Water and/or alcohol water secondary injection system for diesel engines

• US 20070131180A1
• Filed: 02/09/2006
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: U Chicago Argonne, LLC
• Original Assignee: University of Chicago
• Inventors: Roehm, Charles
• Application Number:
  US11/353,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20070131180A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/25.A
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 47/02 the substances being water or steam
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0227 Control aspects; Arrangement of sensors; Diagnostics; Actuators
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0228 Adding fuel and water emulsion
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A system for reducing the emissions of the oxides of nitrogen(NOx) and improving the fuel efficiency of a diesel engine having at least one combustion chamber and a camshaft and a crankshaft and an intake port and an operator controlled throttle with at least one electronically actuated diesel fuel injector; a diesel fuel supply reservoir communicatively connected with the diesel fuel injector and including diesel fuel pumping means for maintaining diesel fuel pressure at the inlet of the diesel fuel injector; at least one electronically actuated water and/or alcohol injector; a water and/or alcohol supply reservoir communicatively connected with the water and/or alcohol injector and including water and/or alcohol pumping means for maintaining liquid pressure at the inlet of the water and/or alcohol injector; and an electronic regulating means for controlling the rate at which atomized diesel fuel and water and/or alcohol are independently injected respectively into the combustion chamber and intake port. The electronic regulating means is being operatively connected to the injectors and is responsive to one or more of air temperature in the air intake manifold, the position of the throttle, the intake manifold pressure, the camshaft position, the crankshaft position, the engine rotational speed wherein the amount of water and/or alcohol injected into the intake port is controlled as a function of both the amount of diesel fuel and alcohol injected and the ratio of diesel fuel and alcohol to air in the combustion fuel mixture to reduce NOx emissions and improve fuel efficiency over the operating range of the diesel engine.

Claims

1. A system for reducing the emissions of the oxides of nitrogen(NO_x) and improving the fuel efficiency of a diesel engine having at least one combustion chamber and a camshaft and a crankshaft and an intake port and an operator controlled throttle comprising:

a) at least one electronically actuated diesel fuel injector;

b) a diesel fuel supply reservoir communicatively connected with said diesel fuel injector and including diesel fuel pumping means for maintaining diesel fuel pressure at the inlet of said diesel fuel injector;

c) at least one electronically actuated water and/or alcohol injector;

d) a water and/or alcohol supply reservoir communicatively connected with said water and/or alcohol injector and including water and/or alcohol pumping means for maintaining liquid pressure at the inlet of said water and/or alcohol injector; and

e) electronic regulating means for controlling the rate at which atomized diesel fuel and water and/or alcohol are independently injected respectively into said combustion chamber and intake port,

said means being operatively connected to said injectors and being responsive to one or more of air temperature in said air intake manifold, the position of said throttle, the intake manifold pressure, the camshaft position, the crankshaft position, the engine rotational speed wherein the amount of water and/or alcohol injected into said intake port is controlled as a function of both the amount of diesel fuel and alcohol injected and the ratio of diesel fuel and alcohol to air in said combustion fuel mixture to reduce NO_x emissions and improve fuel efficiency over the operating range of said diesel engine.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the alcohol is methanol or ethanol or a mixture thereof.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the alcohol is ethanol.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the ratio of water to alcohol is in the range of from about 40:

60 to about 60;

40.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the ratio of water to alcohol is about 50:

50.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the alcohol is ethanol and the ratio of water to ethanol is about 50:

50.

7. The system of claim 1, and further including a NO_x sensor in communication with the system exhaust and in communication said electronic regulating means to provide information regarding the NO_x level in the diesel engine exhaust to said electronic regulating means.

8. A method for reducing the emissions of the oxides of nitrogen(NO_x) and improving the fuel efficiency of a diesel engine having at least one combustion chamber and a camshaft and a crankshaft and an intake port and an operator controlled throttle comprising:

a) providing at least one electronically actuated diesel fuel injector;

b) providing a diesel fuel supply reservoir communicatively connected with said diesel fuel injector and including diesel fuel pumping means for maintaining diesel fuel pressure at the inlet of said diesel fuel injector;

c) providing at least one electronically actuated water and/or alcohol injector;

d) providing a water and/or alcohol supply reservoir communicatively connected with said water and/or alcohol injector and including water and/or alcohol pumping means for maintaining liquid pressure at the inlet of said water and/or alcohol injector; and

e) providing electronic regulating means for controlling the rate at which atomized diesel fuel and water and/or alcohol are independently respectively injected into said combustion chamber and intake port and operatively connected to said injectors and being responsive to one or more of air temperature in said air intake manifold, the position of said throttle, the intake manifold pressure, the camshaft position, the crankshaft position, the engine rotational speed, wherein the amount of water and/or alcohol injected into said intake port is controlled as a function of both the amount of diesel fuel and alcohol injected and the ratio of diesel fuel and alcohol to air in said combustion fuel mixture to reduce NO_x emissions and improve fuel efficiency over the operating range of said diesel engine.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the alcohol is methanol and/or ethanol and the ratio of water to alcohol is in the range of from about 40:

60 to about 60;

40.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the alcohol is ethanol and the water to ethanol ratio is about 50:

50.

11. The method of claim 8, and further providing a NO_x sensor in communication with the system exhaust and in communication said electronic regulating means to provide information regarding the NO_x level in the diesel engine exhaust to said electronic regulating means.