Solvent-based adsorbent regeneration for onboard octane on-demand and cetane on-demand

A vehicular fuel system for converting an onboard fuel into an octane-rich component and a cetane-rich component, the fuel system comprising:

• a fuel supply tank for containing an onboard fuel;
• a separation unit in fluid communication with the fuel supply tank, the separation unit comprising at least one adsorbent-based reaction chamber that is configured to receive and separate at least a portion of the onboard fuel into an adsorbate and a remainder;
• a solvent supply in fluid communication with the separation unit and containing at least one solvent therein to convert at least a portion of the adsorbate into a desorbate;
• and
• a solvent regeneration unit configured to separate at least a portion of the at least one solvent from the desorbate such that during operation of the internal combustion engine and the fuel system, at least one of the-onboard fuel, separated desorbate and remainder is conveyed to the combustion chamber.

A method of producing fuel for an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:

• conveying onboard fuel to a separation unit that makes up a portion of a fuel system;
• contacting the fuel with an adsorbent situated within the separation unit such that at least a portion of the fuel is converted into an adsorbate and at least a portion of the fuel is converted into a remainder;
• reacting at least one solvent with the adsorbate such that at least a portion of the adsorbate is converted into a desorbate;
• separating the desorbate from the at least one solvent;
• and
• conveying at least one of the onboard fuel, separated desorbate and remainder to a combustion chamber within the internal combustion engine.