US 11,959,414 B2
Gaseous fuel reciprocating engine and operating methodology for reduced hydrogen flame speed
Eric Lee Schroeder, Germantown Hills, IL (US); Andrew Joseph Loetz, West Laffayette, IN (US); Jaswinder Singh, Dunlap, IL (US); Yongxian Gu, West Lafayette, IN (US); Jonathan William Anders, Peoria, IL (US); and Naga Krishna Chaitanya Kavuri, Peoria, IL (US)
Assigned to Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, IL (US)
Filed by Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, IL (US)
Filed on Mar. 23, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/702,292.
Prior Publication US 2023/0304436 A1, Sep. 28, 2023
Int. Cl. F02B 43/12 (2006.01); F02B 19/12 (2006.01); F02B 19/18 (2006.01); F02F 3/28 (2006.01); F02M 21/02 (2006.01)
CPC F02B 43/12 (2013.01) [F02B 19/12 (2013.01); F02B 19/18 (2013.01); F02F 3/28 (2013.01); F02M 21/0209 (2013.01); F02M 21/023 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating a gaseous fuel engine comprising:
spark-igniting a mixture containing gaseous hydrogen fuel and air at a spark gap in a gaseous fuel engine;
propagating combustion gases of the spark-ignited mixture outwardly from the spark gap in a combustion cylinder in the gaseous fuel engine;
limiting a flame area of combusting gaseous hydrogen fuel and air in the combustion cylinder by way of contacting some of the propagating combustion gases to a cone surface of a piston; and
urging the piston in the gaseous fuel engine toward a bottom-dead-center position based on an increase in pressure in the combustion cylinder caused by combustion of the gaseous hydrogen fuel and air.