Oxygen enrichment for internal combustion engines

• US 7,337,770 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2005
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joon Moon
• Original Assignee: Joon Moon
• Inventors: Moon, Joon
• Primary Examiner(s): Cronin; Stephen K.
• Application Number:
  US11/286,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20070101975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 123/585, 123/539, 123/587, 123/590, 123/586, 123/26
• US Class Current: 123/585
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/12 peculiar to engines working with non-fuel substances or with anti-knock agents, e.g. with anti-knock fuel
• 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

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, a system is provided comprising an oxygen-enrichment reverse osmosis unit coupled to an intake of an internal combustion engine. Ambient air is supplied to the reverse osmosis unit via an ambient-air inlet and oxygen-enriched air is output via an oxygen-enriched outlet. The oxygen-enriched outlet is coupled to the intake of a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. Providing oxygen-enriched air relative to ambient air to the internal combustion engine allows for reducing the size of the combustion chamber while providing equivalent power, resulting in a smaller engine. At the same time, the smaller engine saves consumption of fuel due to lower engine weight and more complete combustion. The smaller engine is also cheaper to build because it requires less material for fabrication.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an oxygen-enrichment reverse osmosis unit including a reverse osmosis apparatus comprising a pressurized air inlet, an oxygen-enriched outlet, an oxygen-reduced outlet, and a membrane, the membrane separating the oxygen-enriched air and oxygen-reduced air, the reverse osmosis unit is adapted to accept pressurized ambient air into the pressurized air inlet and provide oxygen-enriched air out of the oxygen-enriched outlet and oxygen-reduced air out of the oxygen-reduced outlet, the oxygen-enriched air having a greater concentration of oxygen as the ambient air; and

an internal combustion engine comprising an intake is in fluid communication with a combustion chamber, the oxygen-enriched outlet of the reverse osmosis unit is in fluid communication with the intake,

wherein the reverse osmosis unit further comprises a compressor having a compressor inlet and a compressor outlet, the compressor adapted to accept ambient air into the compressor inlet and produce a supply of pressurized air to the pressurized air inlet of the reverse osmosis apparatus,

wherein the compressor comprises a compressor drive shaft adapted to drive the compressor so as to deliver pressurized air at a predetermined pressure to the pressurized air inlet of the reverse osmosis apparatus.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a compressor motor including a drive shaft operably coupled to the compressor drive shaft for delivering mechanical power to the compressor drive shaft so as to drive the compressor.

3. A system comprising:

an oxygen-enrichment reverse osmosis unit including a reverse osmosis apparatus comprising a pressurized air inlet, an oxygen-enriched outlet, an oxygen-reduced outlet, and a membrane, the membrane separating the oxygen-enriched air and oxygen-reduced air, the reverse osmosis unit is adapted to accept pressurized ambient air into the pressurized air inlet and provide oxygen-enriched air out of the oxygen-enriched outlet and oxygen-reduced air out of the oxygen-reduced outlet, the oxygen-enriched air having a greater concentration of oxygen as the ambient air; and

an internal combustion engine comprising an intake is in fluid communication with a combustion chamber, the oxygen-enriched outlet of the reverse osmosis unit is in fluid communication with the intake,

further comprising a storage tank having a tank inlet and a tank outlet, the tank inlet in fluid communication with the oxygen-enriched outlet and the tank outlet in fluid communication with the intake of the internal combustion engine, further comprising;

a valve having a first valve inlet, a second valve inlet and a valve outlet; and

a valve control system comprising a controller and an oxygen sensor, and wherein the reverse osmosis unit further comprises an ambient air conduit having an ambient air inlet, the ambient air conduit in fluid communication with the second valve inlet, the tank outlet in fluid communication with the first valve inlet, and the valve outlet in fluid communication with the intake of the internal combustion engine, the valve adapted to preferentially mix the output from the ambient air conduit and the tank outlet, the oxygen sensor adapted to measure the concentration of oxygen at the intake, the controller adapted to control the first and second inlets of the valve so as to control the oxygen concentration of the output of the valve in relationship to the signal of the oxygen sensor.

4. A system comprising:

an oxygen-enrichment reverse osmosis unit including a reverse osmosis apparatus comprising a pressurized air inlet, an oxygen-enriched outlet, an oxygen-reduced outlet, and a membrane, the membrane separating the oxygen-enriched air and oxygen-reduced air, the reverse osmosis unit is adapted to accept pressurized ambient air into the pressurized air inlet and provide oxygen-enriched air out of the oxygen-enriched outlet and oxygen-reduced air out of the oxygen-reduced outlet, the oxygen-enriched air having a greater concentration of oxygen as the ambient air; and

an internal combustion engine comprising an intake is in fluid communication with a combustion chamber, the oxygen-enriched outlet of the reverse osmosis unit is in fluid communication with the intake, further comprising a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger comprising;

an exhaust inlet;

an exhaust outlet, the exhaust inlet and exhaust outlet defining an exhaust passage therebetween;

a transfer fluid inlet; and

a transfer fluid outlet, the transfer fluid inlet and transfer fluid outlet defining a transfer fluid passage therebetween and separate from but in thermal communication with the exhaust passage, the heat exchanger adapted to extract heat from exhaust of the internal combustion engine and transfer the heat to the transfer fluid, the transfer fluid being the oxygen-reduced air provided by the oxygen-reduced stream coupled to the transfer fluid inlet.

5. A system comprising:

an oxygen-enrichment reverse osmosis unit including a reverse osmosis apparatus comprising a pressurized air inlet, an oxygen-enriched outlet, an oxygen-reduced outlet, and a membrane, the membrane separating the oxygen-enriched air and oxygen-reduced air, the reverse osmosis unit is adapted to accept pressurized ambient air into the pressurized air inlet and provide oxygen-enriched air out of the oxygen-enriched outlet and oxygen-reduced air out of the oxygen-reduced outlet, the oxygen-enriched air having a greater concentration of oxygen as the ambient air; and

an internal combustion engine comprising an intake is in fluid communication with a combustion chamber, the oxygen-enriched outlet of the reverse osmosis unit is in fluid communication with the intake, wherein the oxygen to nitrogen ratio of the oxygen-enriched air is 50 to 50.