System and method for reducing vapor generation in liquefied natural gas fueled vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10358148-B2
Application number	US-201615219751-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2016
Priority date	Jul 26, 2016
Publication date	Jul 23, 2019
Grant date	Jul 23, 2019

Abstract

A method of reducing vapor generation in an LNG fueled vehicle is provided. The LNG fueled vehicle includes an LNG fuel system including an external LNG pump. The method includes a step of predicting if the LNG fueled vehicle will be operated during a first forthcoming time period using a controller. If the LNG fueled vehicle will be operated during the first forthcoming time period, as determined by the first predicting step, the method includes cooling the external LNG pump.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of reducing vapor generation in a liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueled vehicle, the LNG fueled vehicle including an LNG fuel system including an external LNG pump, the method comprising steps of:
predicting if the LNG fueled vehicle will be operated during a forthcoming time period using a controller; and
if the LNG fueled vehicle will be operated during the forthcoming time period, as determined by the predicting step, cooling the external LNG pump.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the LNG fuel system includes an LNG storage tank and an LNG transfer pump fluidly connected between the LNG storage tank and the external LNG pump and operable to pump LNG from the LNG storage tank to the external LNG pump, the method further including:
determining whether the LNG transfer pump of the LNG fuel system is currently running; and
performing the predicting step only if the LNG transfer pump is not currently running.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the predicting step includes evaluating, by the controller, at least one of operator cab occupancy and a dispatch schedule.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the forthcoming time period is between about fifteen minutes and about forty-five minutes.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the LNG fuel system includes an LNG storage tank and an LNG transfer pump fluidly connected between the LNG storage tank and the external LNG pump and operable to pump LNG from the LNG storage tank to the external LNG pump, the method further including:
determining whether the LNG transfer pump of the LNG fuel system is currently running; and
performing the predicting step only if the LNG transfer pump is currently running.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the predicting step includes evaluating, by the controller, at least one of operator cab occupancy, geographic location, and input from a positive train control system.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the forthcoming time period is between about three hours and about five hours.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein cooling the external LNG pump includes circulating LNG through the external LNG pump.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the LNG fuel system includes an LNG storage tank and an LNG transfer pump fluidly connected between the LNG storage tank and the external LNG pump and operable to pump LNG from the LNG storage tank to the external LNG pump, and wherein cooling the external LNG pump includes one of starting the LNG transfer pump of the LNG fuel system and maintaining a running state of the LNG transfer pump.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the LNG fuel system includes an LNG storage tank and an LNG transfer pump fluidly connected between the LNG storage tank and the external LNG pump and operable to pump LNG from the LNG storage tank to the external LNG pump, method further including:
determine whether the LNG transfer pump of the LNG fuel system is currently running;
predict if the LNG vehicle will be operated during a first forthcoming time period in response to determining that the LNG transfer pump is not currently running; and
predict if the LNG vehicle will be operated during a second forthcoming time period in response to determining that the LNG transfer pump is currently running, wherein the second forthcoming time period is greater than the first forthcoming time period.

11. A system for reducing vapor generation in a liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueled vehicle, the LNG fueled vehicle including an LNG fuel system including an external LNG pump, comprising:
a controller configured to:
predict if the LNG fueled vehicle will be operated during a forthcoming time period; and
if the LNG fueled vehicle will be operated during the forthcoming time period, as determined by the predicting step, cool the external LNG pump.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the LNG fuel system includes an LNG storage tank and an LNG transfer pump fluidly connected between the LNG storage tank and the external LNG pump and operable to pump LNG from the LNG storage tank to the external LNG pump, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine whether the LNG transfer pump of the LNG fuel system is currently running; and
predict if the LNG vehicle will be operated during the forthcoming time period only if the LNG transfer pump is not currently running.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to predict if the LNG vehicle will be operated during the forthcoming time period by evaluating at least one of operator cab occupancy and a dispatch schedule.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the forthcoming time period is between about fifteen minutes and about forty-five minutes.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the LNG fuel system includes an LNG storage tank and an LNG transfer pump fluidly connected between the LNG storage tank and the external LNG pump and operable to pump LNG from the LNG storage tank to the external LNG pump, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine whether the LNG transfer pump of the LNG fuel system is currently running; and
predict if the LNG vehicle will be operated during the first forthcoming time period only if the LNG transfer pump is currently running.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to predict if the LNG vehicle will be operated during the forthcoming time period by evaluating at least one of operator cab occupancy, geographic location, and input from a positive train control system.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the forthcoming time period is between about three hours and about five hours.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein cooling the external LNG pump includes circulating LNG through the external LNG pump.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein cooling the external LNG pump includes one of starting an LNG transfer pump of the LNG fuel system and maintaining a running state of the LNG transfer pump.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the LNG fuel system includes an LNG storage tank and an LNG transfer pump fluidly connected between the LNG storage tank and the external LNG pump and operable to pump LNG from the LNG storage tank to the external LNG pump, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine whether the LNG transfer pump of the LNG fuel system is currently running;
predict if the LNG vehicle will be operated during a first forthcoming time period in response to determining that the LNG transfer pump is not currently running; and
predict if the LNG vehicle will be operated during a second forthcoming time period in response to determining that the LNG transfer pump is currently running, wherein the second forthcoming time period is greater than the first forthcoming time period.

Assignees

• Progress Rail Locomotive Inc

Inventors

• Foege Aaron Gamache
• Klaric Walter Henry

Classifications

• Y02T30/10

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B61C5/00 Primary

  Locomotives or motor railcars with IC engines or gas turbines (characterised by power transmission B61C9/00; engines F02) · CPC title

• B61C17/02

  Bunkers; Tanks; Tenders (coachwork B61D); Water or fuel pick-up or scoop apparatus; Water or fuel supply fittings (trackside installations, e.g. bunkers, tanks, for filling locomotives with sand or water B61K11/00) · CPC title

• Y02T30/00

  Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance · CPC title