Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2136613
The invcntion ~elates first of all to a method for operaling an internal combustion
eng~ne or a furnace, whcrein liquid ~uel is heated before i~ is iI~troduced into the
combustion space. Moreover, the invention also re]ates to an apparatus of the
introductosy portiorl of claim 9.
During the opcration of in~ernal combustion engines, ~he p~eheatin~ of the ~uel
bcforc it is brought inlo the combus~ion chambcr, in order to affect particularly the
fuel cor;sumplion and also the cmission of pol~utants in a favorable m~nner by
expanding the gasoline or fuel during lhe heating, is we~l h~o- n
Thc Gcrman Offcnlcgungsschrift 32 03 764 discloses an apparatus ~or supplying
ll~uid or gaseous gasoline or ~uels to internsl combustion eng~nes such as
rcciprocating intcrnal colnbustion engines opcrating on ~he spark-ignition or
aulomfltlc ;gnitiorl principlc, or also to stationary combustion installa~ions, In wh~ch
c prehe~tc~ Is integrated in the gasoline or fuel supply line. The prehcater i6
dcsig~ed and controllcd in such ~ manner hese, that Ihe fuel is brought to a
part~cular tempcraturc. Th~ cmissjon of pollutants is af~ected advantageously.toonly a ~light dcgrcc by thesc means.
It ls th~cforc an objcct of thc prescnt invcntion to provide a method and an
apparatus of ~hc in;tially tcscribcd type, with which the cmission ~f pollutants can
bc r¢duccd significantly during the opcration of an internal combustion engine or
also o~ furnaces.
''~ "~'''',''''
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To accomplish Ihis objective, thc rnethod of the above-named type is characteriz~d
by the di~tin~uishing features ~iven in the characteriz;ng part of claim 1. Important
further developments of the in~entive method are given in claims ~ to 1().
An apparatus for carr)~ing out the method is given ir. claim 11. Signific.ant
refinements of this apparatus are given in claims 1~ to 23. .
For the inventivc n~ethod and apparatus, the fuel is heated and p~epared ;n fourstcps in the preheatcr I)epending on thc nature of the fuel used to operate the
in~crn~l combust30n engine or the f~rnace, the fuel is first of all b~ought ~o a base
tempcrature bet-veen 40 and 60DC (depending on the fucl) in the prehea~in~ step!
in order tO have the same parameters continuously, whether it ~e summer or win~er,
for the subsequent warming or heating step. In the second preheatin~ or ~arming
s~cp ~hat follows, which is an expansion s~ep, the fuel is exp~nded by heatin~ to a
tcmpcrature between 50C and 150C (fuel-specific) at constant enèrgy density, inorder to be transfcrrcd then into an innermolecularly unstab~e sta~c in the
~ub~quent thlrd step (reaction s;ep) wl~ll further heating to temperatures betwecn
~o~ ~nd ~aoçc. In this innermoleculaTly unstable state, the fuel ~s then hcsted
~rther ~n thc fourth and last ctep, thc vaporization step, with an in~seasc in
prcssure up to sl tempcrature, ~ust bclow that at which the gasolin~i or fuel
cvapora~es or ou~gasscs (vaporiz~tJon tcr~pcraturc), so that, after It Is brought into
~h~ combustlon lipacc ~nd mixed wlth air lhrough a carburetor, an inJection nozzle
~r ~he likc, thcrc exisls a fuel~air n~ixturc, whlch makes possiblc an in~med;a~e,
approximately reslduc~frcc combustion ~vith a maximum release of encrgy and a
minimurn cmission of pollutants, for cx~mplc, directly at tOp dead centcr of a
rcciprocatlng plston ~ntcrnal combustion engine. The fuel is to be introduced in this
rtatc dlrectly a~ the vaporization or v~por transit;on point as a fine, casDy
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2136613
inflammable (liquid) spray mist This offers significant 2dva~tagesl especially also
in thc case of spontaneou~ly igniting internal combustion eng;nes. A~so in the case
of spark-ignited internal combustion engines, the fuel mixture introduced should be
3gnited In ~he shor~est possible time.
In the individual prehealing and heztir.g steps, the tempcrature to ~e reached can
be controlled exact]y by means o control electronics. Lilc~wise, the i~lpUt andoutput data, such as throughput and pressure before the preheater, s.:lould ~e
~3etesmined, in order to con~rol ~hc fuel-specific operatin~ parameters wilh a view
to reaching the Jnnetmolecul~rly unstable state shortly before ~he vapor ;ransition
or vapor;zation point precisely in the prcheater.
Due to thc overall a~tainable expansion of the fuel, the easy and r2pid igrita~ility
and thc changes in the state of thc material in the combustion space, ~ogether with
the thcreby released energy and thc there~rom resullin~ hi~h enc-gy density,
outstanding rcsults arc achievable wjth respcct to performsr,ce and approximately
rc~iduclc~s combu~tion. As~ aftertrca~ment of the e~haust gas gencraly is not
requlrcd.
.
Convcnt~onal inlcrnal combustion engines can also be retrofitted with the apparatus.
Such retro~llting is aosociatcd with appreciable reductions in fuel consum~tion and
decrcascs to a minlmum In thc pollutan~s cmitted. Fuel sa~lngs bch~cen 50 and
80% haYc bccn conf~rmed by expcrirncn~s in conventlonal intcrna~ combst~on
cn~nc6~ Likcwl!lc, an ~ncrease In power ~y 17 to ~3~o was observed.
:`
,
Thc ~cl-air m~turc, ~orought into the combustion spacc, mus~ also be preparcd for
the Ignltlon by mcan~ of simple control clectronics and thc ignition equlp~ncnt, on
2136613
thc olle hand, as provi~ed for in an advantageous refinement of the invenlion, by
fir~t of all polarizing the mixtu~e by applying a negative ~oltage of 120 V (from the
catho~e of the spark plug to the cylinder walls (electrode)). A~ter that, the region
betwecn the electrode and the cathode of Ihe spark pll~g can be ionized by applying
a negative voltage of 320 V, so that an ionized field (cloud) can be generated about
thc cathode and th~ e!ectrode of the spark p1ug. By apply~ng a negat;~e spike
pulse voltage of ~hc order of 3,000 V to 5,000 V, the igr~ilion spar}; ignites the
cloud, ~vh'ch Is then transformed Into a plasma slate, exception~lly high
tempcraturcs of up to 20,000~C resulting. With th~t, the ~uel mLxture as a who]ecan bc ignitcd q~llclcly and reliably.
In order to take into account the further heating of fue], brought to the
~aporization temperature, in a fucl distributor in the fuel not required at the
momcnt for the opcra~ion of the internal combustion engine before it is re-
introduced into the prehcatcr, a particularly preferred de~,elopment of the inventive
method or af the Invcntivc apparatus pro~r~dcs two indcpendent fuel cycles with an
erp~ed ~ompensa~ion ~tep. ~or this, the preheater and the fuel distributor are
~dvlsably contalned in a fir6t ~ucJ cyclc, The second fuel cycle is connected to the
fuel tank, If Ih~ arnount of fùel, not required to operate th~ internal cc~rnbust;on
cn~nc, is rcturned to thc f~rst fuel cyclc (recycled), the fuel can be mixed in the
compe~s~ting tAnlc or ~hc compcnsat~on step with thc fuel from the fuel tank, which
haa not been prehcstcd, In ordcr to compensate îor any prevlous outga6sing
procc~sc~ and rcgaln lhc de~rcd tcmperature levcl. 4ny exccss amounts of fuel can
be rcturned to the fucl tank ovcr a rccycl~ng line irl the second fuel cycle. The
amount of fucl to bc adrnixcd can bc controllcd by the control electronics as a
func~on of the opetatine paramctcrs, In addltion, an electronically controlled 3-
way mlxer can bc prcscnt in the compensating tank,
2136~13
For a further explanalion of the Illvention, reference is made to the drc~wing and
the su~scqucnt dcsctip~ion. In the drawing
~i~ure 1 shows a no-4 and control diagram of the in~entive me~hod and the
inventive apparatus and
FJgure ~ shows a further inventive flow d-agram with an ~ddition~l compensation ; ~::
step
In thl: drawing, the apparatus for carrying out thc inventive melhod is generally
labeled l. In lhc ernbodimcnt illustratcd, it is constructed as equipmen~, ~hich can
al~o gcnerally be mounted on existing internal combustion engines or furnaces with,
for example, a housing of an impact-resistant plastic or metal. :
A~l componcnls arc to be thcrmally insula~cd, so tha~ the current consumption as~ wholc ren~ains small and no heat penetrates to parts, which do not have to be ~:
he~tcd, Thc conlrol clcctronics c~n bc constructcd and mounted as a hybrld in a
con~act ~trlp In Ihe in~crior ot th~ ho~slng. The ex~ernal connecting p;eccs for the
fucl arc o~ ~tandard constructlon and can thus also be adapted to existin~ vehicles
with gssol3nc or dicsel cngines. The housing can, moreover, be equipped w~th
~Jbratlon-damplng mountings, by mear~s o~ which it is mo~nted on the chicle. - ~ .
Thc tanlc for the liquid fu~l, such as supcr or dicsel ~u~ s labeled 2. A fuel line
3 lcad~ from th~ lsnk a tO a fuel pump 4, to which are connccted in series a check
vaho 5, a flo~v sensor 6 bnd a prcssure scnsor 7. The flow sensor 6 and the : :
prc~;su~c scnsor 7 arc connected o~er leads 8 and 9 with the control electronics,
~hlch atc gcnctally labelcd 10 and can take Into consideration fuel-specific flow and
"'
~1366~3 `
pressure VAlUeS, The ~oltage is supplicd by a generator 11, on which lkewise a
sensot 12 is mounted to monj~or the running. The sensor 12, in turn, is connected
~th the control electronics 10. A vehicle electrical system b]ade 13 is connected
with nehvork preparation system 14 Ihat is provided at the control electronics 10.
The preheater, as a whole, is labeled 15. This preheater 13 is ccnstructed as
thermal, coaxial heater coil and prefer2bly has 12 coils in a ler,~th of 36 cm per coil
and consists of a coppcr pipe with a minimum internal diamcter of 8 mm. The
hea~er c4il 16 is cnveloped by an insu~ation 1~ erall, the heater coil is
constrJcted in 4 stages, in which in cach case follr heating elements/thermal sensor
clcments 17, 18, 19 and 20 are pro~ided. Each of the heating elcmen~s c~n be
controlled by the control electronics 10. The te;nperature of the f~el passing
through can be adjusted precisely in the respective sta~es to 1/10C as a function
of thc nominallactual value comparison. At the outlet of the coil 15, a
thcrmosensor 21 is provided, ~h~ch reports the outlet temperature to thc control
clc~tronlcs. The fuel 3s supp~jed over a thcrmo-pressllre pipeline 2~ to a fuel
di~trjbutor 23, sUCil as a carburetor, an lnjector pump or a distributor, from ~here
th~ fucl or thc ~uel/air m~xturc reaches the combustion space of the ~nternal
combustion cnginc or of a furnace.
In thc embodimcnt shown in Figurc 2, ldcntica~ pa~ts ha~e been provided ~Ith theid~ntical reference numbcrs. A closer representation of the detalls of th~ ~rchcater
15 have b~en o~nittcd hcre for the sake of greatcr clarity.
I~o scp~ralc fucl cycles 1 and II, wh~ch can bc connect~d together over a
compcnsating tank 24, arc provided for ~his crnbodlments, The fi~st fucl c~clc I has
~he prehca~er 15, as ~vell as the fuel distri~outor 23. In addition, a workIng pump
'''', "' ' ''' ' ' ' ,"" ' " ', ", "' '' '' ,'' ;
213661~
2S 1s pr~vided, ~ pressure-measuring si~e is disposed at 26. Mo~eo-er, a ~ulk
fitotage facility ~7 is prescnt. The fuel, not supplied to the conlbustion space, can
bc s~ppl~cd by the fuel distributor ~3 over she recyc]ing paIt I.l of the first fuel
cyclc I to the compensatJng tank 24. 1he pressure line 3 of the se&ond fuel cycle
lI i5 also connccted to the compensating tank 24. B~fore the entranc~ to the
compenssting tank, a mixer 28 is also connected to this press-~re line so that an
amounl cf fuel can, electronically control~ed, be recyc]ed over the b~pass line ll.22
in~o the recycling line 11.3 to the fuel tank 2 inste~d o~ entering the cs~ enssting
tank.
If thc fuel, which has bcen heated approximately to the engine temperature in the
fuel distribulor 23 and is not required, reaches the recyGlir~ line 1.1 (expanded),
during which process outgassing may occur, preheated fuel is not zdmL;~d in ihe
compensa~ing ~anlc 24. Arl electronically controllab~e 3-~ay m~;er, whic.h is not
visiblc, is d;sposed in the compensa~ing tank 24. Fuel is adm~xed by way of the
3-~vay mixer in ~n amount and for the time tequired for achiev;ng the desired
paramet~rs (tempcraturc~ in the fucl. Any cxcess fuel is then returned ovcr
clln~ line lI.3 b~ck into thc fucl t~nk 2.
.
