Caterpillar Inc.

Jason Jon Rasmussen

Arvind Sivasubramanian

Matthew R Roth

Brian G McGee

Kevin Patrick Duffy

Carl Anders Hergart

Brett A Zook

Venkat Vijay Kishore Turlapati

Jonathan William Anders

Kenth I Svensson

David Andrew Pierpont

Bobby John

Chad Palmer Koci

Christopher F Gallmeyer

Baoyang Deng

Ryan Thomas Sunley

Kurtis M Best

A method for controlling an engine in response to an increase in a load on the engine is disclosed. The engine includes a cylinder with a piston slidably disposed therein between a top dead center position and a bottom dead center position. The cylinder and the piston define a combustion chamber. The method includes initiating a first injection event and a second injection event. The first injection event includes introducing a first predetermined quantity of fuel into the combustion chamber at least 5 degrees before the piston reaches the top dead center position. The second injection event includes introducing a second predetermined quantity of fuel into the combustion chamber not earlier than 30 degrees after the piston moves away from the top dead center position.

Engine control system and method

A combustion control system for a dual fuel engine includes a combustion control unit structured to receive phasing data for combustion of a main charge of gaseous fuel ignited by way of pilot shots of a liquid fuel, output a pilot fueling command based on the phasing data, and output a valve timing command. The combustion control unit is further structured to vary a phasing of combustion of a main charge of a gaseous fuel ignited by pilot shots of a liquid fuel based on an adjustment to at least one of a pilot shot delivery parameter or a valve timing parameter such as intake valve closing timing from a first engine cycle to a second engine cycle. Control of the intake valve timing can be based on a main pilot shot timing error.

Combustion phasing control for high substitution lean burn of gaseous fuels in dual fuel engine

A method for controlling an air-fuel ratio (AFR) in an engine powered by a gaseous fuel having an unknown composition may comprise receiving an assumed gas species composition for the gaseous fuel, and determining an assumed lower heating value (LHV) for the assumed gas species composition. The method may further comprise determining a perceived lower heating value (LHV) for the gaseous fuel based on a perceived gas mass flow and a gas energy flow for the gaseous fuel, and updating the assumed gas species composition until the assumed LHV and the perceived LHV are aligned. The method may further comprise determining a desired AFR and an airflow necessary to provide the desired AFR using the aligned gas species composition and a desired lambda (&#x3bb;), and adjusting an air system controller of the engine to provide the airflow.

Method and system for controlling an air-fuel ratio in an engine using a fuel source with an unknown composition

A method for estimating a specific gravity of a gaseous fuel is described. The gaseous fuel may power an engine and the engine may include a cylinder, a gas valve configured to supply an intake port of the cylinder with the gaseous fuel, a gas rail configured to deliver the gaseous fuel to the gas valve, and a microprocessor adapted to perform the method. The method may comprise establishing a pressure wave in the gas rail by opening and closing the gas valve, wherein the pressure wave travels at the speed of sound in the gaseous fuel. The method may further comprise determining a frequency of the pressure wave in the gas rail, and estimating the specific gravity of the gaseous fuel based on the frequency of the pressure wave.

Method and system for estimating the specific gravity of an unknown fuel source in a multi-fuel engine

The disclosure relates to a system and method for determining the specific gravity of a fuel used in a dual fuel engine. The system includes a fuel rail, at least one sensor, and a processor. The method includes sensing and recording, with the at least one sensor and the at least one memory, a first pressure profile of a first fuel in the fuel rail and a second pressure profile of a second fuel in the fuel rail. The first fuel has a known specific gravity and the second fuel has an unknown specific gravity. The method further includes calculating the second specific gravity of the second fuel, with a processor, based on the first pressure profile, the second pressure profile, and the first specific gravity.

System and method for determining the specific gravity of a gaseous fuel

An engine system is provided. The engine system includes an ambient condition module configured to generate a signal indicative of a state of ambient air. The engine system also includes an operational parameter sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of one or more operational parameters associated with the engine. The engine system further includes a controller communicably coupled to the ambient condition module and the operational parameter sensor. The controller is configured to receive the signal indicative of the pressure of ambient air and the signal indicative of the one or more operational parameters associated with the engine. The controller estimates the temperature of at least one of a valve, a piston, a liner, a cylinder head, and a pre-chamber of the engine as a function of the received signals and parameters associated with fuel delivery to the engine.

System and method for estimating and controlling temperature of engine component

An engine system is provided. The engine system includes an ambient air pressure sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a pressure of ambient air. The engine system also includes an operational parameter sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of one or more operational parameters associated with the engine. The engine system further includes a controller communicably coupled to the ambient air pressure sensor and the operational parameter sensor. The controller is configured to receive the signal indicative of the pressure of ambient air and the signal indicative of the one or more operational parameters associated with the engine. The controller estimates the temperature of at least one of a valve, a piston, a liner, a cylinder head, and a pre-chamber of the engine as a function of the received signals and parameters associated with fuel delivery in a single fuel cycle of the engine.

A method for operating an engine at idle that reduces NOand controls smoke and hydrocarbon emissions. An idle delivery quantity of fuel is determined and divided into a first quantity of fuel and a second quantity of fuel in approximately equal quantities. During a compression stroke of an engine piston, the first quantity of fuel is injected into an engine cylinder. Adjusting at least one of timing and quantity of the injection of the first quantity of fuel reduces, at least in part, NOemissions. At a timing angle of at least thirty degrees after the first quantity of fuel is injected and after the first quantity of fuel has been burned, there is an injection of the second quantity of fuel. Adjusting at least one of timing and quantity of the injection of the second quantity of fuel reduces, at least in part, smoke emissions.

Method of utilizing multiple fuel injections to reduce engine emissions at idle

An apparatus and method transitions fuel delivery between a first injection characteristic shape and a second injection characteristic shape based on engine operating parameters. The apparatus and method may be adapted to control a fuel injection system, and to operate in at least a split injection mode and a boot injection mode, including steps or means for determining whether an acceleration condition exists, and on the basis of such determination, rapidly changing from a split injection mode to a boot injection mode. This may include a fuel injection control system and/or a controller operative to identify an acceleration condition on the basis of at least one sensed acceleration-related engine operating condition, and to rapidly change the fuel injection mode for at least one fuel injector from the split fuel injection mode to the boot fuel injection mode. The fuel injection control system and/or a controller may also be operable to determine a rail pressure, whether the rail pressure is within a predetermined limit, and on that basis, to modify at least one of a main fuel injection signal timing and an anchor fuel injection signal timing such that a resulting multiple fuel injection has a boot injection shape.

Fuel injector with main shot and variable anchor delay

A fuel injection control system and method for controlling a fuel injection control system of a direct injection internal combustion engine, capable of issuing a pilot and a main injection during fuel injection into an engine cylinder, determining whether a pilot injection is enabled or disabled for each of the plurality of direct injection devices for each engine operation cycle, and modifying a corresponding main injection timing at least on the basis of the pilot injection determination. The fuel injection control system including at least one direct fuel injection device operable to deliver partitioned separate injections of fuel directly into a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. The control system operable on the basis of engine operating parameters to control operation of the at least one direct fuel injection device, and to determine the partitioned separate injections of fuel including a pilot injection fuel quantity, a main injection fuel quantity, an anchor injection fuel quantity, a pilot injection timing and duration, a main injection timing and duration, and an anchor injection timing and duration. The fuel injection control system providing these parameters as fuel injection signal to produce the partitioned separate injections of fuel, the fuel injection signal being determined based on predetermined engine operating parameters and information extracted from at least one look-up map. The fuel injection control system being adapted to determine if a change in engine conditions has occurred, and on the basis of such determination to determine whether the pilot injection is enabled or disabled. The fuel injection control system being further adapted to dynamically modify the main injection timing at least on the basis of the pilot injection determination.

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Hopewell, IL, United States of America

Jason Jon Rasmussen