US 12,352,221 B2
Natural gas engines with fuel quality determination
Kennon Guglielmo, San Antonio, TX (US); Justin H. Sanders, San Antonio, TX (US); Michael T. Hambidge, San Antonio, TX (US); Timothy J. Westerdale, San Antonio, TX (US); James Cole, Helotes, TX (US); Chad Stovell, San Antonio, TX (US); and Timothy J. Barton, San Antonio, TX (US)
Assigned to Inpro/Seal LLC, Rock Island, IL (US)
Filed by Inpro/Seal LLC, Rock Island, IL (US)
Filed on Apr. 19, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/640,808.
Application 18/640,808 is a continuation of application No. 17/935,229, filed on Sep. 26, 2022, granted, now 12,025,063.
Application 17/935,229 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/905,341, granted, now 11,859,568, issued on Jan. 2, 2024, previously published as PCT/US2021/020557, filed on Mar. 2, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/983,840, filed on Mar. 2, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0410322 A1, Dec. 12, 2024
Int. Cl. F02D 19/00 (2006.01); F02D 19/02 (2006.01); F02P 5/145 (2006.01)
CPC F02D 19/027 (2013.01) [F02D 19/023 (2013.01); F02D 19/029 (2013.01); F02P 5/145 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for determining properties of fuel supplied to an internal combustion (IC) engine and for adjusting operations of the IC engine, comprising:
an air-flow throttle operatively coupled with an air-intake system of the IC engine and configured to control the amount of air supplied to the air-intake system;
a fuel-flow throttle operatively coupled with the IC engine and configured to control the amount of fuel supplied to the IC engine; and
at least one controller operatively coupled with the air-flow throttle and the fuel-flow throttle to receive readings from and control operation of the air-flow throttle and the fuel-flow throttle and configured to:
determine a true air-to-fuel (AF) ratio based on readings from the air-flow throttle and the fuel-flow throttle,
determine an AF ratio difference based on the true AF ratio and an ideal AF ratio
determine a fuel property value of fuel supplied to the IC engine based on the AF ratio difference, and
adjust an operation parameter of the IC engine based on the determined fuel property value.