Internal combustion engine comprising a methane-DME (natural gas-dimethyl ether) fuel supply system and method for operating the internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11788481-B2
Application number	US-202017625726-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2020
Priority date	Jul 8, 2019
Publication date	Oct 17, 2023
Grant date	Oct 17, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a combustion process for an internal combustion engine, in which a fuel mixture composed of a dimethyl ether-containing first fuel and a methane-containing second fuel is combusted, wherein the premixed fuel mixture or the fuels independently are fed directly to at least one combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine and/or indirectly via at least one intake pipe of the internal combustion engine upstream of the at least one combustion chamber, wherein the fuel mixture present in the respective combustion chamber is combusted by self-ignition with addition of combustion air on the intake pipe side.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An internal combustion engine comprising a first fuel vessel in which a dimethyl ether-containing first fuel and a second fuel vessel in which a methane-containing second fuel is stored, which are combined separately from one another in at least one combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine indirectly via at least one intake pipe of the internal combustion engine upstream of the at least one combustion chamber to give a fuel mixture which is combusted by self-ignition in the combustion chamber with addition of combustion air on the intake pipe side.

2. The internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the second fuel vessel is an LNG fuel vessel or a CNG fuel vessel in which either LNG or CNG is stored.

3. The internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that, between the fuel vessel(s) and the at least one combustion chamber and/or the at least one intake tube, feed conduits are disposed for supply of the individual fuels to the at least one combustion chamber and/or the at least one intake pipe.

4. An internal combustion engine comprising a first fuel vessel in which a dimethyl ether-containing first fuel and a second fuel vessel in which a methane-containing gas as a second fuel and a third fuel vessel in which a likewise methane-containing gas as third fuel, different than the second fuel, is stored, wherein the first fuel are combined separately from the second or third fuel in at least one combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine indirectly via an intake pipe of the internal combustion engine upstream of the at least one combustion chamber to give a fuel mixture which is combusted in the combustion chamber with addition of combustion air on the intake pipe side.

5. The internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 4 , characterized in that the second fuel vessel is an LNG fuel vessel and the third fuel vessel is a CNG fuel vessel in which LNG and CNG are stored separately from one another.

6. The internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 4 , characterized in that, between the fuel vessel(s) and the at least one combustion chamber and/or the at least one intake tube, feed conduits are disposed for supply of the individual fuels to the at least one combustion chamber and/or the at least one intake pipe.

7. A combustion process for an internal combustion engine using an internal combustion engine comprising a fuel vessel in which a premixed fuel mixture composed of a dimethyl ether-containing first fuel and a methane-containing second fuel is stored, in which the fuel mixture composed of the dimethyl ether-containing first fuel and the methane-containing second fuel is combusted, wherein the premixed fuel mixture is fed to at least one combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine directly and/or indirectly via at least one intake pipe of the internal combustion engine upstream of the at least one combustion chamber, wherein the fuel mixture present in the respective combustion chamber is combusted by self-ignition with addition of combustion air on the intake pipe side.

8. A combustion process for an internal combustion engine using an internal combustion engine comprising a first fuel vessel in which a dimethyl ether-containing first fuel and a second fuel vessel in which a methane-containing second fuel is stored, in which a fuel mixture composed of the dimethyl ether-containing first fuel and the methane-containing second fuel is combusted, wherein the fuels independently are fed to at least one combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine directly and/or indirectly via at least one intake pipe of the internal combustion engine upstream of the at least one combustion chamber, wherein the fuel mixture present in the respective combustion chamber is combusted by self-ignition with addition of combustion air on the intake pipe side.

9. The combustion process as claimed in claim 8 , characterized in that
the first fuel is taken from the first fuel vessel and injected directly into the combustion chamber(s) of the internal combustion engine, while the second fuel is taken from the fuel vessel and likewise injected directly into the combustion chamber(s) of the internal combustion engine, or
the first fuel is taken from the first fuel vessel and injected via the intake pipe and fed to the combustion chamber(s) of the internal combustion engine, while the second fuel is taken from the fuel vessel and likewise injected by the intake pipe and fed to the combustion chamber(s) of the internal combustion engine, or
the first fuel is taken from the first fuel vessel and injected by the intake pipe and fed to the combustion chamber(s) of the internal combustion engine, while the second fuel is taken from the fuel vessel and injected directly into the combustion chamber(s) of the internal combustion engine, or
the first fuel is taken from the first fuel vessel and injected directly into the combustion chamber(s) of the internal combustion engine, while the second fuel is taken from the fuel vessel and injected via the intake pipe and fed to the combustion chambers of the internal combustion engine.

10. A combustion process for an internal combustion engine using an internal combustion engine comprising a first fuel vessel in which a dimethyl ether-containing first fuel and a second fuel vessel in which a methane-containing gas as a second fuel and a third fuel vessel in which a likewise methane-containing gas as third fuel, different than the second fuel, is stored, in which a fuel mixture composed of the dimethyl ether-containing first fuel and the methane-containing second fuel is combusted, wherein the fuels independently are fed to at least one combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine directly and/or indirectly via at least one intake pipe of the internal combustion engine upstream of the at least one combustion chamber, wherein the fuel mixture present in the respective combustion chamber is combusted by self-ignition with addition of combustion air on the intake pipe side.

11. The combustion process as claimed in claim 10 , characterized in that
the first fuel is taken from the first fuel vessel and injected directly into the combustion chamber(s) of the internal combustion engine, while the second fuel is taken from the fuel vessel and likewise injected directly into the combustion chamber(s) of the internal combustion engine, or
the first fuel is taken from the first fuel vessel and injected via the intake pipe and fed to the combustion chamber(s) of the internal combustion engine, while the second fuel is taken from the fuel vessel and likewise injected by the intake pipe and fed to the combustion chamber(s) of the internal combustion engine, or
the first fuel is taken from the first fuel vessel and injected by the intake pipe and fed to the combustion chamber(s) of the internal combustion engine, while the second fuel is taken from the fuel vessel and injected directly into the combustion chamber(s) of the internal combustion engine, or
the first fuel is taken from the first fuel vessel and injected directly into the combustion chamber(s) of the internal combustion engine, while the second fuel is taken from the fuel vessel and injected via the intake pipe and fed to the combustion chambers of the internal combustion engine.

12. A combustion process for an internal combustion engine using an internal combustion engine comprising a first fuel vessel in which a dimethyl ether-containing first fuel and a second fuel vessel in which a methane-containing gas as a second fuel and a third fuel vessel in which a likewise methane-containing gas as third fuel, different

Assignees

• Man Truck & Bus Se

Inventors

• Bippes Michael
• Schüttenhelm Martin
• Pastötter Christian

Classifications

• F02D19/0647 Primary

  the gaseous fuel being liquefied petroleum gas [LPG], liquefied natural gas [LNG], compressed natural gas [CNG] or dimethyl ether [DME] · CPC title

• F02D19/0665

  Tanks, e.g. multiple tanks · CPC title

• F02D19/082

  Premixed fuels, i.e. emulsions or blends · CPC title

• F02D19/10

  peculiar to compression-ignition engines in which the main fuel is gaseous · CPC title

• F02D41/0025 Primary

  Controlling engines characterised by use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures · CPC title