Fuel vaporizer for an internal combustion engine

A fuel vaporization device for an internal combustion engine comprising:

• a housing defining a vaporization chamber;
• a liquid fuel inlet to said chamber including a fuel distributor having the capacity to inject tiny fuel droplets into said chamber;
• an ambient air inlet to said chamber to allow ambient air into said chamber to mix with said fuel droplets;
• at least one turbulence generator in said chamber for creating ambient air turbulence for mixing fuel droplets and ambient air within said chamber into a fuel droplet ambient air mixture;
• at least one heater in said chamber to convert the fuel droplet-ambient air mixture to a homogeneous gaseous air-fuel mix as said mixture passes through said chamber;
• a heater controller operably associated with said heater and responsive to temperature of said gaseous air-fuel mix to prevent a temperature of said heater from exceeding that at which auto ignition would occur;
• and
• an outlet conduit from said chamber for flow of said air-fuel mix to an internal combustion engine,
• wherein said ambient air passageway includes an annular ambient air distribution ring having circumferentially spaced air distribution inlets, positioned upstream of said vaporization chamber, and having an axial outlet surrounding said fuel distributor.

A fuel vaporizer for an internal combustion engine comprising:

• a housing having a vaporization chamber, an ambient air inlet, and a flow outlet for fuel/air mix to an internal combustion engine;
• said housing having a fuel inlet in said housing having a nozzle to inject fuel droplets less than 50 microns in diameter into said vaporization chamber;
• said fuel inlet including a fuel droplet isolation conduit arranged to limit entrainment of injected fuel droplets by the ambient air until such ambient air and fuel droplets independently reach said vaporization chamber;
• a turbulence zone within said vaporizer for assisting homogeneous mixing of said ambient air and fuel droplets;
• at least one heater in said vaporization chamber capable of generating sufficient heat to elevate the temperature of said ambient air and fuel droplets to a homogeneous air-fuel gas mix;
• a series of sensors to detect ambient air temperature, gaseous air-fuel mixture temperature and heater temperature;
• a valve for controlling ambient air intake to said vaporizer chamber;
• an ambient air distribution ring having air flow openings which, in combination with said fuel droplet isolation conduit, contributes to the turbulence in the turbulence zone by the flow of ambient air through the openings in said air distribution ring;
• and
• a computer processor to compare inputs to preset defaulted values and to output signals to fuel and thermal output controllers.

A fuel vaporizer for an internal combustion engine comprising:

• a housing defining a vaporization chamber;
• an ambient air inlet to said vaporizer chamber;
• an ambient air inlet control valve;
• a turbulence generator ring between said ambient air inlet and said vaporization chamber for turbulent ambient air passage to said vaporization chamber;
• a liquid fuel inlet having a liquid fuel injector capable of introducing tiny fuel droplets of combustion fuel into said vaporization chamber;
• said vaporization chamber having at least one venturi to add further turbulence;
• at least one heater in said vaporization chamber to generate sufficient thermal output for conversion of the fuel droplets to a gas and thereby change the physical state of an air-fuel mixture therein to a homogeneous gas;
• sensors located to sense heater output temperature, air-fuel mixture temperature and changing fuel needs;
• and
• a microprocessor operably connected to said sensors, to said ambient air control valve, to said liquid fuel injector, and to said heater to process sensor inputs and to control air and fuel inflow and heater output.

A fuel vaporizer for an internal combustion engine comprising:

• an ambient air inlet to said vaporizer;
• an air control valve for said air inlet;
• a fuel inlet to said vaporizer comprising means for injecting small fuel droplets to said fuel inlet;
• means for physically maintaining said ambient air and said fuel droplets in a separated condition prior to entry into said vaporization chamber;
• a series of radial air inlet holes, venturis and random pattern heaters each contributing to generate turbulence to aid in blending small fuel droplets with ambient air;
• a supply of heat energy within said chamber;
• a chamber length sufficient to assure vaporization of the air-fuel mixture to a homogeneous air-fuel gas;
• a series of temperature sensors to detect vaporization chamber temperature and heater temperature and to output signals representative thereof;
• at least one performance sensor to output engine performance signals, at least one of said output engine performance signals representing engine vacuum;
• and
• control means coupled to said temperature sensors, to said performance sensor, and to said supply of heat energy, for controlling said supply of heat energy in response to said output signals from said temperature sensors, and for regulating the supply of air and fuel in response to said output engine performance signals.

A fuel vaporizer for an internal combustion engine comprising:

• a housing defining a vaporization chamber;
• an ambient air inlet to said vaporizer chamber;
• a turbulence generator between said ambient air inlet and said vaporization chamber for turbulent ambient air passage to said vaporization chamber;
• a fuel inlet having a fuel injector capable of introducing tiny fuel droplets into said vaporization chamber;
• at least one heater in said vaporization chamber to generate sufficient thermal output for vaporizing the fuel droplets to create a homogeneous air-fuel mixture;
• sensors located to sense heater temperature within the vaporization chamber and changing fuel needs;
• and
• control means operably connected to said sensors, to said fuel injector, and to said heater to process sensor inputs and to control air and fuel inflow and heater output.