Variable pressure gaseous fuel regulator
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorRoss Dykstra Pursifull
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for a gaseous-fueled engine, comprising: a gaseous fuel tank, a first pressure regulator comprising: a high pressure chamber coupled to the gaseous fuel tank, a low pressure chamber coupled to an engine fuel rail, and a reference chamber; a second pressure regulator coupled to the reference chamber; a first valve controlling fuel flow from the gaseous fuel tank to the engine fuel rail; a second valve controlling fuel flow from the second pressure regulator to the reference chamber; and a controller including memory with instructions therein for adjusting the valves based on a desired fuel rail pressure. In this way, the system enables at least two different fuel rail pressures such that peak fuel demand can be satisfied without maintaining peak fuel rail pressure at all times.
Claims20
A system for a gaseous-fueled engine, comprising:
- a gaseous fuel tank;
- a first pressure regulator comprising a high pressure chamber coupled to the gaseous fuel tank, a low pressure chamber coupled to an engine fuel rail, and a reference chamber;
- a second pressure regulator coupled to the reference chamber;
- a first valve controlling fuel flow from the gaseous fuel tank to the engine fuel rail;
- a second valve controlling fuel flow from the second pressure regulator to the reference chamber;
- and
- a controller including memory with instructions therein for adjusting the first and second valves based on a desired fuel rail pressure.
A method for regulating gaseous fuel pressure in an engine, comprising:
- increasing a regulating pressure in a low pressure chamber of a first pressure regulator by controllably increasing a flow of gaseous fuel into a reference chamber of the first pressure regulator via a second pressure regulator.
A method for an engine cold start, comprising:
- closing a valve coupling a gaseous fuel tank to a high pressure chamber of a first gaseous fuel regulator;
- and
- opening a valve coupling a fuel rail to a reference chamber of the first gaseous fuel regulator via a second gaseous fuel regulator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.