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A compression ignition internal combustion engine which operates using a methane based fuel and an ignition initiator. The fuel and method of operating the engine can be employed in a range of applications such as, for example, road or marine vehicles or in static applications such as electrical gen

A compression ignition internal combustion engine which operates using a methane based fuel and an ignition initiator. The fuel and method of operating the engine can be employed in a range of applications such as, for example, road or marine vehicles or in static applications such as electrical generators.

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The invention claimed is: 1. A compression ignition engine arranged to operate using a mixture of a fuel gas and an ignition initiator, the engine comprising: a fuel delivery system that receives the fuel gas from a first tank in a liquefied or pressurised state and receives the ignition initiator

The invention claimed is: 1. A compression ignition engine arranged to operate using a mixture of a fuel gas and an ignition initiator, the engine comprising: a fuel delivery system that receives the fuel gas from a first tank in a liquefied or pressurised state and receives the ignition initiator from a second tank separate from the first tank, and in which the gas and ignition initiator are received separately and then mixed to produce a liquefied or pressurised mixture; the engine further comprising an injector for receiving the mixture and injecting it into a combustion chamber of the engine. 2. A compression ignition engine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fuel gas comprises a methane based gas. 3. A compression ignition engine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the methane based gas comprises natural gas. 4. A compression ignition engine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engine is a diesel-cycle engine. 5. A compression ignition engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ignition initiator comprises diesel fuel. 6. A compression ignition engine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fuel gas comprises propane or LPG. 7. A fuel delivery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fuel gas is a pressurised fuel gas, the mixture is a pressurised mixture, and the pressurised mixture has a pressure of at least 500 bar. 8. A method of operating a compression ignition engine using a gas based fuel wherein a liquefied or pressurised fuel gas from a first tank is mixed with an ignition initiator from a second tank separate from the first tank in a fuel delivery system of the engine in order to produce a liquefied or pressurised mixture, the mixture is then supplied to an injector, and the injector injects the mixture into the combustion chamber of a compression ignition engine. 9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the fuel gas comprises a methane based gas. 10. A method of operating a compression ignition engine as claimed in claim 9, wherein the methane based gas is natural gas. 11. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the ignition initiator comprises diesel fuel. 12. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the gas and ignition initiator are mixed in a common rail fuel delivery system. 13. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the fuel gas comprises propane or LPG. 14. A fuel delivery system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the fuel gas is a pressurised fuel gas, the mixture is a pressurised mixture, and the pressurised mixture has a pressure of at least 500 bar. 15. A fuel injector assembly comprising a fuel injector and a separate fuel mixing unit, wherein the mixing unit receives a first fuel component from a first tank in the form of a liquefied or pressurised gas and a second fuel component from a second tank separate from the first tank in the form of an ignition initiator and wherein the mixing unit mixes the first and second fuel components to produce a liquefied or pressurized mixture and then supplies the mixed fuel to the injector. 16. A fuel injector assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the injector is a hydraulically activated injector. 17. A fuel injector assembly as claimed in claim 15 used in combination with a compression ignition engine. 18. A fuel injector assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first fuel component comprises a methane based gas. 19. A fuel injector assembly as claimed in claim 18, wherein the methane based gas comprises natural gas. 20. A fuel injector assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first fuel component comprises propane or LPG. 21. A fuel delivery system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the fuel gas is a pressurised fuel gas, the mixture is a pressurised mixture, and the pressurised mixture has a pressure of at least 500 bar. 22. A fuel delivery system for a compression ignition engine wherein a mixture of a liquefied or pressurised fuel gas from a first tank and an ignition initiator from a second tank separate from the first tank is supplied to the engine using a common fuel rail and wherein the liquefied or pressurized fuel gas is mixed with the ignition initiator in the common fuel rail to produce a liquefied or pressurised mixture. 23. A fuel delivery system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the fuel gas comprises a methane based gas. 24. A fuel delivery system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the first fuel component comprises propane or LPG. 25. A fuel delivery system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the fuel gas is a pressurised fuel gas, the mixture is a pressurised mixture, and the pressurised mixture has a pressure of at least 500 bar.