State-Based Diesel Fueling For Improved Transient Response In Dual-Fuel Engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016201592-A1
Application number	US-201514595993-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 13, 2015
Priority date	Jan 13, 2015
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method, used with dual-fuel engine, of controlling the amount of diesel fuel delivered to the engine. The method compensates for the poor transient response of gaseous fueling. A controller receives a signal from the operator of the engine representing a desired torque, and based on this signal, determines a desired intake manifold state. It generates commands to various actuators to control the intake air and the intake gaseous fuel such that the desired intake manifold state will occur. The controller also receives sensor data from which the current in-cylinder state can be measured or estimated. It determines a current amount of diesel fuel based on the desired torque, the engine speed and the current in-cylinder state, and generates a diesel fueling command.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of controlling the amount of diesel fuel delivered to a dual-fuel internal combustion engine, the engine being fueled with both gaseous fuel and diesel fuel, comprising:
receiving a signal from the operator of the engine representing a desired torque; determining a desired intake manifold state based on the desired torque; controlling flow actuators for at least the intake air flow and the intake gaseous fuel such that the desired intake manifold state will occur; receiving sensor data from which the engine speed and a current in-cylinder state can be measured or estimated; wherein the current in-cylinder state comprises at least an in-cylinder amount of gaseous fuel; determining a current amount of diesel fuel based at least on the desired torque, the engine speed and the current in-cylinder state; and generating a diesel fueling command representing the current amount of diesel fuel.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving step is performed by receiving an accelerator pedal position signal.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the desired intake manifold state comprises at least an intake manifold pressure value.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the desired intake manifold state comprises at least an intake manifold oxygen concentration or mass value.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the engine has a throttle, and the controlling flow actuators step is performed by controlling at least the throttle.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the engine has a gaseous fuel intake valve, and the controlling flow actuators step is performed by controlling at least the gaseous fuel intake valve.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the engine has a compressor and compressor by-pass valve, and the controlling flow actuators step is performed by controlling at least the compressor bypass valve.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the current in-cylinder state further comprises an in-cylinder oxygen concentration or mass value.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gaseous fuel is natural gas.

10 . A controller for controlling the amount of diesel fuel delivered to a dual-fuel internal combustion engine, the engine being fueled with both gaseous fuel and diesel fuel, and the engine having a conventional engine control unit, comprising:
a processor and memory system programmed to perform the following tasks: to receive a signal from the operator of the engine representing a desired torque; to determine a desired intake manifold state based on the desired torque; to control flow actuators for at least the intake air flow and the intake gaseous fuel such that the desired intake manifold state will occur; to receive sensor data from which the engine speed and a current in-cylinder state can be measured or estimated; wherein the current in-cylinder state comprises at least an in-cylinder amount of gaseous fuel; to determine a current amount of diesel fuel based at least on the desired torque, the engine speed and the current in-cylinder state; and to generate a diesel fueling command representing the current amount of diesel fuel.

11 . The controller of claim 10 , wherein the controller receives an accelerator pedal position signal representing desired torque.

12 . The controller of claim 10 , wherein the desired intake manifold state comprises at least an intake manifold pressure value.

13 . The controller of claim 10 , wherein the desired intake manifold state comprises at least a current value of the mass and/or concentration of in-cylinder oxygen.

14 . The controller of claim 10 , wherein the engine has a throttle, and the controlling step is performed by controlling at least the throttle.

15 . The controller of claim 10 , wherein the engine has a gaseous fuel intake valve, and the controlling step is performed by controlling at least the gaseous fuel intake valve.

16 . The controller of claim 10 , wherein the engine has a compressor and compressor by-pass valve, and the controlling step is performed by controlling at least the compressor bypass valve.

17 . The controller of claim 10 , wherein the current in-cylinder state further comprises an in-cylinder oxygen concentration or mass value.

18 . The controller of claim 10 , wherein the gaseous fuel is natural gas.

Assignees

• Southwest Res Inst

Inventors

• Roecker Ryan C
• Sarlashkar Jayant V
• Branyon David P
• Callahan Timothy J

Classifications

• F02D41/1454

  the characteristics being an oxygen content or concentration or the air-fuel ratio · CPC title

• F02D41/0007

  for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines (control of the pumps per se F02B37/12) · CPC title

• F02D41/0002 Primary

  Controlling intake air · CPC title

• F02D41/263 Primary

  the program execution being modifiable by physical parameters · CPC title

• F02D41/0097

  using means for generating speed signals · CPC title