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US-20260126019-A1 - GASEOUS FUEL SYSTEMS AND CONTROLS

US20260126019A1US 20260126019 A1US20260126019 A1US 20260126019A1US-20260126019-A1

Abstract

A gaseous fueling system includes a fuel rail in fluid communication with an injector and a combustion chamber in fluid communication with the injector. An electronic controller opiates the injector perform an injection of gaseous fuel to the combustion chamber, obtaining a pressure measurement indicating a pressure of gaseous fuel in the rail during the operating, determines a upper value of the pressure measurement and a lower value of the pressure measurement, calculates a difference between the upper value of the pressure measurement and the lower value of the pressure measurement, calculates an injected fuel quantity estimate using the difference, and operates the gaseous fueling system using the injected fuel quantity estimate.

Inventors

  • Donald J. Benson
  • Ahmad M. Sabri

Assignees

  • CUMMINS INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20231005

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A process of operating a gaseous fueling system including a fuel rail in fluid communication with a gaseous fuel injector and a combustion chamber in fluid communication with the gaseous fuel injector, the process comprising: operating the gaseous fuel injector perform an injection of gaseous fuel to the combustion chamber; obtaining a pressure measurement indicating a pressure of gaseous fuel in the rail during the operating; determining an upper value of the pressure measurement and a lower value of the pressure measurement; calculating a difference between the upper value of the pressure measurement and the lower value of the pressure measurement; calculating an injected fuel quantity estimate using the difference; and operating the gaseous fueling system using the injected fuel quantity estimate.
  2. 2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the operating the gaseous fueling system using the injected fuel quantity estimate comprises modifying injector control logic using the injected fuel quantity estimate and controlling the gaseous fuel injector using the modified injector control logic.
  3. 3 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the operating the gaseous fueling system using the injected fuel quantity estimate comprises performing a diagnostic of the gaseous fuel injector using the injected fuel quantity estimate.
  4. 4 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the operating the gaseous fueling system using the injected fuel quantity estimate comprises balancing operation of the gaseous fuel injector with operation of a second gaseous fuel injector of the gaseous fueling system.
  5. 5 . The process of claim 1 , comprising filtering the pressure measurement after the obtaining and prior to the determining.
  6. 6 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the calculating the estimate of the injected quantity uses an engine speed, and a temperature of gaseous fuel in the rail during the operating.
  7. 7 . The process of claim 1 , comprising evaluating whether to operate less than a total number of gaseous fuel injectors associated with each of a plurality of combustion chambers, wherein in response to the evaluating the operating the gaseous fuel injector comprises operating less than the total number of gaseous fuel injectors associated with the combustion chamber.
  8. 8 . The process of claim 1 , comprising evaluating whether to operate a single one of multiple gaseous fuel injectors associated with each of a plurality of combustion chambers, wherein in response to the evaluating the operating the gaseous fuel injector comprises operating the single one of the multiple gaseous fuel injectors associated with the combustion chamber.
  9. 9 . A system comprising: an electronic control system in operative communication with a gaseous fueling system including a fuel rail in fluid communication with a gaseous fuel injector and a combustion chamber in fluid communication with the gaseous fuel injector, the electronic control system being configured to: operate the gaseous fuel injector perform an injection of gaseous fuel to the combustion chamber; obtain a pressure measurement indicative of pressure of gaseous fuel in the rail during operation of the gaseous fuel injector to perform the injection; determine an upper value of the pressure measurement and a lower value of the pressure measurement; calculate a difference between the upper value of the pressure measurement and the lower value of the pressure measurement; calculate an injected fuel quantity estimate using the difference; and operate the gaseous fueling system using the injected fuel quantity estimate.
  10. 10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the electronic control system being configured to operate the gaseous fueling system using the injected fuel quantity estimate comprises the electronic control system being configured to modify injector control logic using the injected fuel quantity estimate and control the gaseous fuel injector using the modified injector control logic.
  11. 11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the electronic control system being configured to operate the gaseous fueling system using the injected fuel quantity estimate comprises the electronic control system being configured to perform a diagnostic of the gaseous fuel injector using the injected fuel quantity estimate.
  12. 12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the electronic control system being configured to operate the gaseous fueling system using the injected fuel quantity estimate comprises the electronic control system being configured to balance operation of the gaseous fuel injector with operation of a second gaseous fuel injector of the gaseous fueling system.
  13. 13 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the electronic control system is configured to filter the pressure measurement and determine the upper value of the pressure measurement and the lower value of the pressure measurement using the filtered pressure measurement.
  14. 14 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the electronic control system being configured to calculate the estimate of the injected quantity uses an engine speed, and a temperature of gaseous fuel in the rail during the operating.
  15. 15 . A system comprising: an internal combustion engine including plurality of cylinders arranged in an in-line configuration; a first fuel rail configured to received gaseous fuel from a gaseous fuel source and to provide gaseous fuel to a first plurality of gaseous fuel injectors; and a second fuel configured to received gaseous fuel from the gaseous fuel source and to provide gaseous fuel to a second plurality of gaseous fuel injectors, the second fuel rail being at least one of physically separated and divided from the first fuel rail; wherein the first plurality of gaseous fuel injectors are configured to inject fuel to a first subset of the plurality of cylinders and the second plurality of gaseous fuel injectors are configured to inject fuel to a second subset of the plurality of cylinders.
  16. 16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the first subset of the plurality of cylinders and the second subset of the plurality of cylinders are selected and configured such that a firing order of the plurality of cylinders alternates between the first subset and the second subset.
  17. 17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the first subset of the plurality of cylinders and the second subset of the plurality of cylinders are selected and configured such that neither the first subset nor the second subset include adjacent cylinders firing in sequence in a firing order of the plurality of cylinders.
  18. 18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the internal combustion engine is an in-line six-cylinder engine, the plurality of cylinders are arranged in an in-line order including a cylinder number one, a cylinder number two, a cylinder number three, a cylinder number four, a cylinder number five, and a cylinder number six, and a firing order of the plurality of cylinders is cylinder number one followed by cylinder number five, followed by cylinder number three, followed by cylinder number six, followed by cylinder number two, followed by cylinder number four.
  19. 19 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the first plurality of gaseous fuel injectors comprise a first plurality of first pairs of gaseous fuel injectors each configured to supply fuel to a respective one of a first set of cylinders, and the second plurality of gaseous fuel injectors comprise a second plurality of second pairs of gaseous fuel injectors each configured to supply fuel to a respective one of a second set of cylinders.
  20. 20 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the first fuel rail is a front fuel rail, the second fuel rail is a rear fuel rail having a relative positioning on the internal combustion engine rearward of the front fuel rail, and the second subset of the plurality of cylinders having a relative positioning on the internal combustion engine rearward of first subset of the plurality of cylinders.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE The present application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Application No. 63/380,813 filed Oct. 25, 2022, and the same is hereby incorporated by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present application relates to gaseous fueling systems and related apparatuses, controls, diagnostic, processes, systems, and techniques. BACKGROUND Gaseous fueling systems for internal combustion engines and controls for such systems suffer from a number of shortcomings including those respecting accuracy, complexity, computational burden, dedicated hardware requirements, precision, reliability, and robustness, among other shortcomings. There remains a significant need for the unique apparatuses, processes, systems, and techniques disclosed herein. DISCLOSURE OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS For the purposes of clearly, concisely, and exactly describing example embodiments of the present disclosure, the manner, and process of making and using the same, and to enable the practice, making and use of the same, reference will now be made to certain example embodiments, including those illustrated in the figures, and specific language will be used to describe the same. It shall nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby created, and that the invention includes and protects such alterations, modifications, and further applications of the example embodiments as would occur to one skilled in the art. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE Some embodiments include unique gaseous fueling system controls. Further embodiments include unique apparatuses, systems, and processes comprising or embodying such controls. Further embodiments, forms, objects, features, advantages, aspects, and benefits shall become apparent from the following description and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating certain aspects of an example engine system including an example fueling system. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating certain aspects of an example fueling system. FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating certain aspects of an example process. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating certain aspects of example controls. FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating certain aspects of an example process. FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating certain aspects of an example control process and example controls. FIG. 7 is a set of graphs illustrating certain aspects of an example control process and example controls. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS With reference to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a system 11 comprising an engine 10 and a gaseous fueling system 9. Gaseous fueling system 9 is configured to supply a gaseous fuel, such as such as natural gas, hydrogen, bio-derived gaseous fuels, hydrogen, mixed gases fuels or other gaseous fuels for combustion by engine 10. Engine 10 comprises combustion chambers 13 (also referred to as cylinders) of a reciprocating piston-in-cylinder-type engine which are configured to generate mechanical power from the combustion of gaseous fuel supplied by fuel injectors 12. Fuel injectors 12 are in fluid communication with respective combustion chambers 13 of the engine 10 and are structured to inject gaseous fuel which is provided to their respective combustion chambers 13. In the illustrated embodiment, fuel injectors 12 are configured and provided as port fuel injectors configured to inject fuel directly into respective ports of intake manifold 37 leading to respective combustion chambers 13 of engine 10. Other embodiments may include other types and configurations of injectors such as direct fuel injectors configured to inject fuel directly into respective combustion chambers 13 of engine 10. In the illustrated embodiment, four fuel injectors 12 and four combustion chambers 13 are depicted, it being appreciated that engine 10 may include fewer or greater numbers of fuel injectors 12 and combustion chambers 13. System 11 may be provided in a number of forms including as a prime mover system (or component of a prime mover system) of vehicle, a genset, other power-load system. In the illustrated embodiment, the gaseous fueling system 9 includes a gaseous fuel supply and injection system 17 and a gaseous fuel source system 32. Gaseous fuel supply and injection system 17 includes one or more rails 30 and one or more sets of injectors 12 operatively coupled with and supplied with gaseous fuel from a respective one of the one or more rails 30. The one or more rails 30 are, in turn, configured to receive pressurized fuel from gaseous fuel source system 32. The gaseous fuel source system 32 may include a high pressure tank configured to store a supply of gaseous fuel at high pressure. In some embodiments, gaseous fuel source system 32 may include additional elements such as a compressor configured to compress gaseous fuel received from the fuel tank supply compressed gaseous fuel to the one or more rails 30, and/or and accumulator as well as elec