Fuel economizer
AssigneeMichigan Motor Corporation
InventorRainer E. Weishaar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An engine fuel economizer comprising an electric fuel heating device interposed between the fuel pump and carburetor of a gasoline engine in proximity to the carburetor, a catalytic vapor condenser and filter interposed between the heating device and carburetor, and a relief valve interposed between the heating device and vapor condenser and connected to the fuel line between the fuel tank and fuel pump.
Claims19
A fuel economizer for insertion into the fuel supply system of a conventional automotive vehicle engine having a fuel mixture intake manifold, such system consisting of a fuel tank, a fuel pump, and a carburetor connected to supply the fuel mixture directly into the engine intake manifold, the economizer comprising a heater having a heating chamber connected between the vehicle fuel pump and carburetor, heating means in said chamber, said chamber with said heating means therein having a liquid capacity of only a few fluid ounces to provide rapid heating of fuel as it passes through said chamber, and a catalytic vapor condenser operable to pass only gasoline in liquid phase to the carburetor connected between said heater and the vehicle carburetor, said vapor condenser comprising a second chamber filled with substantially uncompressed metal coils of thin, narrow, ribbon-like metal filaments, said second chamber with said coils therein having a liquid capacity of only a few fluid ounces.
A fuel economizer for insertion into the fuel supply system of a conventional automotive vehicle engine having a fuel mixture intake manifold, such system consisting of a fuel tank, a fuel pump, and a carburetor connected to supply the fuel mixture directly into the engine intake manifold, the economizer comprising a heater having an elongated heating chamber connected between the vehicle fuel pump and carburetor, an elongated electrical resistance heating rod in said chamber, said chamber with said heating means therein having a liquid capacity of only a few fluid ounces to provide rapid heating of fuel as it passes through said chamber, a catalytic vapor condenser connected between said heater and the vehicle carburetor, said vapor condenser comprising a second chamber filled with substantially uncompressed metal coils of thin, narrow, ribbon-like metal filaments, said second chamber with said coils therein having a liquid capacity of only a few fluid ounces, and a filter connected between said condenser and carburetor to prevent passage of metal particles from said coils to the carburetor, said vapor condenser and said filter being provided in communicating chambers in a single housing structure comprising a cannister, a cup at one end of said cannister having an open end against the downstream end of cannister and having a perforated side wall spaced from the side wall of the cannister, the metal coils being separated from the interior of the cup by its end wall, said filter material being in said cup.
A fuel economizer for insertion into the fuel supply system of an automotive vehicle engine having a fuel mixture intake manifold, such system consisting of a fuel tank, a fuel pump and a carburetor connected to supply the fuel mixture directly into the engine intake manifold, fuel lines connecting the pump to the tank and to the carburetor, a fuel heater connected between the vehicle fuel pump and carburetor, said heater comprising an elongated outer casing, an elongated inner housing in said casing spaced radially inward from the walls of said casing to provide an annular flow passage therebetween, the ends of said housing and casing being sealed, ports at the upstream end of said inner housing communicating with said annular flow passage, a fuel supply port at the upstream end of said casing exterior of said housing, a conduit within said casing exterior of said housing in communication with said supply port and extending to adjacent the downstream end of said casing, a heat rod within said housing dimensioned to define therewith an elongated annular fuel flow passage for liquid fuel, said housing having an outlet port at its downstream end within said housing, and means for delivering heated and only liquid fuel to the engine carburetor.
The method of improving fuel consumption characteristics of the internal combustion engine of an automotive vehicle having a carburetor designed to receive liquid fuel and to provide a mixture of such fuel in atomized state with air which comprises heating the fuel transit in just prior to admission to a carburetor to a temperature of approximately 130.degree. while maintaining the fuel in substantially complete liquid phase, passing a heated fuel in liquid phase through a condenser formed of filamentary or pelletized metallic material to condense any vapors which may have been formed by heating the liquid fuel, and delivering such liquid heating fuel to the standard carburetor supplied on the internal combustion engine.
A fuel economizer comprising an elongated cylindrical heater comprising an outer casing and an inner cylindrical housing defining therebetween a fuel pre-heating chamber, an elongated cylindrical electrical heating rod in said housing defining therewith an annular final heating chamber effective to heat fuel to a temperature of about 130.degree. F. as it makes a single traverse therethrough, said final heating chamber having its inner and outer surfaces spaced radially by about 1/8", a fuel pump for supplying liquid fuel to one end of said pre-heating chamber, ports in the opposite end of said final heating chamber to admit pre-heated fuel thereto in accordance with engine demand, a cylindrical combined condenser-filter unit connected directly to said final heating chamber, said unit having an inlet connection to said heater at its upstream end, and an outlet connection at its downstream end for direct connection to an engine carburetor, a cylindrical filter container having its outer wall spaced from the inner surface of said unit and having a multiplicity of ports to admit heated liquid fuel, a perforated tube centrally of said filter container, filter material between said tube and the outer wall of said container, said unit having its upstream end filled with filamentary or pelletized metallic condenser material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.