Internal combustion engine with a methanol reforming system

An internal combustion engine comprising:

• a main combustion chamber;
• an auxiliary combustion chamber always communicated with said main combustion chamber through a torch port;
• a spark plug associated with said auxiliary combustion chamber;
• intake and exhaust systems;
• said intake system including first and second fuel circuits having downstream ends associated with said main and auxiliary combustion chambers, respectively;
• said first fuel circuit comprising a choke valve, a first carburetor disposed in said first fuel circuit downstream of said choke valve for producing a mixture of air and gasoline, and a first throttle valve disposed in said first fuel circuit downstream of said first carburetor;
• said second fuel circuit comprising a second carburetor for producing a mixture of air and methanol, a catalytic reactor disposed in said second fuel circuit downstream of said second carburetor and containing a catalyst bed so arranged as to be heated by the engine exhaust gases flowing through said exhaust system, a second throttle valve disposed in said second fuel circuit and operatively connected to said first throttle valve for operation therewith, and a first shut-off valve disposed in said second fuel circuit between said second throttle valve and said reactor to control the communication between said auxiliary combustion chamber and said second carburetor;
• a passage connecting said first fuel circuit between said first carburetor and said first throttle valve to said second fuel circuit between said second throttle valve and said first shut-off valve;
• a second shut-off valve disposed in said passage to control the communication between said first and second fuel circuits;
• said catalytic reactor being so constructed as to cause the air-methanol mixture to flow through said catalyst bed and being rendered operative to facilitate a catalytic conversion of said air-methanol mixture into a reformed gaseous mixture containing free hydrogen gas when said catalyst bed is heated to a temperature higher than a predetermined temperature;
• means responsive to the temperature of said catalyst bed to actuate said choke valve and said first and second shut-off valves, the arrangement being such that, when said catalyst bed temperature is below said predetermined temperature, said first shut-off valve is closed to render said second carburetor inoperative to produce the air-methanol mixture and said choke valve is at least partially closed to enrich the air-gasoline mixture produced by said first carburetor whereas said second shut-off valve is opened whereby said main and auxiliary combustion chambers are both supplied with the enriched air-gasoline mixture, and such that, when said catalyst bed temperature is higher than said predetermined temperature, said choke valve is fully opened to increase the air-gasoline ratio of the air-gasoline mixture produced by said first carburetor and said first shut-off valve is opened to cause said second carburetor to produce the air-methanol mixture and thus cause said catalytic reactor to produce the reformed gaseous mixture whereas said second shut-off valve is closed whereby said main combustion chamber is supplied with the lean air-gasoline mixture while said auxiliary combustion chamber is supplied with the reformed gaseous mixture.

An internal combustion engine comprising;

• a main combustion chamber;
• an auxiliary combustion chamber always communicated with said main combustion chamber through a torch port;
• a spark plug associated with said auxiliary combustion chamber;
• intake and exhaust systems;
• said intake systems including first and second fuel circuits having downstream ends associated with said main and auxiliary combustion chambers, respectively;
• said first fuel circuit comprising a first carburetor of a two barrel, two stage type with a choke valve disposed in one of the two barrels upstream of the venturi of said one barrel and with first and second throttle valves disposed in respective barrels downstream of the venturi therein and operatively connected to each other, said first carburetor being adapted to produce a mixture of air and gasoline at an air-gasoline ratio which varies in accordance with the degree of the opening of said choke valve;
• said second fuel circuit including a second carburetor for producing a rich mixture of air and gasoline, a third throttle valve disposed in said second fuel circuit downstream of said second carburetor and operatively connected to said first and second throttle valves for operation therewith, a first shut-off valve disposed in said second fuel circuit to control the communication between said auxiliary combustion chamber and said second carburetor, and a methanol reforming system having a downstream end connected to said second fuel circuit between said third throttle valve and said first shut-off valve;
• said methanol reforming system including a third carburetor for producing a mixture of air and methanol, a catalytic reactor disposed downstream of said third carburetor and containing a catalyst bed so arranged as to be heated by the engine exhaust gases flowing through said exhaust system and a second shut-off valve for controlling the communication between said auxiliary combustion chamber and said third carburetor;
• said catalytic reactor being so constructed as to cause the air-methanol mixture to flow through said catalyst bed and being rendered operative to facilitate a catalytic conversion of said air-methanol mixture into a reformed gaseous mixture containing free hydrogen gas when said catalyst bed is heated to a temperature higher than a predetermined temperature;
• and
• means responsive to the temperature of said catalyst bed to actuate said first and second shut-off valves, the arrangement being such that, when said catalyst bed temperature is below said predetermined temperature, said second shut-off valve is closed and said first shut-off valve is opened to cause said second carburetor to produce the rich air-gasoline mixture to be fed into said auxiliary combustion chamber, and such that, when said catalyst bed temperature is higher than said predetermined temperature, said first shut-off valve is closed and said second shut-off valve is opened to cause said third carburetor to produce the air-methanol mixture and thus to cause said catalytic reactor to produce the reformed gaseous mixture to be fed into said auxiliary combustion chamber.