Continental Controls Corporation has developed an innovative control technology for natural gas blending, which stands at the forefront of the industry. This technology facilitates the efficient retrofit of diesel engines, ensuring stable operation that adapts to variable conditions without noticeable impact on engine performance. The systems boast a swift return on investment, typically within 30 days, when considering diesel purchase and transportation costs, excluding the potential financial implications of CO2 taxation.
At the heart of this technology is the gas substitution system (GSS), integral to bi-fuel diesel engines. This system adeptly substitutes part of the diesel with gas. The gas substitution ratio (GSR), which represents the proportion of gas flow to the total fuel flow, is largely dependent on engine load. The GSR starts at zero at low loads and can increase up to approximately 70% when the engine is operating at full capacity.
Earlier bi-fuel systems were rudimentary, toggling the gas supply on or off in response to load variations. In stark contrast, the advanced GSS by Continental Controls is predicated on fuel usage, utilizing data from the engine’s electronic control unit (ECU) to optimize natural gas substitution and minimize diesel consumption.
Given the absence of an ignition system in diesel engines, a baseline quantity of diesel is imperative for ignition. Once this threshold is met, natural gas can be utilized as an alternative fuel. The CCC GSS System also features a dynamic adjustment of gas flow during acceleration to avert engine complications, alongside an automatic shutoff of gas flow when diesel flow decreases below the minimum idle flow threshold.
With extensive field testing and enhancements, Continental Controls’ GSS now includes the AFM4 and AFM7 mixing venturis. These components are specifically engineered to uniformly distribute fuel inlet passages across the venturi’s low-pressure area, ensuring a more consistent fuel mixture entering the engine.
The innovative electronic GV2 gas valve functions as a variable pressure regulator for the carburetor or mixing venturi. It employs closed-loop control logic to precisely adjust gas pressures in line with substitution requirements, governed by feedback correlating to the desired substitution rate and actual engine performance.
For applications surpassing 1340 horsepower (1 megawatt), the use of the larger ECV5 valve is advised with the GSS system. This valve features a balanced poppet design and can manage higher supply pressures up to 80 psi (5.5 bar). For smaller engines up to 147.5 horsepower (110 kilowatt), the EGC4 electronic gas carburetor presents an economical solution as part of our GSSe system.
The system’s interface panel is designed for optimal user experience, displaying essential information such as load in kilowatts, fuel flows, substitution rate, exhaust temperature, rpm, and alarms. It also supports seamless integration with remote monitoring systems.