Airborne engine additive delivery system

• US 9,856,788 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2016
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Afton Chemical Corporation
• Original Assignee: Afton Chemical Corporation
• Inventors: Guinther, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Amick, Jacob
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRAUCH, CHARLES JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US15/279,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20170082019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 123 1 A
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1811 peroxides; ozonides
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/182 containing hydroxy groups; Salts thereof C10L1/1802, C10L1/1805, C10L1/1808, C10L1/1811, C10L1/1814, C10L1/1817 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1857 Aldehydes; Ketones
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/223 having at least one amino group bound to an aromatic carbon atom C10L1/221, C10L1/2227 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/231 nitro compounds; nitrates; nitrites C10L1/221 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/305 organo-metallic compounds (containing a metal to carbon bond)
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 10/00 Use of additives to fuels or fires for particular purposes additives for liquid carbonaceous fuels characterised by their chemical nature C10L1/10; using binders for briquetting solid fuels C10L5/10; using additives to improve the combustion of solid fuels C10L9/10
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2230/22 for improving fuel economy or fuel efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2270/023 for gasoline engines
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2270/026 for diesel engines, e.g. automobiles, stationary, marine
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 1/04 with fuel-air mixture admission into cylinder
• 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 43/02 Engines characterised by means for increasing operating efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 43/04 for improving efficiency of combustion
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 43/10 Engines or plants characterised by use of other specific gases, e.g. acetylene, oxyhydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/08 simultaneously using pluralities of fuels F02D19/12 takes precedence
• 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: F02D 2200/701 Information about vehicle position, e.g. from navigation system or GPS signal
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/702 Road conditions
• 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 41/021 : Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18
• 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 25/14 : adding anti-knock agents, not provided for in subgroups F02M25/022 - F02M25/10
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10209 : Fluid connections to the air intake system; their arrangement of pipes, valves or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 : Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A method of introducing additives to an air intake system of an engine in order to overcome one or more of the various problems created by formulation of additives in fuels. The method controls at least one of the amount, aerosol particle size and timing of introduction of additives based on information relevant to operation of the engine. The introduced additives form an air-additive mixture and are carried by the airflow in the air-intake system to the combustion chamber of the engine. Another aspect of the invention is an additive introduction system that includes one or more containers for additives, a control system for determining at least one of the amount, aerosol particle size and timing of introduction of the additives, and a device to introduce the additives into the air intake system under the control of the control system.

Claims

1. A method for improving fuel economy of a diesel engine by introducing at least one additive to a combustion chamber of the diesel engine through the diesel engine'"'"'s air-intake system, said method comprising the steps of:

determining an amount, an aerosol particle size and/or timing of addition of said additive based on information selected from type of fuel, upcoming road conditions, cetane number, air-fuel ratio, elevation, oil pressure, wheel speed, oxygen content of air, manifold vacuum pressure, driver characteristics, valve timing, hybrid powertrain strategy, technician input and any combination thereof,

wherein said additive is a liquid selected from the group consisting of a combustion improver, scavenger, friction modifier, friction reducer, ignition retarder, ignition accelerator, acid neutralizer, corrosion inhibitor, anti-settling agent, cloud point reducer, anti-wear agent, biocide, demulsifier, antifoam additive, and peroxide, and any combination thereof;

controlling the amount, the aerosol particle size, and/or the timing of the addition of said additive based on said determining step;

introducing said additive with the controlled amount, timing of addition and/or aerosol particle size into said air-intake system of the diesel engine to produce an air-additive mixture;

introducing said air-additive mixture to the combustion chamber;

introducing diesel fuel to the combustion chamber; and

combusting said diesel fuel in the combustion chamber;

wherein said method provides an improvement in the fuel economy of the diesel engine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one said additive is a combustion improver.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the combustion improver is selected from rare earth oxides, organic nitrates, and organometallic additives based on titanium, molybdenum, manganese, tungsten, platinum, palladium, cerium, zirconium, and tin.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said rare earth oxide is selected from cerium oxide, MMT, oxygenates and like materials.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one said additive is an ignition accelerant.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said ignition accelerant is selected from acetone, alcohol, organic nitrates and peroxides.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said introducing step comprises spraying said at least one additive as a mist suitable to be carried by airflow in the air intake system to the combustion chamber.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said additive comprises an aerosol particle size sufficiently small to ensure that substantially all of the additive remains in the fuel/air-additive mixture in the combustion chamber.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said additive comprises an aerosol particle size sufficiently large to ensure that at least a portion of the additive contacts at least one internal surface of the combustion chamber.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said introducing step comprises introducing said additive into the positive crank ventilation line of said engine.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said additive comprises a plurality of additives.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the additive is a reactive species that is capable of undergoing a chemical reaction with one or more components of the diesel fuel when said additive is contacted with the diesel fuel.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein a user of the engine determines the timing of additive introduction to the air intake system.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the additive is periodically introduced to the air intake system.

7. A method for improving fuel economy of a diesel engine by introducing at least one additive to a combustion chamber of the diesel engine through the diesel engine'"'"'s air-intake system, said method comprising the steps of:

determining an amount, an aerosol particle size and/or timing of addition of said additive based on information selected from type of fuel, upcoming road conditions, cetane number, air-fuel ratio, elevation, oil pressure, wheel speed, oxygen content of air, manifold vacuum pressure, driver characteristics, valve timing, hybrid powertrain strategy, technician input and any combination thereof,

wherein said additive is an ignition accelerant selected from acetone, alcohol, organic nitrates and peroxides;

controlling the amount, the aerosol particle size, and/or the timing of the addition of said additive based on said determining step;

introducing said additive with the controlled amount, timing of addition and/or aerosol particle size into said air-intake system of the diesel engine to produce an air-additive mixture;

introducing said air-additive mixture to the combustion chamber;

introducing diesel fuel to the combustion chamber; and

combusting said diesel fuel in the combustion chamber;

wherein said method provides an improvement in the fuel economy of the diesel engine.

20. The method of claim 7, wherein said an ignition accelerant is introduced to improve a cetane number of a diesel fuel to be combusted in the combustion chamber.

16. A system for improving fuel economy of a diesel engine by introducing at least one additive to an air intake system of the diesel engine, said system comprising:

at least one container housing;

one or more data information gathering devices to obtain information related to type of fuel, upcoming road conditions, cetane number, air-fuel ratio, elevation, oil pressure, wheel speed, oxygen content of air, manifold vacuum pressure, driver characteristics, valve timing, hybrid powertrain strategy, technician input and any combination thereof;

a control system to regulate an amount, an aerosol particle size, and/or a timing of the addition of said additive based on information obtained by the one or more data gathering devices; and

a device to introduce said additive into the air-intake system of the diesel engine responsive to said control system,

wherein said additive is a liquid selected from the group consisting of a combustion improver, scavenger, friction modifier, friction reducer, ignition retarder, ignition accelerator, acid neutralizer, corrosion inhibitor, anti-settling agent, cloud point reducer, anti-wear agent, biocide, demulsifier, antifoam additive, and peroxide, and any combination thereof, and said system provides an improvement in the fuel economy of the diesel engine.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said additive is a combustion improver.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said combustion improver is selected from rare earth oxides, organic nitrates, and organometallic additives based on titanium, molybdenum, manganese, tungsten, platinum, palladium, cerium, zirconium, and tin.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the rare earth oxide is selected from cerium oxide, MMT, oxygenates and like materials.