Bi-fuel control system and assembly for reciprocating diesel engine powered electric generators

An assembly designed to modify a diesel powered electric generator so as to be operable in either a gas-diesel fuel mode or a full diesel fuel mode at comparable operating efficiencies, said assembly comprising:

• a) a gas control sub-assembly structured to control the amount of gas supplied to a driving engine of the generator during operation in the gas-diesel fuel mode,
• b) a diesel control sub-assembly structured to control the amount of diesel fuel supplied to the driving engine while being operated in the gas-diesel fuel mode,
• c) an electronic control sub-assembly structured to at least partially regulate operation of said gas control sub-assembly and said diesel control sub-assembly, and
• d) said gas control sub-assembly, said diesel control sub-assembly and said electronic control sub-assembly being cooperatively structured to provide both automatic and manual changes of operation of the generator between the gas-diesel fuel mode and the full diesel fuel mode without disruption of generator power output,
• e) said gas control sub-assembly further including a gas pressure regulator, and
• f) said gas pressure regulator structured to utilize a demand control for gas flow, said demand control defined by the vacuum generated by an intake air flow of the driving engine.

A system for modifying diesel powered electric generators so as to be operated either in a full diesel fuel mode or a gas-diesel fuel mode, at substantially equivalent operating efficiencies, said system comprising:

• a) a gas control sub-system designed to control the amount of gas supplied to a driving engine of the generator while being operated in the gas-diesel fuel mode,
• b) a diesel control sub-system designed to control the amount of diesel fuel supplied to the driving engine while being operated in the gas-diesel fuel mode,
• c) an electronic control sub-system designed to regulate operation of pre-determined components of the gas control sub-system and the diesel control sub-system, and
• d) the gas control sub-system, the diesel control sub-system and the electronic control sub-system being collectively interdependent so as to allow a change of operation of the generator between the full diesel fuel mode and the gas-diesel fuel mode without generator power output being interrupted;
• e) the gas control sub-system structured to permit the amount of gas supplied to the driving engine to be determined in response to the load requirements of the driving engine, ad at least said gas control sub-system operating independently from a governor of the diesel engine;
• and
• f) the electronic control system is further structured to cease operation in the gas diesel fuel mode upon a monitored indication of low oil pressure of the driving engine.

A system for modifying diesel powered electric generators so as to be operated either in a full diesel fuel mode or a gas-diesel fuel mode, at substantially equivalent operating efficiencies, said system comprising:

• a) a gas control sub-system designed to control the amount of gas supplied to a driving engine of the generator while being operated in the gas-diesel fuel mode,
• b) a diesel control sub-system designed to control the amount of diesel fuel supplied to the driving engine while being operated in the gas-diesel fuel mode,
• c) an electronic control sub-system designed to regulate operation of pre-determined components of the gas control sub-system and the diesel control sub-system, and
• d) the gas control sub-system, the diesel control sub-system and the electronic control sub-system being collectively interdependent so as to allow a change of operation of the generator between the full diesel fuel mode and the gas-diesel fuel mode without generator power output being interrupted;
• e) the gas control sub-system structured to permit the amount of gas supplied to the driving engine to be determined in response to the load requirements of the driving engine, ad at least said gas control sub-system operating independently from a governor of the diesel engine;
• and
• f) the electronic control sub-system is further structured to automatically cease operation in the gas-diesel fuel mode and begin operation in the full diesel fuel mode upon an exhaust gas temperature of the driving engine exceeding a predetermined temperature range, the exhaust gas temperature in a generator having a dual exhaust system is determined by independently monitoring the exhaust gas temperature of each exhaust of the dual exhaust system.

A system for modifying diesel powered electric generators so as to be operated either in a full diesel fuel mode or a gas-diesel fuel mode, at substantially equivalent operating efficiencies, said system comprising:

• a) a gas control sub-system designed to control the amount of gas supplied to a driving engine of the generator while being operated in the gas-diesel fuel mode,
• b) a diesel control sub-system designed to control the amount of diesel fuel supplied to the driving engine while being operated in the gas-diesel fuel mode,
• c) an electronic control sub-system designed to regulate operation of pre-determined components of the gas control sub-system and the diesel control sub-system, and
• d) the gas control sub-system, the diesel control sub-system and the electronic control sub-system being collectively interdependent so as to allow a change of operation of the generator between the full diesel fuel mode and the gas-diesel fuel mode without generator power output being interrupted;
• e) the gas control sub-system structured to permit the amount of gas supplied to the driving engine to be determined in response to the load requirements of the driving engine, ad at least said gas control sub-system operating independently from a governor of the diesel engine;
• and
• f) the electronic control sub-system is further structured to include an adjustable time delay function allowing short duration generator load deviation to be ignored and thereby preventing resulting on-off cycling between operation in the gas-diesel fuel mode and full diesel fuel mode.

A system for modifying diesel powered electric generators so as to be operated either in a full diesel fuel mode or a gas-diesel fuel mode, at substantially equivalent operating efficiencies, said system comprising:

• a) a gas control sub-system designed to control the amount of gas supplied to a driving engine of the generator while being operated in the gas-diesel fuel mode,
• b) a diesel control sub-system designed to control the amount of diesel fuel supplied to the driving engine while being operated in the gas-diesel fuel mode,
• c) an electronic control sub-system designed to regulate operation of pre-determined components of the gas control sub-system and the diesel control sub-system, and
• d) the gas control sub-system, the diesel control sub-system and the electronic control sub-system being collectively interdependent so as to allow a change of operation of the generator between the full diesel fuel mode and the gas-diesel fuel mode without generator power output being interrupted;
• e) the gas control sub-system structured to permit the amount of gas supplied to the driving engine to be determined in response to the load requirements of the driving engine, ad at least said gas control sub-system operating independently from a governor of the diesel engine;
• and
• f) a master time delay structured to delay initiation of operation in the gas-diesel fuel mode for an adjustable, pre-set time period to accommodate paralleling operations with one or more additional generators or an electric utility grid.

An assembly designed to modify a diesel powered electric generator so as to be operable in either a gas-diesel fuel mode or a full diesel fuel mode at comparable operating efficiencies, said assembly comprising:

• a) a gas control sub-assembly structured to control the amount of gas supplied to a driving engine of the generator during operation in the gas-diesel fuel mode,
• b) a diesel control sub-assembly structured to control the amount of diesel fuel supplied to the driving engine while being operated in the gas-diesel fuel mode,
• c) an electronic control sub-assembly structured to at least partially regulate operation of said gas control sub-assembly and said diesel control sub-assembly,
• d) said gas control sub-assembly, said diesel control sub-assembly and said electronic control sub-assembly being cooperatively structured to provide both automatic and manual changes of operation of the generator between the gas-diesel fuel mode and the full diesel fuel mode without disruption of generator power output,
• e) said diesel control sub-assembly further including a diesel fuel control valve, and
• f) said diesel fuel control valve including at least one manually adjustable, internal needle valve.

An assembly designed to modify a diesel powered electric generator so as to be operable in either a gas-diesel fuel mode or a full diesel fuel mode at comparable operating efficiencies, said assembly comprising:

• a) a gas control sub-assembly structured to control the amount of gas supplied to a driving engine of the generator during operation in the gas-diesel fuel mode,
• b) a diesel control sub-assembly structured to control the amount of diesel fuel supplied to the driving engine while being operated in the gas-diesel fuel mode,
• c) an electronic control sub-assembly structured to at least partially regulate operation of said gas control sub-assembly and said diesel control sub-assembly,
• d) said gas control sub-assembly, said diesel control sub-assembly and said electronic control sub-assembly being cooperatively structured to provide both automatic and manual changes of operation of the generator between the gas-diesel fuel mode and the full diesel fuel mode without disruption of generator power output,
• e) said diesel control sub-assembly further including a diesel fuel control valve, and
• f) said diesel control sub-assembly further structured to relieve fuel back pressure on an inlet side of said diesel fuel control valve by diverting flow of diesel fuel from said diesel fuel control valve to a diesel fuel supply upon fuel back pressure resulting from a restricted flow at said diesel fuel control valve reaching a predetermined point.

An assembly designed to modify a diesel powered electric generator so as to be operable in either a gas-diesel fuel mode or a full diesel fuel mode at comparable operating efficiencies, said assembly comprising:

• a) a gas control sub-assembly structured to control the amount of gas supplied to a driving engine of the generator during operation in the gas-diesel fuel mode,
• b) a diesel control sub-assembly structured to control the amount of diesel fuel supplied to the driving engine while being operated in the gas-diesel fuel mode,
• c) an electronic control sub-assembly structured to at least partially regulate operation of said gas control sub-assembly and said diesel control sub-assembly,
• d) said gas control sub-assembly, said diesel control sub-assembly and said electronic control sub-assembly being cooperatively structured to provide both automatic and manual changes of operation of the generator between the gas-diesel fuel mode and the full diesel fuel mode without disruption of generator power output, and
• f) said electronic control sub-assembly further including an oil pressure switch structured to automatically assume an opened position upon a detection of a predetermined low oil pressure and thereby cease operation in the gas-diesel fuel mode.