Westport Research Inc.

Westport Power Inc.

Cummins Westport Inc.

Cummins Inc.

Konstantin Tanin

Richard J Ancimer

Sandeep Munshi

Tim Frazier

Patric Ouellette

David A Ruthmansdorfer

A method and apparatus for controlling to a target heat release rate (HRR) uses an HRR control lever, namely, pilot fuel timing and/or pilot fuel quantity, used in a gaseous-fuelled compression ignition internal combustion engine. The mechanism to control HRR to a target HRR improves engine performance and emissions. A target HRR is determined for a cycle of an engine. An HRR control lever is then used to adjust to the target HRR in consideration of combustion conditions in the engine and the difference between the target HRR and cycle HRR predicted for the cycle by reference to, by way of example, a derived HRR trace from a previous cycle, a pressure trace, a measured property of the exhaust gas directly determined or mapped values provided during calibration allowing for adjustment to a target HRR for the engine. The mapped values can be cross-referenced to engine combustion conditions.

Method and apparatus for controlling combustion quality of a gaseous-fuelled internal combustion engine

A method and apparatus for introducing pilot fuel into a piston cylinder of an operating gaseous fuelled internal combustion engine monitoring a set of engine parameters, determining engine load and engine speed from the set of engine parameters, introducing a first portion of the gaseous fuel into the cylinder where the first portion of gaseous fuel forms a substantially homogeneous mixture comprising gaseous fuel and air prior to combustion, and introducing a pilot fuel to avoid a excessive knocking range for the engine. A second quantity of gaseous fuel can also be added to burn in a substantially diffusion combustion mode.

Method and apparatus for pilot fuel introduction and controlling combustion in gaseous-fuelled internal combustion engine

A method and apparatus for injecting a gaseous fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine (ICE) cylinder employs a combination of operating modes. First, one of a low load and a high load mode of operation is selected during the operation of the ICE. Low load and high load modes are distinguished by the combustion characteristics of an amount of fumigated fuel added to the combustion chamber. Fumigated fuel that supports combustion will cause high load to be selected. Fumigated fuel that does not support combustion will cause low load to be selected. A directly injected amount of fuel is provided under low load. Under high load, a directly injected quantity of fuel is added when the piston is near top dead center to allow the engine to meet load requirement above that provided by the fumigated fuel. Under low load, two additional operating regions can be selected, namely, a low speed low load operating mode and a high speed low load operating mode distinguished by a pre-defined engine speed. Under low load low speed mode, fumigated fuel is barred from the combustion chamber. Under high speed low load, the amount of fumigated fuel is determined at a lower end by a pre-defined leakage flow rate. Combustion of either of the directly injected and the fumigated fuel can be initiated by a pilot fuel, which is generally injected directly into the combustion chamber when the piston is near top dead center prior to a power stroke. However, a quantity of pilot fuel can be introduced earlier in the compression stroke or in the intake stroke under high load conditions.

Method and apparatus for fuel injection into an internal combustion engine

A method and apparatus for introducing gaseous fuel into a piston cylinder of an operating internal combustion engine in two separate stages involves monitoring a set of engine parameters, determining engine load and engine speed from the set of engine parameters, in a first stage, introducing a first portion of the gaseous fuel into the cylinder where the first portion of gaseous fuel forms a substantially homogeneous mixture comprising gaseous fuel and air prior to combustion, and in a second stage, occurring sequentially after the first stage, introducing a second portion of the gaseous fuel into the cylinder. The gaseous fuel quantity is variable in response to at least one of engine load and engine speed. Initiation and duration for at least one of the first and second stages is also variable in response to at least one of engine load and engine speed.

Growing community of inventors

Vancouver, Canada

Konstantin Tanin