A standby generator includes a standby housing defining a cavity and an internal combustion engine. The engine includes an engine block including a cylinder comprising a piston, an engine housing at least partially covering the engine block, and a crankshaft configured to rotate about a vertical crankshaft axis in response to movement by the piston. The standby generator also includes an alternator configured to generate alternating current electrical power, a controller comprising a rectifier configured to convert the alternating current to a direct current and an inverter configured to convert the direct current to a clean alternating current electrical power, and a transfer switch configured to receive the clean alternating current electrical power from the controller and at least one of grid, solar, or battery power, and configured to supply power to an electrical load. The internal combustion engine, the alternator, and the controller are positioned within the cavity.

A compression ignition engine system allows use of hydrous fuels, in particular hydrous biofuels, with high water content (e.g., 20-85% water). The hydrous fuel is pressurized, and also preferably heated via the engine's exhaust gas, to increase its enthalpy, and is then directly injected into the engine cylinder(s) near top dead center. The system provides brake thermal efficiency increases of 20% or more versus a comparable system using conventional diesel fuel, while allowing the use of inexpensive undistilled or lightly distilled biofuels.

A method and system are provided for adjusting a speed of a turbocharger compressor using an electric motor in response to a relative substitution rate of first and second fuels in a multi-fuel engine.

Various methods and systems are provided for engine startup. In one example, a method for an engine includes injecting a fuel mixture with a proportion of a first fuel to a second fuel to decrease carbon emissions, in response to detection of or request for the engine to start. The proportion of the first fuel to the second fuel in the injected fuel mixture is decreased in response to engine speed reaching an idling speed. The first fuel may be a non-hydrocarbon-based fuel and the second fuel may be a hydrocarbon-based fuel.

Various methods and systems are provided for an intake manifold for an engine. In one example, an insert comprises an annular body having a top surface, bottom surface, inner surface, and outer surface. The insert further comprises a first groove for coupling an intake air port of an intake manifold to a cylinder head, a second groove for circulating gaseous fuel received from a gas runner of the intake manifold, and one or more openings to fluidically couple the second groove to an interior of the intake air port. The insert is configured to mix gaseous fuel and intake air at a coupling location between the intake manifold and the cylinder head.

A standby generator includes a standby housing defining a cavity and an internal combustion engine. The engine includes an engine block including a cylinder comprising a piston, an engine housing at least partially covering the engine block, and a crankshaft configured to rotate about a vertical crankshaft axis in response to movement by the piston. The standby generator also includes an alternator configured to generate alternating current electrical power, a controller comprising a rectifier configured to convert the alternating current to a direct current and an inverter configured to convert the direct current to a clean alternating current electrical power, and a transfer switch configured to receive the clean alternating current electrical power from the controller and at least one of grid, solar, or battery power, and configured to supply power to an electrical load. The internal combustion engine, the alternator, and the controller are positioned within the cavity.

Various methods and systems are provided for engine startup. In one example, a method for an engine includes injecting a fuel mixture with a proportion of a first fuel to a second fuel to decrease carbon emissions, in response to detection of or request for the engine to start. The proportion of the first fuel to the second fuel in the injected fuel mixture is decreased in response to engine speed reaching an idling speed. The first fuel may be a non-hydrocarbon-based fuel and the second fuel may be a hydrocarbon-based fuel.

A method and system are provided for adjusting a speed of a turbocharger compressor using an electric motor in response to a relative substitution rate of first and second fuels in a multi-fuel engine.

A generator includes an internal combustion engine including an engine block including a cylinder including a piston, a crankshaft configured to rotate about a crankshaft axis in response to movement by the piston, and a spark plug configured to periodically generate a spark to ignite fuel in the cylinder to control the movement of the piston. The generator further includes an alternator including a rotor and a stator, the rotor configured to rotate with the rotation of the crankshaft to generate alternating current electrical power, a controller configured to control a rate of fuel supply to the internal combustion engine, and a switch configured to selectively enable the flow of a first type of fuel into the cylinder and disable the flow of a second type of fuel, wherein the controller is configured to receive an indication of a fuel type based on a position of the switch.

A compression ignition engine system allows use of hydrous fuels, in particular hydrous biofuels, with high water content (e.g., 20-85% water). The hydrous fuel is pressurized, and also preferably heated via the engine's exhaust gas, to increase its enthalpy, and is then directly injected into the engine cylinder(s) near top dead center. The system provides brake thermal efficiency increases of 20% or more versus a comparable system using conventional diesel fuel, while allowing the use of inexpensive undistilled or lightly distilled biofuels.