Engine operating strategy using pulsed injection of gaseous hydrogen fuel
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsRobert Michael McDavid, Chad Palmer Koci, Jonathan W. Anders
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Operating an engine includes energizing an electrical actuator for a valve in a fuel injector according to a waveform alternating a plurality of on-times with a plurality of dwell times, and outputting a pulsed injection of a gaseous hydrogen fuel from the fuel injector entraining air between pulses of the gaseous hydrogen fuel. Entrainment breaks are produced between the plurality of pulses in a spray cone of the pulsed injection. The gaseous hydrogen fuel and air experience enhanced in-cylinder mixing based upon the air entrainment. Related apparatus is also disclosed.
Claims20
A method of operating an engine comprising:
- moving a piston between a bottom-dead-center position and a top-dead-center position in a cylinder in an engine having an engine housing;
- energizing an electrical actuator for a valve in a fuel injector according to a waveform alternating a plurality of on-times with a plurality of dwell times;
- outputting a pulsed injection of a gaseous hydrogen fuel from the fuel injector and, inside the engine housing, entraining air into the pulsed injection between a plurality of pulses of the gaseous hydrogen fuel, based on the energizing the electrical actuator;
- and
- combusting the gaseous hydrogen fuel and air in the cylinder.
A gaseous fuel engine system comprising:
- an internal combustion engine having a cylinder formed therein, and a piston movable in the cylinder between a bottom-dead-center position and a top-dead-center position and including a center cone;
- a fuel system including a gaseous hydrogen fuel supply, a fuel injector fluid connected to the gaseous hydrogen fuel supply and having a valve electrical actuator, and the fuel injector extending into the cylinder and including a fuel outlet arranged to produce a spray cone of injected gaseous hydrogen fuel advanced from the fuel outlet and targeting the center cone for impingement;
- the fuel system further including a fueling control unit structured to:
- output electrical control commands to the valve electrical actuator;
- energize the valve electrical actuator based on the electrical control commands according to a pulsed waveform;
- and
- cause the fuel injector to output a pulsed injection of the gaseous hydrogen fuel forming the spray cone for combustion in the cylinder based on the energizing of the valve electrical actuator.
A method of operating an engine comprising:
- feeding a gaseous hydrogen fuel to a fuel injector coupled to an engine;
- actuating the fuel injector to output a pulsed injection of the gaseous hydrogen fuel into intake air in the engine;
- producing a plurality of entrainment breaks between a plurality of pulses of the gaseous hydrogen fuel in a spray cone of the pulsed injection;
- entraining air into the spray cone in the plurality of entrainment breaks;
- and
- combusting the gaseous hydrogen fuel and air in a cylinder in the engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.