Caterpillar Inc.

David Ginter

Jaswinder Singh

Michael Bardell

Paul Wang

David Todd Montgomery

Ronald Graham Silver

Arnold Myoungjin Kim

Jonathan William Anders

Kenth I Svensson

Martin Leo Willi

Patrick J Seiler

Ling Deng

Dana Ray Coldren

Alan Ray Stockner

Scott Byron Fiveland

Chad Palmer Koci

Glenn Brian Cox

Paul Park

Glen Clifford Martin

Joel D Hiltner

Charlie Kim

Robert Jay Maxson

Wilce Damion Williams

Russell P Fitzgerald

Paul Sai Keat Wang

Nikolas Karl Landin

Sai Keat Paul Wang

Daniel G Van Alstine

Mark W Scaife

An internal combustion engine system is described herein. The system uses a pilot fuel to assist in the ignition of the primary fuel or uses a pilot fuel rather than a primary fuel in some instances. The pilot fuel is stored in one or more pilot fuel storage tanks that are actively managed to maintain a desired physical state of the pilot fuel stored in the one or more storage tanks. A controller detects conditions within the one or more pilot fuel storage tanks and issues control commands depending on the detected conditions. The conditions can include a temperature, a pressure, or a level of the pilot fuel stored in the pilot fuel storage tanks.

Systems and methods for actively managing pilot fuel storage tanks

A carbon capture system includes a hydrogen production module. The hydrogen production module is used to control the amount of hydrogen entering an internal combustion engine to reduce an amount of water vapor generated by the internal combustion engine, thereby increasing the efficiency of the carbon capture device. If too much water vapor is detected in an exhaust of the engine, the amount of hydrogen produced by a hydrogen production module can be increased, thereby reducing the amount of hydrogen entering the engine and reducing the amount of water vapor generated by the engine. A reformer catalyst can be used by the hydrogen production module to remove at least a portion of hydrogen in a fuel stream of the engine.

Systems and methods for carbon capture

A system for detecting humidity level at a cathode of a fuel cell stack including one or more PEMFCs and determining a flooding probability of the stack based on the humidity level, includes a stack including a plurality of PEMFCs, each PEMFC including an exhaust; voltage detector; humidity detector; and controller. The controller may be configured to: receive a voltage as measured at an anode of one or more of the PEMFCs with the voltage detector; determine a humidity level at the exhaust of the one or more of the PEMFCs; and implement one or more actions based on the voltage and the humidity level, the actions including: reduce a load on the PEMFC; increase an air flow at a cathode of the one or more PEMFCs; decrease an inlet humidity at an inlet to the one or more PEMFCs; or increase a temperature of the one or more PEMFCs.

Controlling PEMFC stack flooding

A system includes a fuel tank and a dehydration reactor that are configured to provide a primary fuel and a pilot fuel to a power system. The fuel tank is configured to store the primary fuel and is fluidly connected to a reactor feed line and a primary fuel line provide the primary fuel. The dehydration reactor is configured to receive the primary fuel via the reactor feed line and convert a portion of the primary fuel to the pilot fuel and a byproduct. The power system is configured to receive the pilot fuel from the dehydration reactor to initiate combustion of the primary fuel. The power system also includes a cylinder with an internal piston that receives the pilot fuel and the primary fuel, contains the combustion reaction, and generates power from the combustion reaction; and contains the combustion reaction. A pilot fuel injector provides the pilot fuel to the cylinder at a first time to initiate combustion and a primary fuel injector provides the pilot fuel to the cylinder at to generate power via the power system.

In-line generation of pilot fuel for power systems

Operating an engine system includes feeding a flow of exhaust to a turbine in a turbocharger, receiving a load step request, and increasing a speed of rotation of the turbocharger based on an increase in a fueling rate initiated in response to the load step request. Operating the engine system further includes limiting dissipation of heat energy of the flow of exhaust to the turbine to hasten an increase in the speed of rotation of the turbocharger, and increasing dissipation of heat energy from the flow of exhaust after satisfaction of the load step request. Varying of the dissipation of heat energy can be achieved by displacing an insulating fluid in the exhaust manifold with a heat exchange fluid such as water and/or engine coolant.

Engine operating method and engine system for improved load step acceptance

The present disclosure relates to exhaust treatment systems and engine systems. In one implementation, an engine system comprises an engine comprising an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold, the engine configured to combust a fuel-air mixture received via the intake manifold and produce a flow of exhaust gases via the exhaust manifold. The engine system also comprises a turbocharger comprising a turbine, an exhaust passageway fluidly connecting the exhaust manifold of the engine to the turbine and an intake passageway fluidly connected to the intake manifold of the engine for supplying the fuel-air mixture, a catalyzed member positioned along the exhaust passageway between the engine and the turbine, and an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) loop fluidly connected downstream of the catalyzed member and fluidly connected to the exhaust passageway and the intake passageway.

Stoichiometric engine system utilizing three-way catalyst upstream of turbine

A controller for an internal combustion engine of a generator set operates the engine at a first, low load condition at a lean air/fuel ratio using hydrogen fuel, and at a second, high load condition at a richer air/fuel ratio using gaseous fuel. The controller transitions from the first condition to the second condition by adding gaseous fuel to achieve the richer air/fuel ratio during a transient event.

Transient controller and method of operating gas engine

A system and method for co-production of hydrogen and electrical power includes operating an engine having an electrical power generator connected thereto, and a hydrogen gas production plant, from a single source of gaseous fuel such that hydrogen extracted from a heated reformate provided by a partial oxidation catalyst is removed and collected for storage or sale while a tail gas is recirculated to an engine inlet to reduce NOx emissions during engine operation.

Hydrogen and electric power co-production system and method

Components for reducing oil sticking on surfaces of an internal combustion engine are disclosed. The engine may include an engine block with a piston cylinder, a piston moveable in reciprocal motion within the piston cylinder, and a cylinder head mounted on the engine block. The engine block, the cylinder head, and the piston may define a combustion chamber. The engine may include an intake conduit mounted to the cylinder head, an intake valve port defined by the cylinder head, and an intake valve mounted in reciprocally movable fashion to the cylinder head for placing the intake valve port in fluid communication with the combustion chamber. The engine may include a first oleophobic coating provided on portions of the intake valve, and a valve seat insert secured to the cylinder head. The valve seat insert may define an oil passage in fluid communication with the intake valve port.

Methods for reducing oil sticking on surfaces of internal combustion engines

An exhaust system for an internal combustion engine includes an EGR cooler having a heat exchange surface exposed to a flow of exhaust, and a second heat exchange surface. A coolant heat exchanger is fluidly connected to a coolant outlet of the EGR cooler and a coolant pump is fluidly connected to a coolant inlet of the EGR cooler. A condensate collector collects condensate from exhaust, and a condensate pump pumps condensate from the condensate collector to a sprayer to spray condensate onto the second heat exchange surface to vaporize the condensate for discharging out through an outgoing exhaust conduit of the exhaust system.

Exhaust system for internal combustion engine and condensate disposal strategy for same

A fuel injector for an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The fuel injector includes a body defining an orifice. The orifice is configured to provide passage to a fuel into a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. The orifice includes an inlet port having a first oval shape and an outlet port having a second oval shape. The second al shape is orthogonal to the first oval shape. Moreover, a transition from the first oval shape to the second oval shape defines a stagnation plane, facilitating an exit of the fuel as a fan spray from the outlet port.

Fuel injector for internal combustion engines

A system for controlling enriched prechamber stoichiometry includes a prechamber ignition device, and an ignition control system that includes a sensor structured to measure an amount of at least one of CO2 or O2 in a prechamber, an engine timing sensor, a fuel quality sensor, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is structured to receive signals from each of the sensors and determine an air-fuel ratio of the prechamber for comparison with a target air-fuel ratio, and produce a fuel delivery signal based on the comparison.

Systems and methods for controlling enriched prechamber stoichiometry

Operating a gaseous fuel engine includes injecting a pilot charge directly into a combustion chamber in an engine, and igniting one spray plume of the pilot charge. A flame front is propagated to other pilot spray plumes to produce an ignition flame for igniting later injected main charge spray plumes. Injection of the pilot and main charges is by way of the same fuel injection orifices.

Gaseous fuel internal combustion engine and operating method therefor

A system for reforming a fuel may include a first sensor configured to measure an operating parameter of an engine. The operating parameter may correlate to a NOemission level of the engine. The system may also include a controller in communication with the sensor and a reformer. The controller may be configured to determine a target NOemission level for the engine. The controller may be also configured to determine a target value of the operating parameter corresponding to the target NOemission level. The controller may be further configured to control the reformer to reform at least a portion of the fuel based on a difference between the measured value and the target value of the operating parameter.

Feedback control of fuel reformer-engine system

A reactor assembly is provided. The reactor assembly includes a substrate and a first catalytic layer provided on the substrate. The first catalytic layer further includes a first temperature zone configured to operate at a first temperature. The first catalytic layer further includes a second temperature zone extending from the first temperature zone. The second temperature zone is configured to operate at a second temperature. The second temperature is lower than the first temperature. The reactor assembly also includes a diffusion barrier coating provided on the first catalytic layer. The diffusion barrier coating is configured to regulate a diffusion of gas phase oxygen therethrough for controlling the first temperature with respect to the second temperature.

Growing community of inventors

Peoria, IL, United States of America

David Ginter