Abstract:
A fuel-expanding device for internal combustion engine adapted to be connected to the fuel line and coolant water line from said internal combustion engine, said fuel-expanding device comprising a cylindrical shaped housing, a heat exchanging means for vaporizing the fuel in said fuel line, said heat exchanging means being confined in said cylindrical shaped housing and transfer heat from said coolant water to the fuel passing through said fuel line, a heat retaining means provided on said fuel line and in contact with said heat exchanging means for increasing the beat content in said fuel vapor, and a flux generating means provided at outlet portion of said fuel line for the re-alignment of the molecular structure of the fuel vapor to ensure easier and complete combustion.
Abstract:
Gaseous fuel downstream of a heat exchanger can be too cold for fuel system components when the temperature of engine coolant employed as a working fluid in the heat exchanger is too low to elevate gaseous fuel temperature, and it is possible for the engine coolant to freeze. A method of operating a cryogenic pump for controlling discharge temperature of a heat exchanger that vaporizes a process fluid received from the cryogenic pump with heat from a working fluid, where the cryogenic pump includes a piston reciprocatable in a cylinder between a proximate cylinder head and a distal cylinder head, includes monitoring at least one of process fluid temperature and working fluid temperature; retracting the piston during an intake stroke from the proximate cylinder head to the distal cylinder head; and extending the piston in a plurality of incremental discharge strokes until the piston travels from the distal cylinder head back to the proximate cylinder head. At least one of the number of incremental discharge strokes, a length of incremental discharge strokes and a rest period between incremental discharge strokes is selected such that at least one of the process fluid temperature and working fluid temperature is maintained above a predetermined level.
Abstract:
A fuel supply assembly providing vaporized fuel to an engine wherein a quantity of liquid gasoline fuel is controllably heated for a desired vapor emission from the liquid fuel, and a conduit arrangement conducts the vapor, intermixes it with ambient air and conveys the intermixture to the engine's combustion chamber. A sensor in the engine exhaust monitors the hydrocarbon content of the exhaust and control valving controls the vapor to air intermixture in response to the monitor for maintaining a desired intermixture that produces the desired hydrocarbon content.
Abstract:
An engine management system for an engine having a rapid heating system for a catalytic converter or a fuel vaporiser, comprising a clock that continues to operate after the engine has stopped, to allow an estimate of the temperature of the catalytic converter or fuel vaporiser to be derived when restarting the engine. The clock is preferably the internal clock of a microprocessor constituting the management system (14), the latter being programmed to keep itself operating in a state of reduced activity until it determines that it would be safe to energise the heating system normally at the next start.
Abstract:
Method and system for detecting waxing of diesel fuel in a fuel tank (4) in a motor vehicle (2). Measured values from temperature sensors (8a, 8b) are used to generate a first temperature value which represents the temperature of the fuel in a first region (4a) of the tank,and a second temperature value which represents the temperature of the fuel in a second region (4b) of the tank. A differential value which represents the prevailing difference between the first temperature value and the second temperature value is determined and is compared with a limit value for detection of waxing of the fuel in the tank.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a module for the thermal conditioning of fuel, particularly for a fuel cell system, having at least one Peltier element (16), wherein the heating or cooling side of the Peltier element is connected to the fuel in a thermally conducting manner, and the other side of the Peltier element (16) is connected to an ambient medium in a thermally conducting manner. The invention advantageously provides that the module has a temperature sensor (30) for determining a fuel temperature, and an electronic controller (20) connected to the same for controlling the electric power supplied to the Peltier element (16) in order to adjust the fuel to be conditioned to a certain temperature. The invention further advantageously provides that the Peltier element (32) is configured to generate thermal energy sufficient to ensure that the fuel can be evaporated. The invention also relates to a fuel cell system having such a module, and to a method for controlling such a module.
Abstract:
A fuel fractionation method which can suitably control a state of a fuel at a time of fractionating the fuel in an internal combustion engine, which comprises the steps of applying an operation for promoting a fractionation of a fuel of an engine (1) to a fractionation passage (21) while making the fuel flow to the fractionation passage (21), thereby fractionating the fuel into a gas phase fuel and a liquid phase fuel within the fractionation passage (21), conducting the fractionated gas phase fuel and the fractionated liquid phase fuel to a branch point (21c) of the fractionation passage (21), and separating the gas phase fuel and the liquid phase fuel to a gas phase passage (23) and a liquid phase passage (22), respectively due to gravity.
Abstract:
A fuel system for use in an internal combustion engine includes a plurality of fuel injectors, each injector including at least one capillary flow passage, the at least one capillary flow passage having an inlet end and an outlet end, a heat source arranged along the at least one capillary flow passage, the heat source operable to heat a liquid fuel in the at least one capillary flow passage to a level sufficient to convert at least a portion thereof from the liquid state to a vapor state, and a valve for metering fuel to the internal combustion engine, a controller to control the power supplied to the heat source of each of the plurality of fuel injectors to achieve a predetermined target temperature, a sensor for use in determining engine air flow and a sensor for measuring a value indicative of degree of engine warm-up of the internal combustion engine. The fuel system of the present invention also provides fault detection capabilities with respect to malfunctions within the capillary flow passage.
Abstract:
A vehicle comprising: an internal combustion engine configured to generate an engine torque using high-gasoline content fuel; at least one fuel injector configured to deliver the high-gasoline content fuel to a cylinder of the engine; at least one heating element configured to heat the high-gasoline content fuel prior to it being delivered to the cylinder by the fuel injector; a fuel pump connected to the heating element to supply high-gasoline to the heating element, the fuel pump being configured to pressurise the high-gasoline content fuel; and an engine controller configured to control the engine torque generated by the engine and control the fuel pressure generated by the fuel pump, the engine controller using a heated-fuel behaviour model of the engine, when the fuel is being heated by the heating element(s), to: (i) control an amount of fuel delivered by the fuel injector, the heated-fuel behaviour model causing a reduced fuel injection amount for a given engine torque relative to unheated high-gasoline content fuel; and (ii) cause a higher fuel pressure to be generated by the fuel pump relative to unheated high-gasoline content fuel.