Method and apparatus for cleaning deposits and residue from internal combustion engines

• US 5,452,696 A
• Filed: 02/17/1994
• Issued: 09/26/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert E. Flynn
• Original Assignee: Robert E. Flynn
• Inventors: Flynn, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamen, Noah P.
• Application Number:
  US08/198,533
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 123/198 A, 123/1 A, 134/169 A
• US Class Current: 123/198.00A
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 3/06 with compression ignition compression ignition engines using air or gas for blowing fuel into compressed air in cylinder F02B13/02
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 77/04 Cleaning of, preventing corrosion or erosion in, or preventing unwanted deposits in, combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 65/007 Cleaning

Abstract

A method and apparatus for removing internal carbon deposits and related residue and contaminants from fuel injected and carbureted internal combustion engine systems by delivering fuel to the inlet of the engine fuel pump while the engine is cranked by battery power to start the engine and then delivering an engine conditioning fuel, which is a mixture of normal engine fuel and a carbon cleaning agent, to the fuel pump inlet so that the conditioning fuel passes through and removes carbon deposits from the engine fuel injectors or carburetor, as the case may be, and is then combusted in the engine cylinders to power the engine. The effectiveness of the carbon cleaning operation is determined by monitoring the flow rate of normal engine fuel to the engine.

Claims

1. In combination:

an internal combustion engine having combustion chamber means, fuel input means for introducing fuel into said combustion chamber means to power the engine, an engine fuel pump for pumping fuel to said fuel input means at a pumping rate which exceeds the fuel flow rate through said fuel input means into said combustion chamber means, an excess fuel return line, and wherein said fuel pump has an inlet for receiving fuel and an outlet connected to said fuel input means and to said excess fuel return line, and a portion of the fuel output from the engine fuel pump is introduced into said combustion chamber means to power the engine and the remainder of the fuel output from said fuel pump constitutes excess fuel which is recycled back to the engine through said excess fuel return line during normal engine operation,

engine conditioning apparatus comprising a container having a normally upper open side for containing fuel which may be either of the following fuels;

(a) normal engine fuel, (b) a combustible carbon removing engine conditioning fuel, a submersible pump within said container having an inlet opening to the interior of the container and an outlet, an apparatus excess fuel return line accessible through said open side of said container and having one end releasably connected to said engine excess fuel return line and an opposite end opening into said container, and a fuel discharge line accessible through said open side of said container and connected at one end to said submersible pump outlet and releasably connected at its other end to said engine fuel pump inlet, and wherein

said submersible pump, said discharge line, and said apparatus excess fuel return line are each devoid of permanent connection to said container and are freely insertable into and removable from said container through said open side of the container, and

said apparatus is operable to perform at least one of the following functions;

(a) pump normal engine fuel from said container to said engine during cranking of the engine to start the engine, and (b) pump engine conditioning fuel from said container to the running engine for removing carbon from the engine.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein:

said container is a free standing disposable container which may be discarded after removal of said of said submersible pump and said discharge line from the container.

3. In combination:

an internal combustion engine having combustion chamber means, fuel input means for introducing fuel into said combustion chamber means to power the engine, and an engine fuel pump having an outlet connected to said fuel input means and an inlet, engine conditioning apparatus comprising a container having a normally upper open side for containing engine fuel which may be either of the following fuels;

(a) normal engine fuel, (b) a combustible carbon removing engine conditioning fuel, a submersible pump within said container having an inlet opening to the interior of the container and an outlet, and a fuel discharge line having one end connected to said submersible pump outlet and and opposite end accessible through said open side of said container and releasably connected to said engine fuel pump inlet, and wherein

said submersible pump and said discharge line are each devoid of permanent connection to said container and are freely insertable into and removable from said container through said open side of the container, and

said apparatus is operable to perform at least one of the following functions;

(a) pump normal engine fuel from said container to said engine during cranking of the engine to start the engine, and (b) pump engine conditioning fuel from said container to the running engine for removing carbon from the engine.

4. The combination according to claim 3, wherein:

said container is a free standing disposable container which may be discarded after removal of said submersible pump and said discharge line from the container.