SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

• US 20070119390A1
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David Wesseldyk, Mark Herrmann
• Original Assignee: David Wesseldyk, Mark Herrmann
• Inventors: Herrmann, Mark, Wesseldyk, David
• Application Number:
  US11/289,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20070119390A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/1.A
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0649 Liquid fuels having different boiling temperatures, volatilities, densities, viscosities, cetane or octane numbers
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0678 Pressure or flow regulators therefor; Fuel metering valves therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0692 Arrangement of multiple injectors per combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/081 Adjusting the fuel composition or mixing ratio; Transitioning from one fuel to the other
• 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 37/0023 Valves in the fuel supply and return system
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels

Abstract

A method of operating an internal combustion engine generally comprises supplying a primary fuel having a first octane rating at to an intake manifold of the engine, supplying an amount of racing fuel concentrate to the intake manifold in response to a signal associated with engine load, and varying the amount of the racing fuel concentrate supplied to the intake manifold in response to variance of the signal. The racing fuel concentrate is a petroleum distillate racing fuel, such as Torco® Mach Series Accelerator Race Fuel Concentrate, that significantly increases the octane rating of the primary fuel when the concentrate is supplied to the manifold.

Claims

1. A method of operating an internal combustion engine, comprising:

supplying a primary fuel having a first octane rating at to an intake manifold of the engine;

supplying an amount of racing fuel concentrate to the intake manifold in response to a signal associated with engine load to bring the primary fuel to a second octane rating, the second octane rating being greater than the first octane rating; and

varying the amount of the racing fuel concentrate supplied to the intake manifold in response to variance of the signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the racing fuel concentrate has a solubility in water of less than approximately 25 percent by volume.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the racing fuel concentrate has a solubility in water of approximately nil.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the racing fuel concentrate has a specific gravity at 60 degrees Fahrenheit of less than approximately 0.79.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the racing fuel concentrate has a specific gravity between approximately 0.74 and approximately 0.76.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein supplying the racing fuel concentrate to the intake manifold comprises:

activating a fuel pump to deliver the racing fuel concentrate from a fuel tank to a fuel injector; and

discharging the racing fuel concentrate into the intake manifold with the fuel injector.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein varying the amount of racing fuel concentrate supplied to the intake manifold comprises:

monitoring the signal associated with engine load with an electronic control unit; and

adjusting the injection time of the fuel injector with the electronic control unit in response to the signal associated with engine load.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the signal associated with the engine load is the air pressure in the intake manifold.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the signal associated with the engine load is the revolutions-per-minute (RPM) of the engine.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein supplying the racing fuel concentrate to the intake manifold further comprises:

controlling the pressure of the racing fuel concentrate delivered from the fuel tank to the fuel injector with a pressure regulator, the pressure regulator communicating with the air pressure in the intake manifold such that the pressure of the racing fuel concentrate delivered to the fuel injector corresponds to engine load.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein varying the amount of racing fuel concentrate supplied to the intake manifold comprises:

delivering the racing fuel concentrate from the fuel tank to a flow valve, the flow valve communicating with air pressure in the intake manifold; and

actuating the flow valve in response to the air pressure in the intake manifold to vary the amount of racing gas concentrate delivered to the fuel injector.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the fuel pump is activated when the signal associated with the engine load reaches a predetermined value.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

monitoring the pressure of the racing fuel concentrate delivered to the fuel injector with a pressure switch, the pressure switch adapted to be activated when a minimum pressure set point is reached; and

activating a rev-limiter to limit the revolutions-per-minute (RPM) of the engine if the pressure switch is not activated within a predetermined time delay after the fuel pump is activated.

2. (canceled)

15. A method of operating an internal combustion engine, comprising:

supplying eighty units of pump fuel at to an intake manifold of the engine;

supplying one to four units of racing fuel concentrate to the intake manifold in response to a signal associated with engine load to increase the octane rating of the pump fuel by at least two octane numbers; and

varying the amount of the racing fuel concentrate supplied to the intake manifold in response to variance of the signal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the signal associated with the engine load is the air pressure in the intake manifold.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein supplying one to four units of racing fuel concentrate further comprises increasing the octane rating of the pump fuel by at least eleven octane numbers.

17. A racing fuel concentrate delivery system for an internal combustion engine, the engine having a primary fuel supply system that delivers a primary fuel into an intake manifold, the delivery system comprising:

a supply of racing fuel concentrate;

a fuel injector adapted to discharge the racing fuel concentrate into the intake manifold of the engine;

a fuel pump adapted to deliver the racing fuel concentrate from said supply to said fuel injector; and

a pressure regulator adapted to vary the amount of racing fuel concentrate delivered to said fuel injector in response to a signal associated with the engine load.

18. A method of operating a turbocharged or supercharged engine to prevent engine knock and attendant damage to the engine comprising:

supplying gasoline having an octane rating that is insufficient to permit the engine to operate at a desired high boost level, and

increasing the boost level to the engine while simultaneously adding to the engine a quantity of racing fuel concentrate with the ratio of concentrate quantity to gasoline quantity being increased as needed as the boost increases.

20. A method of operating an internal combustion engine, comprising:

supplying an amount of primary fuel having a first octane rating at to an intake manifold of the engine;

supplying an amount of racing fuel concentrate to the intake manifold in response to a signal associated with an increase in engine load to bring the primary fuel to a second octane rating, the second octane rating being greater than the first octane rating; and

maintaining at least the same amount of primary fuel supplied to the intake manifold when the racing fuel concentrate is supplied to the intake manifold.

21. A method of operating a turbocharged or supercharged engine to prevent engine knock and attendant damage to the engine, comprising:

supplying a pump fuel to the engine at a first rate, the pump fuel having an octane rating that is insufficient to permit the engine to operate at a desired high boost level;

increasing the boost level of the engine to the desired high boost level;

supplying the pump fuel to the engine at a second rate higher than the first rate while the engine is operating at the desired high boost level; and

increasing the octane rating of the pump fuel by at least four octane numbers in response to increasing the boost level to the desired high boost level.