U.S. patent application number 14/457034 was filed with the patent office on 2014-12-11 for method and system for providing fuel to internal combustion engines.
The applicant listed for this patent is Helpful Technologies Inc.. Invention is credited to Leonid FAYNBERG, Igor GACHIK, Victor GURIN, Serguei PERMIAKOV, Roman PRESS, Aleksandr RESHETNYAK.
Application Number | 20140360474 14/457034 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42981633 |
Filed Date | 2014-12-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140360474 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
GURIN; Victor ; et
al. |
December 11, 2014 |
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING FUEL TO INTERNAL COMBUSTION
ENGINES
Abstract
The present invention relates to a system and method for
providing fuel to internal combustion engines including fuel
activation prior to injection. The method carried out by the system
comprises dissolving a mixture of gasses providing improved fuel
dispersing after fuel injection into a combustion chamber.
Dissolved gasses desorption is stimulated from a unsaturated fuel
solution. Full control of fuel flows with dissolved gas/gasses to
and from injectors and FET technology based on Henry's law
(dissolving gasses in the liquids) and Kelvin principle (vapor
pressure over droplet surface). The system consists of compact
components, including exhaust gasses recirculation system which can
be easily added to existing diesel and gasoline engine fuel supply
systems. The method and system were tested with four different
types of engines and provides fuel economy in 12-20% decrease of
emissions and up to 25% at variable engine loads and significantly
at engine cold start.
Inventors: |
GURIN; Victor; (Rochester,
NY) ; GACHIK; Igor; (Boca Raton, FL) ;
PERMIAKOV; Serguei; (Kanata, CA) ; PRESS; Roman;
(Pittsford, NY) ; FAYNBERG; Leonid; (Davie,
FL) ; RESHETNYAK; Aleksandr; (Hollywood, FL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Helpful Technologies Inc. |
Fort Lauderdale |
FL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
42981633 |
Appl. No.: |
14/457034 |
Filed: |
August 11, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13920508 |
Jun 18, 2013 |
|
|
|
14457034 |
|
|
|
|
12798513 |
Apr 6, 2010 |
8464694 |
|
|
13920508 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
123/525 ;
123/531; 123/575 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02T 10/146 20130101;
F23K 5/10 20130101; F02M 37/0064 20130101; F02D 41/3845 20130101;
F02D 2250/02 20130101; F02M 23/12 20130101; Y02E 20/32 20130101;
F02M 63/0225 20130101; F02M 26/19 20160201; F02D 41/0025 20130101;
Y02T 10/12 20130101; Y02E 20/324 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
123/525 ;
123/531; 123/575 |
International
Class: |
F02D 41/00 20060101
F02D041/00; F02M 23/12 20060101 F02M023/12; F02M 37/00 20060101
F02M037/00 |
Claims
1. A method for providing liquid fuel to internal combustion
engines including additional steps of a fuel activation prior to
injection and combustion in a combustion chamber; the steps
comprising: (a) dissolving a gas/gasses in the fuel thus transfer
the liquid fuel flow into a state of unsaturated fuel solution
without any free gas phase; providing the "liquid fuel/gas"
solution to a main fuel pump, and (b) changing the state of the
abovementioned "liquid fuel/gas" solution to a boundary state of
oversaturated solution in such way as to minimize free gas bubbles
flashing out of the fuel solution flow at the inlet of the main
fuel pump.
2. A method for providing fuel to internal combustion engines
according to claim 1, wherein the step of gas dissolving in the
liquid fuel flow and transferring liquid fuel to the "fuel/gas"
unsaturated solution is performed at high gas pressure, and highly
developed contact surface between liquid and gaseous phases, and,
preferably, at lower temperatures.
3. A method for providing fuel to internal combustion engines
according to claim 1, wherein the first step of liquid fuel
activation--transfer to the state of "fuel/gas" unsaturated
solution--is performed in a special device, an absorber, with
feeding it with liquid fuel and a mixture of gasses such as exhaust
gasses and oxygen-enriched air having partial pressure of oxygen up
to 35%, and "fuel/gasses" ratio by weight of, preferably, 1:0.055,
based on carbon dioxide and oxygen-enriched air content, and gas
mixture pressure up to 100 bar.
4. A method for providing fuel to internal combustion engines
according to claim 3, wherein at the second step of the fuel flow
activation the state of "fuel/gas" fuel solution is changed for a
short period of time to the boundary state of oversaturated
solution, preferably, before the fuel solution enters an inlet port
of the first-stage of the main fuel pump, e.g., by decreasing
liquid fuel flow pressure.
5. A method for providing fuel to internal combustion engines
according to claim 4, wherein the step of changing the state of
"fuel/gas" fuel solution to the boundary state of oversaturated
solution before the main fuel pump is performed by a high-frequency
ultrasound treatment of the fuel solution flow in a hermetical
vessel that comprises a special vibrating element having
high-frequency oscillations and forming local pressure reliefs thus
destroying at least partially sorption links between liquid fuel
and gas molecules.
6. A method for providing fuel to internal combustion engines
according to claim 4, wherein return lines are provided to recycle
unused fuel from the main fuel pump and common rail after
injection; both return flows are merged, and common return flow is
guided for separating free gas phase and fuel vapour phase from the
liquid fuel flow; the liquid fuel flow is then cooled down,
preferably, below 50.degree. C. and guided to the "fuel/gas"
oversaturated fuel solution supply line connected to the inlet port
of the main fuel pump.
7. A method for providing fuel to internal combustion lines having
fuel distribution pump according to claim 6, wherein the separated
gaseous and vapour flow is guided from the fuel separator to the
absorber using a liquid jet pump. The return fuel solution flow
from the mail fuel pump is guided to the jet pump nozzle.
8. A method for providing fuel to internal combustion engines
according to claim 6, wherein a jet pump is provided for merging
and guiding the return flows to the absorber; the return flow under
high pressure from the common rail is guided to a nozzle of the jet
pump whereas the return flow with lower pressure after the first
stage of the main fuel pump is sucked in a mixing chamber of the
jet pump thus increasing the pressure for supplying the merged fuel
solution flow to the absorber and decreasing the backpressure to
remove drainage before the second stage of the main fuel pump.
9. A method for providing fuel to internal combustion engines
according to claim 3, wherein the gaseous mixture is formed in a
hermetical vessel by compressing and cooling the exhaust gases and
simultaneously compressing the air and guided it to a membrane
filter providing the oxygen enriched air; the pressure of the
gasses inside the vessel is maintained by a pressure sensor having
two set pressure limits: when the pressure decreases to a lower
pressure limit the compressors are switched on, and when the
pressure raises to an upper pressure limit the compressors are
switched off; differential pressure regulators for both gas flows
have common control base line providing optimal supply and mixing
of gaseous components.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a Divisional Application of
Continuation application Ser. No. 13/920,508, filed Jun. 18, 2013,
which is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 12/798,513, filed
Apr. 6, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,464,694, the entire disclosures
of which are incorporated herein in their entireties.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to liquid fuel combustion and,
more particularly, to the preparation of liquid fuels for
combustion in a combustion chamber of internal combustion
engines.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] In existing internal combustion engines such as diesel and
gasoline engines, as well as other types of engines a fuel is
injected into a combustion chamber at high pressure. A charge of
the fuel is injected by means of solenoid injectors controlled by
an on-board microcomputer and connected to a common rail. The
on-board microcomputer controls injection timing and duration as
well as an injection pressure by means of a two-stage main fuel
pump. To provide better fuel atomization after injection into
combustion chamber the fuel pressure in the common rail upstream of
the injectors is maintained at high level, e.g., in diesel engines
the fuel pressure is maintained at 2000-2400 bars.
[0004] Currently different approaches are used to improve the fuel
atomization and dispersion in the combustion chamber after
injection. For example, joint injection of hydrogen or natural gas
with gasoline is used, in other systems a compressed air stream is
directed to the fuel spray injected into the combustion chamber.
There is also an approach where fuel and air are induced with the
same charge to reduce coalescence of the fuel microdroplets after
the injection.
[0005] There are known attempts to disperse fuel by dissolving some
gas, e.g., air or carbon dioxide, in the liquid fuel and
subsequently injecting this solution into the combustion chamber.
When injected into the combustion chamber the dissolved gas is
released from the solution providing very fine dispersion of the
liquid fuel. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,072 (Knapstein et al.) and U.S.
Pat. No. 7,011,048 (Gurin et al.), there are described methods and
devices for implementation and utilization of the abovementioned
effect. The described systems require special devices that are
supposed to work within a certain range of parameters and at the
same time certain conditions should be observed to provide the
fuel/gas solution to the combustion chamber in proper condition. In
practice it is difficult to satisfy both of these requirements
simultaneously, and the achieved effect is not stable at various
loads.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] An object of this invention is to provide a method and
apparatus which overcomes the abovementioned disadvantages and
which provides for further improvement in the fuel injection into
the combustion chamber that reduces fuel consumption as well as
emissions.
[0007] In accordance with invention there are provided technical
solutions for different types of fuel systems. The fuel is prepared
for injection and combustion in a special device, an absorber,
where the fuel is contacted with the gas or gasses. The gas
pressure inside the absorber is maintained higher than the fuel
pressure supplied to the absorber; the gas is dissolved in the
liquid fuel forming an unsaturated fuel solution having no free gas
phase. The resultant fuel solution is guided to a main fuel pump
that further increases the pressure of the fuel solution providing
no free gas phase. Upon injection in the combustion chamber in
addition to the hydrodynamic fuel atomization a violent degassing
takes place providing continuous chain breaking of fuel
microdroplet to fine "nano" sizes. The combination of the gas
desorption from the fuel solution with the hydrodynamic breaking-up
of the injected fuel provides a fundamentally new process of the
fuel atomization in the combustion chamber. The fuel microdroplets
continuously break up to significantly small sizes providing an
extremely high interfacial curvature and liquid vapor (fuel)
pressure increases by as much as 8-10 times. This effect is
described by the Kelvin equation and it is well known that the
quicker liquid fuel evaporates the more rapid and effective the
combustion of the gasoline or diesel is. One more important
additional effect of the new injection process: the continuous
chain breaking of the fuel droplets caused by the gas desorption
prevents coalescence of the droplets and formation of a fuel film
on the walls of the combustion chamber. As a result more fuel
surface is available for contact with air. Thus the fuel burns
faster and more completely giving less harmful emissions.
[0008] Taking into account this and other objects a method of fuel
activation and supplying into the combustion process is presented.
The method comprises steps of:
[0009] a) Dissolving a gas/mix of gasses in fuel thereby
transferring the liquid fuel into a state of unsaturated "fuel/gas"
solution without any free gas phase; the fuel is dispersed in the
absorber to increase the contact surface with the gas supplied to
the absorber at high pressure of up to 100 bar; the process is
performed, preferably, at lower temperatures, and gas used for
dissolution can be a mixture of, for example, exhaust gases and
oxygen enriched air having O.sub.2 content of up to 35% and
fuel/mixture of gases ratio by weight of 1:0.055. The purpose of
using the mixture with increased oxygen content is to increase the
local concentration of the oxidant during gas desorption. The
presence of locally available oxidant helps more quicker fuel
ignition.
[0010] b) Activating "fuel/gas" solution by changing the state of
the "fuel/gas" solution for a short period of time to a boundary
state of oversaturated solution in such way as to minimize or
exclude free gas bubbles flashing out of the fuel solution flow at
the inlet of the main fuel pump by lowing the pressure of the fuel
solution flow or by ultrasound treatment in a hermetic vessel
comprising a vibrating element that by ultrafast oscillations forms
partial pressure decrease of the fuel solution flowing through the
vessel.
[0011] c) Merging the recirculation fuel solution flows pumped out
after the injection from common rail and main fuel pump, cooling
down the fuel solution to 50.degree. C. and guiding it to the
absorber to separate free gas/fuel vapor phase.
[0012] d) In the fuel system with single stage main fuel pump and
distributed injection pumps the return flow is cooled, separated
from free gas/fuel vapor phase and guided to the inlet of the main
fuel pump. Some fuel after the main fuel pump is guided to a nozzle
of a jet pump which is used to pump out free gas/fuel vapor phase
from a gas separator and the mix flow then is fed to the absorber
to separated liquid and gas phases. This helps to avoid gas or
vapor bubbles appearing that may create pressure pulses at the
outlet of the main fuel pump and affect the operation of the fuel
injectors.
[0013] e) Preparing the gas mixture to be used for dissolution in
the fuel by cooling and compressing the exhaust gases and mixing it
with oxygen enriched air formed by filtering compressed air through
a special membrane filter; prepared gas mixture is guided to the
absorber for dissolving in the liquid fuel.
[0014] With this and other objects in view there is provided, in
accordance with the invention, a system for liquid fuel activation
and feeding activated liquid fuel to the combustion chamber for
combustion, comprising:
[0015] a) an absorber for fuel conditioning, having a liquid inlet
port for providing a fresh liquid fuel from a fuel tank, a gas
inlet port for providing gas or gas mixture, an inlet port for
providing returned fuel flows from an engine common rail and main
fuel pump, and an outlet port for supplying a fuel solution from
the absorber to an engine;
[0016] b) a fuel solution activator for momentary transferring the
fuel solution to a state of oversaturated solution thereby
preparing the fuel solution to a burst gas desorption at injection
into the combustion chamber;
[0017] c) a fuel supply subsystem for supplying the fresh liquid
fuel to the absorber with maintaining fuel level inside the
absorber between min and max limits;
[0018] d) a subsystem for collecting returned flows from the engine
and main fuel pump, separating free gas/fuel vapor, cooling down to
50.degree. C. and guiding the returned flows to the inlet port of
the main fuel pump;
[0019] e) a control system for controlling the fuel supply and
engine operation.
[0020] The system and method of operation of the invention with
additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood
from the following description of specific embodiments when read in
connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 shows one of the embodiments of the invention for
internal combustion engines having common rail injection
system.
[0022] FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the invention for
internal combustion engines having common rail injection
system.
[0023] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the invention for diesel
engines having fuel supply system with fuel distribution pump.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] FIG. 1 of the drawing shows one of the possible embodiments
of the system for an internal combustion engine having common rail
injection system. The internal combustion engine can be a standard
diesel or gasoline engine. The engine comprises a common rail
injection system 1, a two-stage main fuel pump 2, a fuel tank 3, a
primary fuel filter 4, a fine fuel filter 5. The common rail
injection subsystem comprises unit injectors (not shown) for
injecting fuel charge into a cylinder combustion chambers and
fluidically connected with the outlet ports of the common rail.
[0025] The activation system according to the present invention
consists of two subsystems: a conditioning subsystem and a gas
preparation subsystem.
[0026] The conditioning subsystem comprises an absorber 10, a
feeding pump 11, a differential pressure regulator 12, a jet pump
15. Three-way valves 14 and 16 are used to change from standard
(base) fuel supply system to the conditioning subsystem and vice
versa. Check valves 18, 19 prevent fuel to flow in wrong
direction.
[0027] The gas preparation subsystem comprises a reactor 13 and two
air and exhaust gases supply lines. Air from air source 26 flows
through a filter 28, a compressor 29, a pressure regulator 30, and
an oxygen enrichment membrane filter 31, a check valve 27 prevents
air to flow in wrong direction; exhaust gases from exhaust line of
the engine 20 flows through a filter 22, a cooler 23, a compressor
24 and a pressure regulator 25, check valve 21 prevents exhaust
gasses to flow in wrong direction.
[0028] The gas mixture is prepared in the reactor 13 by mixing the
exhaust gases as sources of CO.sub.2 with oxygen enriched air that
is formed after ambient air passes through the oxygen enrichment
membrane filter 31. Mixing of two gas streams in equal portions by
weight is provided by pressure regulators 25 and 30 having common
control line. Required pressure of the gas mixture is provided by
compressors 24 and 29 and controlled by the pressure regulators 25
and 30.
[0029] The fuel from fuel tank 3 is delivered by feeding pump 11 to
the nozzles mounted in the absorber 10. The feeding pump 11
provides the fuel pressure P.sub.1. The gas mixture from the
reactor 13 is guided to the gas inlet port of the absorber 10 under
gas pressure P.sub.2 which is controlled by pressure regulator 17.
Pressure regulator 32 maintains the gas pressure inside the
absorber 10 at set level P.sub.2. The gas pressure P.sub.2 is set
lower than the fuel pressure P.sub.1 providing satisfactory working
condition for the fuel dispersing by the nozzle in absorber 10. The
dispersing of fuel in gas results in achieving a significant amount
of gas being dissolved in fuel. An outlet port located at the
bottom of the absorber 10 is fluidically connected to the inlet
port of the main fuel pump 2. The differential pressure regulator
12 positioned in the connection line between the absorber 10 and
main fuel pump 2 temporarily reduces the fuel solution pressure.
The reduced pressure transfers the fuel solution into the boundary
state of saturated solution thus facilitating the gas desorption
from the fuel by destroying sorption links between liquid and gas
molecules. This step improves effectiveness of the desorption
process at injection and improves the atomization of the injected
fuel charge. In addition the differential pressure regulator 12
compensates for pressure spikes arising during the absorber 10
operation. Instead of differential regulator 12 an ultrasonic
magnetostrictive actuator in a hermetical vessel through which a
liquid fuel/gas solution flows can be used. Main fuel pump 2 again
increases the pressure of the fuel solution as much as 2 times and
returns the fuel solution in the state of unsaturated solution. In
such state the main fuel pump 2 delivers the fuel solution to the
common rail 1 and unit injectors (not shown) for combustion.
[0030] It is well known that the gas solubility in liquid is
proportional to the partial pressure of the gas over the liquid
surface and the concentration of the gas dissolved in liquid is in
inverse proportion to the liquid temperature. As the fuel solution
parameters in supply line are maintained higher than parameters in
the combustion chamber at injection in addition to hydrodynamic
breaking of fuel stream by injector the gas dissolved in the fuel
solution violently escapes from the liquid thus providing
additional atomization of the fuel to more finest aerosol as well
as even distribution over the volume of the combustion chamber. The
faster evaporation on superfine fuel microdroplets at high
temperature present in the combustion chamber provides speedy
propagation of the flame front. This way faster and more
efficiently burnt fuel delivers more energy at optimal piston and
crankshaft position. As a result it takes less fuel to produce the
same amount of power, as well as provides a reduction of
emissions.
[0031] Since the main fuel pump 2 delivers more fuel than the
internal combustion engine can consume to produce useful power
recirculation lines are provided for returning excess fuel.
Recirculation fuel solution flows from common rail is cooled down
to 50.degree. C. in cooler 6 and then merged with 1 first stage of
the main fuel pump 2 in the jet pump 15: Recirculation fuel
solution from the common rail having higher pressure is guided to
the nozzle of the jet pump 15; the ejected flow creates low
pressure in the mixing chamber and recirculation flow from first
stage of the main fuel pump 2 is sucked into the mixing chamber of
the jet pump thus providing lower pressure at the drainage port of
the main fuel pump and better conditions for gas separation.
[0032] Three-way valves 14 and 16 are used to switch between
conditioned mode and base mode of engine operation. In conditioned
mode operation the mixed recirculation fuel solution flow from jet
pump 15 is guided to the recirculation inlet of the absorber. In
base mode both valve are set to initial position and recirculation
flow from jet pump is guided to the fuel tank 3.
[0033] In another embodiment (FIG. 2) a gas separator can be
provided in recirculation line for removing free gas/fuel vapor
phase from recirculation fuel solution flow. The recirculation flow
is cooled, preferably, to 50.degree. C. in a cooler 6 and is then
guided to the gas separator 7. The liquid fuel solution from gas
separator is fed to the inlet of main fuel pump 2 and separated
free gas/fuel vapor is guided to the gas port of the absorber 10
using a low pressure compressor 8.
[0034] FIG. 3 shows a preferred embodiment for an internal
combustion engine having one-stage main fuel pump 2 and distributed
unit injectors 1. In conditioned mode operation the recirculation
flow from unit injectors 1 contains high concentration of dissolved
gasses so it is guided back to the inlet of the main fuel pump. But
passing through a cylinder head it contains some free gas/fuel
vapor that should be separated from the recirculation flow as it
may damage the unit injectors. The recirculation flow is cooled
preferably to 50.degree. C. in a cooler 18 and free gas/fuel vapor
is separated in a gas separator 19. A jet pump 15 is used to remove
separated free gas/fuel vapor from the gas separator 19. To provide
operation of the jet pump 15 some fuel after the main fuel pump 2
is guided to the nozzle of the jet pump 15 and the low pressure
created by the ejected flow sucks the separated free gas/fuel
vapor. The mixed flow from the jet pump is guided to the absorber
10. To keep the pressure at the inlet of unit injectors 1 at
required level the pressure regulator 36 is used.
[0035] To shut the engine off or at idle operation the fuel supply
should be switched to the base mode using three-way valves 14 and
16 and shutting out the fuel supply to the absorber 10.
[0036] Before parking the vehicle for a long period of time the
cylinder head and the fuel supply should be flushed from
conditioned fuel by operating the engine on the base unconditioned
fuel for about 30-90 seconds.
[0037] The present invention is not to be construed as limited to
the forms shown which are to be considered illustrative rather than
restrictive.
* * * * *