Methods and systems for a lubricating device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10968868-B2
Application number	US-201916242972-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2019
Priority date	Jan 11, 2018
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for a compressed natural gas fuel rail. In one example, a system comprises a device having a first volume for housing compressed natural gas and a second volume for housing lubricant, the first and second volumes arranged in a single housing and separated by a barrier. Lubricant flow from the second volume to the first volume may be adjusted by adjusting a pressure of the second volume so that a pressure difference between the second and first volumes is increased to increase lubricant flow or decreased to decrease lubricant flow.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a device comprising a first volume configured to receive compressed-natural-gas via a gas line that terminates in the first volume and deliver the compressed-natural-gas directly to an injection rail, and a second volume fluidly coupled to a lubricant port, where the lubricant port is an oil port that terminates in the second volume, wherein the first volume and the second volume are separated by a separator element shaped to allow lubricant to flow from the second volume to the first volume.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the separator element is further shaped to block compressed-natural-gas from flowing to the second volume from the first volume.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the separator element comprises a sponge structure.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the separator element comprises a semi-permeable layer.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the separator element comprises a perforated plate.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the compressed-natural-gas is delivered to the first volume via a gas line, the gas line coupled to a branch line comprising a pressure regulator for depressurizing the compressed-natural-gas as it flows to the first volume, and where the branch line is coupled to a pressure port of the second volume.

7. A system comprising:
a housing comprising a first volume shaped to receive fuel and a second volume shaped to receive lubricant, where the first volume is directly coupled to a plurality of fuel injectors, the first volume configured to receive compressed-natural-gas via a gas line that terminates in the first volume, wherein a lubricant port that is an oil port terminates in the second volume, wherein the second volume is separated from the first volume via a porous barrier, the porous barrier shaped to allow fluid to flow only from the second volume to the first volume; and
a controller with computer-readable instructions stored on non-transitory memory thereof that when executed enable the controller to:
adjust lubricant to flow from the second volume to the first volume by adjusting a second volume pressure.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a pressure regulator arranged in the gas line for depressurizing fuel flowing to the first volume and increasing the second volume pressure.

9. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a lubricant pump shaped to flow lubricant to the second volume, wherein the instructions further enable the controller to increase a lubricant flow from the lubricant pump to the second volume to increase lubricant flow from the second volume to the first volume.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further enable the controller to decrease the lubricant flow from the lubricant pump to the second volume to decrease lubricant flow from the second volume to the first volume.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of the porous barrier is one or more of a sponge, semi-permeable membrane, and a perforated plate.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the second volume is free of fuel.

13. A method comprising:
increasing a pressure of a second volume of a housing, the second volume containing lubricant; and
flowing lubricant from the second volume to a first volume of the housing comprising compressed-natural-gas, the first volume fluidly coupled to a gas line that terminates in the first volume and a plurality of fuel injectors, wherein the lubricant is received via a lubricant port, the lubricant port being an oil port that terminates in the second volume.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the increasing is in response to a lubricant demand increasing, wherein the lubricant demand increases in response to a lubricant temperature increasing.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising decreasing the pressure of the second volume in response to a lubricant temperature decreasing.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein flowing lubricant from the second volume to the first volume further comprises flowing lubricant through a barrier separating the first volume from the second volume within the housing.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the gas line is shaped to flow compressed natural gas and the plurality of fuel injectors are shaped to inject compressed natural gas.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising decreasing a pressure of compressed natural gas in the gas line via a pressure regulator as compressed natural gas flows to the first volume.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising equalizing a pressure between the first volume and the second volume in response to a lubricant demand being absent.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Berkemeier Oliver
• Steiner Bernd

Classifications

• F02M2200/02

  Fuel-injection apparatus having means for reducing wear · CPC title

• F02M21/0215

  Mixtures of gaseous fuels; Natural gas; Biogas; Mine gas; Landfill gas · CPC title

• F01M1/16

  Controlling lubricant pressure or quantity (rendering machines or engines inoperative or idling on lubricant pressure failure F01M1/22) · CPC title

• F02M21/0245 Primary

  High pressure fuel supply systems; Rails; Pumps; Arrangement of valves · CPC title

• Y02T10/30

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