A system and method for self-adjusting engine performance parameters in response to fuel quality variations that includes an exhaust sensor for measuring a level of carbon dioxide present in an exhaust manifold, at least one of a knock sensor and a cylinder pressure transducer for determining a location of peak pressure and a centroid, respectively, a controller in communication with the exhaust sensor and the at least one of the knock sensor and the cylinder pressure transducer, the controller correlating a methane number of the fuel used by the engine to a brake specific carbon dioxide value calculated using the level of carbon dioxide measured by the exhaust sensor and the at least one of the centroid and the location of peak pressure, and an adjusting mechanism, wherein the adjusting mechanism adjusts an engine performance parameter based on the determined methane number.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods of controlling an ignitor are disclosed. A method includes: receiving, by a controller, fuel quality data regarding a fuel for a spark-ignition engine; determining, by the controller, a fuel quality metric based on the fuel quality data; and controlling, by the controller, an ignition energy characteristic of an ignitor in response to the fuel quality metric.

Systems and methods for automatic calibration of large industrial engines in applications where the quality of the fuel supply is unknown and/or variable over time, particularly engines that drive compressors on a natural gas well site. A combination of throttles and an oxygen sensor including a mass-flow-air throttle and a mass-flow-gas throttle to determine the mass flow of air and mass flow of gas. As a response to exhaust gas oxygen level readings, the mass flow measurements are used to determine real time air-fuel ratios. An algorithm uses the air-fuel ratios as input data, wherein a microcontroller adjusts the throttles to meet engine performance demands. Additionally, using the air-fuel ratio data and suggested engine OEM calibration specifications as block multiplier inputs, particular fuel properties, such as British Thermal Unit (BTU) content, can be accurately interpolated, thereby enabling automatic calibration of the engine .

In a control system that includes a pressure accumulating portion that supplies CNG to a fuel injection valve and a regulator that adjusts a pressure in the pressure accumulating portion to a set pressure and of which a valve element opens when CNG is supplied to the pressure accumulating portion and closes when supply of CNG to the pressure accumulating portion is shut off, a control parameter relating to a combustion state in an internal combustion engine is controlled on the basis of a length of a period during which an opening degree of the valve element reduces from a first predetermined opening degree to a second predetermined opening degree when the pressure in the pressure accumulating portion is adjusted to the set pressure by the regulator.

A system for measuring quality of fuel in an engine is disclosed. The system includes a fuel quality measuring unit and a controller in communication with the fuel quality measuring unit. The fuel quality measuring unit includes a first valve, a second valve, and a quality measurement sensor disposed between the first valve and the second valve. The controller is configured to determine whether the engine is running in a steady state condition, and identify a measurement window based on a pressure of the fuel at an inlet, an Intake Manifold Pressure (IMP), and the steady state condition. The controller is configured to control an opening and a closing of the first valve, the second valve, and a fuel metering valve during the measurement window. The controller is configured to determine the quality of the fuel captured between the first valve and the second valve by the quality measurement sensor.

Systems, methods and apparatus for controlling operation of an engine structured to combust gaseous fuel such as a dual fuel engine, including an estimation of key parameters dependent on natural gas quality, are disclosed. The natural gas quality parameters are estimated from natural gas properties obtained from various sensed parameters associated with the engine.

A method for operating an internal combustion engine, having of the following steps: operating the internal combustion engine with a gas fuel; detecting a lambda value in the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine; determining at least one variable from the detected lambda value, characterizing the quality of the gaseous fuel; and controlling the internal combustion engine based on the at least one variable

A fuel metering system for an internal combustion engine having a fuel injection timing unit to indicate a timepoint during one or more engine strokes, a fuel metering element have a predetermined full stroke volume for metering fuel into an air-fuel mixing location during one or more of the engine strokes, and a fuel metering element controller to control the delivery of fuel by causing the fuel metering element to deliver one of a full stroke volume and a fraction of a full stroke volume to achieve a desired AFR. In some embodiments, power generator circuitry is provided to harvest power from the ICE to power at least one of the fuel injection timing unit, the fuel metering element, and the fuel metering controller.

The present disclosure relates to a method for determining the methane index of a hydrocarbon-containing combustion gas mixture which has natural gas or biogas, having the steps: flowing the gas mixture through a measuring assembly; determining a first value of a first measurement variable related to a viscosity of the gas mixture; determining a second value of a second measurement variable related to a density of the gas mixture; determining a pressure value of the gas mixture, said pressure value belonging to the first value and the second value; determining a temperature value of the gas mixture, said temperature value belonging to the first value and the second value; and determining the methane index as a function of the first value, the second value, the pressure value, and the temperature value.

A method for measuring pressure of a gaseous fuel compressed in a feed system of an engine equipping a motor vehicle, by a pressure measuring device having an infrared quality sensor and an electronic control unit, the measuring method being characterized in that it consists in determining a corrected absorbance value of the fuel based on absorbance measurements performed by infrared analysis, at preset wavelengths, and in comparing the value to a nominal absorbance value, determined beforehand based on absorbance measurements performed at a nominal pressure after a pressure stabilization phase of the fuel and at the same said wavelengths, in order to determine the fuel pressure.