ENGINE ON PULSED FUEL ADDITIVE CONCENTRATE DOSING SYSTEM AND CONTROLLER

• US 20060254535A1
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Knapper, Curtis J., Valentine, James M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,743,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/1.A
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 3/06 with compression ignition compression ignition engines using air or gas for blowing fuel into compressed air in cylinder F02B13/02
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/12 peculiar to engines working with non-fuel substances or with anti-knock agents, e.g. with anti-knock fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0625 Fuel consumption, e.g. measured in fuel liters per 100 kms or miles per gallon
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 33/006 depending on engine operating conditions, e.g. start, stop or ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0025 Controlling engines characterised by use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/00 Engine-pertinent apparatus for adding non-fuel substances or small quantities of secondary fuel to combustion-air, main fuel or fuel-air mixture adding secondary air to fuel-air mixture F02M23/00; adding exhaust gases F02M26/00; fuel-injection apparatus operating simultaneously on two or more fuels or on a liquid fuel and another liquid F02M43/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 27/02 by catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/0047 Layout or arrangement of systems for feeding fuel fuel injection apparatus characterised by their conduits and venting means F02M55/00; fuel injection apparatus having a common rail F02M63/0225; arrangement of fuel conduits of low pressure fuel injection apparatus F02M69/462
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/0064 for engines being fed with multiple fuels or fuels having special properties, e.g. bio-fuels; varying the fuel composition controlling engines working with pluralities of fuels F02D19/06

Abstract

A safe, reliable system for automatically dosing diesel truck fuel tanks with a fuel additive is provided. The additive, such as a concentrated solution containing fuel borne catalyst (FBC), is fed by positive feed means in pulsed doses while the engine is on. The frequency and amount of FBC injection is controlled as a function of the time the engine is operated and predetermined values for rate of fuel consumption and intended additive concentrations in the fuel.

Claims

1. An apparatus for automatically dosing a fuel additive into a fuel tank for supplying fuel to an engine, comprising:

storage means for storing a fuel additive;

conduit means for carrying fuel additive from the storage means to a fuel tank associated with the engine;

positive feed means in communication with said conduit means to feed measured amounts of said fuel additive into said conduit means;

sensing means to determine when the engine is on; and

means for controlling the positive feed means in response to the engine being on to deliver measured doses of additive into the fuel for the engine at regular, predetermined intervals and continuing the operation of the positive feed means for the time the engine is on.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the rate of additive supply is based on average rate of fuel consumption.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a fuel additive reservoir is provided to maintain sufficient concentrate to permit driving for form about 1 to 4 weeks of operation.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the positive feed means comprises a positive displacement pump.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the positive feed means is controlled to deliver predetermined doses of fuel additive to maintain a concentration of active metal in the fuel to within the range of from about 1 to about 20 ppm.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the positive feed means is controlled to deliver predetermined doses of fuel additive to maintain a concentration of active metal in the fuel to within the range of from about 4 to about 10 ppm, for at least half of the engine operation time.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the positive feed means is controlled to deliver predetermined doses of fuel additive to maintain a concentration of active metal in the fuel to within the range of from about 4 to about 10 ppm for at least 75% of the engine operation time.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the additive is fed into the fuel tank though a T-fitting positioned in a tank vent, wherein one end of the T-fitting provides the tank vent, one receives additive from storage means for storing a fuel additive and one is open to the fuel tank to permit the additive to flow into it.

9. A method for automatically dosing a fuel additive into a fuel tank for supplying fuel to an engine, comprising:

storing a fuel additive in a storage vessel having associated conduit means connecting the storage vessel and the fuel tank;

sensing when the engine is on; and

in response to the engine being on, positively feeding fuel additive from the storage vessel into the fuel tank in measured doses at regular, predetermined intervals and continuing introducing timed, measured doses for the time the engine is on.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the rate of additive supply is based on average rate of fuel consumption.

11. A method according to claim 9 wherein a fuel additive reservoir is provided to maintain sufficient concentrate to permit driving for from 1 to 4 weeks.

12. A method according to claim 9 wherein the positive feed means comprises a positive displacement pump.

13. A method according to claim 9 wherein the positive feed means is controlled to deliver predetermined doses of fuel additive to maintain a concentration of active metal in the fuel to within the range of from about 1 to about 20 ppm.

14. A method according to claim 9 wherein the positive feed means is controlled to deliver predetermined doses of fuel additive to maintain a concentration of active metal in the fuel to within the range of from about 4 to about 10 ppm, for at least half of the engine operation time.

15. A method according to claim 9 wherein the positive feed means is controlled to deliver predetermined doses of fuel additive to maintain a concentration of active metal in the fuel to within the range of from about 4 to about 10 ppm for at least 75% of the engine operation time.

16. A method according to claim 9 wherein the additive is fed into the fuel tank though a T-fitting positioned in a tank vent, wherein one end of the T-fitting provides the tank vent, one receives additive from storage means for storing a fuel additive and one is open to the fuel tank to permit the additive to flow into it.

17. A method for automatically dosing a fuel additive into a fuel tank for supplying fuel to an engine, comprising:

storing a fuel additive in a storage vessel having associated conduit means connecting the storage vessel and the fuel tank;

sensing when the engine is on; and

in response to the engine being on, feeding fuel additive from the storage vessel into the fuel tank in measured doses at regular, predetermined intervals and continuing the operation of the positive displacement pump for the time the engine is on.