Natural gas engine
AssigneeSmith Power Products, Inc.
InventorsMicky Warren, Christopher Fleming, Michael Smith, John De La Hunt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system may include a natural gas engine; and a hydrodynamic device configured to convert mechanical energy of the natural gas engine into heat in a working fluid within the hydrodynamic device. The amount of fluid in the hydrodynamic device may be controlled by an electronically controllable valve, and the amount of fluid in the hydrodynamic device may control a resistive force of the hydrodynamic device. The system may also include a controller in communication with the natural gas engine and the hydrodynamic device, where the controller may be configured to automatically adjust the electronically controllable valve to maintain a working load on the natural gas engine at or above a threshold load.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a natural gas engine including a first driveline at a front end of the natural gas engine;
- a resistive device configured to provide a variable electrically-controllable resistive force on the natural gas engine;
- a controller in communication with the natural gas engine and the resistive device, the controller configured to automatically adjust the variable electrically-controllable resistive force to maintain a working load on the natural gas engine at or above a threshold load;
- a transmission for changing between gears, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the variable electrically-controllable resistive force to increase the working load on the natural gas engine when the transmission down-shifts;
- and
- a second driveline located on a second side of the natural gas engine opposite from a first side of the natural gas engine, the first side associated with the resistive device, the transmission interfacing with the natural gas engine at the second side.
A system comprising:
- a natural gas engine including a first driveline at a front end of the natural gas engine;
- an electric generator that is controllable to provide a specific amount of load on the natural gas engine on the first driveline as a variable electrically-controllable resistive force, the variable electrically-controllable resistive force based on an amount of electricity generated by the electric generator;
- a controller in communication with the natural gas engine and the electric generator, the controller configured to automatically adjust the amount of electricity generated by the electric generator to thereby control the variable electrically-controllable resistive force to maintain a working load on the natural gas engine at or above a threshold load;
- a transmission for changing between gears wherein the controller is configured to adjust the electric generator to increase the amount of electricity being generated when the transmission down-shifts;
- and
- a second driveline located on a second side of the natural gas engine opposite from a first side of the natural gas engine, the first side associated with the resistive device, the transmission interfacing with the natural gas engine at the second side.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.