperture 128 may be located on thefuel storage tank 108 such that an elevation of thefirst aperture 128 is higher than an elevation of thefree surface 136 along the gravity direction g; and thesecond aperture 130 may be located on thefuel storage tank 108 such that an elevation of thesecond aperture 130 is lower than an elevation of thefree surface 136 along the gravity direction g. Accordingly, thefirst aperture 128 may be configured and arranged to be in direct fluid communication with thegaseous phase 132 of the fuel along a path that does not include theliquid phase 134 of the fuel; and thesecond aperture 130 may be configured and arranged to be in direct fluid communication with theliquid phase 134 of the fuel along a path that does not include thegaseous phase 132 of the fuel. - The low-
pressure fuel system 120 may include apressure control module 138, anaccumulator 140, or both. Thepressure control module 138 is fluidly coupled to thefirst aperture 128 of thefuel storage tank 108 via a first low-pressure conduit 142, and is fluidly coupled to thefuel injection system 124 of theIC engine 102 via a second low-pressure conduit 144. Accordingly, thepressure control module 138 is disposed in series fluid communication between thefuel storage tank 108 and theIC engine 102. - The
pressure control module 138 may be fluidly coupled to theaccumulator 140 via a third low-pressure conduit 146, and theaccumulator 140 may be fluidly coupled to thefuel injection system 124 of theIC engine 102 via the second low-pressure conduit 144. Accordingly, thepressure control module 138 may be fluidly coupled to theIC engine 102 via theaccumulator 140, such that theaccumulator 140 is disposed fluidly in series betweenpressure control module 138 and theIC engine 102. - The
accumulator 140 is configured to store fluid energy from the low-pressure fuel system 120 in the form of fluid pressure, impart fluid energy to the low-pressure fuel system 120 in the form of fluid pressure, damp pressure oscillations within the low-pressure fuel system 120, perform combinations thereof, or perform any other fluid accumulator function known in the art. Theaccumulator 140 includes aresilient element 148 that is configured to store fluid energy when fluid within theaccumulator 140 performs work on theresilient element 148, and that is configured to release fluid energy when theresilient element 148 performs work on fluid within theaccumulator 140. Theresilient element 148 may be a coil spring, a leaf spring, a diaphragm, a volume of compressible fluid, combinations thereof, or any other accumulator resilient element known in the art. When theresilient element 148 is a volume of compressible fluid, the compressible fluid may be the fluid received from and in fluid communication with thefirst aperture 128 of thefuel storage tank 108, a fluid that is different from and sealed separate from the fluid received from thefirst aperture 128 of thefuel storage tank 108, or combinations thereof. - According to an aspect of the disclosure, a volume of compressible fluid within the
accumulator 140 is not less than ten times a volume contained within the second low-pressure conduit 144. Alternatively or additionally, a transverseinternal dimension 150 of theaccumulator 140 is not less than four times a transverse internal dimension of the second low-pressure conduit 144. According to another aspect of the disclosure, the transverseinternal dimension 150 of theaccumulator 140 is larger than a transverse internal dimension of the third low-pressure conduit 146, the second low-pressure conduit 144, or both. As used herein, a “transverse internal dimension” of a vessel will be understood to be an internal dimension that is transverse to a bulk flow direction through that vessel. Thus, a transverse internal dimension of the third low-pressure conduit 146 may be an internal diameter of the third low-pressure conduit 146, and a transverse internal dimension of the second low-pressure conduit 144 may be an internal diameter of the second low-pressure conduit 144, for example. - According to another aspect of the disclosure, the low-
pressure fuel system 120 does not include an accumulator that is distinct from either the third low-pressure conduit 146 or the second low-pressure conduit 144. Accordingly, the third low-pressure conduit 146 may be directly fluidly coupled to the second low-pressure conduit 144 without adistinct accumulator 140 disposed fluidly in series therebetween. - Referring still to
FIG. 2 , thepressure control module 138 may be configured to control a fluid pressure delivered to theaccumulator 140, thefuel injection system 124, or both, via the third low-pressure conduit 146. According to an aspect of the disclosure, thepressure control module 138 is configured to maintain a pressure within theaccumulator 140, thefuel injection system 124, or both, to be not less than a pressure (P_t) within thefuel storage tank 108 minus a first pressure differential (ΔP1). Alternatively or additionally, thepressure control module 138 is configured to maintain a pressure within theaccumulator 140, thefuel injection system 124, or both, to be not greater than the pressure (P_t) within thefuel storage tank 108 plus a second pressure differential (ΔP2). It will be understood that the tank pressure (P_t) minus the first pressure differential (ΔP1) is greater than an ambient or atmospheric pressure surrounding thefuel storage tank 108. - According to an aspect of the disclosure, the first pressure differential (ΔP1) is substantially equal to the second pressure differential (ΔP2), in that a difference between the first pressure differential (ΔP1) and the second pressure differential (ΔP2) is less than 1% of the pressure (P_t) within the
fuel storage tank 108. According to another aspect of the disclosure, the first pressure differential (ΔP1) is greater than the second pressure differential (ΔP2). According to yet another aspect of the disclosure, the second pressure differential (ΔP2) is substantially zero, which may include small pressure differentials that are less than 1% of the pressure (P_t) within thefuel storage tank 108. -
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of apressure control module 138, according to an aspect of the disclosure. Thepressure control module 138 inFIG. 3 includes asupply check valve 152 and arelief check valve 154. Aninlet 156 of thesupply check valve 152 may be fluidly coupled to the first low-pressure conduit 142 via afluid node 158, and anoutlet 160 of thesupply check valve 152 may be fluidly coupled to the third low-pressure conduit 146 via afluid node 162. Aninlet 164 of therelief check valve 154 may be fluidly coupled to the third low-pressure conduit 146 via thefluid node 162, and theoutlet 166 of therelief check valve 154 may be fluidly coupled to thefluid node 158. - Accordingly, the first low-
pressure conduit 142 may be fluidly coupled to the third low-pressure conduit 146 via thesupply check valve 152, and the first low-pressure conduit 142 may be fluidly coupled to the third low-pressure conduit 146 via therelief check valve 154. Furthermore, thesupply check valve 152 and therelief check valve 154 may be fluidly coupled with one another in parallel via thefluid nodes - The
supply check valve 152 is configured and arranged to allow flow therethrough only in a direction from the first low-pressure conduit 142 toward the third low-pressure conduit 146, and therelief check valve 154 is configured and arranged to allow flow therethrough only in a direction from the third low-pressure conduit 146 toward the first low-pressure conduit 142. Thesupply check valve 152 may include aresilient member 168 that maintains thesupply check valve 152 in a closed position until a pressure at theoutlet 160 falls below a pressure at theinlet 156 by the first pressure differential (ΔP1). Similarly, therelief check valve 154 may include aresilient member 170 that maintains therelief check valve 154 in a closed position until a pressure at theinlet 164 exceeds a pressure at theoutlet 166 by the second pressure differential (ΔP2). - Accordingly,
supply check valve 152 may convey fluid from thefuel storage tank 108 to the third low-pressure conduit 146 when the pressure in the third low-pressure conduit 146 falls below a target minimum pressure relative to a pressure in thefuel storage tank 108. Similarly, therelief check valve 154 may convey fluid from the third low-pressure conduit 146 to thefuel storage tank 108 when the pressure in the third low-pressure conduit 146 rises above a target maximum pressure relative to a pressure in thefuel storage tank 108. According to an aspect of the disclosure, thepressure control module 138 is self-contained and free from operative coupling with thecontroller 104. - Optionally, a
heat exchanger 240 may be disposed fluidly in series between theoutlet 166 of therelief check valve 154 and thefuel storage tank 108. Further, theheat exchanger 240 may be disposed in fluid communication with a coolingfluid source 242 via acoolant source conduit 244 and a coolingfluid sink 246 via acoolant discharge conduit 248. In turn, theheat exchanger 240 may effect thermal communication between a flow of fluid from therelief check valve 154 to thefuel storage tank 108, and a flow of fluid from the coolingfluid source 242 to the coolingfluid sink 246. - The
coolant discharge conduit 248 may include aflow restricting orifice 250 such as a variable-geometry valve or a fixed-geometry orifice, for example, to limit a flow of cooling fluid from the coolingfluid source 242 to the coolingfluid sink 246. According to an aspect of the disclosure, a flow area through theflow restricting orifice 250 is less than half of a flow area through thecoolant source conduit 244, thecoolant discharge conduit 248, or both. - The cooling
fluid source 242 may be a source of liquid cryogenic fuel taken from the high-pressure fuel system 122 between theoutlet 194 of thepump 186 and thefuel conditioning module 188, inclusive. The coolingfluid sink 246 may be thefuel storage tank 108, the first high-pressure conduit 192 between thefuel storage tank 108 and theinlet 190 of thepump 186, or combinations thereof, for example. -
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of apressure control module 138, according to an aspect of the disclosure. Thepressure control module 138 inFIG. 4 includes acontrol valve 172, afirst pressure sensor 174, and asecond pressure sensor 176. Afirst port 178 of thecontrol valve 172 is fluidly coupled to the first low-pressure conduit 142, and asecond port 180 of thecontrol valve 172 is fluidly coupled to the third low-pressure conduit 146. Accordingly, thecontrol valve 172 may effect selective fluid communication between thefuel storage tank 108 and thefuel injection system 124 of the IC engine 102 (seeFIG. 2 ). - The
first pressure sensor 174 is shown arranged to measure a pressure within thefuel storage tank 108. However, it will be appreciated that thefirst pressure sensor 174 may be arranged to measure a pressure anywhere along the flow path between thefuel storage tank 108 and thecontrol valve 172. Thesecond pressure sensor 176 is shown arranged to measure a pressure within theaccumulator 140. However, it will be appreciated that thesecond pressure sensor 176 may be arranged to measure a pressure anywhere along the flow path between thecontrol valve 172 and the fuel injection system 124 (seeFIG. 2 ). - The
control valve 172, thefirst pressure sensor 174, and thesecond pressure sensor 176 may be operatively coupled to thecontroller 104. Thefirst pressure sensor 174 and thesecond pressure sensor 176 may be configured to generate signals that are indicative of pressures bearing on thefirst pressure sensor 174 and thesecond pressure sensor 176, respectively, and thecontroller 104 may be configured to receive the pressure signals from thefirst pressure sensor 174 and thesecond pressure sensor 176. - The
control valve 172 may include anactuator 182 that is operatively coupled to thecontroller 104, such that thecontroller 104 may adjust a flow area through thecontrol valve 172 via theactuator 182. Furthermore, the controller may be configured to adjust a flow area through thecontrol valve 172 based on signals from thefirst pressure sensor 174 and thesecond pressure sensor 176. According to an aspect of the disclosure, the controller is configured to adjust a flow area through thecontrol valve 172 to maintain a pressure at thesecond pressure sensor 176 that is not less than the pressure (P_t) within thefuel storage tank 108 minus the first pressure differential (ΔP1), and not greater than the pressure (P_t) within thefuel storage tank 108 plus the second pressure differential (ΔP2). It will be appreciated that the twoseparate pressure sensors - Returning now to
FIG. 2 , the high-pressure fuel system 122 may include anisolation valve 184, apump 186, afuel conditioning module 188, or combinations thereof. Aninlet 190 of thepump 186 may be fluidly coupled to thesecond aperture 130 of thefuel storage tank 108 via a first high-pressure conduit 192, and anoutlet 194 of thepump 186 may be fluidly coupled to thefuel conditioning module 188 via a second high-pressure conduit 196. Thefuel conditioning module 188 may be fluidly coupled to thefuel injection system 124 of theIC engine 102 via a third high-pressure conduit 198. Accordingly, thesecond aperture 130 of thefuel storage tank 108 may be fluidly coupled to theIC engine 102 via thepump 186 and thefuel conditioning module 188, where thefuel conditioning module 188 is disposed downstream of thepump 186 along a flow direction extending from theinlet 190 of thepump 186 toward theoutlet 194 of thepump 186. - The
isolation valve 184 may compose a portion of the flow path of the first high-pressure conduit 192, and be disposed upstream of thepump 186 along a flow direction that extends from theinlet 190 of thepump 186 toward theoutlet 194 of thepump 186. In an open configuration, theisolation valve 184 effects fluid communication between thefuel storage tank 108 and theinlet 190 of thepump 186 via the first high-pressure conduit 192. In a closed configuration, theisolation valve 184 blocks fluid communication between thefuel storage tank 108 and theinlet 190 of thepump 186 via the first high-pressure conduit 192. - The
isolation valve 184 may include anactuator 200 that is operatively coupled to thecontroller 104. Accordingly, thecontroller 104 may selectively effect or block fluid communication between thefuel storage tank 108 and thepump 186 via theisolation valve 184 by adjusting the configuration of theisolation valve 184. - The
pump 186 may be a variable displacement pump and include anactuator 202 for adjusting a displacement of thepump 186. Theactuator 202 may be a swash-plate actuator or any other actuator known in the art to adjust the displacement of a pump. Further, theactuator 202 may be operatively coupled to thecontroller 104, such that the controller may adjust the displacement of thepump 186 via theactuator 202. Alternatively, it will be appreciated that thepump 186 may be a fixed displacement pump, a combination of two or more pumps having variable or fixed displacement, or any other pump configuration known in the art. - According to an aspect of the disclosure, the
pump 186 is configured to deliver liquid-phase fuel atoutlet 194 pressures in excess of 10,000 psi. Alternatively or additionally, thepump 186 is configured to deliver liquid-phase fuel atoutlet 194 pressures in excess of twice a peak cylinder pressure during a compression within theIC engine 102. According to another aspect of the disclosure, thepump 186 is configured to deliver liquid-phase fuel atoutlet 194 pressures greater than 50 times a pressure of gaseous-phase fuel flowing from thepressure control module 138 to thefuel injection system 124, when thepressure control module 138 is operating within a target pressure range above ambient pressure. - Although
FIG. 2 shows thepump 186 disposed outside thefuel storage tank 108, it will be appreciated that thepump 186 may alternatively be disposed inside thefuel storage tank 108, such that theinlet 190 of thepump 186 is immersed in theliquid phase 134 of the fuel, and theoutlet 194 of thepump 186 is fluidly coupled with and disposed upstream of thesecond aperture 130 of thefuel storage tank 108. Accordingly, an internal surface of the second high-pressure conduit 196 may define thesecond aperture 130 of thefuel storage tank 108. When thepump 186 is disposed within thefuel storage tank 108, thesecond aperture 130 and theisolation valve 184 may receive discharge pressure from theoutlet 194 of thepump 186. - The
pump 186 may be operatively coupled to aprime mover 204 via ashaft 206 for transmission of shaft power therebetween. Theprime mover 204 may be an electrical motor, a hydraulic motor, or a pneumatic motor, for example. Alternatively or additionally, theprime mover 204 may be a shaft that is directly or indirectly driven by theIC engine 102 via a mechanical transmission, such as a belt-and-pulley transmission, a geared transmission, a hydraulic transmission, combinations thereof, or any other mechanical transmission known in the art. Thus, the shaft power load to operate thepump 186 may compose at least a portion of aload 208 imposed on theIC engine 102 via ashaft 210. Theshaft 210 may be a crankshaft of theIC engine 102. - The
fuel conditioning module 188 may include filters, heat exchangers, pressure regulators, instrumentation, combinations thereof, or any other components known in the art to benefit the conditioning of a fuel for delivery to theIC engine 102. According to an aspect of the disclosure, thefuel conditioning module 188 includes aheat exchanger 212 that is operatively coupled to aheating energy source 214, and that is configured to evaporate liquid-phase fuel exiting theoutlet 194 of thepump 186 by transferring heat into the liquid-phase fuel. Accordingly, thefuel conditioning module 188 may be configured to receive fuel in a liquid phase from thepump 186 and deliver fuel in a gaseous phase to thefuel injection system 124 of theIC engine 102. - The heating potential across the
terminals heating energy source 214 would be greater than a temperature of the liquid-phase fuel inside theheat exchanger 212 to drive evaporation of the liquid-phase fuel. - The
fuel conditioning module 188 may be operatively coupled to thecontroller 104, such that the controller may vary the heating potential across theterminals fuel conditioning module 188. Heat transfer fluid provided by theheating energy source 214 may be engine coolant from theIC engine 102, lubricating oil from theIC engine 102, hydraulic fluid from the machine 100 (seeFIG. 1 ), combinations thereof, or any other hot fluid source known in the art. Electrical current provided by theheating energy source 214 may be electrical current generated by an alternator or generator that composes at least a portion of theload 208 on theIC engine 102. - Referring still to
FIG. 2 , thefuel injection system 124 may be fluidly coupled to theaccumulator 140 via adrain conduit 220, such that excess flow delivered to thefuel injection system 124 by the high-pressure fuel system 122 may be captured in theaccumulator 140. Adrain check valve 222 composes at least a portion of the flow path through thedrain conduit 220. Thedrain check valve 222 is configured and arranged to allow flow through thedrain conduit 220 only in a flow direction extending from thefuel injection system 124 toward theaccumulator 140. It will be appreciated that thedrain conduit 220 may be in fluid communication with the second low-pressure conduit 144 and the third low-pressure conduit 146 via theaccumulator 140. Further, it will be appreciated that thedrain conduit 220 may be in fluid communication with the second low-pressure conduit 144 and the third low-pressure conduit 146 via some other fluid node if no distinct accumulator is incorporated into the low-pressure fuel system 120. Thedrain check valve 222 may include aresilient element 223 that biases thedrain check valve 222 toward a closed position. - The
IC engine 102 may include atemperature sensor 224, arotational speed sensor 226, or both. Thetemperature sensor 224 may generate a signal that is indicative of a fluid temperature within theIC engine 102, such as, a coolant temperature, an exhaust temperature, or an oil temperature; or generate a signal that is indicative of a metal temperature, such as a temperature of theblock 300 or thehead 306, for example. Therotational speed sensor 226 maybe configured to generate a signal that is indicative of a speed of theengine output shaft 210 or another speed that correlates with the speed of theshaft 210. Either thetemperature sensor 224 or thespeed sensor 226 may be operatively coupled to thecontroller 104 for transmission of sensor signals thereto. -
FIG. 5 is a schematic view of anengine 102 including afuel injection system 124, according to an aspect of the disclosure. TheIC engine 102 may include ablock 300 defining at least one cylinder bore 302 therein, at least onepiston 304 disposed in sliding engagement with the cylinder bore 302, and ahead 306 disposed on theblock 300. Thefuel injection system 124 of theIC engine 102 may include apre-chamber assembly 308, adirect fuel injector 328, and anintake fuel injector 330. The cross section inFIG. 2 is taken along a plane including alongitudinal axis 326 centered within thebore 302. - The cylinder bore 302, the
piston 304, thehead 306, thepre-chamber assembly 308, and thedirect fuel injector 328 define, at least partly, amain combustion chamber 310. A volume of themain combustion chamber 310 may vary with the location of thepiston 304 relative to thehead 306, such that the volume of themain combustion chamber 310 is at a maximum when thepiston 304 is located at Bottom Dead Center (BDC) of its stroke, and the volume of themain combustion chamber 310 is at a minimum when thepiston 304 is located at Top Dead Center (TDC) of its stroke. - The
IC engine 102 may operate according to a four-stroke cycle, including an intake stroke (from TDC to BDC), a compression stroke (from BDC to TDC), an expansion stroke (from TDC to BDC), and an exhaust stroke (from BDC to TDC). Alternatively, theIC engine 102 may operate according to a two-stroke cycle, including a compression/exhaust stroke (from BDC to TDC) and an expansion/exhaust/intake stroke (from TDC to BDC). It will be appreciated that theIC engine 102 may also operate according to any known modifications of the four-stroke cycle or the two-stroke cycle, including, but not limited to, the Miller Cycle, for example. - The
piston 304 is pivotally connected to a crankshaft via a connectingrod 312 for transmitting mechanical power therebetween. Although only onepiston 304 and cylinder bore 302 are shown inFIG. 5 , it will be appreciated that theIC engine 102 may be configured to include any number of pistons and cylinder bores to suit a particular design or application. - The
IC engine 102 receives a flow of oxidizer from anintake duct 314. One ormore intake valves 316 effect selective fluid communication between theintake duct 314 and themain combustion chamber 310. TheIC engine 102 discharges a flow of exhaust to theexhaust system 318 via anexhaust duct 320. One ormore exhaust valves 322 effect selective fluid communication between themain combustion chamber 310 and theexhaust duct 320. Theintake valves 316 and theexhaust valves 322 may be actuated by a cam/push-rod/rocker arm assembly, a solenoid actuator, a hydraulic actuator, or by any other cylinder valve actuator known in the art to open or close intake valves or exhaust valves. - A volume of the
main combustion chamber 310 when thepiston 304 is located at BDC divided by a volume of themain combustion chamber 310 when thepiston 304 is located at TDC may define a volume ratio of theIC engine 102. According to an aspect of the disclosure, a volume ratio of theIC engine 102 is consistent with the volume ratios used for compression ignition engines. According to another aspect of the disclosure, the volume ratio of theIC engine 102 is greater than or equal to 12:1. - Referring still to
FIG. 5 , theIC engine 102 may include aturbocharger 334 having aturbine 336 operably coupled to acompressor 338 via ashaft 340. Theturbine 336 receives a flow of exhaust gas via theexhaust duct 320 and extracts mechanical work from the exhaust gas by expansion of the exhaust gas therethrough. The mechanical work extracted from theturbine 336 from the flow of exhaust gas is transmitted to thecompressor 338 via theshaft 340. Thecompressor 338 receives a flow of oxidizer, such as, for example, ambient air, and performs work on the flow of oxidizer by compression thereof. The flow of compressed oxidizer is discharged from thecompressor 338 into theintake duct 314. - Additionally, the
IC engine 102 may include an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR)loop 344 for conveying exhaust gas into the oxidizer flow. TheEGR loop 344 may include anEGR conduit 346 in fluid communication with theexhaust duct 320 upstream of theturbine 336, and in fluid communication with theintake duct 314 downstream of thecompressor 338, effecting a so-called “high-pressure EGR loop.” Alternatively, it will be appreciated that theIC engine 102 may also be equipped with a low-pressure EGR loop, where theEGR conduit 346 is in fluid communication with theexhaust duct 320 downstream of theturbine 336, and in fluid communication with theintake duct 314 upstream of thecompressor 338. - The
EGR conduit 346 may incorporate anEGR conditioning module 348 that effects cooling, filtering, or throttling of exhaust gases flowing therethrough, combinations thereof, or any other exhaust gas processing known to benefit the operation of theEGR loop 344. TheEGR conduit 346 may fluidly couple with theintake duct 314 at amixing device 350 configured to effect mixing between the recirculated exhaust gas and the flow of oxidizer. - The
IC engine 102 receives combustible fuel from a low-pressure fuel system 120, a high-pressure fuel system 122, or both. Thepre-chamber assembly 308 is disposed in direct fluid communication with themain combustion chamber 310, and may receive a flow of fuel from the low-pressure fuel system 120 via apre-chamber fuel conduit 356 and apre-chamber fuel injector 358. Accordingly, the low-pressure fuel system 120 may be in fluid communication with themain combustion chamber 310 via thepre-chamber assembly 308. Furthermore, thepre-chamber fuel injector 358 may be in fluid communication with themain combustion chamber 310 along a fluid path that does not include thedirect fuel injector 328, theintake duct 314, or both. - The
pre-chamber fuel injector 358 is configured to effect selective fluid communication between the low-pressure fuel system 120 and thepre-chamber assembly 308. For example, thepre-chamber fuel injector 358 may assume one of the following two configurations. According to a first configuration, thepre-chamber fuel injector 358 blocks fluid communication between the low-pressure fuel system 120 and thepre-chamber assembly 308 via thepre-chamber fuel conduit 356. According to a second configuration, thepre-chamber fuel injector 358 effects fluid communication between the low-pressure fuel system 120 and thepre-chamber assembly 308 via thepre-chamber fuel conduit 356. - The
pre-chamber fuel injector 358 may include an actuator configured to change the fluid configuration of thepre-chamber fuel injector 358 under the control of thecontroller 104. The actuator for thepre-chamber fuel injector 358 may include a solenoid actuator, a hydraulic actuator, a pneumatic actuator, a mechanical actuator, such as, for example a cam actuator, combinations thereof, or any other fuel injector actuator known in the art. Thecontroller 104 may control an amount of fuel delivered to thepre-chamber assembly 308 via thepre-chamber fuel injector 358 by controlling an opening time duration of thepre-chamber fuel injector 358, an effective flow area of thepre-chamber fuel injector 358, or combinations thereof. - An
intake fuel injector 330 may be disposed in fluid communication with theintake duct 314 upstream of theintake valve 316, and theintake fuel injector 330 may be fluidly coupled to the low-pressure fuel system 120 via anintake supply conduit 360. Accordingly, theintake fuel injector 330 may be in fluid communication with themain combustion chamber 310 via a flow path that does not include thepre-chamber assembly 308, thedirect fuel injector 328, or both. - The
intake fuel injector 330 is configured to effect selective fluid communication between the low-pressure fuel system 120 and themain combustion chamber 310 via theintake duct 314. For example, theintake fuel injector 330 may assume one of the following two fluid configurations. According to a first configuration, theintake fuel injector 330 blocks fluid communication between the low-pressure fuel system 120 and theintake duct 314. According to a second configuration, theintake fuel injector 330 effects fluid communication between the low-pressure fuel system 120 and theintake duct 314. - The
intake fuel injector 330 may include an actuator configured to change the fluid configuration of theintake fuel injector 330 under the control of thecontroller 104. The actuator for theintake fuel injector 330 may include a solenoid actuator, a hydraulic actuator, a pneumatic actuator, a mechanical actuator, such as, for example a cam actuator, combinations thereof, or any other fuel injector actuator known in the art. Thecontroller 104 may control an amount of fuel delivered to themain combustion chamber 310 via theintake fuel injector 330 by controlling an opening time duration of theintake fuel injector 330, an effective flow area of theintake fuel injector 330, or combinations thereof. - A
direct fuel injector 328 may be disposed in direct fluid communication with themain combustion chamber 310, and thedirect fuel injector 328 may be fluidly coupled to the high-pressure fuel system 122 via the third high-pressure conduit 198. Accordingly, thedirect fuel injector 328 may be in direct fluid communication with themain combustion chamber 310 via a flow path that does not include thepre-chamber assembly 308, theintake duct 314, or both. - The
direct fuel injector 328 is configured to effect selective fluid communication between the high-pressure fuel system 122 and themain combustion chamber 310 via the third high-pressure conduit 198. For example, thedirect fuel injector 328 may assume one of the following two fluid configurations. According to a first configuration, thedirect fuel injector 328 blocks fluid communication between the high-pressure fuel system 122 and themain combustion chamber 310. According to a second configuration, thedirect fuel injector 328 effects fluid communication between the high-pressure fuel system 122 and themain combustion chamber 310. - The
direct fuel injector 328 may include an actuator configured to change the fluid configuration of thedirect fuel injector 328 under the control of thecontroller 104. The actuator for thedirect fuel injector 328 may include a solenoid actuator, a hydraulic actuator, a pneumatic actuator, a mechanical actuator, such as, for example a cam actuator, combinations thereof, or any other fuel injector actuator known in the art. Thecontroller 104 may control an amount of fuel delivered to themain combustion chamber 310 via thedirect fuel injector 328 by controlling an opening time duration of thedirect fuel injector 328, an effective flow area of thedirect fuel injector 328, or combinations thereof. - Any of the
direct fuel injector 328, thepre-chamber fuel injector 358, or theintake fuel injector 330 may be hydraulically actuated using engine lubricating oil as the working fluid. However, it will be appreciated that any pressurized fluid available on themachine 100 may be used as a working fluid to actuate thedirect fuel injector 328, thepre-chamber fuel injector 358, theintake fuel injector 330, or combinations, including but not limited to gaseous-phase fuel from either the low-pressure fuel system 120 or the high-pressure fuel system 122. - A
heat exchanger 362, anintake throttle valve 364, or both, may compose at least a portion of theintake duct 314. Theheat exchanger 362 may be configured receive a flow of oxidizer from thecompressor 338 and a flow of heat transfer fluid, and cool the flow of oxidizer by effecting heat transfer from the flow of oxidizer to the heat transfer fluid. The heat transfer fluid for theheat exchanger 362 may be engine coolant, ambient air, combinations thereof, or any other heat transfer fluid known in the art. - The
intake throttle valve 364 may be configured to restrict a flow of oxidizer from thecompressor 338 into themain combustion chamber 310. Theintake throttle valve 364 may have a butterfly valve structure, or any other suitable valve structure known in the art. Theintake throttle valve 364 may include anactuator 366 that is configured to vary a flow area through theintake throttle valve 364. Theactuator 366 may be operatively coupled to thecontroller 104, such that thecontroller 104 may adjust a flow area through theintake throttle valve 364 via theactuator 366. According to another aspect of the disclosure, theIC engine 102 does not include a throttle valve along theintake duct 314. - The
IC engine 102 may include aturbine bypass valve 368, acompressor recirculation valve 370, or both. Aturbine bypass conduit 372 may extend from apoint 374 on theexhaust conduit 320, upstream of theturbine 336, to apoint 376 on theexhaust conduit 320 downstream of theturbine 336; and theturbine bypass valve 368 may define a portion of a flow path along theturbine bypass conduit 372. Alternatively, it will be appreciated that thepoint 376 downstream of theturbine 336 may be in direct fluid communication with an ambient environment of theIC engine 102 instead of theexhaust duct 320. - In a first configuration, the
turbine bypass valve 368 blocks the flow path through theturbine bypass conduit 372. In a second configuration, theturbine bypass valve 368 effects fluid communication between thepoints turbine 336. Theturbine bypass valve 368 may include anactuator 378 that is configured to adjust theturbine bypass valve 368 between its first configuration and its second configuration. Further, theactuator 378 may be operatively coupled to thecontroller 104, such that thecontroller 104 may selectively effect bypass flow through theturbine bypass conduit 372 by adjusting the configuration of theturbine bypass valve 368 via theactuator 378. - A
compressor recirculation conduit 380 may extend from apoint 382 on theintake duct 314, downstream of thecompressor 338, to apoint 384 on theintake duct 314, upstream of thecompressor 338; and thecompressor recirculation valve 370 may define a portion of a flow path along thecompressor recirculation conduit 380. Alternatively, it will be appreciated that thepoint 384 upstream of thecompressor 338 may be in direct fluid communication with an ambient environment of theIC engine 102 instead of theintake duct 314. - In a first configuration, the
compressor recirculation valve 370 blocks the flow path through thecompressor recirculation conduit 380. In a second configuration, thecompressor recirculation valve 370 effects fluid communication between thepoints compressor 338 and away from themain combustion chamber 310. Thecompressor recirculation valve 370 may include anactuator 386 that is configured to adjust thecompressor recirculation valve 370 between its first configuration and its second configuration. Further, theactuator 386 may be operatively coupled to thecontroller 104, such that thecontroller 104 may selectively effect bypass flow through thecompressor recirculation conduit 380 by adjusting the configuration of thecompressor recirculation valve 370 via theactuator 386. - The
controller 104 may be in data communication with a user interface for receiving control inputs from an operator of themachine 100. Further, thecontroller 104 may be in data communication with theIC engine 102 via one or more data connections for receiving sensor signals from theIC engine 102, delivering control inputs to theIC engine 102, combinations thereof, or for transmitting any data known in the art to be relevant to operation of theIC engine 102. It will be appreciated that any data connections between thecontroller 104 and any other element of theIC engine 102 may include wired connections, wireless connections, combinations thereof, or any other data communication means known in the art. - The
controller 104 may be any purpose-built processor for effecting control of theIC engine 102, themachine 100, or combinations thereof. It will be appreciated that thecontroller 104 may be embodied in a single housing, or a plurality of housings distributed throughout themachine 100. Further, thecontroller 104 may include power electronics, preprogrammed logic circuits, data processing circuits, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, software, firmware, combinations thereof, or any other controller structures known in the art. -
FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of afuel injection system 124, according to an aspect of the disclosure. The portion of thefuel injection system 124 illustrated inFIG. 6 includes apre-chamber assembly 308 and adirect fuel injector 328. Thepre-chamber assembly 308 includes abody 400, anignition energy source 402, apre-chamber fuel injector 358, or combinations thereof. Although thebody 400 of thepre-chamber assembly 308 is shown as distinct and perhaps separable from thehead 306, it will be appreciated that thehead 306 may compose portions of thebody 400 or an entirety of thebody 400. - An
external surface 406 of thepre-chamber assembly 308 at least partly defines themain combustion chamber 310. According to an aspect of the disclosure, theexternal surface 406 may project beyond thehead 306 into themain combustion chamber 310. Aninternal surface 408 of thepre-chamber assembly 308 defines apre-chamber cavity 410 and a plurality ofoutlet orifices 412, and optionally defines a pre-chamberfuel supply conduit 414. - The outlet orifices 412 extend through a
wall 416 of thebody 400 and effect fluid communication between thepre-chamber cavity 410 and themain combustion chamber 310. According to an aspect of the disclosure, atransverse dimension 418 of one or more of the outlet orifices 412 is less than 25% of atransverse dimension 420 of thepre-chamber cavity 410. According to another aspect of the disclosure, atransverse dimension 418 of one or more of the outlet orifices 412 is less than 15% of atransverse dimension 420 of thepre-chamber cavity 410. Accordingly, fluid flow from thepre-chamber cavity 410 to themain combustion chamber 310 via the plurality ofoutlet orifices 412 is accelerated by a reduction in flow area through the plurality ofoutlet orifices 412 to form fluid jets projecting into themain combustion chamber 310. - According to an aspect of the disclosure, the
ignition energy source 402 is an electric spark plug including ananode 430 and acathode 432. Theanode 430 and thecathode 432 are electrically insulated from one another and define aspark gap 434 within thepre-chamber cavity 410. Thecathode 432 may be electrically coupled to a chassis ground of thepre-chamber assembly 308, theengine 102, themachine 100, or combinations thereof. Theanode 430 is electrically coupled to thecontroller 104 via ahigh voltage source 436, and thecontroller 104 is configured to effect application of a voltage difference across thespark gap 434 sufficient to cause an electric spark to arc across thespark gap 434. In turn, the electric spark across thespark gap 434 may be configured to effect a desired degree or intensity of chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidizer disposed within thepre-chamber cavity 410. - Alternatively or additionally, the
ignition energy source 402 may include a laser energy source optically coupled to thepre-chamber cavity 410, a glow plug, a corona ignition discharge device, or combinations thereof. The laser energy source may be operatively coupled to thecontroller 104, and thecontroller 104 may be configured to cause the laser energy source to transmit a beam of laser light into thepre-chamber cavity 410 for effecting a desired degree or intensity of chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidizer disposed within thepre-chamber cavity 410. - The
internal surface 408 of thebody 400 may define a pre-chamberfuel supply conduit 414 that is in fluid communication with thepre-chamber fuel injector 358 and thepre-chamber cavity 410. Accordingly, thepre-chamber fuel injector 358 may effect fluid communication between the low-pressure fuel system 120 and thepre-chamber cavity 410 via the pre-chamberfuel supply conduit 414, and along a flow path that does not include themain combustion chamber 310. AlthoughFIG. 6 shows the pre-chamberfuel supply conduit 414 integrated within thebody 400, it will be appreciated that the pre-chamberfuel supply conduit 414 could also be embodied as a separate conduit external to thebody 400 and passing through thebody 400 to effect fluid communication with thepre-chamber cavity 410. - The
direct fuel injector 328 may include abody 440 and acontrol valve assembly 446. Thebody 440 of thedirect fuel injector 328 may include anexterior surface 442 that at least partly defines themain combustion chamber 310. Further, thebody 440 of thedirect fuel injector 328 may define a plurality oforifices 444 that are in selective fluid communication with the high-pressure fuel system 122 via thecontrol valve assembly 446. Thecontrol valve assembly 446 may be operatively coupled to thecontroller 104, such that the controller may effect selective fluid communication between the high-pressure fuel system 122 and themain combustion chamber 310 via the plurality oforifices 444 by control of thecontrol valve assembly 446. - During operation of the
IC engine 102, thepre-chamber cavity 410 may receive a flow of oxidizer from themain combustion chamber 310 via theoutlet orifices 412 during an intake stroke of thepiston 304, a compression stroke of thepiston 304, or combinations thereof. The flow of oxidizer from themain combustion chamber 310 to thepre-chamber cavity 410 may be driven by convection, diffusion, or combinations thereof, through the outlet orifices 412. - The
controller 104 may be configured to produce a mixture of fuel and oxidizer within thepre-chamber cavity 410 by actuation of thepre-chamber fuel injector 358, thereby causing a flow of fuel into thepre-chamber cavity 410 from the low-pressure fuel system 120. Further, thecontroller 104 may be configured to energize theignition energy source 402, and thereby ignite the mixture of fuel and oxidizer disposed within thepre-chamber cavity 410. Expansion of the burning gases within thepre-chamber cavity 410 may cause a flow of combustion products, reacting fuel-oxidizer mixture, unreacted fuel-oxidizer mixture, or combinations thereof from thepre-chamber cavity 410 into themain combustion chamber 310 in the form of fluid jets emanating from the outlet orifices 412. In turn, the ignited jet flow from thepre-chamber cavity 410 through the outlet orifices may cause ignition of a fuel-oxidizer mixture disposed within themain combustion chamber 310. It will be appreciated that thecontroller 104 may be configured to effect a mixture of fuel and oxidizer within themain combustion chamber 310 by delivering fuel to themain combustion chamber 310 via thedirect fuel injector 328, theintake fuel injector 330, or combinations thereof. - According to an aspect of the disclosure, the
engine 102 may not include apre-chamber assembly 308 and its correspondingpre-chamber fuel injector 358, but instead embody anignition energy source 402 in direct operative coupling with themain combustion chamber 310. In turn, theignition energy source 402 may directly cause ignition of a fuel-oxidizer mixture within themain combustion chamber 310 based on fuel delivered to themain combustion chamber 310 via thedirect fuel injector 328, theintake fuel injector 330, or combinations thereof, but not apre-chamber fuel injector 358. -
FIG. 7 is a schematic view of anengine 102 with a plurality ofengine cylinders 450, according to an aspect of the disclosure. The plurality ofengine cylinders 450 may include afirst cylinder 302, asecond cylinder 452, athird cylinder 454, and afourth cylinder 456. Any of thesecond cylinder 452, thethird cylinder 454, and thefourth cylinder 456 may include the features of thefirst cylinder 302, as shown in the non-limiting aspect illustrated inFIGS. 5 and 6 , for example. Specifically, any cylinder of the plurality ofcylinders 450 may include apiston 304, apre-chamber assembly 308 that is fluidly coupled to both the low-pressure fuel system 120 and themain combustion chamber 310, anintake fuel injector 330 that is fluidly coupled to the low-pressure fuel system 120 and theintake duct 314, and adirect fuel injector 328 that is fluidly coupled to the high-pressure fuel system and themain combustion chamber 310. - Although
FIG. 7 shows four engine cylinders composing the plurality ofcylinders 450, it will be appreciated that the plurality ofengine cylinders 450 may include any number of engine cylinders greater than or equal to two. Further, it will be appreciated that components of the exhaust system 318 (seeFIG. 5 ), the fuel supply system 106 (e.g., the drain conduits 220), as well as other engine components, have been omitted fromFIG. 7 to promote clarity of other features. - The present disclosure is applicable to reciprocating-piston internal combustion engines, and more particularly to fuel systems for reciprocating-piston internal combustion engines that draw fuel from a storage tank in both a gaseous phase and a liquid phase.
- Conventional compression ignition engines inject most, if not all, of the fuel directly into engine cylinders near TDC of the compression stroke, when pressures and temperatures within the cylinders are sufficient to support autoignition of the fuel. In turn, conventional compression ignition engines tend to operate with relatively high-cetane fuels, with correspondingly short ignition delay times, to promote fast ignition and therefore precise ignition timing control. Non-limiting examples of relatively high-cetane fuels include distillate diesel fuel, biodiesel fuel, dimethyl either, and seed oils.
- According to an aspect of the disclosure, a relatively high-cetane value may be a cetane number not less than about 45. According to another aspect of the disclosure, a compression ignition engine operates with a compression ratio not less than 12:1.
- Using lower cetane fuels in compression ignition engines may provide advantages regarding regulated exhaust emissions, fuel cost, or both. However, the lower cetane fuels have correspondingly longer ignition delay times, which may result in larger variance in time between fuel injection and ignition within a combustion chamber. Thus, operating conventional compression ignition engines with lower cetane fuels may pose challenges with respect to combustion control. Non-limiting examples of relatively lower cetane fuels include methane, natural gas, propane, gasoline, and alcohols.
- Conventional spark-ignition engines tend to premix most, if not all, of the fuel with oxidizer before initiating ignition with an external ignition energy source, such as, as spark plug or a corona discharge device. As a result, conventional spark-ignition engines tend to use fuels with relatively low-cetane values, and correspondingly long ignition delay times, to avoid premature ignition of the fuel-oxidizer mixture during the compression stroke and before activation of the external ignition energy source. However, conventional spark-ignition engines also tend to operate at compression ratios that are lower than conventional compression ignition engines. In turn, conventional spark-ignition engines tend to operate at a lower brake mean effective pressure (BMEP) than conventional compression ignition engines, and therefore operate at a lower thermodynamic efficiency than conventional compression ignition engines.
- Conventional dual-fuel engines have been developed to take advantage of the economics and emissions performance of low-cetane fuels at the compression ratios, and therefore the BMEPs, of conventional compression ignition engines. Accordingly, some conventional dual-fuel engines derive most of their heat release (90% or more) from a low-cetane fuel, where ignition of mixtures of the low-cetane fuel and an oxidizer is controlled by injection of a small quantity of high-cetane fuel just before the desired ignition timing.
- Although conventional dual-fuel engines may enjoy some benefits of both conventional compression ignition and properties of low-cetane fuels, the technology still poses challenges. For example, when the low-cetane fuel is a gaseous fuel, storage and delivery of the low-cetane fuel may pose challenges. Storing the low-cetane fuel exclusively in a gaseous phase, even at very high-pressure, may not provide sufficient energy storage density for some applications. Conversely, storing the low-cetane fuel as a cryogenic liquid may help to boost energy storage density, but add complexity to fuel delivery to the
engine 102. - In some applications, the low-cetane fuel is stored as a cryogenic liquid, which is pumped to a sufficiently high-pressure for direct injection, and then evaporated to a gaseous phase for direct injection into the
engine 102. Waste heat from theengine 102 may be a practical heat source for evaporating the cryogenic liquid fuel, but using engine waste heat to evaporate the low-cetane fuel may pose challenges during cold starts of theengine 102, especially at cold ambient conditions. - Additionally, the logistics of providing distribution infrastructure for two different fuel types for a conventional dual-fuel engine, and balancing inventory management of two different fuel compositions onboard a
machine 100, may pose other challenges to operating a conventional dual-fuel engine. For example, depleting a reserve of high-cetane fuel onboard amachine 100 with a conventional dual-fuel engine before depleting the reserve of low-cetane fuel, or vice-versa, may compromise operation of themachine 100. - Accordingly, the present inventors have developed a cryogenic fuel storage and delivery system, fuel injection system, and corresponding methods, that enable an
engine 102 to operate with high power density (i.e., high BMEP) and with a single, low-cetane value fuel, to address the aforementioned challenges with conventional compression ignition engines, conventional spark-ignition engines, and conventional dual-fuel engines. - According to an aspect of the disclosure, the
IC engine 102 may be operated in a first mode, such that fuel is supplied to themain combustion chamber 310 of theIC engine 102 from the low-pressure fuel system 120, and themain combustion chamber 310 receives no fuel from the high-pressure fuel system 122 (seeFIG. 2 ) throughout the crankshaft cycle. During the first operating mode, thecontroller 104 may act to close theisolation valve 184, deactivate operation of thepump 186, adjust thedirect fuel injector 328 to a closed configuration, or combinations thereof, throughout the crankshaft cycle. Further according to the first operating mode of theIC engine 102, most of the required fuel is supplied to themain combustion chamber 310 of each engine cylinder from the low-pressure fuel system 120 via theintake fuel injector 330 and theintake duct 314, and a smaller amount of pilot fuel is supplied to thepre-chamber assembly 308 from the low-pressure fuel system 120 via thepre-chamber fuel injector 358. - To decrease the fuel supply pressure necessary to deliver a sufficient amount of fuel to the
pre-chamber assembly 308, the operation of thepre-chamber fuel injector 358 may be timed to deliver fuel to thepre-chamber cavity 410 while thecorresponding piston 304 is undergoing the intake stroke, or is disposed early in the compression stroke. In addition, theturbine bypass valve 368 may be opened to bypass exhaust flow around theturbine 336, thecompressor recirculation valve 370 may be opened to recirculate compressed oxidizer about thecompressor 338, or combinations thereof, to decrease pressure in theintake duct 314, and thereby further help decrease the fuel supply pressure necessary to deliver a sufficient amount of fuel to themain combustion chamber 310 via theintake fuel injector 330. Further, it will be appreciated that reducing the pressure in theintake duct 314 may beneficially reduce the pressure and temperature rise within themain combustion chamber 310 during the compression stroke of thepiston 304, thereby reducing the probability of premature ignition of the fuel from theintake fuel injector 330 in mixture with oxidizer within themain combustion chamber 310. Instead, according to the first mode of operation, ignition of the fuel-oxidizer mixture within themain combustion chamber 310 is initiated by thecontroller 104 via theignition energy source 402, as discussed previously. - Accordingly, the pressure in the low-
pressure fuel system 120 may be sufficient to operate the engine in the first mode with all cylinders firing during each crankshaft cycle, and without restricting oxidizer flow through theintake duct 314 via anintake throttle valve 364. As used here, the term “crankshaft cycle” refers to 720 degrees of crankshaft rotation when theIC engine 102 operates on a four-stroke cycle, and refers to 360 degrees of crankshaft rotation when theIC engine 102 operates on a two-stroke cycle. - In some configurations of the
IC engine 102, and perhaps depending upon ambient air pressure and temperature, among other considerations, the pressure available to the low-pressure fuel system 120 from thefuel storage tank 108 may not be sufficient to deliver a desired amount of fuel to thepre-chamber assembly 308 and themain combustion chamber 310. It will be appreciated that if the fuel-oxidizer mixture within amain combustion chamber 310 becomes too lean as a result of insufficient fuel flow, ignition of the fuel-oxidizer mixture may become difficult, burning of the fuel-oxidizer mixture may not proceed to sufficient completion to effectively control regulated emissions, or combinations thereof. In turn, thecontroller 104 may take further control action to operate theIC engine 102 in the first mode. - According to an aspect of the disclosure, the
controller 104 may restrict oxidizer flow through theintake duct 314 by adjusting a configuration of an intake throttle valve 364 (seeFIG. 5 ) to decrease a flow area through theintake throttle valve 364. As a result, oxidizer flow through theintake duct 314 decreases, and the fuel demand inmain combustion chambers 310 and thepre-chamber assemblies 308 is reduced to maintain sufficient fuel-oxidizer mixture strength. Although throttling the oxidizer flow through theintake duct 314 via theintake throttle valve 364 may decrease thermodynamic efficiency of theIC engine 102 by decreasing BMEP, throttling the oxidizer flow may provide operability advantages by avoiding the need to operate the high-pressure fuel system 122, and may reduce the likelihood of premature ignition of the fuel-oxidizer mixture within themain combustion chamber 310 by reducing pressure and temperature rise within themain combustion chamber 310 during the compression stroke, compared to the unthrottled condition. - According to another aspect of the disclosure, the
controller 104 may effect a skip-fire operating mode of theIC engine 102 to reduce the total fuel flow required to operate theIC engine 102 in the first mode. According to the skip-fire strategy, only a fraction of the cylinders of the plurality of cylinders 450 (seeFIG. 7 ) are operated during a crankshaft cycle. - As part of a skip-fire operating strategy, the
controller 104 may deactivate one or more cylinders by not delivering any fuel to those cylinders during that crankshaft cycle. Furthermore, given sufficient flexibility in operation of theintake valves 316, theexhaust valves 322, or both, thecontroller 104 may hold open anintake valve 316, anexhaust valve 322, or both, of a non-active cylinder during at least a portion of the crankshaft cycle of a skip-fire mode to decrease compression work needed to reciprocate thepiston 304 of the non-active cylinder. - It will be appreciated that the particular cylinders deactivated by the skip-fire strategy may change from one crankshaft cycle to the next, and the number or fraction of deactivated cylinders may be varied by the
controller 104 from one crankshaft cycle to the next. - The
controller 104 may be configured to both decrease a flow area through theintake throttle valve 364, and to effect a skip-fire operating strategy as part of the first operating mode of theIC engine 102. However, according to another aspect of the disclosure, theIC engine 102 does not include anintake throttle valve 364. - According to another aspect of the disclosure, the
IC engine 102 may be operated according to a second mode, such that fuel is supplied to theIC engine 102 from both the high-pressure fuel system 122 and the low-pressure fuel system 120 during a crankshaft cycle. According to the second operating mode, thecontroller 104 may cause thepump 186 to receive a flow of liquid-phase fuel from thefuel storage tank 108 and pump the flow of liquid-phase fuel to a pressure that is higher than a pressure in the low-pressure fuel system 120. Additionally, thecontroller 104 may cause thefuel conditioning module 188 to evaporate the flow of liquid-phase fuel to create a flow of high-pressure gaseous-phase fuel for delivery to themain combustion chamber 310 via thedirect fuel injector 328. - Further according to the second operating mode, a flow of pilot fuel may be delivered from the low-
pressure fuel system 120 to thepre-chamber assembly 308 via thepre-chamber fuel injector 358. Similar to the first operating mode, the operation of thepre-chamber fuel injector 358 may be timed to deliver fuel to thepre-chamber cavity 410 while thecorresponding piston 304 is undergoing the intake stroke, or is disposed early in the compression stroke, to limit the amount of pressure necessary from the low-pressure fuel system 120 to deliver the desired amount of pilot fuel to thepre-chamber assembly 308. - During the second mode of operation, the high-
pressure fuel system 122 may provide fuel to thedirect fuel injector 328 at a sufficient pressure to directly inject fuel into themain combustion chamber 310 at any point during the compression stroke of thepiston 304. Accordingly, thecontroller 104 may cause thedirect fuel injector 328 to inject fuel into themain combustion chamber 310 during any time interval that might be used for fuel injection into a conventional direct injection compression ignition engine. It will be appreciated that direct injection of fuel into themain combustion chamber 310 via thedirect injector 328 near the top of the compression stroke of thepiston 304, during the second mode of operation, may help to avoid premature ignition of a fuel-oxidizer mixture within themain combustion chamber 310 by limiting residence time of the fuel from thedirect injector 328 within themain combustion chamber 310. Instead, according to the second mode of operation, ignition of the fuel-oxidizer mixture within themain combustion chamber 310 is initiated by thecontroller 104 via theignition energy source 402, as discussed previously. - Further according to the second operating mode of the
IC engine 102, thecontroller 104 may cause theturbine bypass valve 368 to close, and thecompressor recirculation valve 370 to close, in order to increase the pressure in theintake duct 314. Moreover, if theIC engine 102 is equipped with anintake throttle valve 364, thecontroller 104 may configure the intake throttle valve to its wide-open configuration during the second operating mode, such that a flow area through theintake throttle valve 364 is maximized. - Operation of the
direct fuel injector 328 during the second operating mode of theIC engine 102 may inherently result in a stream of bleed fuel that must be directed away fromdirect fuel injector 328. The stream of bleed fuel may be directed to the low-pressure fuel system 120 via thedrain conduit 220 and the drain check valve 222 (seeFIG. 5 ). Directing the stream of bleed fuel to the low-pressure fuel system 120 instead of thefuel storage tank 108 may provide the benefits of avoiding an additional heat load applied to thefuel storage tank 108, and promoting pressure maintenance of the low-pressure fuel system 120 without drawing additional fuel from thefuel storage tank 108. Furthermore, directing the stream of bleed fuel to the low-pressure fuel system 120 instead of the ambient environment of theIC engine 102 may provide the benefits of improving fuel efficiency by eventually burning the bleed fuel stream in thepre-chamber assembly 308, and by reducing regulated emissions from theIC engine 102. - According to an aspect of the disclosure, the
main combustion chamber 310 may receive fuel from both the high-pressure fuel system 122 via thedirect fuel injector 328, and the low-pressure fuel system 120 via theintake fuel injector 330 during the second mode of operation. Indeed, delivering a portion of the total fuel to themain combustion chamber 310 via theintake fuel injector 330, during the second mode of operation, may provide a benefit of promoting overall mixedness of the fuel and oxidizer within themain combustion chamber 310, or promoting a strategy of deliberately tailoring stratification of the concentration of fuel and oxidizer within themain combustion chamber 310. - Further, the
controller 104 may vary the quantity of fuel delivered to thepre-chamber fuel injector 358, theintake fuel injector 330, or both, via the low-pressure fuel system 120 to manage pressure in the low-pressure fuel system 120. For example, thecontroller 104 may increase an amount of fuel delivered to theIC engine 102 via the low-pressure fuel system 120 to avoid returning some or any of the bleed flow from thedirect fuel injector 328 to the low-pressure fuel system 120, and its corresponding thermal heat content (contrast with the fuel's chemical heating value), back to thefuel storage tank 108 via thepressure control module 138. Accordingly, thecontroller 104 may vary the quantity of fuel delivered to theIC engine 102 via the low-pressure fuel system 120 to promote thermal management of thefuel storage tank 108. -
FIG. 8 is a flowchart of amethod 500 for operating anIC engine 102, according to an aspect of the disclosure. From the start instep 502, themethod 500 determines whether a temperature of theIC engine 102 is greater than a threshold temperature instep 504. The temperature of theIC engine 102 may be a temperature measured by the temperature sensor 224 (seeFIG. 2 ), or any other temperature sensor in thermal communication with theIC engine 102. According to an aspect of the disclosure, the threshold temperature instep 504 is a temperature indicating that theIC engine 102 is generating sufficient waste heat to evaporate a target fuel flow through thefuel conditioning module 188 using engine waste heat, at least in part, as the fuel heating potential. If the temperature of theIC engine 102 is greater than the threshold temperature instep 504, then themethod 500 proceeds to step 506. - In
step 506, themethod 500 determines whether a speed of theIC engine 102 is greater than a threshold speed. The speed of theIC engine 102 may be determined from the speed sensor 226 (seeFIG. 2 ) or any other engine speed determination method known in the art. The threshold speed instep 506 may be indicative of an idle speed of theIC engine 102. If the speed of theIC engine 102 is greater than the threshold speed, then themethod 500 proceeds to step 508. - In
step 508, themethod 500 determines whether a load of theIC engine 102 is greater than a threshold load. The load of theIC engine 102 may be determined based on a speed of theIC engine 102, a torque of theIC engine 102, a fuel flow consumed by theIC engine 102, combinations thereof, or any other method for determining or estimating a load of an engine. The threshold load instep 508 may be a load that indicates that theIC engine 102 is generating sufficient waste heat to evaporate a target fuel flow through thefuel conditioning module 188 using engine waste heat, at least in part, as the fuel heating potential. Alternatively or additionally, the threshold load instep 508 may be about 20% of a rated load of theIC engine 102. - If the results of all of
steps method 500 proceeds to step 514, where fuel from the high-pressure fuel system 122 is delivered to themain combustion chamber 310 via thedirect fuel injector 328. It will be appreciated that thestep 514 is consistent with the second operating mode of theIC engine 102 described above, and may indicate that theIC engine 102 may run in the aforementioned second operating mode. - If the result of any of the
steps method 500 proceeds to step 510, where fluid communication between the high-pressure fuel system 122 and themain combustion chamber 310 is blocked via thedirect fuel injector 328 for at least one full crankshaft cycle. Next, instep 512, fuel is delivered from the low-pressure fuel system 120 to themain combustion chamber 310 via theintake fuel injector 330. It will be appreciated that thesteps IC engine 102 described above, and may indicate that theIC engine 102 may run in the aforementioned first operating mode. - Although the
non-limiting method 500 illustrated inFIG. 8 includes all three ofsteps method 500 may exclude any one or two of thesteps steps IC engine 102 is not already running and should be configured in the first operating mode, consistent withsteps - It will be appreciated that the foregoing description provides examples of the disclosed system and technique. However, it is contemplated that other implementations of the disclosure may differ in detail from the foregoing examples. All references to the disclosure or examples thereof are intended to reference the particular example being discussed at that point and are not intended to imply any limitation as to the scope of the disclosure more generally. All language of distinction and disparagement with respect to certain features is intended to indicate a lack of preference for those features, but not to exclude such from the scope of the disclosure entirely unless otherwise indicated.
- Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
- Any of the methods or functions described herein may be performed by or controlled by the
controller 104. Further, any of the methods or functions described herein may be embodied in a computer-readable non-transitory medium for causing thecontroller 104 to perform the methods or functions described herein. Such computer-readable non-transitory media may include magnetic disks, optical discs, solid state disk drives, combinations thereof, or any other computer-readable non-transitory medium known in the art. Moreover, it will be appreciated that the methods and functions described herein may be incorporated into larger control schemes for an engine, a machine, or combinations thereof, including other methods and functions not described herein. - When referring to fluid coupling or fluid communication herein, the term “via” will be understood to mean “by way of” or “through.” Accordingly, when a first component is fluidly coupled to a second component via a third component, the third component is disposed fluidly in series between the first component and the second component along a flow path from the first component to the second component, without having to flow through either the first component or the second component more than once to define such a flow path. It will also be understood that a first component being fluidly coupled to a second component via a third component, leaves open the possibility of intervening components other than the third component being additionally fluidly coupled in series between the first component and the second component.
Claims (20)
1. A fuel supply system for a reciprocating-piston engine, the fuel supply system comprising:
a storage tank, a wall of the storage tank defining a first aperture and a second aperture therethrough, the first aperture being distinct from the second aperture;
a first fuel injector fluidly coupled with the first aperture of the storage tank via a pressure control module and a first fuel injector supply conduit, the first fuel injector supply conduit being disposed fluidly in series between the pressure control module and first fuel injector,
the pressure control module being configured to maintain a pressure in the first fuel injector supply conduit within a pressure range that includes a pressure value that is less than a pressure inside the storage tank;
a pump fluidly coupled with the second aperture of the storage tank; and
a second fuel injector fluidly coupled with an outlet port of the pump via a second fuel injector supply conduit, the pump being configured to maintain a pressure inside the second fuel injector supply conduit that is greater than the pressure inside the first fuel injector supply conduit.
2. The fuel supply system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure control module includes a first check valve and a second check valve,
the first check valve being configured and arranged to effect fluid communication therethrough only along a flow direction extending from the storage tank toward the first fuel injector supply conduit,
the second check valve being configured and arranged to effect fluid communication therethrough only along a flow direction extending from the first fuel injector supply conduit toward the storage tank.
3. The fuel supply system of claim 2 , wherein the pressure control module includes a first resilient member that biases the first check valve to allow flow therethrough only when a pressure at an inlet to the first check valve exceeds a pressure at an outlet of the first check valve by a first pressure differential, and
wherein the pressure control module includes a second resilient member that biases the second check valve to allow flow therethrough only when a pressure at an inlet to the second check valve exceeds a pressure at an outlet of the second check valve by a second pressure differential.
4. The fuel supply system of claim 3 , wherein the first pressure differential is greater than the second pressure differential.
5. The fuel supply system of claim 1 , wherein the second fuel injector defines an outlet drain port, the outlet drain port being fluidly coupled to the first fuel injector supply conduit via a drain check valve,
the drain check valve being configured and arranged to effect fluid communication between the outlet drain port and the first fuel injector supply conduit only in a flow direction that extends from the outlet drain port toward the first fuel injector supply conduit.
6. The fuel supply system of claim 1 , wherein the reciprocating-piston engine includes a combustion pre-chamber and a main combustion chamber, the combustion pre-chamber being fluidly coupled to the main combustion chamber, and
the first fuel injector is a pre-chamber fuel injector that is fluidly coupled to the main combustion chamber via the combustion pre-chamber.
7. The fuel supply system of claim 1 , wherein the reciprocating-piston engine includes an intake manifold and a main combustion chamber, the intake manifold being fluidly coupled to the main combustion chamber, and
the first fuel injector is an intake fuel injector that is fluidly coupled to the main combustion chamber via the intake manifold.
8. The fuel supply system of claim 1 , wherein the storage tank is configured to contemporaneously store a liquid phase of a fuel and a gaseous phase of the fuel, the liquid phase of the fuel being separated from the gaseous phase of the fuel by a free surface defined therebetween,
the first aperture of the storage tank being arranged to effect fluid communication between the first aperture and the gaseous phase of the fuel along a flow path that does not include the liquid phase of the fuel,
the second aperture of the storage tank being arranged to effect fluid communication between the second aperture and the liquid phase of the fuel along a flow path that does not include the gaseous phase of the fuel.
9. An engine, comprising:
a block defining a cylinder bore therethrough;
a piston disposed within the cylinder bore and configured for reciprocating motion relative to the cylinder bore, the cylinder bore and the piston at least partly defining a main combustion chamber;
an oxidizer intake conduit disposed in selective fluid communication with the main combustion chamber via an intake valve;
an intake fuel injector having at least one outlet orifice disposed in fluid communication with the main combustion chamber via the oxidizer intake conduit;
a direct fuel injector having at least one outlet orifice disposed in direct fluid communication with the main combustion chamber along a flow path that does not include the oxidizer intake conduit;
a storage tank, a wall of the storage tank defining a first aperture and a second aperture therethrough, the first aperture being distinct from the second aperture,
the first aperture of the storage tank being fluidly coupled to an inlet of the intake fuel injector via a pressure control module,
the pressure control module being configured to maintain a pressure at the inlet of the intake fuel injector within a pressure range that includes a pressure value that is less than a pressure inside the storage tank; and
a pump fluidly coupled with the second aperture of the storage tank, an inlet of the direct fuel injector being fluidly coupled to an outlet of the pump, the pump being configured to maintain a pressure at the inlet of the direct fuel injector that is greater than the pressure at the inlet of the intake fuel injector.
10. The engine of claim 9 , further comprising a pre-chamber assembly that includes
a pre-chamber body defining a pre-chamber cavity and defining at least one orifice therethrough, the pre-chamber cavity being in fluid communication with the main combustion chamber via the at least one orifice,
a pre-chamber fuel injector disposed in fluid communication with the main combustion chamber via the pre-chamber cavity, and
an ignition source operatively coupled to the pre-chamber cavity.
11. The engine of claim 10 , further comprising an intake throttle valve disposed in the oxidizer intake conduit, and disposed fluidly in series between an inlet to the oxidizer intake conduit and the intake valve.
12. The engine of claim 10 , wherein the oxidizer intake conduit does not include an intake throttle valve disposed fluidly in series between an inlet to the oxidizer intake conduit and the intake valve.
13. The engine of claim 10 , further comprising a controller being operatively coupled to the direct fuel injector, the pre-chamber fuel injector, the intake fuel injector, and the pump, the controller being configured to
operate the engine in a first mode when a speed of the engine is less than a predetermined threshold speed, a load of the engine is less than a predetermined threshold load, or a temperature of the engine is less than a predetermined threshold temperature, and
operate the engine in a second mode when a speed of the engine is greater than the predetermined threshold speed, the load of the engine is greater than the predetermined threshold load, or the temperature of the engine is greater than the predetermined threshold temperature,
wherein according to the first mode, fuel is delivered to the pre-chamber cavity via the pre-chamber fuel injector, fuel is delivered to the oxidizer intake conduit via the intake fuel injector, and fluid communication between the direct fuel injector and the main combustion chamber is blocked, and
wherein according to the second mode, fuel is delivered to the pre-chamber cavity via the pre-chamber fuel injector, and fuel is delivered to the main combustion chamber via the direct fuel injector.
14. The engine of claim 13 , wherein the oxidizer intake conduit does not include an intake throttle valve disposed fluidly in series between an inlet to the oxidizer intake conduit and the intake valve, and
wherein further according to the second mode, the engine is operated according to a skip-fire schedule.
15. The engine of claim 13 , wherein further according to the second mode, fuel is additionally delivered to the engine via the intake fuel injector.
16. The engine of claim 9 , wherein the pressure control module includes a first check valve and a second check valve,
the first check valve being configured and arranged to effect fluid communication therethrough only along a flow direction extending from the storage tank toward the intake fuel injector,
the second check valve being configured and arranged to effect fluid communication therethrough only along a flow direction extending from the intake fuel injector toward the storage tank.
17. The engine of claim 9 , wherein the storage tank is configured to contemporaneously store a liquid phase of a fuel and a gaseous phase of the fuel, the liquid phase of the fuel being separated from the gaseous phase of the fuel by a free surface defined therebetween,
the first aperture of the storage tank being arranged to effect fluid communication between the first aperture and the gaseous phase of the fuel along a flow path that does not include the liquid phase of the fuel,
the second aperture of the storage tank being arranged to effect fluid communication between the second aperture and the liquid phase of the fuel along a flow path that does not include the gaseous phase of the fuel.
18. The engine of claim 17 , wherein the pump is fluidly coupled to the direct fuel injector via a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger being thermally coupled to a heat source and configured to transfer heat from the heat source to a discharge flow from the pump, thereby evaporating the discharge flow from the pump via the heat exchanger.
19. A method for supplying a fuel to an engine, the method comprising:
drawing a first flow of the fuel from a storage tank, the first flow of the fuel leaving the storage tank in a gaseous state;
delivering the first flow of the fuel from the storage tank to a first fuel injector via a pressure control module;
decreasing a pressure of the first flow of the fuel to less than a pressure inside the storage tank via the pressure control module;
injecting the first flow of the fuel into a main combustion chamber of the engine via an oxidizer intake conduit of the engine;
drawing a second flow of the fuel from the storage tank, the second flow of the fuel leaving the storage tank in a liquid state, the gaseous state of the fuel coexisting with the liquid state of the fuel within the storage tank;
pumping the second flow of the fuel to a pressure that is higher than a pressure inside the storage tank;
delivering the second flow of the fuel to a second fuel injector at a pressure that is higher than the pressure of the first flow of the fuel within the first fuel injector; and
injecting the second flow of the fuel directly into the main combustion chamber of the engine via the second fuel injector.
20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
drawing a third flow of the fuel from the storage tank, the third flow of the fuel leaving the storage tank in the gaseous state;
delivering the third flow of the fuel from the storage tank to a third fuel injector via the pressure control module; and
injecting the third flow of the fuel into the main combustion chamber via a combustion pre-chamber.
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