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US 8,141,356 B2Granted
Ethanol separation using air from turbo compressor
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsThomas G. Leone, Robert A. Stein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems for separating fuel and supplying the separated fuel to an engine are disclosed. In one example, alcohol is separated from a blend of alcohol and gasoline. The methods and systems may improve fuel separator operation by adjusting separator operation in response to engine operating conditions.
Claims23
A method for operating an internal combustion engine with a compression device, the method comprising:
- compressing a flow of engine intake air via the compression device;
- directing the flow of engine intake air to a first side of a membrane;
- directing a mixed fuel including at least a hydrocarbon component and an oxygenated component to an opposite side of the membrane;
- separating the mixed fuel into a first hydrocarbon-enriched fuel fraction and a second oxygenated-enriched fuel fraction by selectively diffusing at least a portion of the oxygenated-component through the membrane into the flow of engine intake air flowing along the first side of the membrane.
1 more element
A method for operating an internal combustion engine with a compression device, the method comprising:
- compressing a flow of engine intake air via the compression device;
- directing the flow of engine intake air to a separation membrane;
- directing a mixed fuel including at least gasoline and ethanol to the membrane;
- diffusing ethanol across the membrane at a faster rate than gasoline into the flow of engine intake air;
- condensing at least a portion of the diffused ethanol out of the intake air, and delivering the condensed ethanol directly to a cylinder of the engine;
- delivering any remaining ethanol in the intake air into the intake of the engine;
- and
- delivering the mixed fuel to the cylinder of the engine.
5 more elements
A system for an engine, comprising:
- a fuel tank containing a mixed fuel that includes a hydrocarbon component and an oxygenated component;
- a compression device for compressing a flow of engine intake air, the compression device coupled to a turbine in an exhaust system of the engine;
- a selective membrane with a first side and an opposite side, where the first side of the selective membrane receives a flow of engine intake air from the compression device, the opposite side of the selective membrane receives a flow of the mixed fuel from the fuel tank, and the mixed fuel is separated into a first hydrocarbon-enriched fuel fraction and a second oxygenated-enriched fuel fraction by selective diffusion of at least a portion of the oxygenated-component through the membrane into the flow of engine intake air flowing along the first side of the membrane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.