Self-regulating heater
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorLyle E. McBride, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A self-regulating electrically heated positive-temperature-coefficient (hereinafter PTC) carburetor stove for use in the fuel entry system of a gasoline engine is connected through the ignition system directly to the battery for rapidly heating of the stove upon starting of the car. The system comprises a plurality of PTC pills housed in and insulated from a container with a high thermal conductivity top plate in direct heat transfer relation with the pills. Gasoline droplets are evaporated on this plate during cold start conditions to minimize the need to run a cold engine in the closed choke gasoline rich mode. During heat-up of the engine the PTC pills reach the anomaly temperature and at that point greatly increase their resistance thereby virtually terminating the power requirement of the stove in the heated engine mode.
Claims11
In fuel entry system of an internal combustion engine wherein the improvement comprises a carburetor having a barrel through which fuel is adapted to pass, a stove disposed in the intake manifold in alignment with said barrel, the stove comprising a self-regulating heater element having a steeply sloped positive temperature coefficient of resistivity, and means to electrically connect the element to a power supply so that shortly after energization thereof the element is maintained at an essentially constant pre-selected temperature whereby fuel droplets coming in contact with the stove will be vaporized to enhance start-up operation of the internal combustion engine.
A self-regulating heater in combination with a fuel entry system of a gasoline engine comprising an open ended container, at least one thermistor heater contained within and insulated from said container and electrically connected to a power source, said heater adapted to generate heat at a substantially constant temperature in response to electrical engerization thereof and having a steeply sloped positive temperature coefficient of resistance at a temperature above an anomaly temperature thereby virtually terminating the power requirement of the stove above said anomaly temperature, and a thermally conductive cover closing said open ended container, said cover being in heat transfer relationship with said heater in order to evaporate gasoline droplets which exit from said fuel entry system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.