Quick start fuel system for gaseous fuel internal combustion engine and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024254933-A1
Application number	US-202318102939-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 30, 2023
Priority date	Jan 30, 2023
Publication date	Aug 1, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A gaseous fuel engine system includes a quick start fuel system having a pressurized gaseous fuel supply, a fuel feed conduit and a quick start fuel admission valve. The fuel feed conduit is coupled to an intake conduit for the engine at a downstream fuel admission location. A main fuel system is coupled to the intake conduit at an upstream fuel admission location. The quick start fuel admission valve is electrically actuated to admit a pressured gaseous fuel from the pressurized gaseous fuel supply for quick starting the gaseous fuel internal combustion engine. The quick start fuel may have a fuel composition different than a fuel composition of the main fuel.

First claim

1 . A gaseous fuel engine system comprising:
a gaseous fuel engine having a plurality of cylinders formed therein; an intake system including an intake conduit extending in an upstream to downstream direction between an intake air inlet and the plurality of cylinders, and a compressor operated via a flow of exhaust from the gaseous fuel engine; a main fuel system including a main fuel admission valve coupled to the intake conduit at an upstream fuel admission location that is upstream of the compressor, for admission of a main gaseous fuel into the intake conduit; a quick start fuel system including a pressurized gaseous fuel supply, a fuel feed conduit, and a quick start fuel admission valve; the fuel feed conduit being coupled to the intake conduit at a downstream fuel admission location that is downstream of the compressor; and the quick start fuel admission valve being electrically actuated and positioned fluidly between the intake conduit and the pressurized gaseous fuel supply to admit a pressurized gaseous fuel via the fuel feed conduit for quick starting the gaseous fuel engine.

2 . The gaseous fuel engine system of claim 1 wherein the intake system further includes an aftercooler, and an intake manifold, and wherein the upstream fuel admission location is upstream of the compressor for fumigation admission of a main gaseous fuel into the intake conduit.

3 . The gaseous fuel engine system of claim 2 wherein the intake conduit includes a conduit section positioned to feed pressurized intake air and the main gaseous fuel into the intake manifold, and the fuel feed conduit is coupled to the conduit section at the downstream fuel admission location.

4 . The gaseous fuel engine system of claim 3 wherein the conduit section includes an elbow connector.

5 . The gaseous fuel engine system of claim 1 wherein the quick start fuel system further includes a quick connector fluidly connecting the fuel feed conduit to the pressurized gaseous fuel supply, and a shutoff valve positioned fluidly between the quick connector and the quick start fuel admission valve.

6 . The gaseous fuel engine system of claim 5 wherein the fuel feed conduit includes a rigid line section connected to the quick start fuel admission valve, and a flexible line section, and the shutoff valve is coupled to the flexible line section.

7 . The gaseous fuel engine system of claim 1 wherein the main fuel system includes a lower pressure fuel supply containing a main gaseous fuel, and the pressurized fuel supply includes a higher pressure fuel supply containing a quick start gaseous fuel.

8 . The gaseous fuel engine system of claim 7 wherein the main gaseous fuel includes natural gas, and the quick start gaseous fuel includes propane.

9 . A method of operating a gaseous fuel engine system comprising:
rotating a crankshaft of a gaseous fuel engine to reciprocate pistons in a plurality of cylinders in the gaseous fuel engine; opening a quick start fuel admission valve to feed a quick start gaseous fuel through an intake conduit into the plurality of cylinders; combusting the quick start gaseous fuel in the plurality of cylinders to start the gaseous fuel engine; operating a compressor in an intake system for the gaseous fuel engine based on a flow of exhaust produced by the combustion of the quick start gaseous fuel; feeding a main gaseous fuel and pressurized air together from the intake conduit into the plurality of cylinders based on the operation of the compressor; and combusting the main gaseous fuel in the plurality of cylinders.

10 . The method of claim 9 further comprising admitting the main gaseous fuel into the intake conduit via fumigation at a location upstream of the compressor.

11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the opening a quick start fuel admission valve includes opening a quick start fuel admission valve fluidly connected to a pressurized gaseous fuel supply containing the quick start gaseous fuel.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein a supply pressure of the quick start gaseous fuel is greater than a supply pressure of the main gaseous fuel.

13 . The method of claim 12 wherein the quick start gaseous fuel is admitted into a section of an intake conduit coupled to an intake manifold for the gaseous fuel engine.

14 . The method of claim 9 wherein the quick start gaseous fuel has a fuel composition different than a fuel composition of the main gaseous fuel.

15 . The method of claim 14 wherein the quick start gaseous fuel includes propane.

16 . A quick start system for a gaseous fuel internal combustion engine comprising:
a pressurized supply of a quick start gaseous fuel; a conduit section structured for fluidly connecting a compressor to an intake manifold in an intake system for a gaseous fuel internal combustion engine; a fuel feed conduit coupled to the conduit section; a shutoff valve; and an electrically actuated quick start fuel admission valve positionable fluidly between the conduit section and the pressurized supply of a quick start gaseous fuel to admit the quick start gaseous fuel via the fuel feed conduit for quick starting the gaseous fuel internal combustion engine; wherein the conduit section includes an elbow connector forming a bend between a first conduit end and a second conduit end, and the fuel feed conduit is attached to the conduit section between the first conduit end and the second conduit end at a fuel admission location.

17 . The quick start system of claim 16 wherein the fuel feed conduit includes a rigid line section connected to the quick start fuel admission valve, and a flexible line section, and wherein the shutoff valve is coupled to the flexible line section and includes an external control lever.

18 . (canceled)

19 . The quick start system of claim 17 further comprising a quick connector positioned fluidly between the flexible line section and the pressurized supply of a quick start gaseous fuel.

20 . (canceled)

21 . The quick start system of claim 16 wherein the first conduit end includes a mounting flange, and the second conduit end includes a fitting.

22 . The quick start system of claim 16 wherein the electrically actuated quick start fuel admission valve includes a valve subassembly, and an electrical actuator subassembly having a protruding electrical connector for electrically connecting to an electronic control unit.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Meinhardt Steven W
• Gaarder Andrew C
• Palmer Andrew D

Classifications

• F02D19/02

  peculiar to engines working with gaseous fuels · CPC title

• F02D19/10

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

• F02D41/062

  for starting (F02D41/061 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02D41/0027

  the fuel being gaseous (non-electrical control F02D19/02) · CPC title

• F02M21/0215

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