MULTIFUEL STORAGE, METERING AND IGNITION SYSTEM

• US 20100108023A1
• Filed: 10/19/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Green Innovations, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAlister Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: McAlister, Roy E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,297,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/297
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/125 Direct injection in the combustion chamber for spark ignition engines, i.e. not in pre-combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0206 Non-hydrocarbon fuels, e.g. hydrogen, ammonia or carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0215 Mixtures of gaseous fuels; Natural gas; Biogas; Mine gas; Landfill gas
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0221 Fuel storage reservoirs, e.g. cryogenic tanks
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0245 High pressure fuel supply systems; Rails; Pumps; Arrangement of valves
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/026 Lift valves, i.e. stem operated valves
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0275 for in-cylinder direct injection, e.g. injector combined with spark plug
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0287 characterised by the transition from liquid to gaseous phase F02M21/06 takes precedence; Injection in liquid phase; Cooling and low temperature storage
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0296 Manufacturing or assembly; Materials, e.g. coatings
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 51/0671 the armature having an elongated valve body attached thereto
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 57/06 the devices being sparking plugs
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04089 of gaseous reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04186 of liquid-charged or electrolyte-charged reactants
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels

Abstract

A system for safe storage and efficient utilization of a variety of fuel selections that range in composition and phase from cryogenic mixtures of solids and liquids to elevated temperature gases is provided for unique applications with various types of heat engines and fuel cells including hybridized combinations.

Claims

1. A process for energy conversion comprising the steps of storing one or more fuel substances in a containment vessel means, transferring said fuel and or derivatives of said fuel to a device that substantially separates valve operator means from a flow control valve means located at the interface of a combustion chamber means of an engine means to control said fuel or derivatives of said fuel by an electrically insulating cable or rod means to eliminate fuel dribble at problematic times into said combustion chamber means of said engine means.

2. A process as in claim 1 in which said control valve means is occasionally electrically charged to provide plasma discharge means.

3. A process as in claim 1 in which said electrically insulating cable or rod means also provides detection and or communication of detected information from said combustion chamber means to a control means for said process.

4. A process as in claim 1 in which said fuel derivatives are produced by means selected from the group comprised of a heat exchanger, a reversible fuel cell, and a catalytic heat exchanger.

5. A process as in claim 1 in which said fuel or said fuel derivatives include hydrogen that is utilized as a heat transfer means and or to reduce losses in the operation of relative motion component means of said process for energy conversion.

6. A process as in claim 5 in which said relative motion component means is an electricity generator.

7. A process as in claim 5 in which said relative motion component means is a heat engine.

8. A process as in claim 1 in which said vessel means insulates cryogenic substances.

9. A process as in claim 1 in which said vessel means contains pressurized inventories of said fuel and or derivatives of said fuel.

17. A system as in claim 1 in which such operation provides adaptively maximized brake mean effective pressure upon cyclic combustion of various fuel selections regardless of the fuel octane, cetane, viscosity, energy content density, or temperature.

18. A system as in claim 1 in which said fuel and or compounds that contain hydrogen are converted to hydrogen and or mixtures of hydrogen and other fluid constituents by a heat exchanger that supports endothermic reactions by transfer of heat from said engine to said fuel and or compounds that contain hydrogen.

19. A system as in claim 18 in which said hydrogen is utilized for purposes selected from the group comprised of cooling rotating machinery, reducing windage losses of rotating machinery, as a medium to absorb and remove moisture, and as a fuel for two or more hybridized energy conversion applications.

10. A system for integrating fuel injection and ignition means in which occasionally intermittent flow to provide said fuel injection is controlled by a valve means that is electrically separated by insulation means h m an actuation means for said valve means and in which said actuation means applies force to said valve means by an electrically insulating means.

11. A system as in claim 10 in which said actuation means applies force to said valve means by an electrically insulating means that consists of an electrically insulating cable or rod means.

12. A system as in claim 11 in which said cable or rod means also provides detection and or communication of detected information h m a combustion chamber means to a control means for operation of said system.

13. A system as in claim 10 in which said control valve means is occasionally electrically charged to provide plasma discharge means to ignite occasionally injected fuel allowed to pass by said control valve means.

14. A system for providing fluid flow valve functions in which a moveable valve element means is displaced by a plunger means that is forced by means selected from the group consisting of a solenoid mechanism means, a cam mechanism means, and a combination of solenoid and cam mechanism means in which said valve element means is occasionally held in position for allowing fluid flow by means selected from a solenoid mechanism means, a piezoelectric mechanism means and a combination of solenoid and piezoelectric mechanism means.

15. A system as in claim 14 in which at least a portion of said fluid flow is delivered to an engine means to accelerate air entry and increase the volumetric efficiency of said engine means.

16. A system as in claim 14 in which at least a portion of said fluid flow is delivered to the combustion chamber of an engine means by a system for integrating fuel injection and ignition means in which intermittent flow to provide said fuel injection is controlled by a valve means that is electrically separated by insulation means h m an actuation means for said valve means and in which said actuation means applies force to said valve means by an electrically insulating means.

20. A system as in claim 14 in which said fluid contains hydrogen said hydrogen is utilized for purposes selected from the group comprised of cooling rotating machinery, reducing windage losses of rotating machinery, as a medium to absorb and remove moisture, and as a fuel for two or more hybridized energy conversion applications.