Fuel supply system for an internal combustion engine
OwnerWayne Kenneth Glewinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel supply system 10 for an internal combustion engine includes a housing 12 defining a chamber 14 and provided with an inlet opening 16 upstream of the chamber 14 and an outlet opening 18 downstream of the chamber 14. The fuel injector 20 sprays a fuel mist into the chamber 14. A heater 22 heats air flowing into the chamber 14 via inlet 16 to a temperature of between 110° C.-260° C. Pressure within the chamber 14 is also negative relative to ambient pressure. The fuel sprayed into the chamber 14 via the fuel injector 20 is thermally cracked so that a mixture of thermally cracked fuel and heated air flows out from the outlet 18 for combustion in combustion chambers of the engine.
Claims32
A fuel system for an internal combustion (IC) engine, said system including at least:
- a housing defining a thermal cracking chamber, and provided with an air inlet opening upstream of said chamber and an outlet opening downstream of said chamber;
- fuel injection means for injecting a fuel mist into said chamber;
- and,
- means for heating air flowing through said inlet opening into said chamber to produce heated air having a temperature in the range of 110° -260° C.;
- whereby, in use, said fuel is thermally cracked in said chamber by collision with molecules of said heated air to form a thermally cracked fuel and heated air mixture, which is supplied to a fuel intake manifold of said IC engine via said outlet opening.
A fuel system for an internal combustion engine including at least:
- a chamber having first and second opposite end walls and a side wall extending between said opposite end walls, with an inlet opening formed in said first wall and an outlet opening formed in said second wall;
- a fuel injector for injecting a fuel mist into said chamber;
- an air heater for heating air to a temperature of between 110° C. to 260° C.;
- a conduit for directing said heated air into said chamber through said air inlet;
- said fuel mist mixing with said heated air in said chamber to cause thermal cracking of said fuel and form a thermally cracked fuel and heated air mixture, said mixture being drawn from said outlet for combustion in a combustion chamber of said internal combustion engine.
A method of conditioning liquid fuel prior to combustion in an internal combustion engine, said method including the steps of:
- providing a chamber with an inlet opening at one end and an outlet opening at an opposite end;
- injecting a mist of liquid fuel into said chamber;
- introducing heated air at a temperature of between 110° C. to 260° C. into said chamber via said inlet opening;
- whereby, said fuel mixes with said heated air to thermally crack said liquid fuel and form a thermally cracked fuel and heated air mixture;
- and drawing said mixture from said outlet for combustion in said internal combustion engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.