FUEL UTILIZATION

• US 20080032245A1
• Filed: 10/12/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vapor Fuel Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Vapor Fuel Technologies LLC
• Inventors: DeHaas, Marcus, Lewis, Danny, Bushnell, Raymond, Dean, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US11/871,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20080032245A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 431/11
• CPC Class Codes: F23C 2202/20 Premixing fluegas with fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 11/402 Mixing chambers downstream of the nozzle
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 11/44 Preheating devices; Vaporising devices
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2221/04 Preheating liquid fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2221/08 Preheating the air
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2221/12 Recycling exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2227/02 Starting or ignition cycles
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 5/022 using electronic means F23N5/04 - F23N5/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 5/184 using electronic means

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a fuel supply system for combustion engines, whereby the temperatures of an oxidizer and fuel may be increased so that the temperatures approach but do not achieve an auto-ignition temperature for the fuel charge. The fuel charge may result in substantial improvements in fuel efficiency.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

adjusting the temperature of a fuel charge so that the temperature approaches, but does not achieve, an auto-ignition temperature;

inducting the fuel charge into a combustion chamber; and

initiating a combustion event to substantially auto-ignite the fuel charge.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel charge includes an oxidizer component and a fuel component;

and

adjusting the temperature of the fuel charge comprises heating the oxidizer component and/or the fuel component prior to inducting the fuel charge into the combustion chamber.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising controlling the heating of the oxidizer component and/or the fuel component to maintain a desired oxidizer-to-fuel ratio.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the temperature of the fuel charge comprises increasing the temperature of the fuel charge to dilute the fuel charge.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel charge includes a vapor fuel component.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the combustion event comprises initiating a spark to substantially auto-ignite the fuel charge.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the timing of the initiation of the combustion event to substantially auto-ignite the fuel charge at a desired crank angle based at least on characteristics of the fuel charge.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the characteristics of the fuel charge include homogeneity, temperature, combustion duration, and/or flame speed of the fuel charge.

9. A method comprising:

during a first mode of operation;

inducting an amount of preheated fuel into a combustion chamber; and

combining an amount of exhaust-gas-recirculation with the amount of preheated fuel to substantially ignite the amount of preheated of fuel; and

during a second mode of operation;

inducting an increased amount of preheated fuel into the combustion chamber;

combining a decreased amount of exhaust-gas-recirculation with the increased amount of preheated fuel, the decreased amount of exhaust-gas-recirculation incapable of substantially igniting the increased amount of preheated fuel; and

performing a spark to substantially ignite the increased amount of preheated fuel.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first mode of operation further comprises performing an initiation spark in addition to combining the amount of exhaust-gas-recirculation with the amount of preheated fuel to substantially ignite the amount of preheated fuel.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the second mode of operation further comprises, advancing the performing of the spark to occur sooner in a compression cycle of the combustion chamber.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the preheated fuel has been fractionated.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the amount of preheated fuel and the increased amount of preheated fuel are both mixed with an oxidizer, and the oxidizer-to-fuel ratio is maintained at approximately 14.7-to-1.

14. A system comprising:

a vaporization chamber including a heating source to vaporize fuel;

an air conduit adapted to supply and mix air with the vaporized fuel; and

a controller to control the mixture of air and fuel to maintain a desired carbon level in an amount of combustion exhaust.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller further controls the mixture of air and fuel to maintain a desired air-to-fuel mixture.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the heating source is adapted to fractionate the fuel and/or increase the temperature of the fractioned fuel;

the air conduit includes an air heater adapted to increase the temperature of the air; and

the controller is adapted to control the increase in temperatures of the fractionated fuel and/or the intake air to maintain a desired air-to-fuel ratio.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a mixer to combine the heated intake air and the heated fractionated fuel to form a fuel charge;

a combustion chamber to combust the fuel charge; and

a spark plug to perform a spark to substantially ignite the fuel charge, wherein the controller further controls a timing of the performance of the spark.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller further controls the mixture of the heated intake air and the heated fractionated fuel to maintain an air-to-fuel ratio of the fuel charge.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising a sensor to monitor at least one of oxygen content, temperature, ignition temperature, carbon content, air-to-fuel ratio, and/or density of the fractionated fuel and/or intake air.

20. A method of combusting a fuel charge comprising:

inducting a prepared fuel charge into a combustion chamber;

initiating a flame front to ignite a first portion of the prepared fuel charge to increase the temperature and pressure inside the combustion chamber;

initiating auto-ignition of a second portion of the prepared fuel charge, as a result of the increase in temperature and pressure inside the combustion chamber; and

initiating subsequent flame fronts and/or subsequent auto-ignitions of the remaining portions of the prepared fuel charge to cooperatively and substantially combust the fuel charge.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising adjusting the timing of the initiating of the flame front to cooperatively and substantially combust the fuel charge at a desired crank angle.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the prepared fuel charge is fractionated.

23. A method comprising:

diluting a fuel charge to be combusted in a combustion cylinder; and

adjusting the combustion of the diluted fuel charge to generate a desired power output based at least in part on characteristics of the diluted fuel charge.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein diluting the fuel charge comprises increasing the temperature of an amount of fuel and an amount of oxidizer to generate a diluted fuel charge having an oxidizer-to-fuel ratio of approximately 14.7-to-1.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein adjusting the combustion of the diluted fuel charge comprises substantially combusting the diluted fuel charge at a desired crank angle.