Automatic engine oil changer/recycler system

• US 7,490,586 B1
• Filed: 04/18/2005
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard G. Weller
• Original Assignee: Richard G. Weller
• Inventors: Weller, Richard G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cronin; Stephen K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ali; Hyder
• Application Number:
  US11/108,421
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 123/3, 123/196.A, 123/196.R, 123/572, 123/196.S, 123/196.AB, 123/142.5 E, 184/1.5, 184/104.2
• US Class Current: 123/196.00S
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2011/0475 with combustion of used lubricant in the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2013/0477 by separating water or moisture
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 9/02 having means for introducing additives to lubricant

Abstract

A vehicle mounted oil recovery system uses a conduit to transport oil from an engine lubricating system of the vehicle to a retort system, mounted upon the vehicle. The retort system distills the transported oil, through vaporization, into individual components. These vaporized components are further subjected to a slight cooling to separate water and fuel vapor from oil vapor. The oil vapor condenses and returned to the engine lubricating system of the vehicle. On the other hand, the vaporized water and fuel is transported to a fuel system of the vehicle for combustion thereof. The heat needed for vaporization is extracted from an exhaust system of the vehicle by mounting the retort system directly upon the exhaust system. The retort system captures the heat from the exhaust system of the vehicle to provide energy for the vaporization of the transported oil into individual components.

Claims

1. A vehicle mounted oil recovery system, comprising:

a retort system, mounted upon the vehicle and operatively connected to receive oil, to pyrolyze and distill the oil into vaporized components;

said retort system including a sloping tube and a retort chamber;

said sloping tube having a first end and a second end such that the oil drains progressively down from said first end to said second end, said second end being connected to said retort chamber, said first end receiving the oil, said first end providing an exit for the vaporized components such that the vaporized components flow from said retort chamber and said second end to said first end;

said sloping tube having a surface temperature gradient, a surface temperature associated with said first end being less than a surface temperature associated with said second end.

2. The vehicle mounted oil recovery system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a conduit, operatively connected to said first end of said sloping tube, to convey the vaporized components to a fuel-air system of the vehicle for combustion thereof.

3. The vehicle mounted oil recovery system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a conduit, operatively connected to said first end of said sloping tube, to convey the vaporized components to a fuel-air system of the vehicle for combustion thereof;

said retort system including a temperature controlled chamber, operatively connected to said conduit, to provide supplemental heat so as to maintain a portion of the vaporized components vaporized, said portion of the vaporized components being conveyed by said conduit.

4. The vehicle mounted oil recovery system as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a cyclonic/centrifugal sludge remover to remove sludge and water from the oil; and

a second conduit to convey the removed sludge and water to said retort system.

5. The vehicle mounted oil recovery system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said retort chamber is mounted directly upon an exhaust system of the vehicle, said retort chamber capturing heat from the exhaust system of the vehicle to provide energy to pyrolyze the oil into vaporized components.

6. The vehicle mounted oil recovery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said retort chamber is mounted directly upon an exhaust system of the vehicle, said retort chamber capturing heat from the exhaust system of the vehicle to provide energy to pyrolyze and distill the oil into vaporized components.

7. The vehicle mounted oil recovery system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an active heating device operatively connected to said retort chamber so as to provide energy to said retort chamber to pyrolyze and distill the oil into vaporized components.

8. The vehicle mounted oil recovery system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a cyclonic/centrifugal sludge remover to remove sludge and water from the oil; and

a conduit to convey the removed sludge and water to said retort system.

9. The vehicle mounted oil recovery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said retort system includes a heating apparatus to provide supplemental heat so as to maintain a portion of the vaporized components vaporized.

10. The vehicle mounted oil recovery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said retort system includes a cooling apparatus to provide cooling so as to condense a portion of the vaporized components.

11. The vehicle mounted oil recovery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said retort system further includes:

an additional sloping tube;

said additional sloping tube having a first end and a second end such that a slope from said first end to said second end is downward;

said first end of said sloping tube and said first end of said additional sloping tube being connected;

a first controllable supplemental heat source to provide supplemental heat to said sloping tube so as to maintain a portion of the vaporized components vaporized; and

a second controllable supplemental heat source to provide supplemental heat to said additional sloping tube so as to maintain a portion of the vaporized components vaporized.

12. The vehicle mounted oil recovery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said retort system further includes:

an additional sloping tube;

said additional sloping tube having a first end and a second end such that a slope from said first end to said second end is downward;

said first end of said sloping tube and said first end of said additional sloping tube being connected;

a first controllable supplemental heat source to provide supplemental heat to said sloping tube so as to maintain a portion of the vaporized components vaporized;

a second controllable supplemental heat source to provide supplemental heat to said additional sloping tube so as to maintain a portion of the vaporized components vaporized; and

a cooling apparatus to provide cooling to said sloping tube so as to condense a portion of the vaporized components and provide additional pyrolysis of the condensed components.

13. The vehicle mounted oil recovery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said retort system further includes:

an additional sloping tube;

said additional sloping tube having a first end and a second end such that a slope from said first end to said second end is downward;

said first end of said sloping tube and said first end of said additional sloping tube being connected;

a first controllable supplemental heat source to provide supplemental heat to said sloping tube so as to maintain a portion of the vaporized components vaporized;

a second controllable supplemental heat source to provide supplemental heat to said additional sloping tube so as to maintain a portion of the vaporized components vaporized;

a first cooling apparatus to provide cooling to said sloping tube so as to condense a portion of the vaporized components and provide additional pyrolysis of the condensed components; and

a second cooling apparatus to provide cooling to said additional sloping tube so as to condense a portion of the vaporized components for use in the engine lubricating system of the vehicle.

14. The vehicle mounted oil recovery system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a metering device to meter oil extracted from the engine lubricating system of the vehicle to said retort system.

15. The vehicle mounted oil recovery system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a conduit to transport oil from an engine lubricating system of the vehicle to said retort system.

16. The vehicle mounted oil recovery system as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

a cyclonic/centrifugal sludge remover to remove sludge and water from the oil; and

a second conduit to convey the removed sludge and water to said retort system.

17. The vehicle mounted oil recovery system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an oil filter medium pocket, mounted upon said sloping tube, to receive a removable filter element;

said oil filter medium pocket receiving heat from said sloping tube to pyrolyze and distill oil components within the removable filter element.

18. The vehicle mounted oil recovery system as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

a controllable supplemental heat source to provide supplemental heat to said oil filter medium pocket and said sloping tube.

19. The vehicle mounted oil recovery system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an oil filter retort to receive a used oil filter;

said oil filter retort being mounted directly upon an exhaust system of the vehicle;

said oil filter retort system capturing heat from the exhaust system of the vehicle to provide energy to pyrolyze and distill the oil within the used oil filter into vaporized components.

20. The vehicle mounted oil recovery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sloping tube is a corrugated tube.

21. A method for recovering used oil using an exhaust system of a vehicle, comprising:

(a) extracting combustion heat from the exhaust system of the vehicle;

(b) vaporizing, in a retort tube, using the extracted combustion heat from the exhaust system of the vehicle, fuel and water from used oil to produce sludge and an oil of high molecular weight hydrocarbons;

(c) collecting the sludge and oil of high molecular weight hydrocarbons in a retort chamber; and

(d) pyrolyzing, in the retort chamber, using the extracted combustion heat from the exhaust system of the vehicle, the sludge and oil of high molecular weight hydrocarbons into low molecular weight hydrocarbon vapors.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising:

(d) providing the vaporized fuel vapors, water vapors, and low molecular weight hydrocarbon vapors to a fuel system of the vehicle for combustion thereof.

23. The method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising:

(d) cooling the vaporized fuel, the vaporized water, the low molecular weight vapors, and the high molecular weight vapors so as to condense high molecular weight vapors;

(e) providing non-condensed vapors to a fuel system of the vehicle for combustion thereof; and

(f) providing the condensed vapors to the retort system for additional pyrolysis.

24. The method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising:

(d) cyclonically/centrifugally removing sludge and water from the used oil; and

(e) providing the removed sludge and water to the retort system.

25. The method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising:

(d) cyclonically/centrifugally removing sludge and water from the used oil; and

(e) metering the removed sludge and water to the retort system.

26. A method for recovering oil using an exhaust system of a vehicle, comprising:

(a) extracting combustion heat from the exhaust system of the vehicle;

(b) vaporizing using the extracted combustion heat from the exhaust system of the vehicle, fuel and water from the used oil to produce sludge and an oil of high molecular weight hydrocarbons;

(c) pyrolyzing, using the extracted combustion heat from the exhaust system of the vehicle, the sludge and oil of high molecular weight hydrocarbons into low molecular weight hydrocarbon vapors; and

(d) cooling the vaporized fuel, the vaporized water, and the low molecular weight hydrocarbon vapors so as to condense vaporized oil components into usable lubricating oil;

(e) providing non-condensed components to a fuel system of the vehicle for combustion thereof; and

(f) providing the condensed vaporized oil components to the engine lubricating system of the vehicle.