# US 2021/0340922 A1 · Internal combustion engine system with temperature based output control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0340922 A1 - Document ID: US20210340922A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/378,770 - Filed: 2021-07-19 - Published: 2021-11-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-02-01 - Assignees: IHI Corporation - Applicants: IHI Corporation - Inventors: Ryota SAKISAKA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210340922A1 ## CPC - F02D 19/0607: {to adjust the fuel mass or volume flow} - F02D 19/0628: {Determining the fuel pressure, temperature or flow, the fuel tank fill level or a valve position} - F02D 19/0644: {the gaseous fuel being hydrogen, ammonia or carbon monoxide} - F02D 19/0671: {Means to generate or modify a fuel, e.g. reformers, electrolytic cells or membranes} - F02D 19/0678: {Pressure or flow regulators therefor; Fuel metering valves therefor} - F02D 19/081: {Adjusting the fuel composition or mixing ratio; Transitioning from one fuel to the other} - F02D 23/00: Controlling engines characterised by their being supercharged - F02D 41/0007: {for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines (control of the pumps per se F02B37/12)} - F02D 41/0025: {Controlling engines characterised by use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures} - F02D 41/0027: {the fuel being gaseous (non-electrical control F02D19/02)} - F02M 27/02: by catalysts - F02D 2200/0414: Air temperature - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - Y02T 10/30: Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels - F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W) - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract An internal combustion engine system includes an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger, and a flow ratio adjustment device including a branch configured to divide the compressed into first compressed air and second compressed air and a valve device configured to adjust a flow rate of the first compressed air and a flow rate of the second compressed air. The system additional includes a reformer configured to discharge first generated as a result of a reaction between the first compressed air and the fuel gas, a junction configured to generate second gas including the first gas and the second compressed air, an air-fuel mixture generator configured to generate an air-fuel mixture including the second gas and the fuel gas, and a controller configured to determining a ratio of the flow rate of the first compressed air based on the temperature of the air-fuel mixture. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An internal combustion engine system comprising: an internal combustion engine; a turbocharger configured to discharge compressed air using exhaust gas supplied from the internal combustion engine; a flow ratio adjustment device including a branch configured to divide the compressed air received from the turbocharger into first compressed air and second compressed air, the flow ratio adjustment device further including a valve configured to adjust a flow rate of the first compressed air and a flow rate of the second compressed air; a reformer configured to receive the first compressed air and fuel gas and discharge first gas including heat and hydrogen generated as a result of an exothermic reaction between the first compressed air and the fuel gas; a junction configured to receive the first gas from the reformer and receive the second compressed air from the valve to generate second gas including the first gas and the second compressed air; an air-fuel mixture generator configured to receive the second gas and receive the fuel gas to generate an air-fuel mixture including the second gas and the fuel gas; a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the air-fuel mixture; and a controller configured to output, to the flow ratio adjustment device, a control signal for determining a ratio of the flow rate of the first compressed air supplied to the reformer based on the temperature of the air-fuel mixture. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The internal combustion engine system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to: output the control signal for reducing the flow rate of the first compressed air to the flow ratio adjustment device when the temperature of the air-fuel mixture is higher than a target temperature; and output the control signal for increasing the flow rate of the first compressed air to the flow ratio adjustment device when the temperature of the air-fuel mixture is lower than the target temperature. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The internal combustion engine system according to claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to: output the control signal for increasing the flow rate of the second compressed air to the flow ratio adjustment device when the temperature of the air-fuel mixture is higher than the target temperature; and output the control signal for reducing the flow rate of the second compressed air to the flow ratio adjustment device when the temperature of the air-fuel mixture is lower than the target temperature. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The internal combustion engine system according to claim 1, wherein the flow ratio adjustment device includes: a first valve connected to the branch and the reformer, and configured to adjust the flow rate of the first compressed air supplied to the reformer by receiving the control signal from the controller; and a second valve connected to the branch and the junction, and configured to adjust the flow rate of the second compressed air supplied to the junction by receiving the control signal from the controller. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The internal combustion engine system according to claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to: output the control signal for reducing an opening degree of the first valve to the flow ratio adjustment device when the temperature of the air-fuel mixture is higher than a target temperature; and output the control signal for increasing the opening degree of the first valve to the flow ratio adjustment device when the temperature of the air-fuel mixture is lower than the target temperature. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The internal combustion engine system according to claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to: output the control signal for increasing an opening degree of the second valve to the flow ratio adjustment device when the temperature of the air-fuel mixture is higher than the target temperature; and output the control signal for reducing the opening degree of the second valve to the flow ratio adjustment device when the temperature of the air-fuel mixture is lower than the target temperature. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The internal combustion engine system according to any one of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is disposed between the air-fuel mixture generator and the internal combustion engine. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The internal combustion engine system according to any one of claim 1, wherein a surge tank is provided between the junction and the air-fuel mixture generator. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The internal combustion engine system according to any one of claim 1, wherein the air-fuel mixture includes hydrogen generated by the reformer, the compressed air, and the fuel gas, and wherein a ratio between the compressed air and the fuel gas included in the air-fuel mixture is lower than a theoretical air-fuel ratio. ### Claim 10 An internal combustion engine system comprising: an internal combustion engine; a turbocharger including a turbine configured to receive exhaust gas supplied from the internal combustion engine and generate power, a compressor configured to receive the power and discharge compressed air, and a gate valve formed in a bypass passage to guide the exhaust gas to a discharge passage connected to an outlet of the turbine; a flow ratio adjustment device including a branch configured to divide the compressed air received from the turbocharger into first compressed air and second compressed air; a reformer configured to receive the first compressed air and fuel gas and discharge first gas including heat and hydrogen generated as a result of an exothermic reaction between the first compressed air and the fuel gas; a junction configured to receive the first gas from the reformer and receive the second compressed air to generate second gas including the first gas and the second compressed air; an air-fuel mixture generator configured to receive the second gas and receive the fuel gas to generate an air-fuel mixture including the second gas and the fuel gas; a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the air-fuel mixture; and a controller configured to output, to the gate valve, a control signal for determining an opening degree of the gate valve based on the temperature of the air-fuel mixture. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The internal combustion engine system according to claim 10, wherein the controller outputs the control signal for increasing the opening degree of the gate valve to the gate valve when the temperature of the air-fuel mixture is higher than a target temperature, and outputs the control signal for reducing the opening degree of the gate valve to the gate valve when the temperature of the air-fuel mixture is lower than the target temperature. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The internal combustion engine system according to claim 11, wherein the flow ratio adjustment device further includes a valve device configured to adjust a flow rate of the first compressed air and a flow rate of the second compressed air. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The internal combustion engine system according to claim 12, wherein the controller outputs the control signal for increasing the flow rate of the first compressed air and for increasing the flow rate of the second compressed air to the flow ratio adjustment device when the temperature of the air-fuel mixture is higher than the target temperature. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The internal combustion engine system according to claim 13, wherein the controller outputs the control signal for reducing the flow rate of the first compressed air and for reducing the flow rate of the second compressed air to the flow ratio adjustment device when the temperature of the air-fuel mixture is lower than the target temperature. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The internal combustion engine system according to claim 12, wherein the flow ratio adjustment device includes: a first valve connected to the branch and the reformer, and configured to adjust the flow rate of the first compressed air supplied to the reformer by receiving the control signal from the controller, and a second valve connected to the branch and the junction, and configured to adjust the flow rate of the second compressed air supplied to the junction by receiving the control signal from the controller. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The internal combustion engine system according to claim 15, wherein the controller outputs the control signal for reducing an opening degree of the first valve to the flow ratio adjustment device when the temperature of the air-fuel mixture is higher than the target temperature, and outputs the control signal for increasing the opening degree of the first valve to the flow ratio adjustment device when the temperature of the air-fuel mixture is lower than the target temperature. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The internal combustion engine system according to claim 16, wherein the controller outputs the control signal for increasing an opening degree of the second valve to the flow ratio adjustment device when the temperature of the air-fuel mixture is higher than the target temperature, and outputs the control signal for reducing the opening degree of the second valve to the flow ratio adjustment device when the temperature of the air-fuel mixture is lower than the target temperature. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The internal combustion engine system according to any one of claim 10, wherein the temperature sensor is disposed between the air-fuel mixture generator and the internal combustion engine. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) The internal combustion engine system according to any one of claim 10, wherein a surge tank is provided between the junction and the air-fuel mixture generator. ### Claim 20 (depends on 10) The internal combustion engine system according to any one of claim 10, wherein the air-fuel mixture includes hydrogen generated by the reformer, the compressed air, and the fuel gas, and a ratio between the compressed air and the fuel gas included in the air-fuel mixture is lower than a theoretical air-fuel ratio.