Abstract:
A vehicular propulsion system, a vehicular fuel system and a method of operating an internal combustion engine. A separation unit that makes up a part of the fuel system includes one or more adsorbent-based chambers such that the separation unit may selectively receive and separate at least a portion of onboard fuel into octane-enhanced and cetane-enhanced components. Regeneration of an adsorbate takes place through a heat exchange relation with existing system infrastructure. A controller may be used to determine a particular operational condition of the internal combustion engine such that the onboard fuel can be sent to one or more combustion chambers within the internal combustion engine without first passing through the separation unit, or instead to the separation unit in situations where the internal combustion engine may require an octane-rich or cetane-rich mixture, where adsorbed and remainder portions taken from the separation unit may be stored in separate tanks for later mixing and use within the combustion chamber.
Abstract:
A vehicular propulsion system, a vehicular fuel system and a method of operating an internal combustion engine. A separation unit that makes up a part of the fuel system may selectively receive and separate at least a portion of onboard fuel and a flowable adsorbent in order to separate the fuel into octane-enhanced and cetane-enhanced fuel components. A controller may be used to determine a particular operating condition of the internal combustion engine such that the onboard fuel can be sent to one or more combustion chambers within the internal combustion engine without first passing through the separation unit during one operating condition, or instead to the separation unit in situations where the internal combustion engine may require an octane-rich or cetane-rich mixture in another operating condition.
Abstract:
Embodiments of a molten metal anode solid oxide fuel cell (MMA-SOFC) system comprise a first and second MMA-SOFC, a fuel contactor integral or in fluid communication with the first MMA-SOFC, a molten metal conduit that delivers molten metal from a first molten metal anode to a second molten metal anode, and one or more external electric circuits, wherein the first molten metal anode oxidizes molten metal to produce metal oxides and electrons. The fuel contactor reduces the metal oxides and produce metals and metal sulfides in the molten metal upon reaction with sulfur-containing fuel. The second molten metal anode oxidizes the metal sulfides in the metal sulfides-containing molten metal to produce metals and electrons, and the external electric circuits generate power from the electrons produced in the first and second MMA-SOFCs.
Abstract:
A vehicular propulsion system, a vehicular fuel system and a method of operating an internal combustion engine. A separation unit that makes up a part of the fuel system may selectively receive and separate at least a portion of onboard fuel and a flowable adsorbent in order to separate the fuel into octane-enhanced and cetane-enhanced fuel components. A controller may be used to determine a particular operating condition of the internal combustion engine such that the onboard fuel can be sent to one or more combustion chambers within the internal combustion engine without first passing through the separation unit during one operating condition, or instead to the separation unit in situations where the internal combustion engine may require an octane-rich or cetane-rich mixture in another operating condition.
Abstract:
A vehicular propulsion system, a vehicular fuel system and a method of operating an internal combustion engine. A separation unit that makes up a part of the fuel system includes one or more adsorbent-based chambers such that the separation unit may selectively receive and separate at least a portion of onboard fuel into octane-enhanced and cetane-enhanced fuel components. A supply tank includes three compartments where the first contains the onboard fuel, the second receives a vaporized adsorbate from the separation unit and condenses at least a part of it into one of an octane-rich fuel component or a cetane-rich fuel component, while the third may either store the condensed and enriched fuel component or help condense more of the vaporized adsorbate. The condensing takes place through heat exchange between the onboard fuel and the vaporized adsorbate that are present within the various compartments of the supply tank. A controller may be used to determine a particular operational condition of the internal combustion engine such that the onboard fuel can be sent to one or more combustion chambers within the internal combustion engine without first passing through the separation unit, or instead to the separation unit in situations where the internal combustion engine may require an octane-rich or cetane-rich mixture.
Abstract:
A carbon dioxide (CO2) capture system (20) to reduce CO2 emissions comprises an absorption zone (22) and a regeneration zone (23). The absorption zone (22) captures CO2 from exhaust gas by absorption in a liquid solvent separated from the exhaust gas by a separator. The liquid solvent comprises a blend of alkali metal salts of two or more amino or amino-sulfonic acids, thereby forming a first constituent and a second constituent. The first constituent is a primary or secondary amino or amino sulfonic acid with molar mass of less than 200 g/mol. The second constituent has a molar mass of less than 300 g/mol. The regeneration zone (23) may rejuvenate the liquid solvent rich in captured CO2 by heating so that a resulting liquid solvent with a low concentration of CO2 is pumped back to the absorption zone (22). An on-board CO2 capture and storage system for a mobile internal combustion engine and a method for capturing CO2 are also described.
Abstract:
A vehicle (100), a system and a method for on-board catalytic upgrading of hydrocarbon fuels. The system, which can be used to provide fuel to an internal combustion engine (130) that in turn provides motive force to the vehicle, includes an unreformed fuel subsystem (140), a reformed fuel subsystem (150) and a fuel system control architecture (160,170). The unreformed fuel subsystem may transfer unreformed hydrocarbon fuel from a fuel tank (110) to the internal combustion engine along an unreformed fuel supply pathway (142). The reformed fuel subsystem may transfer reformed fuel to the internal combustion engine along a reformed fuel supply pathway (151) that is separate from the unreformed fuel supply pathway. The fuel system control architecture may include a reformate flow control device (160) and a cetane rating controller (170) that may cooperate to deliver an upgraded hydrocarbon fuel to a combustion zone of the internal combustion engine.
Abstract:
A vehicular propulsion system, a vehicular fuel system and a method of producing fuel for an internal combustion engine. A separation unit that makes up a part of the fuel system includes one or more adsorbent-based reaction chambers to selectively receive and separate at least a portion of onboard fuel into octane-enhanced and cetane-enhanced components. Regeneration of an adsorbate takes place through interaction with a solvent, while subsequent separation allows the solvent to be reused. A controller may be used to determine a particular operational condition of the internal combustion engine such that the onboard fuel can be sent to one or more combustion chambers within the internal combustion engine without first passing through the separation unit, or instead to the separation unit in situations where the internal combustion engine may require an octane-rich or cetane-rich mixture.