# US 10,245,940 B2 · Dual fuel tank for locomotive and marine applications > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,245,940 B2 - Document ID: US10245940B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/188,603 - Filed: 2016-06-21 - Published: 2017-12-21 - Granted: 2019-04-02 - Earliest claimed: 2016-06-21 - Assignees: Cngmotive, Inc. - Applicants: CNGmotive Inc. - Inventors: David I. Scott; Pedro T. Santos - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10245940B2 ## CPC - B60K 15/03: Fuel tanks - B60K 15/03006: {Gas tanks (B60K15/07 takes precedence)} - B61C 17/02: Bunkers; Tanks; Tenders (coachwork B61D); Water or fuel pick-up or scoop apparatus; Water or fuel supply fittings (trackside installations, e.g. bunkers, tanks, for filling locomotives with sand or water B61K11/00) - B63B 11/04: Constructional features of bunkers, {e.g. structural fuel tanks,} or ballast tanks, e.g. with elastic walls ({tanks for fuel or the like not forming subdivisions of the hull B63B17/0027; } cleaning of tanks B63B57/00) - B63B 17/0027: {Tanks for fuel or the like (constructional features of bunkers B63B11/04); Accessories therefor, e.g. tank filler caps (fuel tanks for vehicles in general B60K15/03; cargo tanks B63B25/08; cleaning of tanks B63B57/00; handling of liquids for use in power plants B63H21/38)} - B60K 2015/03059: {Fuel tanks with double shells or more} - B60K 2015/03105: {with supplementary interior tanks inside the fuel tank} - B60K 2015/03157: {for supply different types of fuel to the motor} - B60K 2015/03309: {Tanks specially adapted for particular fuels} - Y02T 30/00: Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - B61C: LOCOMOTIVES; MOTOR RAILCARS (vehicles in general B60; frames or bogies B61F; special railroad equipment for locomotives B61J, B61K) - B63B: SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING (arrangements of vessel ventilation, heating, cooling, or air-conditioning B63J2/00; floating substructures as supports of dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F9/06) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A dual-fuel tank houses one or more compressed natural gas (CNG) vessels and one or more diesel fuel vessels. The diesel fuel vessels are generally disposed laterally outwardly from the CNG vessels to provide a buffer that protects the CNG vessels from side impacts. The dual-fuel tank may be retrofit onto a diesel locomotive in place of the locomotive's diesel fuel tank to convert the locomotive into a dual-fuel locomotive. The dual-fuel tank may be provided in a ship. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A dual-fuel railroad locomotive comprising: a chassis; a plurality of railroad wheels mounted to the chassis; a dual-fuel diesel cycle engine supported by the chassis and operatively connected to the wheels to drive the wheels to propel the locomotive along a railroad track; and a dual-fuel tank mounted to the chassis and in fluid communication with the dual-fuel diesel cycle engine, the dual-fuel tank including: at least one liquid fuel vessel, and at least one pressurized fuel vessel, wherein the at least one liquid fuel vessel is positioned to form a side-impact buffer that protects the at least one pressurized fuel vessel from side-impacts. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The locomotive of claim 1, wherein the at least one liquid fuel vessel is disposed at least partially laterally outwardly from the at least one pressurized fuel vessel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The locomotive of claim 1, wherein the at least one liquid fuel vessel extends laterally outwardly farther than any portion of the at least one pressurized fuel vessel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The locomotive of claim 1, wherein the at least one liquid fuel vessel includes at least one diesel fuel vessel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The locomotive of claim 1, wherein the at least one pressurized fuel vessel includes at least one compressed natural gas vessel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The locomotive of claim 1, wherein the at least one liquid fuel vessel includes a void at least partially defined by a frame of the chassis. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The locomotive of claim 1, wherein the dual-fuel tank further includes at least one plate, the at least one plate including a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface, wherein at least a portion of the at least one liquid fuel vessel directly contacts at least a portion of the first surface, and at least a portion of the at least one pressurized fuel vessel directly contacts at least a portion of the second surface. ### Claim 8 A method of converting a railroad locomotive into a dual fuel locomotive, the method comprising: removing a single-fuel tank from the railroad locomotive; and mounting a dual-fuel tank to the railroad locomotive in place of the single-fuel tank, the dual-fuel tank including: at least one liquid fuel vessel and at least one pressurized fuel vessel, wherein the at least one liquid fuel vessel is positioned to form a side-impact buffer that protects the at least one pressurized fuel vessel from side-impacts after said mounting. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising, after said mounting, operatively connecting the at least one liquid fuel vessel and the at least one pressurized fuel vessel to the railroad locomotive so that the locomotive can be powered by fuel in the at least one liquid fuel vessel and the at least one pressurized fuel vessel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one liquid fuel vessel includes a diesel fuel vessel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one pressurized fuel vessel includes a natural gas vessel. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one liquid fuel vessel is disposed at least partially laterally outwardly from the at least one pressurized fuel vessel after said mounting. ### Claim 13 A dual-fuel tank comprising: a frame housing one or more liquid fuel vessels and one or more pressurized fuel vessels; wherein the pressurized fuel vessels are disposed laterally inward of the liquid fuel vessels such that each of the liquid fuel vessels protect the pressurized fuel vessels from a lateral impact to the frame, wherein the frame includes a first end plate and a second end plate and both of the first end plate and the second end plate support the pressurized fuel vessels. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The tank of claim 13, wherein the liquid fuel vessels include voids at least partially defined by the frame. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The tank of claim 14, wherein the voids are at least partially defined by curved internal plates longitudinally extending inside the frame. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The tank of claim 15, wherein the curved internal plates are C-shaped and form a barrier between the liquid fuel vessels and the pressurized fuel vessels. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The tank of claim 13, including at least one fuel line in fluid communication with each of the vessels, and at least one of the fuel lines includes an electric heater configured to heat the fluid flowing therethrough. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The tank of claim 13, wherein the first end plate and the second end plate cooperate to suspend at least one of the pressurized fuel vessels inside of the frame such that said pressurized fuel vessel is only supported by the first end plate and the second end plate. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The tank of claim 13, wherein the first end plate defines at least one longitudinally extending central ring void. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The tank of claim 19, including a slider ring slideably received in the at least one longitudinally extending central rings void, the slider ring being fixed to an end of one of the pressure vessels. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The tank of claim 13, wherein at least one of the pressurized vessels includes an inner rubber bladder encased in a non-sulfur reactive layer. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The tank of claim 21, wherein the non-sulfur reactive layer includes a winding that includes a cross-weave of aramid fibers and fiberglass. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The tank of claim 22, wherein the winding excludes carbon-fiber. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The tank of claim 21, wherein the at least one of the pressurized vessels includes a non-sulfur reactive insulator encasing the non-sulfur reactive layer. ### Claim 25 (depends on 13) A vehicle including an engine and the dual-fuel tank of claim 13, wherein the engine is configured to draw and combust fuel from each of the liquid fuel vessels and the pressurized fuel vessels. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The vehicle of claim 25, wherein the engine is configured to vary the ratio of combusted liquid fuel to the ratio of combusted pressurized fuel. ### Claim 27 (depends on 13) A ship comprising: a dual-fuel engine configured to draw both liquid fuel and pressurized fuel from the dual-fuel tank of claim 13. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The ship of claim 27, wherein the liquid fuel vessels include Bunker C fuel. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The ship of claim 28, which includes a heater configured to lower the viscosity of the liquid fuel while the liquid fuel is drawn from the dual-fuel tank to the dual-fuel engine. ### Claim 30 (depends on 27) The ship of claim 27, wherein at least one of the pressurized vessels includes an inner rubber bladder encased in a non-sulfur reactive layer, and wherein the non-sulfur reactive layer is a winding that includes a cross-weave of aramid fibers and fiberglass, the winding has an inner portion and an outer portion, and a density of the inner portion is different than a density of the outer portion. ### Claim 31 A dual-fuel tank comprising: a frame housing one or more liquid fuel vessels and one or more pressurized fuel vessels; wherein the pressurized fuel vessels are disposed laterally inward of the liquid fuel vessels such that each of the liquid fuel vessels protect the pressurized fuel vessels from a lateral impact to the frame, wherein the liquid fuel vessels include voids at least partially defined by the frame, wherein the voids are at least partially defined by curved internal plates longitudinally extending inside the frame, and wherein the curved internal plates are C-shaped and form a barrier between the liquid fuel vessels and the pressurized fuel vessels. ### Claim 32 A dual-fuel tank comprising: a frame housing one or more liquid fuel vessels and one or more pressurized fuel vessels; wherein the pressurized fuel vessels are disposed laterally inward of the liquid fuel vessels such that each of the liquid fuel vessels protect the pressurized fuel vessels from a lateral impact to the frame, wherein at least one of the pressurized vessels includes an inner rubber bladder encased in a non-sulfur reactive layer. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The tank of claim 32, wherein the non-sulfur reactive layer includes a winding that includes a cross-weave of aramid fibers and fiberglass. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The tank of claim 33, wherein the winding excludes carbon-fiber. ### Claim 35 (depends on 32) The tank of claim 32, wherein the at least one of the pressurized vessels includes a non-sulfur reactive insulator encasing the non-sulfur reactive layer. ### Claim 36 A vehicle including: an engine; and a duel fuel tank, the dual-fuel tank comprising: a frame housing one or more liquid fuel vessels and one or more pressurized fuel vessels, wherein the pressurized fuel vessels are disposed laterally inward of the liquid fuel vessels such that each of the liquid fuel vessels protect the pressurized fuel vessels from a lateral impact to the frame, wherein the engine is configured to draw and combust fuel from each of the liquid fuel vessels and the pressurized fuel vessels, and wherein the engine is configured to vary the ratio of combusted liquid fuel to the ratio of combusted pressurized fuel. ### Claim 37 A ship comprising: a dual-fuel engine configured to draw both liquid fuel and pressurized fuel from a dual-fuel tank, the duel-fuel tank comprising: a frame housing one or more liquid fuel vessels and one or more pressurized fuel vessels; wherein the pressurized fuel vessels are disposed laterally inward of the liquid fuel vessels such that each of the liquid fuel vessels protect the pressurized fuel vessels from a lateral impact to the frame. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The ship of claim 37, wherein the liquid fuel vessels include Bunker C fuel. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The ship of claim 38, which includes a heater configured to lower the viscosity of the liquid fuel while the liquid fuel is drawn from the dual-fuel tank to the dual-fuel engine. ### Claim 40 (depends on 37) The ship of claim 37, wherein at least one of the pressurized vessels includes an inner rubber bladder encased in a non-sulfur reactive layer, and wherein the non-sulfur reactive layer is a winding that includes a cross-weave of aramid fibers and fiberglass, the winding has an inner portion and an outer portion, and a density of the inner portion is different than a density of the outer portion.