Engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11624327-B2
Application number	US-202017441141-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2020
Priority date	Mar 25, 2019
Publication date	Apr 11, 2023
Grant date	Apr 11, 2023

Abstract

An engine includes a reformer, a reforming-air adjuster, a reforming-fuel supply unit, a reformed-gas adjuster, and a control unit. The reformer is configured to reform fuel into a reformed gas. When a start signal is input, the control unit controls the reforming-air adjuster and the reforming-fuel supply unit to a reformable state in which the fuel is reformable in the reformer, and the control unit controls the reformed-gas adjuster so that the reformed gas flows through the reformed-gas adjuster with a degree of opening smaller than a normal degree of opening that is a degree of opening of the reformed-gas adjuster when composition of the reformed gas is in a stable state before the composition of the reformed gas becomes in the stable state, for a given period of time including at least a period immediately after the engine starts.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An engine including a reformer that is configured to reform fuel into a reformed gas, comprising:
an intake flow passage configured to flow intake air to the engine;
a reforming flow passage provided with the reformer and configured to flow reforming air to the reformer and to flow the reformed gas from the reformer to the intake flow passage;
a main fuel injector disposed in the intake flow passage and configured to supply the fuel to the intake flow passage;
a reforming-air valve disposed in the reforming flow passage and configured to adjust a flow rate of the reforming air;
a reforming fuel injector disposed in the reforming flow passage and upstream from the reformer and configured to supply the fuel to the reforming flow passage;
a reformed-gas valve disposed in the reforming flow passage and configured to be opened to supply the reforming air to the reformer and to adjust a flow rate of the reformed gas;
a starter configured to output a start signal to start the engine; and
a controller configured to control the main fuel injector, the reforming-air valve, the reforming fuel injector, and the reformed-gas valve, based on the start signal and an engine status of the engine, wherein
when the start signal is input,
the controller is configured to control the reforming-air valve and the reforming fuel injector to a reformable state in which the fuel is reformable in the reformer, and
the controller is configured to control the reformed-gas valve so that the reformed gas flows through the reformed-gas valve with a degree of opening smaller than a normal degree of opening that is a degree of opening of the reformed-gas valve when composition of the reformed gas is in a stable state before the composition of the reformed gas becomes in the stable state, for a given period of time including at least a period immediately after the engine starts.

2. The engine according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to control the reformed-gas valve so that the degree of opening of the reformed-gas valve gradually increases from an initial degree of opening smaller than the normal degree of opening to the normal degree of opening after the start signal is input.

3. The engine according to claim 2 , wherein
the initial degree of opening is a fully-closed degree of opening of the reformed-gas valve, and
the normal degree of opening is a fully-opened degree of opening of the reformed-gas valve.

4. The engine according to claim 1 , wherein
the given period of time includes a period in which a predetermined time elapses since the start signal is input.

5. The engine according to claim 1 , wherein
the engine is an ammonia engine including the reformer that is configured to reform ammonia as the fuel into the reformed gas containing a hydrogen gas.

6. An engine including a reformer that is configured to reform fuel into a reformed gas, comprising:
an intake flow passage configured to flow intake air to the engine;
a reforming flow passage provided with the reformer and configured to flow reforming air to the reformer and to flow the reformed gas from the reformer to the intake flow passage;
a main fuel injector disposed in the intake flow passage and configured to supply the fuel to the intake flow passage;
a reforming-air valve disposed in the reforming flow passage and configured to adjust a flow rate of the reforming air;
a reforming fuel injector disposed in the reforming flow passage and upstream from the reformer and configured to supply the fuel to the reforming flow passage;
a reformed-gas valve disposed in the reforming flow passage and configured to adjust a flow rate of the reformed gas;
a starter configured to output a start signal to start the engine; and
a controller configured to control the main fuel injector, the reforming-air valve, the reforming fuel injector, and the reformed-gas valve, based on the start signal and an engine status of the engine, wherein
when the start signal is input,
the controller is configured to control the reforming-air valve and the reforming fuel injector to a reformable state in which the fuel is reformable in the reformer, and
the controller is configured to control the reformed-gas valve so that the reformed gas flows through the reformed-gas valve with a degree of opening smaller than a normal degree of opening that is a degree of opening of the reformed-gas valve when composition of the reformed gas is in a stable state before the composition of the reformed gas becomes in the stable state, for a given period of time including at least a period immediately after the engine starts,
wherein the engine further comprises:
an air-flow rate sensor disposed in the reforming flow passage and configured to obtain the flow rate of the reforming air, wherein
the given period of time includes a period from a point of time in which the start signal is input to a point of time in which a time accumulation value of the flow rate of the reforming air obtained by the air-flow rate sensor reaches a predetermined reformed-gas replacement volume.

Assignees

• Toyota Jidoshokki Kk

Inventors

• Takeuchi Yoshitaka

Classifications

• Y02T10/30

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

• F02D19/0671

  Means to generate or modify a fuel, e.g. reformers, electrolytic cells or membranes · CPC title

• F02M21/0227

  Means to treat or clean gaseous fuels or fuel systems, e.g. removal of tar, cracking, reforming or enriching · CPC title

• F02M33/00 Primary

  Other apparatus for treating combustion-air, fuel or fuel-air mixture (combustion-air cleaners F02M35/00; arrangements for purifying liquid fuel F02M37/22) · CPC title

• F02D19/0607

  to adjust the fuel mass or volume flow · CPC title