Module for managing mass flow and dampening pressure pulsations in a gaseous fuel supply line

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9429094-B2
Application number	US-201414229996-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2014
Priority date	Oct 5, 2011
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

A module for managing mass flow and dampening pressure pulsations in the supply line of a gaseous fuelled internal combustion engine comprises a hollow body defining an expanded volume that is fluidly connected directly to a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor. The module is placed along the supply line of a gaseous fuel engine between a fuel pressure increasing device and the fuel rail that supplies fuel to the engine. The module can comprise a filter that filters the impurities from the gaseous fuel supplied to the engine and an overpressure protection device that can vent some of the gaseous fuel from the module to protect it from over-pressurization.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multifunctional module for managing mass flow and dampening pressure pulsations in a gaseous fuel supply line of an internal combustion engine, said module comprising:
(a) a hollow body having an inlet and an outlet, said hollow body defining an expanded volume through which fuel flows between said inlet and said outlet,
(b) a pressure sensor mounted on said body, said pressure sensor measuring the pressure within said expanded volume, and
(c) a temperature sensor mounted on said body, said temperature sensor measuring the temperature from within said expanded volume,
wherein said module is located along said gaseous fuel supply line between a pressure increasing device and a fuel rail of said engine such that a gaseous fuel supplied from said pressure increasing device flows through said module before it is supplied to said fuel rail and wherein respective pressure and temperature measurements taken by said pressure and temperature sensors are communicated to a controller which stops or activates said pressure increasing device to maintain a pressure within said module within a predetermined pressure range.

2. The module of claim 1 , wherein said hollow body has an elongated shape.

3. The module of claim 1 , further comprising an overpressure protection device mounted on said body, said overpressure protection device being fluidly connected to said inlet or to said expanded volume.

4. The module of claim 1 , further comprising a filter disposed within said hollow body such that said gaseous fuel entering said module through said inlet flows through said filter before exiting said module through said outlet.

5. The module of claim 4 , wherein said filter has a cylindrical shape.

6. The module of claim 4 , wherein said filter has a planar shape.

7. The module of claim 4 , further comprising an overpressure protection device mounted on said body, said overpressure protection device being fluidly connected to said inlet or to said expanded volume, upstream of said filter.

8. The module of claim 1 , wherein said hollow body can be disassembled into two parts for accessing said expanded volume when said module is not being used.

9. The module of claim 1 , wherein a perforated tube is mounted within said hollow body in direct fluid communication with said inlet whereby said fuel flows through perforations in said perforated tube and into said expanded volume after entering said module through said inlet.

10. The module of claim 1 , wherein said inlet comprises a conduit leading to an opening into said expanded volume and a transverse cross-sectional area of said opening is larger than that of said conduit.

11. The module of claim 1 , wherein said inlet comprises a conduit leading to an opening into said expanded volume and said conduit is further provided on its interior wall with a continuous helical channel that imparts a swirling motion to said gaseous fuel entering said expanded volume of said module.

12. A multifunctional module for managing mass flow and dampening pressure pulsations in a gaseous fuel supply line of an internal combustion engine, said module comprising:
(a) an elongated hollow body having an inlet and an outlet, said hollow body defining an expanded volume through which fuel flows between said inlet and said outlet,
(b) a pressure sensor mounted on said body, said pressure sensor measuring the pressure within said expanded volume,
(c) a temperature sensor mounted on said body, said temperature sensor measuring the temperature from within said expanded volume,
(d) a filter of a cylindrical shape disposed within said hollow body in direct fluid communication with said outlet such that a gaseous fuel entering said module through said inlet flows through said filter before exiting said module through said outlet, and
(e) a pressure relief valve mounted on said body, said pressure relief valve being in direct fluid communication with said expanded volume, upstream of said filter,
wherein said hollow body can be disassembled into a main elongated part and two end parts when said module is not being used and wherein said pressure sensor, said temperature sensor and said pressure relieve valve are mounted on one of said end parts that is provided with said module's inlet and said filter is mounted on another end part of said body that is provided with said outlet.

13. A fuel supply line of an internal combustion engine for supplying a gaseous fuel from a fuel tank through a pressure increasing device to a fuel rail that delivers fuel to a fuel injector of said engine, said fuel supply line comprising a multifunctional module for managing mass flow and dampening pressure pulsations in said gaseous fuel, said module being located along said fuel supply line whereby said gaseous fuel that flows between said pressure increasing device and said fuel rail must flow through said module which has a hollow body defining an expanded volume that is fluidly connected to (a) a pressure sensor which measures pressure within said expanded volume, and to (b) a temperature sensor which measures temperature within said expanded volume and respective pressure and temperature measurements taken by said pressure and temperature sensors are communicated to a controller which stops or activates said pressure increasing device to maintain a pressure within said module within a predetermined pressure range.

14. The fuel supply line of claim 13 , further comprising an overpressure protection device mounted on said body of said module, said overpressure protection device being fluidly connected to said expanded volume.

15. The fuel supply line of claim 13 , further comprising a filter disposed within said expanded volume whereby said gaseous fuel must flow through said filter when flowing through said expanded volume.

16. The fuel supply line of claim 15 , further comprising an overpressure protection device mounted on said body of said module, said overpressure protection device being fluidly connected to said expanded volume, upstream of said filter.

17. The fuel supply line of claim 13 , wherein said body of said module can be disassembled into two parts for accessing said expanded volume when said module is not being used.

18. The fuel supply line of claim 13 , wherein a perforated tube is mounted within said hollow body in direct fluid communication with an inlet of said module whereby said fuel flows through perforations in said perforated tube and into said expanded volume after entering said module through said inlet.

19. The fuel supply line of claim 13 , wherein an inlet of said module comprises a conduit leading to an opening into said expanded volume and a transverse cross-sectional area of said opening is larger than that of said conduit.

20. The fuel supply line of claim 13 , wherein an inlet of said module is further provided with a continuous helical channel that imparts a swirling motion to the gaseous fuel entering said expanded volume of said module.

21. A system for managing mass flow and dampening pulsations generated by a pressure increasing device in a gaseous fuel supply line of an internal combustion engine, said system comprising:
(a) the multifunctional module of claim 1 ; and
(b) a controller which stops or activates said pressure increasing device to maintain a pressure within said module within a predetermined pressure range.

22. A method of managing mass flow and dampening pressure pulsations generated by a pressure increasing device in a ga

Assignees

• Westport Power Inc

Inventors

• Newcombe Derek S
• Ursu Buerebista
• Batenburg Gregory A

Classifications

• F02D2200/0606

  Fuel temperature · CPC title

• F02D41/30 Primary

  Controlling fuel injection {(F02D41/182, F02D41/24 take precedence)} · CPC title

• F16L55/0279

  The fluid flowing two or more times longitudinally in opposite directions, e.g. using parallel or concentric tubes · CPC title

• F02D41/0027

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

• F02D19/022 Primary

  to adjust the fuel pressure, temperature or composition · CPC title