Apparatus and method for pressurizing and supplying gaseous fuel to an internal combustion engine

An apparatus for pressurizing and supplying a gaseous fuel to an internal combustion engine comprising:

• a first supply of the gaseous fuel;
• a second supply of the gaseous fuel;
• the gaseous fuel stored as a compressed gas in the first supply and the second supply;
• a supply-select valve apparatus fluidly communicating with the first supply and the second supply and actuatable to select at least one of the first supply and the second supply;
• a compressor fluidly receiving the gaseous fuel from the supply-select valve apparatus and selectively pressurizing the gaseous fuel;
• a compressor-bypass valve in parallel with the compressor and operable to selectively bypass the compressor by fluidly communicating the gaseous fuel received from the supply-select valve apparatus around the compressor;
• an accumulator fluidly receiving the gaseous fuel from the compressor and the compressor-bypass valve;
• and
• a pressure regulator fluidly receiving the gaseous fuel from the accumulator and fluidly communicating with the internal combustion engine to supply the gaseous fuel to the internal combustion engine.

A method of pressurizing and supplying a gaseous fuel to an internal combustion engine comprising:

• providing a first supply of the gaseous fuel;
• providing a second supply of the gaseous fuel;
• storing the gaseous fuel as a compressed gas in the first supply and the second supply;
• selectively compressing the gaseous fuel from one of the first supply and the second supply;
• selectively bypassing a compressor that compresses the gaseous fuel by fluidly communicating the gaseous fuel received from one of the first supply and the second supply around the compressor;
• accumulating the gaseous fuel that has been compressed and the gaseous fuel that has been bypassed;
• regulating a pressure of the gaseous fuel that has been accumulated;
• and
• supplying the gaseous fuel that has been pressure regulated to the internal combustion engine.