Fuel train control using a multi-position gas shut-off valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10619609-B1
Application number	US-201816148623-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 1, 2018
Priority date	Oct 1, 2018
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

A multi-position GSOV and control of the multi-position GSOV are disclosed. An example method may include determining a value of a parameter associated with a fuel train, wherein the fuel train is associated with an engine; determining a setting associated with the parameter; and causing, based on the value of the parameter and the setting, a position of a gas shut-off valve (GSOV) of the fuel train to be reconfigured to cause a flow rate of fuel flowing through the GSOV to change from a first flow rate to a second flow rate, wherein the second flow rate is greater than a zero percent flow rate and less than a one hundred percent flow rate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
determining, by an engine control module, a value of a parameter associated with a fuel train,
wherein the fuel train is associated with an engine;

determining, by the engine control module, a setting associated with the parameter;
causing, by the engine control module and based on the value of the parameter and the setting, a position of a gas shut-off valve (GSOV) of the fuel train to be reconfigured to cause a flow rate of fuel that is flowing through the GSOV to change from a first flow rate to a second flow rate, wherein the second flow rate is greater than a zero percent flow rate and less than a one hundred percent flow rate; and
causing, by the engine control module, the position of the GSOV to be reconfigured to cause the flow rate to change from the second flow rate to a third flow rate, wherein the third flow rate is greater than the zero percent flow rate and less than the one hundred percent flow rate.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the position of the GSOV is at a first position that enables the fuel to flow through the GSOV at a first flow rate,
wherein causing the position of the GSOV to be reconfigured to cause the flow rate to change from the first flow rate to the second flow rate comprises:
adjusting the position of the GSOV to a second position that enables fuel to flow through the GSOV at a second flow rate,
wherein the second flow rate is different than the first flow rate.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the position of the GSOV to be reconfigured to cause the flow rate to change from the first flow rate to the second flow rate increases or decreases a fuel turndown ratio of the fuel train.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a difference between the setting and the value of the parameter;
obtaining one or more operating conditions associated with the engine; and
using a mapping of the difference and the one or more operating conditions to candidate positions of the GSOV to determine the position.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the GSOV is upstream, relative to a flow of the fuel through the fuel train, from a sensor associated with the parameter.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameter comprises at least one of:
an inlet pressure of a pressure regulator of the fuel train;
a pressure of the fuel train; or
a mass flow of fuel through the fuel train.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the GSOV comprises an electrically controlled actuator and a ball valve,
wherein the electrically controlled actuator that is configured to mechanically control a position of the ball valve.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second flow rate is one of:
a 20% of maximum flow rate,
a 30% of maximum flow rate,
a 50% of maximum flow rate, or
a 75% of maximum flow rate.

9. An engine control module, comprising:
one or more memories; and
one or more processors, communicatively coupled to the one or more memories, to:
obtain a setting associated with a parameter associated with a fuel train,
the parameter comprising at least one of:
an inlet pressure of a pressure regulator of the fuel train,
a pressure of the fuel train, or
a mass flow of fuel through the fuel train;

determine that a value of the parameter is outside a threshold range of the setting;
determine a position of a multi-position gas shut-off valve (GSOV) of the fuel train; and
adjust the position of the multi-position GSOV until the value of the parameter is within the threshold range of the setting,
wherein the position of the multi-position GSOV is to be adjusted to increase or decrease a flow rate of fuel that is flowing through the multi-position GSOV.

10. The engine control module of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors, when adjusting the position of the multi-position GSOV until the value of the parameter is within the threshold range of the setting, are further to:
adjust the position of the multi-position GSOV from a first position to a second position,
wherein the first position enables a different flow rate of the fuel through the multi-position GSOV than the second position; and

determine, when the multi-position GSOV is in the second position, that the value of the parameter is within the threshold range of the setting.

11. The engine control module of claim 9 , wherein the setting is based on one or more operating conditions of an engine associated with the fuel train.

12. The engine control module of claim 9 , wherein the fuel train includes one or more fuel valves downstream from the multi-position GSOV, relative to the fuel flowing through the fuel train,
wherein the one or more fuel valves enable the fuel to be injected into one or more respective combustion chambers of an internal combustion engine.

13. The engine control module of claim 9 , wherein the setting is obtained based on one or more operating conditions of an engine of the fuel train.

14. The engine control module of claim 9 , wherein the multi-position GSOV comprises an electrically controlled actuator and a ball valve,
wherein the electrically controlled actuator that is configured to mechanically control a position of the ball valve and the position of the ball valve corresponds to the position of the multi-position GSOV.

15. The engine control module of claim 9 , wherein, after adjusting the position of the multi-position GSOV, the flow rate is one of:
a 20% of maximum flow rate,
a 30% of maximum flow rate,
a 50% of maximum flow rate, or
a 75% of maximum flow rate.

16. A system associated with an engine and one or more sensors that monitor one or more components of a fuel train of the engine, the system comprising:
a multi-position gas shut-off valve (GSOV) comprising:
an electrically controlled actuator, and
a ball valve; and

an engine control module to:
receive a value of a parameter based on one or more measurements from the one or more sensors,
the parameter comprising at least one of:
an inlet pressure of a pressure regulator of the fuel train,
a pressure of the fuel train, or
a mass flow of fuel through the fuel train;

obtain a setting associated with the parameter,
wherein the setting and the parameter are associated with one of the one or more components of the fuel train;

compare the value of the parameter and the setting associated with the parameter; and
cause the electrically controlled actuator to adjust a position of the ball valve based on a result of comparing the value of the parameter and the setting associated with the parameter,
wherein adjusting the position of the ball valve increases or decreases a flow rate of fuel through the multi-position GSOV.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the engine control module is to:
determine a first position of the ball valve based on information received from the electrically controlled actuator; and
when causing the electrically controlled actuator to adjust the position of the ball valve, cause the electrically controlled actuator to adjust the position of the ball valve from the first position to a second position,
wherein a flow rate of fuel flowing through the ball valve in the first position is different than a flow rate of the fuel flowing through the ball valve in the second position.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the multi-position GSOV is configured within the fuel train to be upstream from the one or more sensors, relative to a flow of fuel through the fuel train.

19. The system

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Kabrich Todd

Classifications

• F02M37/0023 Primary

  Valves in the fuel supply and return system · CPC title

• F02D2200/0606

  Fuel temperature · CPC title

• F02D2200/0614

  Actual fuel mass or fuel injection amount · CPC title

• F02D41/2422

  Selective use of one or more tables · CPC title

• F02D41/0027

  the fuel being gaseous (non-electrical control F02D19/02) · CPC title