Gaseous fuel engine system and operating strategy for limiting crankcase fuel accumulation
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsJaswinder Singh, Eric Lee Schroeder, Adam Joseph Clute, Aaron Scott Ness
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Operating a gaseous fuel engine system includes controlling at least one of a delivery location, a delivery timing, or in situ mixing of a gaseous fuel with air, based on at least one engine system parameter upon the basis of which a blowby amount of a gaseous fuel to a crankcase varies. Crankcase accumulation of the gaseous fuel is maintained below a flammability limit. Related apparatus and control logic is also disclosed.
Claims20
A method of operating a gaseous fuel engine system comprising:
- monitoring at least one engine system parameter upon the basis of which a blowby amount of a gaseous fuel to a crankcase in a gaseous fuel engine varies;
- conveying the gaseous fuel into a cylinder in the gaseous fuel engine for combustion;
- controlling at least one of a delivery location, a delivery timing, or in situ mixing of the gaseous fuel with air, based on the monitored at least one engine system parameter;
- and
- limiting the blowby amount of the gaseous fuel that blows by a piston in the gaseous fuel engine based on the controlling at least one of a delivery location, a delivery timing, or in situ mixing of the gaseous fuel with air, such that crankcase accumulation of the gaseous fuel is maintained below a flammability limit.
A gaseous fuel engine system comprising:
- a gaseous fuel engine having a cylinder formed therein, and a crankcase in blowby communication with the cylinder;
- a fuel system including a first gaseous fuel admission valve at a first fuel delivery location relative to the cylinder and a second gaseous fuel admission valve at a second fuel delivery location relative to the cylinder;
- a fueling control unit in control communication with each of the first gaseous fuel admission valve and the second gaseous fuel admission valve and structured to:
- monitor at least one engine system parameter upon the basis of which a blowby amount of a gaseous fuel from the cylinder to the crankcase varies;
- and
- vary at least one of a fuel delivery split between the first fuel delivery location and the second fuel delivery location, a fuel delivery timing, or in situ mixing of the gaseous fuel with air in the cylinder, based on the monitored at least one engine system parameter, such that the blowby amount of the gaseous fuel that blows by a piston in the cylinder is limited to maintain crankcase accumulation of the gaseous fuel below a flammability limit.
A fuel system for a gaseous fuel engine system comprising:
- a fueling control unit structured to:
- monitor at least one engine system parameter upon the basis of which a blowby amount of a gaseous fuel from a cylinder to a crankcase in a gaseous fuel engine varies;
- control, via fueling control commands to at least one of a first fuel admission valve at a first fuel delivery location relative to the cylinder and a second fuel admission valve at a second fuel delivery location relative to the cylinder, at least one of a delivery location or a delivery timing of gaseous fuel to the cylinder, based on the monitored at least one engine system parameter;
- and
- limit the blowby amount of the gaseous fuel that blows by a piston in the cylinder based on the controlling at least one of a delivery location or a delivery timing of the gaseous fuel so as to limit crankcase accumulation of the gaseous fuel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.