Optimal Control of a Dual-fuel Diesel Engine

Abstract

A small diesel engine was modified to operate in a dual-fuel mode with methane that was one of the alternate fuels. A microprocessor system for controlling the diesel fuel flow rate and methane flow rate was designed. The system was able to measure the flow rate of methane, the engine torque and the engine speed electrically in addition to the control. The technology for supplying diesel fuel and methane was developed using this control system, in order to control the dual-fuel engine optimaly in terms of its performance characteristics, such as the efficiency, the smoke and the replacement of methane. The advantages of this technology using the weighting method were (1) to be able to control optimally the dual-fuel engine under the general performance derived from all parameters, and (2) to determine the weight of each parameter at will as occasion demands in designing a dual-fuel diesel engine.