Systems and methods for controlling cylinder combustion in a dual fuel engine using in-cylinder pressure sensing

A fuel controller configured to actively manage combustion pressures of a dual fuel, internal combustion engine, 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:
• receiving a first pressure reading indicating a first combustion pressure of a first cylinder of the internal combustion engine;
• determining that the first pressure reading of the first cylinder comprises an out-of-range pressure-based combustion characteristic;
• commencing a fuel delivery remediation process by changing either a first amount of time a pilot fuel injector for the first cylinder is open or a second amount of time a primary fuel injector for the first cylinder is open;
• determining that the first pressure reading indicates that the out-of-range pressure-based combustion characteristic has cleared;
• ending the fuel delivery remediation process;
• determining a second pressure reading of a second cylinder comprises an out-of-range pressure-based combustion characteristic for the second cylinder while the first pressure reading comprises an out-of-range pressure-based combustion characteristic for the first cylinder;
• and
• commencing a pilot fuel system remediation process by modifying an operation of the pilot fuel system, the modification comprising:
• increasing an outlet temperature of a heater to increase a reaction rate of a reactor used to produce pilot fuel from primary fuel or increasing an amount of primary fuel introduced into a reactor used to produce pilot fuel from the primary fuel to increase a production rate of the pilot fuel;
• and
• reducing a temperature of a condenser to increase an amount of primary fuel condensing out of reactor product of a reactor used to produce pilot fuel from the primary fuel.

A combustion engine system, comprising:

• an internal combustion engine having a first cylinder and a second cylinder for combustion, the internal combustion engine configured to receive a primary fuel and a secondary fuel, wherein the secondary fuel is a pilot fuel for the primary fuel;
• a first direct-injection (“DI”) fuel injector configured to receive the primary fuel and the pilot fuel for injection into the first cylinder for combustion, wherein combustion in the first cylinder generates a first combustion pressure;
• a second DI fuel injector configured to receive the primary fuel and the pilot fuel for injection into the second cylinder for combustion, wherein combustion in the second cylinder generates a second combustion pressure;
• and
• a fuel controller configured to actively manage the first combustion pressure and the second combustion pressure, the fuel 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:
• receiving a first pressure reading indication the first combustion pressure;
• determining that the first pressure reading comprises an out-of-range pressure-based combustion characteristic;
• commencing a fuel delivery remediation process for the first cylinder by changing either a first amount of time a pilot fuel injector of the first DI fuel injector is open or a second amount of time a primary fuel injector of the first DI fuel injector is open;
• determining that the first pressure reading indicates that the out-of-range pressure-based combustion characteristic has cleared;
• ending the fuel delivery remediation process;
• receiving a second pressure reading of the second cylinder;
• determining that the second cylinder and the first cylinder are in the out-of-range pressure-based combustion characteristic;
• and
• commencing a pilot fuel system remediation process by modifying an operation of a pilot fuel system, the modification comprising:
• increasing an outlet temperature of a heater to increase a reaction rate of a reactor used to produce pilot fuel from primary fuel or increasing an amount of primary fuel introduced into a reactor used to produce pilot fuel from the primary fuel to increase a production rate of the pilot fuel;
• and
• reducing a temperature of a condenser to increase an amount of primary fuel condensing out of reactor product of a reactor used to produce pilot fuel from the primary fuel.