Methods and systems are providing for improving zero flow lubrication (ZFL) of a high pressure fuel pump coupled to direct fuel injectors via a direct injection fuel rail. A ZFL transfer function for the fuel pump is learned while fuel is at non-nominal fuel bulk modulus conditions and corrected for variations from a nominal fuel bulk modulus estimate. When zero flow lubrication of the pump is requested, the pump is operated with a duty cycle based on the learned transfer function and an instantaneous estimate of the fuel bulk modulus to compensate for differences in fuel condition from the nominal fuel bulk modulus estimate.

A secondary fuel injection system determines (precisely) a maximum amount of secondary fuel that can be injected into a cylinder during a cycle based upon the rotational speed (RPM) of the engine. A primary fuel injection pulse width of the prior cycle and is used to determine how much heat energy was requested by an engine control module based upon the duration of the injection pulse. Secondary fuel is injected into the intake port of the cylinder after the exhaust valve closes in an amount that is calculated based upon the maximum that can be injected during the allowed calculated time of crankshaft rotation and the amount of heat energy requested in the prior cycle and to include the amount of primary fuel that is then injected into the cylinder is being reduced based upon the amount of heat energy provided by the secondary fuel that was previously injected.

A method of controlling a high pressure gas injection internal combustion engine includes injecting, in a first combustion mode, by a first as injection system, a first gaseous fuel into a cylinder of the engine, and accumulating in a container of a second gas injection system excess gaseous fuel from the first fuel system, shifting, in the cylinder, from the first combustion mode to a second combustion mode including determining a value of an air flow related parameter indicative of an air mass flow into the cylinder, determining, based on the determined air flow related parameter value, a value of a fuel flow related parameter indicative of a mass flow of the excess gaseous fuel, and supplying from the container, in accordance with the determined fuel flow related parameter value, the excess gaseous fuel to provide a premix of air and the excess gaseous fuel to the cylinder.

A method of controlling an internal combustion engine with a plurality of cylinders includes injecting a first gaseous fuel, at a first pressure, into at least a first cylinder of the cylinders, in a first combustion mode, and simultaneously providing a second gaseous fuel, at a second pressure which is different than the first pressure, for at least a second cylinder of the cylinders, in a second combustion mode which is dissimilar to the first combustion mode, wherein the second cylinder is not the first cylinder.

An object is to prevent hydrogen from burning before the time of ignition. An internal combustion engine is provided with a first intake port and a second intake port connected to a cylinder, a first fuel injection valve that injects fuel into the first intake port, and an ignition plug provided at a location at which the gas flowing into the cylinder from the second intake port impinges on the ignition plug in a larger quantity than the gas flowing into the cylinder from the second intake port during the intake stroke.

A method includes supplying a first quantity of a first fuel to an engine and supplying a charge including a second fuel and air to the engine. The first fuel is different from the second fuel. The method further includes mixing the first fuel with the charge, supplying a second quantity of the first fuel to the engine, and igniting at least a portion of the first and second fuels in response to supplying the second quantity of the first fuel.

A secondary fuel injection system determines (precisely) a maximum amount of secondary fuel that can be injected into a cylinder during a cycle based upon the rotational speed (RPM) of the engine. A primary fuel injection pulse width of the prior cycle and is used to determine how much heat energy was requested by an engine control module based upon the duration of the injection pulse. Secondary fuel is injected into the intake port of the cylinder after the exhaust valve closes in an amount that is calculated based upon the maximum that can be injected during the allowed calculated time of crankshaft rotation and the amount of heat energy requested in the prior cycle and to include the amount of primary fuel that is then injected into the cylinder is being reduced based upon the amount of heat energy provided by the secondary fuel that was previously injected.

An internal combustion engine system is described herein. The system uses a switching rail in combination with a first fuel rail to operate the internal combustion engine of the system. The first fuel rail receives the first fuel for combustion within one or more of the combustion cylinders of the internal combustion engine. The switching rails are configured to receive either the first fuel or a second fuel. A controller is used to operate a switching valve that, depending on the position of the switching valve, routes or directs either the second fuel or the first fuel from their respective fuel tanks. In a switching condition, such as startup, shutdown, or when the second fuel is not available, the controller can use the first fuel as the alternate source of fuel provided through the switching rail.

A fuel separation system includes a fuel separator configured to receive a fuel stream and separate the fuel stream, based on a volatility of the fuel stream, into a vapor stream defined by a first auto-ignition characteristic value and a first liquid stream defined by a second auto-ignition characteristic value, the second auto-ignition characteristic value greater than the first auto-ignition characteristic value; and a control system communicably coupled to the fuel separator and operable to receive an input from an engine, the input including an engine operating condition, the control system configured to adjust an operating parameter of the fuel separator, based at least in part on the engine operating condition, to vary at least one of the first or second auto-ignition characteristic values.

Various methods and systems are provided for maintaining combustion stability in a multi-fuel engine. In one example, a system comprises a first fuel system to deliver liquid fuel to at least one cylinder of an engine, a second fuel system to deliver gaseous fuel to the at least one cylinder, and a controller. The controller is configured to supply the gaseous fuel to the at least one cylinder, inject the liquid fuel to the at least one cylinder thereby to ignite the liquid fuel and the gaseous fuel in the at least one cylinder via compression-ignition, and adjust an amount of the gaseous fuel relative to an amount of the liquid fuel based on a measured parameter associated with auto-ignition of end gases subsequent to the compression-ignition of the liquid fuel.