Apparatus and method for operating internal combustion engines from variable mixtures of gaseous fuels
Abstract
An apparatus and method for utilizing any arbitrary mixture ratio of multiple fuel gases having differing combustion characteristics, such as natural gas and hydrogen gas, within an internal combustion engine. The gaseous fuel composition ratio is first sensed, such as by thermal conductivity, infrared signature, sound propagation speed, or equivalent mixture differentiation mechanisms and combinations thereof which are utilized as input(s) to a "multiple map" engine control module which modulates selected operating parameters of the engine, such as fuel injection and ignition timing, in response to the proportions of fuel gases available so that the engine operates correctly and at high efficiency irrespective of the gas mixture ratio being utilized. As a result, an engine configured according to the teachings of the present invention may be fueled from at least two different fuel sources without admixing constraints.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Univ. of California, Oakland, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1176719
- Patent Number(s):
- RE42876
- Application Number:
- 12/769,408
- Assignee:
- The Regents of the University of California (Oakland, CA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC36-94GO10039
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 2010 Apr 28
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 03 NATURAL GAS; 33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
Citation Formats
Heffel, James W., Scott, Paul B., and Park, Chan Seung. Apparatus and method for operating internal combustion engines from variable mixtures of gaseous fuels. United States: N. p., 2011.
Web.
Heffel, James W., Scott, Paul B., & Park, Chan Seung. Apparatus and method for operating internal combustion engines from variable mixtures of gaseous fuels. United States.
Heffel, James W., Scott, Paul B., and Park, Chan Seung. Tue .
"Apparatus and method for operating internal combustion engines from variable mixtures of gaseous fuels". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1176719.
@article{osti_1176719,
title = {Apparatus and method for operating internal combustion engines from variable mixtures of gaseous fuels},
author = {Heffel, James W. and Scott, Paul B. and Park, Chan Seung},
abstractNote = {An apparatus and method for utilizing any arbitrary mixture ratio of multiple fuel gases having differing combustion characteristics, such as natural gas and hydrogen gas, within an internal combustion engine. The gaseous fuel composition ratio is first sensed, such as by thermal conductivity, infrared signature, sound propagation speed, or equivalent mixture differentiation mechanisms and combinations thereof which are utilized as input(s) to a "multiple map" engine control module which modulates selected operating parameters of the engine, such as fuel injection and ignition timing, in response to the proportions of fuel gases available so that the engine operates correctly and at high efficiency irrespective of the gas mixture ratio being utilized. As a result, an engine configured according to the teachings of the present invention may be fueled from at least two different fuel sources without admixing constraints.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2011},
month = {11}
}
Works referenced in this record:
Development of a Hydrogen Fueled Internal Combustion Engine Designed for Single Speed/Power Operation
conference, August 1996
- Van Blarigan, Peter
- Future Transportation Technology Conference & Exposition, SAE Technical Paper Series