Dual-fuel combustion method and system
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsJonathan W. Anders, Bobby JOHN
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of operating a dual-fuel combustion system includes reciprocating a piston between a bottom dead center and a top dead center of a cylinder, the piston including a piston bowl, a circumferentially extending recess located radially outside of the piston bowl, and a plurality of diverters in the recess. The method includes opening an intake valve to introduce a first fuel, and injecting, by a set of fuel injector orifices substantially aligned with the diverters, a second fuel toward the diverters. The method also includes autoigniting the second fuel to ignite the first fuel.
Claims20
A method of operating a dual-fuel combustion system, comprising:
- reciprocating a piston between a bottom dead center and a top dead center of a cylinder, the piston including a piston bowl, a circumferentially extending recess located radially outside of the piston bowl, and a plurality of diverters in the recess;
- opening an intake valve to introduce a first fuel;
- injecting, by a set of fuel injector orifices substantially aligned with the diverters, a second fuel toward the diverters;
- and
- autoigniting the second fuel to ignite the first fuel.
A method of operating a dual-fuel internal combustion engine having a plurality of pistons reciprocating in corresponding piston cylinders and forming a plurality of combustion chambers, comprising:
- in a first dual-fuel combustion mode:
- opening an intake valve to introduce a first fuel;
- and
- injecting a second fuel into the combustion chamber toward a plurality of diverters in a piston of the combustion chamber, wherein autoignition of the second fuel initiates ignition of the first fuel;
- and
- in a second single-fuel combustion mode:
- injecting the second fuel into the combustion chamber toward locations circumferentially offset from the diverters, and combusting the second fuel to drive the piston of the combustion chamber.
An internal combustion system, comprising:
- a piston including:
- a piston bowl;
- a circumferentially extending recess located radially outside of the piston bowl;
- and
- a plurality of diverters;
- and
- a first set of fuel injector orifices generally circumferentially aligned with the plurality of diverters and configured to inject fuel to impinge on the diverters;
- and
- a second set of fuel injector orifices generally circumferentially offset from the plurality of diverters.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.