19/12/2022 15:17 Operation "Best Practices" Guidelines for Monitoring the Fuel Control Valve Position and Throttle

oring the Fuel Control Valve Position and Throttle Margin.

Technical Service Bulletin

Technical Service Bulletin: TSB120229 Released Date: 23-Aug-2012
Operation "Best Practices" Guidelines for Monitoring the Fuel Control Valve Position and Throttle Margin.

Operation "Best Practices" Guidelines for Monitoring the Fuel Control Valve
Position and Throttle Margin.
Core Issue
This document provides a "Best Practices" guide for monitoring the fuel control valve position and throttle margin, and interpreting the data
collected.

Confirmation
This document can be applied to all QSV81G/QSV91G, QSK60G, and QSK19G engine models and applications.

Background:

 WARNING 

Natural gas is lighter than air. Check the ceiling of the area where work is to be done for any possible ignition sources.

 WARNING 

Always have proper ventilation when working on a natural gas system.

 WARNING 

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Natural gas is explosive and flammable. Keep all cigarettes, flames, pilot lights, arcing equipment and switches out of the work
area and areas with shared ventilation to reduce the possibility of severe personal injury or death when working on a natural gas
system.

Note : Repair and maintenance of natural gas supply systems and components can only be performed by suitably qualified,
authorized, and certified personnel. Make certain that you comply with all local and national legislation and regulations.
Engine calibrations are designed so that the engine can cope with a wide range of operating conditions, while still maintaining customer
expectations on performance, response, and efficiency.

On a well-managed installation, site operators will regularly monitor and record key engine parameters. The ability of operators to correctly
interpret the collected data is important so the necessary interventions (proactive investigations) can be planned, which will reduce the
occurrence of unscheduled engine shutdowns.

Two key parameters that should be regularly monitored and recorded are, (1) the fuel control valve position and (2) throttle margin, as the fuel
control valve and throttle need to have sufficient spare movement (margin) to compensate for varying operating conditions (changes to
ambient temperature, intake system restrictions, fuel quality, etc.) so that the engine is still able to respond to load demand changes and meet
demanded/rated load.

Excessive fuel control valve positions and loss of throttle margin can result in engine instability (isolated bus applications only). Additionally,
the engine may not meet load/speed demand (Fault Code 1791 will be activated), when either condition is present. Reference Fault Code
1791 in Section TF of the appropriate electronic control system troubleshooting and repair manual for troubleshooting guidance.

Resolution
Fuel Control Valve Position
The acceptable fuel control valve position range is 40 - 55 percent, at rated load. Operating the engine with a fuel control valve position
greater than 55 percent indicates the engine is being starved of fuel. The fuel control valve will tend to open and fluctuate in an attempt to
control the fuel flow.

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Fuel Control Valve Position Data Interpretation

Fuel Control Valve Position Percent Condition
40% to 55% Sufficient fuel control valve margin for present operating conditions.
Approaching minimum fuel control valve margin for isolated bus
55% to 60%
operation - schedule shutdown to investigate.
Risk of instability and may be unlikely to maintain load - urgent
Greater than 60%
investigation required. The engine may shutdown.
Cummins Inc. recommends that when the fuel control valve position exceeds 55 percent (at rated load), the operator should plan an engine
shutdown so that the cause can be investigated and an unscheduled engine shutdown prevented. Fuel control valve positions beyond 55
percent are caused by fuel supply problems, such as:

Fuel supply pressure too low for rating/application. The fuel supply pressure should be adjusted (at generator set commissioning) to the
pressure specified on the applicable engine data sheet. At the minimum fuel supply pressure, and when the off-engine fuel supply system
been been designed, installed, and is operating correctly, the delta pressure between the fuel inlet pressure sensor and fuel outlet
pressure sensor should be in the region of 68.95 mBar [1 psi] to 103.42 mBar [1.5 psi]. This delta pressure will allow the fuel control valve
to accurately control the required gas flow relevant to a change in the fuel control valve commanded position through the entire load
range.
Fuel supply lines to the engine incorrectly sized
Natural gas leakage from fuel supply lines
Fuel supply line components malfunctioning
Fuel supply gas filter restricted
Fuel quality reduced (methane number reduction).

Use the following for guidance on maintaining, adjusting, and troubleshooting the fuel supply system and components. Refer to the OEM
service manuals.
The fuel control valve commanded position and position feedback signals should also be regularly monitored. The differences between these
signals are referred to as fuel control valve position deviation.

The commanded position and position feedback signals for the fuel control valve should be, if all engine systems are operating correctly,
within 5 percent of each other, at a stable load condition.

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By monitoring the fuel control valve commanded position and position feedback signals (position deviation), the operator can schedule an
engine shutdown to investigate the fuel control valve system when the data indicates that the fuel control valve position deviation is increasing
beyond 15 percent, and before the engine control system initiates an engine shutdown.

Causes of fuel control valve position deviation are:

Malfunctioning fuel control valve assembly (internal electrical fault)
Worn/seized fuel control valve bearings (can be caused by excessive moisture in the fuel or by pressure washing)
Engine harness fault
Connector fault (fuel control valve or CM558 module).

Use the following procedure for information on inspecting and testing the fuel control valve assembly in the appropriate engine service
manuals. Reference Procedure 006-049 in Section 6.
Throttle Valve Margin
For the throttle valve assembly, it should have sufficient margin, when operating the engine at 100 percent load, so that sufficient air/fuel
is delivered to the engine to meet the demanded load/speed for varying operating conditions.
Operating the engine with throttle margins below 8 percent may lead to engine instabilities and/or an inability to deliver full load (Fault
Code 1791 will be activated), and an engine control system initiated shutdown may occur.
Reference Fault Code 1791 in Section TF of the appropriate electronic control system troubleshooting and repair manual for
troubleshooting guidance.

Ongoing condition monitoring of the charge-air flow system of an engine, including turbochargers, aftercooler, and throttle position should be
regularly recorded and trended, as a preventative maintenance practice.

This practice is particularly recommended for engines operating in high humidity climates.

The required data can be collected using the Cummins® Service Tool, INSITE™ electronic service tool, or directly from the OEM control panel
interface.

The data should be recorded in a table format, similar to the table below to allow for trending over time.

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Charge-Air System Data Presentation and Calculation

Engine Serial Number/Set Identification
Date          
Engine Hours          
Compressor Outlet
         
Pressure (psia) - A
Intake Manifold
         
Pressure (psia) - B
Throttle Position %          
Kilowatt Load (kW)          
Throttle Margin ((A -
         
B) / A) x 100 (%)

Note : The data must be taken at the same load at each interval for representative values to be collected.
Throttle Margin Data Interpretation
Throttle Margin Percent Condition
Greater than 8% Sufficient fuel control valve margin for present operating conditions.
Approaching minimum throttle margin for isolated bus operation -
6% to 8%
schedule shutdown to investigate.
Risk of instability and may be unlikely to maintain load - urgent
Lessthan 6%
investigation required. The engine may shutdown.
Cummins Inc. recommends that when the throttle valve margin is below 8 percent, the operator should plan an engine shutdown so that the
cause can be investigated and an unscheduled engine shutdown prevented.

Loss of throttle margin can be caused by:

Restricted air filters
Turbocharger impellers excessively worn, deposit buildup, or damaged
Exhaust back pressure higher than specification

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Aftercooler core restricted

High ambient temperature or altitude. Reference to the engine specific data sheet for the ambient temperature and altitude derate tables.
Note : The required derate is not an automatic function controlled by the engine/generator set control system. It must be
manually applied by the operator.
The compressor inlet temperature increase over the ambient air temperature outside the container or engine room is excessive. The ideal
temperature difference is 5° C [9° F]. If the temperature difference exceeds 10° C [18° F], the air flow into the engine room should be
investigated, looking for container/engine room air inlet filters restricted, ventilation fans control malfunction, motorized louvers
malfunction, air flow over engine/generator set inadequate, etc.
Dirty air entering the engine can occur on sites that have multiple engines installed, particularly engines that are containerized. The
exhaust fumes from nearby engines could be drawn into the air intake of adjacent engines, which can lead to fouling of the intake system
components, such as turbocharger compressor wheel, diffuser, aftercooler, and throttle valve assembly, etc.

The throttle plate position can also give an indication of the engine's intake system condition and can be referenced to aid troubleshooting. For
most applications and operating conditions, the throttle plate position should not exceed 60 percent at full/rated load.

Throttle Plate Position Data Interpretation

Throttle Position Value Condition
Less than 60% Sufficient throttle valve margin for present operating conditions.
Approaching minimum for stable governing - schedule shutdown to
60% to 70%
investigate.
Unlikely to achieve or maintain load - urgent investigation required.
Greater than 70%
The engine may shutdown.
The throttle valve commanded position and position feedback signals should also be regularly monitored. The differences between these
signals are referred to as throttle valve position deviation.
The commanded position and position feedback signals for the throttle valve should ideally, if all engine systems are operating correctly, be
within 5 percent of each other, at a stable load condition.

If the throttle valve commanded position and position feedback signals exceed pre-set thresholds, appropriate alarms (warning and/or critical)
will be activated and the engine will be shutdown when this position deviation exceeds the critical threshold.

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By monitoring the throttle valve commanded position and position feedback signals, the operator can schedule an engine shutdown and
investigate the throttle system when the throttle valve position deviation exceeds 15 percent and before the engine control system initiates an
unscheduled engine shutdown.

Causes of Throttle Valve Position Deviation are:

Malfunctioning throttle assembly (internal electrical fault)

Worn/seized throttle bearings (can be caused by pressure washing)
Bent throttle valve or throttle shaft (due to a intake manifold over-pressure event). Check for Fault Code 783.
Throttle assembly out-of-adjustment (incorrectly installed/adjusted or as a result of an intake manifold over-pressure event). Check for
Fault Code 783.
Engine harness fault
Connector fault (throttle assembly or ECM).

Use the following procedure for information on throttle assembly in the appropriate engine service manuals. Reference Procedure 005-052 in
Section 5.

Warranty Statement
The information in this document has no effect on present warranty coverage or repair practices, nor does it authorize TRP or Campaign
actions.

Document History
Date Details
2012-7-17 Module Created

2012-8-23 QSOL Quick Fix|Reason: Spelling Error|Notes: none

Last Modified:  23-Aug-2012

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