Caterpillar Inc.

Other

Daniel Raymond Baldwin

Dana Ray Coldren

Dennis Henderson Gibson

Cory Andrew Brown

Joshua W Steffen

Michael Gerstner

Shivangini Singh Hazari

Alan Ray Stockner

Eric Lee Schroeder

Robert Michael Campion

Sana Mahmood

Adrienne M Brasche

Robert Graumüller

Mark F Sommars

David Todd Montgomery

Bryan Edward Nelson

Sunil Jefferey Bean

Sudhindra Ayanji

Nikhil M Arya

Bryan Edward Nelson, Jr

An internal combustion engine system is described herein. The system uses a mixer to mix two fuels to provide for a transition from using only one of the fuels to using only the other fuel as power demand changes. The output of the mixer is provided to the engine as a primary fuel. A controller opens and closes throttle valves to adjust the relative concentrations of a first fuel (e.g., diesel) and a second fuel (e.g., methanol) that enter the mixer. In some examples, rather than removing the desired performance and/or environmental benefits achieved by using the second fuel at power demand levels greater than the maximum achievable by only using the second fuel, the systems described herein allow the use of at least a portion of the second fuel in the primary fuel at those power demand levels.

Systems and methods for providing a diesel-methanol emulsion for direct injection engines

A dual fuel system for an internal combustion engine includes a plurality of fuel injectors, a first fuel pump and a first fuel conduit extending to the plurality of fuel injectors, and a second fuel pump and a second fuel conduit extending to a fuel manifold fluidly connected to the plurality of fuel injectors. The dual fuel system also includes an overflow buffer arranged to receive a volume of the second fuel expelled from the second fuel conduit, and a valve movable from a closed position to an open position fluidly connecting the overflow buffer to the second fuel conduit. Expelling fuel from the second fuel conduit enables a rapid pressure drop in a supply pressure of the second fuel to hasten switchover of the internal combustion engine between fuel type.

Dual fuel system having overflow buffer for hastening fuel switchover

A fuel delivery system for an internal combustion engine system is described herein. The fuel delivery system uses one or more bidirectional purge components to provide for bidirectional purging of a fuel from at least a portion of the fuel delivery system. The bidirectional purge components provide for a fuel delivered using the fuel delivery system to be purged into the directional purge component in more than one fluid flow direction. When a differential pressure is applied across the bidirectional purge component, the fuel is purged into an inlet and an outlet of the bidirectional purge component, leaving the component through a purge outlet and into a tank. The differential pressure can be generated using a pressured fluid such as nitrogen or a pump downstream of the purge outlet.

Bidirectional purging fuel from a fuel delivery system

An internal combustion engine system is described herein. The internal combustion engine system uses one or more fuels that may be hydrophilic. The system uses a water measuring sensor to determine the concentration of water in the hydrophilic fuel. To meet power demands, the system uses the measured water concentration to modify data stored in a fuel map. The fuel map provides a controller the pump speeds and mixing ratio of the fuels for a given power level. The system receives that data and modifies it based on the measured concentration of water.

Two stage mixed fuel sensing system

A seal arrangement for joining a first component to a second component is disclosed. The seal arrangement may have a first sealing surface formed as an integral portion of the first component, and a second sealing surface formed as an integral portion of the second component and configured to directly engage the first sealing surface. The seal arrangement may also have an energizer engaged with the first sealing surface and configured to inhibit movement of the first sealing surface away from the second sealing surface during a temperature drop.

Filter assembly having cryogenic seal arrangement

A cryogenic fluid pump includes a plurality of pumping elements, each of the plurality of pumping elements having an actuator portion that is associated with and configured to selectively activate one end of a pushrod in response to a command by an electronic controller, an activation portion associated with an opposite end of the pushrod, and a pumping portion associated with the activation portion. For each of the plurality of pumping elements, the pumping portion is activated for pumping a fluid by the activation portion, which activation portion is activated by the actuator portion. The electronic controller is configured to selectively activate each of the plurality of pumping elements such that a flow of fluid from the cryogenic fluid pump results from continuous activations of the plurality of pumping elements at selected dwell times between activations of successive pumping elements.

Hydraulic drive multi-element cryogenic pump

A cryogenic pump for pumping liquefied natural gas (LNG) from a cryogenic tank storing LNG includes a drive assembly and a pump assembly disposed along a pump axis. The drive assembly includes a spool housing having a plurality of spool valves arranged around the pump axis, a tappet housing having a plurality of tappet bores with slidable tappets arranged around the pump axis, and spring housing including a plurality of movably disposed pushrods urged upward by a plurality of associated pushrod springs. Hydraulic fluid received by a hydraulic fluid inlet in the drive assembly is directed by the spool valves to the tappet bores to move the tappets downward against the pushrods. To collect the hydraulic fluid, the lowermost spring housing also includes a collection cavity formed therein that can return the hydraulic fluid to a hydraulic fluid outlet.

Cryogenic pump for liquefied natural gas

A bearing arrangement for a wobble plate piston pump includes first, second, third, and fourth bearing assemblies. The first and second bearing assemblies support the drive shaft portion for rotation within the housing about the central longitudinal axis, while the third and fourth bearing assemblies support the load plate for rotation relative to the offset shaft portion of the shaft. The second bearing assembly is distally disposed from the first, the third disposed distally to second, and the fourth disposed distally to third. The fourth bearing assembly is the most distally disposed bearing assembly along the shaft.

Bearing arrangement for cryogenic pump

A dual fuel common rail engine supplies pressurized natural gas and liquid diesel fuel at different pressures through a co-axial quill assembly for direct injection from a single fuel injector into an engine cylinder. Pressure waves in the gaseous fuel common rail are damped in a pressure damping chamber of the co-axial quill assembly to promote consistent gaseous fuel injection rates and quantities from the fuel injector.

Dual fuel common rail engine with co-axial quill assembly

A dual fuel common rail engine supplies pressurized natural gas and liquid diesel fuel at different pressures through a co-axial quill assembly for direct injection from a single fuel injector into an engine cylinder. Each coaxial quill assembly includes a matched pair of inner and outer quills that are chosen to have dimensions that allow both quills to sealingly engage each fuel injector at a common conical seat responsive to a clamping force applied along an axis. Matched pairs of inner and outer quills are retained together during pre-installation handling with a retainer that is left between the inner and outer quills after installation in an engine.

Co-axial quill assembly retainer and dual fuel common rail engine using same

A dual fuel common rail engine supplies pressurized natural gas and liquid diesel fuel at different pressures through a co-axial quill assembly for direct injection from a single fuel injector into an engine cylinder. Pressure waves in the gaseous fuel common rail are damped in a pressure damping chamber of the co-axial quill assembly before the pressure wave can undermine consistent gaseous fuel injection rates and quantities from the fuel injector.

Growing community of inventors

Peoria, IL, United States of America

Daniel Raymond Baldwin