Systems and methods for providing a diesel-methanol emulsion for direct injection engines

A method of operating a system, the method comprising:

• monitoring, by a controller, the system, the system comprising:
• an internal combustion engine that combusts a primary fuel and a pilot fuel;
• a first fuel tank for storing a first fuel;
• a second fuel tank for storing a second fuel;
• a first fuel metering valve for controlling a first fuel flowrate of the first fuel exiting the first fuel tank;
• a second fuel metering valve for controlling a second fuel flowrate of the second fuel exiting the second fuel tank;
• and
• a mixer configured to receive the first fuel via the first fuel metering valve and the second fuel via the second fuel metering valve, and to output a mixture of the received first fuel and second fuel to a primary fuel rail for use by the engine as the primary fuel, wherein a position of the first fuel metering valve determines a concentration of the first fuel in the primary fuel output by the mixer, a position of the second fuel metering valve determines a concentration of the second fuel in the primary fuel, and at least a portion of the first fuel is directed from the first fuel tank to the engine for use as the pilot fuel;
• and
• receiving, by the controller, a power demand input;
• retrieving, by the controller, a first fuel flowrate and retrieving a second fuel flowrate from an engine map based on the power demand input;
• issuing, by the controller, a first fuel control signal to the first fuel metering valve to cause the first fuel metering valve to adjust to a first fuel metering valve position to achieve the first fuel flowrate;
• and
• issuing, by the controller, a second fuel control signal to the second fuel metering valve to cause the second fuel metering valve to adjust a second fuel metering valve position to the position based on the second fuel control signal.

A controller, the controller comprising:

• a memory storing computer-executable instructions;
• and
• a processor in communication with the memory, the computer-executable instructions causing the processor to perform acts comprising:
• monitoring, a system, the system comprising:
• an internal combustion engine that combusts a primary fuel and a pilot fuel;
• a first fuel tank for storing a first fuel;
• a second fuel tank for storing a second fuel;
• a first fuel metering valve for controlling a first fuel flowrate of the first fuel exiting the first fuel tank;
• a second fuel metering valve for controlling a second fuel flowrate of the second fuel exiting the second fuel tank;
• and
• a mixer configured to receive the first fuel via the first fuel metering valve and the second fuel via the second fuel metering valve, and to output a mixture of the received first fuel and second fuel to a primary fuel rail for use by the engine as the primary fuel, wherein a position of the first fuel metering valve determines a concentration of the first fuel in the primary fuel output by the mixer, a position of the second fuel metering valve determines a concentration of the second fuel in the primary fuel, and at least a portion of the first fuel is directed from the first fuel tank to the engine for use as the pilot fuel;
• and
• receiving a power demand input;
• retrieving a first fuel flowrate and retrieving a second fuel flowrate from an engine map based on the power demand input;
• issuing a first fuel control signal to the first fuel metering valve to cause the first fuel metering valve to adjust to a first fuel metering valve position to achieve the first fuel flowrate;
• and
• issuing a second fuel control signal to the second fuel metering valve to cause the second fuel metering valve to adjust a second fuel metering valve position to the position based on the second fuel control signal.