Multi-fuel system and method
AssigneeTransportation IP Holdings, LLC
InventorsDaniel George Norton, Adam Edgar Klingbeil
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method provides for operating an engine configured to use a plurality of differing fuels. The method includes determining a fuel combustion ratio of the plurality of differing fuels associated with at least one engine cylinder of the engine based at least in part on one or more of a plurality of characteristic profiles. This maintains one or more of a plurality of actual values associated with usage of the plurality of differing fuels relative to defined corresponding threshold values. The fuel combustion ratio includes a ratio of the plurality of differing fuels to be delivered to the at least one engine cylinder. A fuel delivery system delivers the plurality of differing fuels to the at least one engine cylinder based on the fuel combustion ratio.
Claims20
A method for operating an engine configured to use a plurality of differing fuels, the method comprising:
- determining a fuel combustion ratio of the plurality of differing fuels associated with at least one engine cylinder of the engine based at least in part on a plurality of characteristic profiles along a defined path of a mobile asset in which the engine is disposed, wherein the fuel combustion ratio comprises a ratio of the plurality of differing fuels to be delivered to the at least one engine cylinder, and the plurality of characteristic profiles comprises at least one respective calculated distance from a current location of the mobile asset to at least one fuel station and at least one fuel cost for one or more of the plurality of differing fuels;
- monitoring fuel levels of the plurality of differing fuels;
- and
- adjusting the fuel combustion ratio of the plurality of differing fuels in response to a fuel level of a fuel of the plurality of differing fuel being less than a threshold fuel level and the at least one respective calculated distance being greater than a threshold distance.
A system, comprising:
- a mobile asset comprising a multi-fuel engine configured to combust a plurality of different fuels;
- a plurality of fuel storage devices configured to store each of the plurality of different fuels separately;
- a plurality of fuel level sensors coupled to each of the plurality of fuel storage devices;
- and
- a controller comprising instructions stored on non-transitory memory thereof that when executed cause the controller to:
- monitor fuel levels of the plurality of different fuels;
- determine a plurality of distances between the mobile asset and a plurality of fuel stations;
- compare each fuel level of the plurality of different fuels to a corresponding threshold fuel level, wherein the corresponding threshold fuel level is based on a distance from the mobile asset to a fuel station comprising the fuel;
- and
- adjust a combustion ratio of the plurality of different fuel in response to a fuel level being less than a corresponding threshold fuel level.
A method for operating a multi-fuel engine of a mobile asset, the method, comprising:
- adjusting a fuel combustion ratio in response to a fuel level of a fuel being less than a threshold fuel level and a distance from the mobile asset to a fuel station comprising the fuel at a price less than or equal to an average fuel cost being greater than a threshold distance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.