Fuel system for an internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10724449-B2
Application number	US-201616078690-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2016
Priority date	Feb 26, 2016
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

A fuel system for an internal combustion engine is provided including a first fuel container for a first fuel, a second fuel container for a second fuel, a pump, and a first fuel injector, the fuel system being arranged to provide a communication between the first fuel container and the pump and between the pump and the first fuel injector, and a reservoir with a separation device adapted to divide the reservoir into a first volume and a second volume, whereby the separation device may be moved or flexed by a pressure difference in the first and second volumes so as to change the sizes of the first and second volumes, wherein the fuel system is arranged to provide a communication between the pump and the first volume, and to provide a communication between the second fuel container and the second volume and between the second volume and a second fuel injector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel system for an internal combustion engine comprising
a first fuel container for a first fuel, a second fuel container for a second fuel, a pump, and a first fuel injector, the fuel system being arranged to provide a communication between the first fuel container and the pump and between the pump and the first fuel injector,
wherein the fuel system further comprises a reservoir with a separation device adapted to divide the reservoir into a first volume and a second volume, whereby the separation device is moved or flexed by a pressure difference in the first and second volumes so as to change the sizes of the first and second volumes,
wherein the fuel system is arranged to provide a communication between the pump and the first volume, and to provide a communication between the second fuel container and the second volume and between the second volume and a second fuel injector, whereby the fuel system provides for a single fuel pump being used for delivering two fuels of different types to a cylinder of the engine,
wherein the reservoir, separation device, first volume and second volume are a primary reservoir, a primary separation device, a primary first volume and a primary second volume, respectively, the fuel system also comprising a secondary reservoir with a secondary separation device adapted to divide the secondary reservoir into a secondary first volume and a secondary second volume, whereby the secondary separation device is moved or flexed by a pressure difference in the secondary first and second volumes so as to change the sizes of the secondary first and second volumes, wherein the fuel system is arranged to provide a communication between the pump and the secondary first volume, and to provide a communication between the second fuel container and the secondary second volume and between the secondary second volume and the second fuel injector.

2. A fuel system according to claim 1 , wherein the pump presents an inlet and an outlet, the communication between the pump and the first fuel injector being provided between the outlet and the first fuel injector, the communication between the pump and the first volume being providable between the outlet and the first volume.

3. A fuel system according to claim 1 , wherein the pump presents an inlet and an outlet, the communication between the first fuel container and the pump being provided between the first fuel container and the inlet, the communication between the pump and the first volume being providable between the inlet and the first volume.

4. A fuel system according to claim 1 , wherein the pump presents an inlet and an outlet, a first valve arrangement being arranged to control the communication between the pump and the first volume alternatingly as a communication between the outlet and the first volume and as a communication between the inlet and the first volume.

5. A fuel system according to claim 1 , wherein a second valve arrangement is arranged to, when the separation device is moved or flexed so as for the second volume to increase in size, allow the communication between the second fuel container and the second volume and block the communication between the second volume and the second fuel injector.

6. A fuel system according to claim 1 , wherein a second valve arrangement is arranged to, when the separation device is moved or flexed so as for the second volume to decrease in size, block the communication between the second fuel container and the second volume and allow the communication between the second volume and the second fuel injector.

7. A fuel system according to claim 1 , wherein the pump presents an inlet and an outlet, a first valve arrangement being arranged to control the communications between the pump and the primary first volume and the pump and the secondary first volume alternatingly as on one hand a communication between the outlet and the primary first volume and a simultaneous communication between the inlet and the secondary first volume, and on the other hand a communication between the inlet and the primary first volume and a simultaneous communication between the outlet and the secondary first volume.

8. A fuel system according to claim 1 , wherein a second valve arrangement is arranged to, when the primary separation device is moved or flexed so as for the primary second volume to decrease in size and the secondary separation device is moved or flexed so as for the secondary second volume to increase in size, block the communication between the second fuel container and the primary second volume, allow the communication between the primary second volume and the second fuel injector, allow the communication between the second fuel container and the secondary second volume, and block the communication between the secondary second volume and the second fuel injector.

9. A fuel system according to claim 1 , wherein a second valve arrangement is arranged to, when the primary separation device is moved or flexed so as for the primary second volume to increase in size and the secondary separation device is moved or flexed so as for the secondary second volume to decrease in size, allow the communication between the second fuel container and the primary second volume, block the communication between the primary second volume and the second fuel injector, block the communication between the second fuel container and the secondary second volume, and allow the communication between the secondary second volume and the second fuel injector.

10. A fuel system for an internal combustion engine comprising a first fuel container for a first fuel, a second fuel container for a second fuel, a pump, and a first fuel injector, the fuel system being arranged to provide a communication between the first fuel container and the pump and between the pump and the first fuel injector, wherein the fuel system further comprises a reservoir with a separation device, adapted to divide the reservoir into a first volume and a second volume, whereby the separation device is moved or flexed by a pressure difference in the first and second volumes so as to change the sizes of the first and second volumes, wherein the fuel system is arranged to provide a communication between the pump and the first volume, and to provide a communication between the second fuel container and the second volume and between the second volume and a second fuel injector, whereby the fuel system provides for a single fuel pump being used for delivering two fuels of different types to a cylinder of the engine,
wherein the reservoir presents a first portion, in which the first volume is provided, and a second portion, in which the second volume is provided, wherein the first portion presents a first cross-sectional area and the second portion presents a second cross-sectional area which is different from the first cross-sectional area, wherein the separation device comprises a first separation element in the first portion of the reservoir and a second separation element in the second portion of the reservoir, wherein the first separation element is separated from the second separation element by a fluid.

11. A fuel system according to claim 1 , wherein the pump presents an inlet and an outlet, the fuel system further comprising a supply valve being arranged to control the communication between the first fuel container and the pump.

12. A vehicle with a fuel system according to claim 1 .

13. A method of controlling a fuel system for an internal combustion engine comprising
a first fuel container for a first fuel, a second fuel container for a second fuel, a pump presenting an inlet and an outlet, a first

Assignees

• Volvo Truck Corp

Inventors

• Lundgren Staffan

Classifications

• F02D19/0689

  for in-cylinder direct injection · CPC title

• Y02T10/30

  Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels · CPC title

• F02D19/08

  simultaneously using pluralities of fuels (F02D19/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02D19/0665

  Tanks, e.g. multiple tanks · CPC title

• F02D19/0692

  Arrangement of multiple injectors per combustion chamber · CPC title