| 摘要 |
Methods and systems for utilizing heated fuel to compensate for a low cetane number, cetane number variance and sub-optimal engine cold-start performance in internal combustion engines are disclosed herein. Systems comprise a heater, a sensor, and an engine control unit (“ECU”). Methods can comprise detecting variables that affect combustion, calculating conditions inside a combustion chamber, determining the difference between current ignition delay and a desired ignition delay, estimating a cetane number of a fuel, and using the data to determine a suitable temperature that will compensate for cetane number and improve the ignition delay. Other methods comprise sending a signal to a heater in communication with a fuel injection system such that said heater warms fuel within the fuel injection system prior to injecting the fuel into a combustion chamber. |
| 主权项 |
1. A method for compensating for cetane number of a fuel and improving ignition delay in an internal combustion engine, comprising:
detecting, with an engine control unit (ECU), operating conditions within the internal combustion engine that affect ignition delay; calculating, with the ECU, an effect of variations in the detected operating conditions or ignition delay inside a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine; based on the detected operating conditions, calculating, with the ECU, a current ignition delay and determining, with the ECU, a desired ignition delay for the internal combustion engine; estimating, with the ECU, a cetane number of the fuel within the combustion chamber based on at least one of the detected operating conditions and determining, with the ECU, a preferred fuel temperature that, when taken in combination with the estimated cetane number and the calculated effect of the variations in operating conditions, produce the desired ignition delay; measuring the temperature of the fuel in the combustion chamber; and comparing, with the ECU, the measured temperature of fuel with the preferred fuel temperature and changing the temperature of the fuel provided to the combustion chamber such that it approaches the preferred fuel temperature. |
