The invention relates to a method for operating an internal combustion engine, wherein the internal combustion engine includes at least one combustion chamber in which a fuel is at least partially burned with ambient air, an exhaust tract that is coupled to an outlet side of the at least one combustion chamber in a fluid communicating manner, wherein hydrogen is used as fuel for the internal combustion engine, wherein the internal combustion engine also has at least one NOx storage catalyst and an exhaust gas discharged from the at least one combustion chamber into the exhaust tract at least partially, preferably entirely, flows through the at least one NOx storage catalyst, wherein a lean hydrogen-air mixture is burned in the at least one combustion chamber in a first operating state, wherein the NOx storage catalyst is regenerated in a second operating state. In order to easily operate the internal combustion engine as a low-emissions system, a rich hydrogen-air mixture is burned in the at least one combustion chamber in the second operating state.

A fuel management module for use with a CNG fuel system for a vehicle includes a housing configured to be connected to the vehicle and a number of connections, receptacles, and controls associated with the module. A defueling receptacle may be positioned on the front panel of the housing, for defueling a fuel tank of the vehicle. A defueling control valve may be positioned on the front panel of the housing for controlling operation of the defueling receptacle, allowing for selective defueling. One or more high pressure connections may be accessible on the housing and configured for connection to one or more separate fuel tanks in a plug and play configuration. A plurality of filling connections may be accessible on the housing for filling the fuel tank(s). A low pressure fuel output connection may be positioned on the back panel of the housing to provide fuel output from the high pressure connections to the engine.

A method for supplying gaseous fuel from a tender car to an internal combustion engine on a locomotive comprising storing the gaseous fuel at a cryogenic temperature in a cryogenic storage tank on the tender car; pumping the gaseous fuel to a first pressure from the cryogenic storage tank; vaporizing the gaseous fuel at the first pressure; and conveying the vaporized gaseous fuel to the internal combustion engine; whereby a pressure of the vaporized gaseous fuel is within a range between 310 bar and 575 bar.

A fuel deck for on-board storage and delivery of gaseous fuel for a locomotive. The fuel deck is formed between the engine deck and the trucks of the locomotive. The fuel deck includes a base for riding on the trucks, a ceiling configured to separate the fuel deck from the engine deck, and one or more support structures extending between the base and the ceiling. The support structures are configured to support the load from the engine deck, and separate the base from the ceiling to form a fuel storage compartment that is adapted to store one or more fuel tanks that contain the gaseous fuel. A fuel system including one or more fuel tanks is also provided, where each fuel tank may have more than one inlet/outlet port for enabling faster refilling or distribution of the gaseous fuel, among other considerations.

In an internal combustion engine, gaseous fuel is injected in a first injection through a pre-combustion chamber into the combustion chamber to mix with air in the combustion chamber. The pre-combustion chamber has a jet aperture in fluid communication between the pre-combustion chamber and the combustion chamber. Mixed gaseous fuel and air is then ingested into the pre-combustion chamber from the combustion chamber and ignited. In a second injection, injecting gaseous fuel into the pre-combustion chamber and expelling, with the second injection, ignited gaseous fuel and air from the pre-combustion chamber through the jet aperture and into the combustion chamber as a flaming jet with a core of gaseous fuel.

An apparatus and method for supplying gaseous fuel from a tender car to an internal combustion engine on a locomotive comprising storing the gaseous fuel at a cryogenic temperature in a cryogenic storage tank on the tender car; pumping the gaseous fuel to a first pressure from the cryogenic storage tank; vaporizing the gaseous fuel at the first pressure; and conveying the vaporized gaseous fuel to the internal combustion engine; whereby a pressure of the vaporized gaseous fuel is within a range between 310 bar and 575 bar.

A method for equipping an engine with a mixing device for introducing gaseous fuel into an intake passage of the engine comprising the steps of providing a body through which the intake passage extends, wherein an annular channel encircles the intake passage, providing a fuel inlet manifold with injector receiving ports, each injector receiving port configured to receive a discharge end of a fuel injector, with each injector receiving port in fluid communication with the annular channel, and providing a fuel supply manifold including fuel injector ports, wherein each fuel injector port is configured to receive an upstream end of a fuel injector. The method further includes blocking at least one injector receiving port such that fluid communication through the injector receiving port is prevented, removably coupling fuel injectors between the fuel supply manifold and the unblocked injector receiving ports, and providing the mixing device to the engine.

A fuel management module for use with a CNG fuel system for a vehicle includes a housing configured to be connected to the vehicle and a number of connections, receptacles, and controls associated with the module. A defueling receptacle may be positioned on the front panel of the housing, for defueling a fuel tank of the vehicle. A defueling control valve may be positioned on the front panel of the housing for controlling operation of the defueling receptacle, allowing for selective defueling. One or more high pressure connections may be accessible on the housing and configured for connection to one or more separate fuel tanks in a plug and play configuration. A plurality of filling connections may be accessible on the housing for filling the fuel tank(s). A low pressure fuel output connection may be positioned on the back panel of the housing to provide fuel output from the high pressure connections to the engine.

The present invention relates to a device for direct injection of a gaseous fuel, in particular hydrogen, which device comprises: a pressure-control unit which is designed to convert a supplied variable pressure level of the gaseous fuel into a fixed constant output pressure level; a distributor unit which is connected to at least one injector for direct injection of the gaseous fuel, which has been guided through the pressure-control unit, into a combustion chamber; and a fluid connection between the pressure-control unit and the distributor unit in order to guide the gaseous fuel at a constant output pressure downstream towards the distributor unit. The device is characterized in that a flow-control valve is disposed along the fluid connection and designed to adjust the constant output pressure level of the gaseous fuel to a desired target pressure not exceeding the output pressure level.

An on-vehicle hydrogen supply apparatus includes a hydrogen supply unit that includes a liquid hydrogen tank, a vaporizer that vaporizes liquid hydrogen, and a pressure chamber that is filled with vaporized hydrogen gas and supplies the filled hydrogen gas to a hydrogen engine for driving a vehicle, and supplies the hydrogen gas vaporized from the liquid hydrogen to the hydrogen engine. The apparatus also has a cover that houses the hydrogen supply unit.