Engine system having fuel quality sensor

A control system for use with an engine, comprising:

• a sensing element in fluid communication with a flow of unknown mixture of gaseous fuel supplied to the engine, the sensing element configured to sense a thermodynamic property of the unknown mixture of gaseous fuel;
• a heating element configured to increase a temperature of the unknown mixture of gaseous fuel at the sensing element to multiple different temperature levels;
• a microprocessor configured to determine a fuel parameter of the unknown mixture of gaseous fuel as a function of the thermodynamic property sensed at the multiple different temperature levels;
• and
• a controller in communication with the microprocessor and configured to selectively adjust a control parameter of the engine based on the fuel parameter.

An engine system, comprising:

• an engine having at least one combustion chamber;
• a fuel delivery system in fluid communication with the at least one combustion chamber;
• a supply of gaseous fuel connected to the fuel delivery system;
• a sensing element in fluid communication with the supply of gaseous fuel and configured to sense at least one of a heat capacity and a thermal conductivity of the gaseous fuel;
• a heating element configured to increase a temperature of the gaseous fuel at the sensing element to multiple different temperature levels;
• a microprocessor configured to determine at least one of a Lower Heating Value, a Wobbe index, a % Diluents, a Specific Gravity, a Specific Heat Ratio, and a Methane Number as a function of the at least one of the heat capacity and thermal conductivity sensed at the multiple different temperature levels;
• and
• a controller in communication with the microprocessor and the engine, the controller being configured to selectively adjust at least one of an air/fuel ratio, an engine timing, or a load on the engine based on the at least one of the Lower Heating Value, the Wobbe index, the % Diluents, the Specific Gravity, the Specific Heat Ratio, and the Methane Number.

A method of monitoring a quality of an unknown mixture of gaseous fuel supplied to an engine, comprising:

• sensing a thermodynamic property of the unknown mixture of gaseous fuel as the unknown mixture of gaseous fuel flows into the engine;
• heating the unknown mixture of gaseous fuel to multiple different temperature levels as the thermodynamic property of the unknown mixture of gaseous fuel is being sensed;
• determining a fuel parameter of the unknown mixture of gaseous fuel as a function of the thermodynamic property sensed at the multiple different temperature levels;
• and
• selectively adjusting a control parameter of the engine based on the fuel parameter.