METHODS FOR JOULE-THOMPSON COOLING AND HEATING OF COMBUSTION CHAMBER EVENTS AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND APPARATUS

• US 20150040848A1
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Green Innovations, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAlister Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: McAlister, Roy Edward
• Granted Patent: US 9,404,443 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/1.A
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 17/00 Engines characterised by means for effecting stratification of charge in cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 47/04 the substances being other than water or steam only
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 47/08 the substances including exhaust gas
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/06 peculiar to engines working with pluralities of fuels, e.g. alternatively with light and heavy fuel oil, other than engines indifferent to the fuel consumed
• 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: F02D 41/3094 the fuel injection being effected by at least two different injectors, e.g. one in the intake manifold and one in the cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0206 Non-hydrocarbon fuels, e.g. hydrogen, ammonia or carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0248 Injectors
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/06 Apparatus for de-liquefying, e.g. by heating
• 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 25/12 the apparatus having means for generating such gases using rays and simultaneously generating ozone F02M27/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels

Abstract

A method for operating an internal combustion engine including a combustion chamber and configured to perform at least a compression stroke and a power stroke. The method comprises direct injecting a first substance having a positive Joule-Thompson coefficient into the combustion chamber during a compression stroke, thereby reducing an amount of work otherwise may be used to perform the compression stroke and direct injecting a second substance having a negative Joule-Thompson coefficient into the combustion chamber during a power stroke, thereby increasing an amount of work otherwise produced from the power stroke.

Claims

1. A method for operating an internal combustion engine including a combustion chamber and configured to perform at least a compression stroke and a power stroke, the method comprising:

injecting a substance into the combustion chamber during a compression stroke at a temperature that is between about 100°

C. and about 1000°

C. less than a temperature inside the combustion chamber, thereby reducing an amount of work otherwise required to perform the compression stroke.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising conditioning the substance prior to injection such that the substance undergoes a phase change upon injection.

3. A method for operating an internal combustion engine including a combustion chamber and configured to perform at least a compression stroke and a power stroke, the method comprising:

expanding a first substance having a positive Joule-Thompson coefficient into the combustion chamber during a compression stroke, thereby reducing an amount of work otherwise required to perform the compression stroke.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising pre-cooling the first substance prior to expanding into the combustion chamber.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising introducing the first substance at a temperature that is between about 100°

C. and about 1000°

C. less than a temperature inside the combustion chamber.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the first substance is expanded into the combustion chamber at a crank angle of between about 5°

and about 20°

before top dead center.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the first substance is pressurized to a pressure of between about 100 psi and about 1000 psi higher than the pressure inside the combustion chamber prior to expansion into the combustion chamber.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first substance is pressurized by expanding a cryogenic liquid phase of the first substance.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the first substance is selected from the group consisting of natural gas, methane, ammonia, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and nitrogen.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the first substance is direct injected into the combustion chamber.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first substance is injected as a stratified charge into a high temperature region of the combustion chamber.

12. The method of claim 3, further comprising expanding a second substance having a negative Joule-Thompson coefficient into the combustion chamber during a power stroke, thereby increasing an amount of work otherwise produced from the power stroke.

13. A method for operating an internal combustion engine including a combustion chamber and configured to perform at least a compression stroke and a power stroke, the method comprising:

expanding a first substance having a negative Joule-Thompson coefficient into the combustion chamber during a power stroke, thereby increasing an amount of work otherwise produced from the power stroke.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising pre-heating the first substance prior to expanding into the combustion chamber.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising introducing ions of a negative Joule-Thompson coefficient substance into the combustion chamber during the power stroke.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising introducing the first substance at a temperature that is about 500°

C. greater than a temperature inside the combustion chamber.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the first substance is expanded into the combustion chamber at a crank angle of between about 0°

and about 10°

after top dead center.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the first substance is pressurized to a pressure of about 5000 psi greater than the pressure inside the combustion chamber prior to expansion into the combustion chamber.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the first substance is selected from the group consisting of neon, helium, and hydrogen.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising direct injecting a second substance having a positive Joule-Thompson coefficient into the combustion chamber during a compression stroke, thereby decreasing an amount of work otherwise required to perform the compression stroke.

21. A method for operating an internal combustion engine including a combustion chamber and configured to perform at least a compression stroke and a power stroke, the method comprising:

direct injecting a first substance having a positive Joule-Thompson coefficient into the combustion chamber during a compression stroke, thereby reducing an amount of work otherwise required to perform the compression stroke; and

direct injecting a second substance having a negative Joule-Thompson coefficient into the combustion chamber during a power stroke, thereby increasing an amount of work otherwise produced from the power stroke.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising introducing ions of a negative Joule-Thompson coefficient substance into the combustion chamber during the power stroke.

23. An engine system comprising:

an internal combustion engine including a combustion chamber and configured to perform at least a compression stroke and a power stroke;

an injector;

a first delivery system capable of providing a first substance having a positive Joule-Thompson coefficient to the injector;

a second delivery system capable of providing a second substance having a negative Joule-Thompson coefficient to the injector; and

an engine control unit operative to receive information indicating a crank angle status of the internal combustion engine and operative to signal the injector based on the crank angle status to inject the first substance into the combustion chamber during a compression stroke and to inject the second substance into the combustion chamber during a power stroke.

24. The engine system of claim 23, wherein the second delivery system includes a heat source operative to pre-heat the second substance prior to injection.

25. The engine system of claim 23, wherein the injector is an injector-igniter.

26. A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine including a combustion chamber and configured to perform at least a compression stroke and a power stroke, the fuel injection system comprising:

an injector;

a first delivery system capable of providing a first substance having a positive Joule-Thompson coefficient to the injector;

a second delivery system capable of providing a second substance having a negative Joule-Thompson coefficient to the injector; and

an engine control unit operative to receive information indicating a crank angle status of the internal combustion engine and operative to signal the injector based on the crank angle status to inject the first substance into the combustion chamber during a compression stroke and to inject the second substance into the combustion chamber during a power stroke.