US 10,473,041 B1Granted

Cold start of internal combustion engine

AssigneeNorthwest Uld, Inc.

InventorChris B. Harris

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An internal combustion engine has both a primary fuel system and a starting fuel intake assembly. The primary fuel system and the starting fuel intake assembly provide separate flow paths to a common chamber of the internal combustion engine. An external starting fuel source is fluidly connectable with the starting fuel intake assembly of the internal combustion engine, for instance when exposed to a low ambient temperature environment. The internal combustion engine is started while a starting fuel is flowing into a combustion chamber for the internal combustion engine. A primary fuel may also be flowing into the combustion chamber at this time. After the primary fuel is being consistently ignited in the combustion chamber, the flow of starting fuel to the combustion chamber may be terminated and the external starting fuel source may be fluidly disconnected from the starting fuel intake assembly of the internal combustion engine.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of starting an engine, comprising:

interconnecting an internal combustion engine with an off-board cold start system, with said engine being in a cold-soaked condition, and prior to initiating operation of said engine, wherein said interconnecting step comprises detachably coupling an external fuel line of said cold start system to said internal combustion engine, wherein a first fuel tank is also fluidly connected with said internal combustion engine and comprises a first fuel, wherein said external fuel line is also fluidly connectable with a second fuel source of said cold start system, and wherein said second fuel source comprises an off-board second fuel tank that in turn comprises a second fuel that is of a different type than said first fuel;
a first directing step comprising directing a flow of said first fuel from said first fuel tank and to a chamber of said internal combustion engine;
a second directing step comprising directing a flow of said second fuel from said second fuel tank, through said external line, and then to said chamber of said internal combustion engine, wherein said second directing step is executed after said detachably coupling step;
starting said internal combustion engine using said second fuel;
fluidly isolating said second fuel source from said internal combustion engine after said starting step and after said engine has warmed to a first operating temperature, wherein said first directing step is initiated before said fluidly isolating step such that said first fuel and said second fuel are being simultaneously directed into said chamber and while each of said first fuel tank and said second fuel tank are fluidly connected with said chamber;
and
operating said internal combustion engine using only said first fuel from said first fuel tank after said fluidly isolating step.

4 more elements

An engine assembly comprising:

an internal combustion engine comprising:
a cylinder;
a reciprocating piston disposed within said cylinder;
a combustion chamber defined by said cylinder and said reciprocating piston;
a primary fuel system fluidly connectable with said combustion chamber and comprising a fuel injector and first fuel tank which in turn comprises a first fuel;
and
a starting fuel intake assembly fluidly connectable with said combustion chamber;
a cold start system located off board relative to said internal combustion engine, detachably coupled to said starting fuel intake assembly of said internal combustion engine, and comprising a second fuel tank that is off-board relative to said internal combustion engine and that in turn comprises a second fuel that is of different type than said first fuel;
a first configuration where said internal combustion engine operates with said first fuel and said second fuel being simultaneously directed into a first chamber of said internal combustion engine until said internal combustion engine has warmed to a first operating temperature, wherein said first fuel from said first fuel tank is discharged from said fuel injector and is directed into said first chamber, and wherein said second fuel is transferred from said second fuel tank, to said starting fuel intake assembly, and into said first chamber without proceeding through any fuel injector of said internal combustion engine.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/584,586Filed 2 May 2017 · us provisional application
Priority: 2 May 2016
Granted: 12 Nov 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

F02D 19/0613
Control of components of the fuel supply system: switch-over from one fuel to another
B64F 1/34
Ground or aircraft-carrier-deck installations: for starting propulsion plant
F02B 61/04
Adaptations of engines for driving vehicles or for driving propellers; Combinations of engines with gearing: for driving propellers
F02B 75/16
Other engines: engines characterised by number of cylinders, e.g. single-cylinder engines