APPLIANCE AND PROCESS TO CONTROL FLUID FLOW RATE, FLUID DOSING DEVICE, PRESSURE REGULATOR AND MIXING PROCESS SUPPLY WITH COMPRESSED FLUID FUEL AIR WITH INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE AIR

摘要

A flow control system for use in a compressible fluid fuelled internal combustion engine includes a pressure regulator (14) for reducing the prezsure of a fuel stored at a first pressure to a lower second pressure suitable for metering. The regulator includes a regulating valve controlling communication between an inlet fluid manifold and a regulated fluid manifold and is arranged to produce a drop in pressure of the flowing fluid through the valve to the second pressure. The regulator further includes a relief valve (36) arranged to open to exhaust fluid when the pressure in the regulated fluid manifold rises above a predetermined level. The regulator is also provided with heating means (34) for heating the regulator body to compensate, to some degree at least, for the drop in temperature in the fluid as the fluid expands on passing through the regulating valve. There is further provided a fluid metering device (16) comprising a plurality of fluid lines for communication between an inlet fluid manifold and a metered fluid manifold. Bi-stable valves of various orifice sizes are provided, one in each of the fluid lines. The device also includes sensors for determining parameters of the inlet fluid sufficient to determine potential mass flow of fluid through each of the valves, and valve controls for activating valve actuators to open the valves in combinations and for time intervals to give a desired total mass flow of fluid through the valves. The total fluid flow passing from the metering device comprises a base flow component established by opening selected control valves to provide a continuous predetermined flow, discrete step changes in the base flow component being provided by opening and closing combinations of control valves. Increments of fluid flow between the discrete steps are provided by opening at least one pulsing valve for a fraction of a predetermined time period to provide a desired average flow over the time period.