Device for reducing fuel consumption in internal combustion engines
OwnerAnatoly Sverdlininventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An internal combustion engine is provided with a device for automatically preventing thermal and mechanical stress during overload periods, and to power the engine with the most economical fuel consumption rate possible. In a preferred embodiment, the device is associated with the variable speed governor of the main diesel engine of a ship. The device includes a system actuated by significant movements of the governor to regulate the fuel pump or pumps or reduce the engine speed to a more economical and safe level. Means for overriding the system in emergency situations may be provided.
Claims15
In an automatic control system for regulating the speed of an internal combustion engine, the system having,
- (a) an engine speed selector, for selecting a normal loading condition speed for the engine,
- (b) a governor, for sensing the engine speed relative to the selected speed, and
- (c) a fuel supply means responsive to the governor for supplying fuel to the engine, the improvement comprising:
- (1) an engine load sensing means connected to said fuel supply means and responsive to the rate of fuel supply, for sensing when the engine is under heavy loading conditions, said load sensing means generating a start scan signal when heavy loading conditions are present on the engine;
- (2) a time interval generator responsive to the start scan signal, for generating a predetermined scan interval time during which the normal loading condition speed in reduced to a lower regulated engine speed, the scan interval time having a time interval sufficient to permit the engine speed to attain the lower regulated entine speed;
- and
- (3) an engine speed control means responsive to said engine speed selector and said time interval generator, for generating a fuel control signal to said fuel supply means to
- (i) maintain the normal loading condition engine speed when normal loading conditions are present on the engine, and to
- (ii) reduce the rate of fuel supply to the engine during each generated scan interval time to obtain the lower regulated engine speed thereby reducing the stress and fuel consumption of the engine when heavy loading conditions are present on the engine while maintaining a desirable speed of travel, the total time interval from all of the generated scan time intervals permitting the engine to run at the lower regulated engine speed until the heavy loading conditions are no longer present on the engine.
An automatic control device for regulating the engine speed of a marine diesel engine during periods of heavy loading conditions, said control device controlling the engine speed to a lower regulated engine speed than a normal regulated engine speed while maintaining the speed of travel during periods of heavy loading conditions thereby reducing fuel consumption and stress to the engine, the device generating a fuel control signal to control the engine speed, the device comprising:
- (a) a fuel supply means responsive to the fuel control signal, for supplying fuel to the engine, said fuel supply means indicating the rate of fuel supply to the engine;
- (b) an engine load sensing means connected to said fuel supply means and responsive to the rate of fuel supply, for sensing when the engine is under heavy loading conditions, said load sensing means generating a start scan signal when heavy loading conditions are present on the engine;
- (c) a time interval generator responsive to the start scan signal, for generating a predetermined scan interval time during which the normal regulated engine speed is reduced to the lower regulated engine speed, the scan interval time having a time interval sufficient to permit the engine speed to attain the lower regulated engine speed;
- (d) an engine speed selector, for selecting the normal regulated engine speed for normal loading conditions;
- and
- (e) an engine speed controller responsive to said engine speed selector and said time interval generator, for generating the fuel control signal to said fuel supply means to
- (i) maintain the normal regulated engine speed when normal laoding conditions are present on the engine, and to
- (ii) reduce the rate of fuel supply to the engine during each generated scan interval time to obtain the lower regulated engine speed thereby reducing the stress and fuel consumption of the engine when heavy loading conditions are present on the engine while maintaining the speed of travel, the total time interval from all of the generated scan time intervals permitting the engine to run at the lower regulated engine speed until the heavy loading conditions are no longer present on the engine.
A method of controlling the speed of a marine diesel engine during periods of heavy loading condition to reduce the stress and fuel consumption to the engine, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) selecting a normal engine speed to be regulated during periods when the loading condition on the engine is less than a predetermined level;
- (b) selecting a lower engine speed from the normal engine speed to be regulated during periods when the loading condition on the engine is greater than the predetermined level;
- (c) sensing the loading condition on the engine;
- (d) regulating the engine speed to the normal engine speed if the loading condition is less than the predetermined level;
- (e) generating a predetermined scan interval time when the loading condition on the engine is greater than the predetermined level and having a duration until which the engine speed is regulated to the lower engine speed;
- and
- (f) repeating steps (c)-(f) at the completion of each scan interval time to enable the engine to run at a lower regulated engine speed than the normal speed throughout periods of heavy loading conditions, and to run at the normal speed when normal loading is present.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.