Method and System for Reducing Fuel Consumption in a Diesel Engine

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method (and corresponding system) of reducing fuel consumption in a diesel engine ( 300 ) when operating at less than full power, the method comprising the step of: adjusting ( 101 ) a viscosity of a system oil ( 301 ) from the engine ( 300 ) resulting in a modified system oil ( 301 ′), where the viscosity is adjusted so that the mechanical efficiency of the engine ( 300 ) is increased when the modified system off ( 301 ′) is provided to the engine ( 300 ) and wherein the step of adjusting is done on the basis at least one parameter representing an actual load of the engine ( 300 ) and a viscosity parameter of the system oil ( 301 ). In this way, the mechanical efficiency of the engine when operating at less than full speed/at partial speed is increased. This reduces the fuel consumption of a diesel engine and reduces the emissions of a diesel engine.

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
   
   
       11 . A system for reducing fuel consumption in a diesel engine, the system comprising:
 a system oil conduit connected to the diesel engine to obtain system oil from the diesel engine;   a viscosity regulating system coupled to said system oil conduit, said viscosity regulating system including a valve, an oil cooler, and a viscosity regulating device, wherein said viscosity regulating device passes an amount of the obtained system oil and the valve bypasses a remaining amount of obtained system oil to said oil cooler, wherein the remaining amount of obtained system oil is determined according to one or more of the following: at least one parameter representing an actual load of the diesel engine and a first viscosity parameter of the obtained system oil; wherein said viscosity regulating device system combines said bypassed system oil with passed system oil to thereby produce modified system oil;   a modified system oil conduit coupled said viscosity regulating device, wherein said modified system oil conduct provides said modified system oil to said diesel engine.   
   
   
       12 . (canceled) 
   
   
       13 . (canceled) 
   
   
       14 . A system according to  claim 11 , wherein, said viscosity parameter is a rated viscosity of the obtained system oil. 
   
   
       15 . A system according to  claim 11 , wherein, said viscosity parameter is an actually measured viscosity of the obtained system oil. 
   
   
       16 . A system according to  claim 11 , wherein the engine has a constant number of revolutions during operation. 
   
   
       17 . A system according to  claim 11 , wherein the engine has a variable number of revolutions during operation. 
   
   
       18 . A system according to  claim 17 , wherein said viscosity regulating device is further adapted to bypass the amount of obtained system oil on the basis of an actual number of revolutions of the engine. 
   
   
       19 . A system according to  claim 11 , wherein said at least one parameter representing an actual load of the engine comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of: a parameter representing stress or strain on the bearings of the engine, a parameter representing a maximum pressure in the cylinders of the engine, a parameter representing a compression pressure in the cylinders of the engine, and a parameter representing a mean pressure in the cylinders of the engine. 
   
   
       20 . A system according to  claim 11 , wherein the viscosity regulating device is adapted to bypass the amount of obtained system oil according to any one selected from the group consisting of: continuous bypass, near-continuous bypass or intermittent bypass.