Process and apparatus for generating explosive gases

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Drawing sheet — no readable text.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY BLUMENBERG, JR, OF DAGGETT, CALLFoRNIA.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING EXPLoSIVE GASEs.

1,379,077. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 24, 1921.

Application filed June 11, 1920. Serial No. 388,180.

To all whom, it may concern

Be it known that I, HENRY BLUMENBERG, drocarbon fuel, shown connected to the car Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing Referring other bureter and

parts of the engine.

the drawings, 1 indicates a at Daggett, in the county of San Bernardino carbureter of any suitable and State of California, have invented new With a pipe line 2 leading totype a connected heavy fuel 60 and useful Improvements in Processes and tank, shown in dotted lines at 3; 3 and Apparatus for Generating Explosive Gases, are valves in pipeline 2; 4 is a closed vessel6 of which the following is a specification. for the reception of a heavy hydrocarbon My invention relates to a process

O paratus for generating combustible gases es and ap fuel 5 such as engine distillate or kerosene.

pecially adapted for internal combustion through is a funnel-shaped filling pipe passing 85 engines. the top of the vessel 4, the lower ttempts have been made to use the the bottom filling end of said pipe being spaced from thereof. The filling pipe 7 is heavier grades of hydrocarbon fuel, such as 5 engine distillate, kerosene, and the like, but used for introducing a suitable quantity of their use is invariably accompanied by the an acid, electrolyte such as a solution 8, either 70 alkaline or neutral. In practice the excessive deposit of carbon in the engine. electrolyte

Furthermore, varying amounts of the heavy nitrate. Theemployed may be ammonium electrolyte is for use in gen hydrocarbon fuels are condensed in the ex 20 plosive chamber and find their way into the erating hydrogen and oxygen which passes lubricating oil in the crank case, which is through the supernatant layer 5 of the heavy 75 objectionable. fuel. Electrodes 9 and 10 horizontally dis It is an object of this invention to use within andposed the slightly spaced from each other electrolyte 8 are connected to the heavy hydrocarbon fuels such as 25 kerosene, and the like, but to modify the distillate, positive and negative poles 11 and 12, re same in a manner to avoid the deposit of a storage battery 13, or anyareother spectively, which, in turn, connected to 80 source of carbon within the engine, at the same time electric energy, by means of conductors 35. generating a gaseous fuel which is easily ex The current from the storage battery lead ploded and compares well with the fuel pro ing to the electrodes 9 and 10 may be con 30 duced by the best grade of gasolene.

I have attained this object by passing trolled on the by a switch conveniently arranged 85 dashboard 15 within reach of the op electrolytically generated gases, hydrogen erator. 16 and 17 are and oxygen, through a heavy fuel, whereby ends of the electrodes 9supports and 10, for the outer respectively.

the heavy fuel is physically modified by A pipe 18 leads from 35 the solution of a large yolume of hydrogen, vessel 4 to the intake Imanifold 19 the upper part of the conduct which subsequently facilitates the vaporiza. ing the gaseous fuel to the explosion cham 90 tion and adds to the explosive qualities of the gaseous vapor and also directly modifies bers. The pipe 18 is controlled by means of a valve 20 operated by a rod 21 passin the chemical composition of the heavy fuel 40 itself by the chemical reaction taking place through the dashboard 15 and provided wit between the fuel and the electrolytically an operating handle 22. Another pipe 23 95 generated gases. leads from the layer of heavy fuel to the pipe line 2, joining the same between valves

My invention consists in the steps of the 3 and 6, and is provided with a valve 34. process and the apparatus for carrying In the operation of my apparatus a suit 45 out my process hereinafter described and claimed. able electrolyte, as above referred to, is in 100 troduced through the funnel-shaped pipe

In the accompanying, drawings which 7 of a quantity sufficient to cover the elec form a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a sectional view of an automo trodes referred 9 and 10, then the heavy fuel as above to is introduced, and being lighter 50 bile Fing parts broken away to show the than the electrolyte will form a supernatant application of my invention to the fuel layer thereon. The valve 3 in pipe line 2 105 gaseous engine.

vapor producing apparatus of the is closed. By closing the switch 14 cur

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the ap rent 10, is passed between the electrodes 9 and the upper electrode 10 being shown as paratus proper for treating, the heavy hy provided with perforations 10 to evenly 110

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distribute the gases enerated, which will able for internal combustion engines for pass upwardly throu the heavy fuel 5. It motor vehicles, byproducing a gaseous fuel should be noted that the gases thus generated mixture which is highly explosive and which 50 are in statu, nascendi and are therefore does not deposit carbon in the combustion especially active in effecting chemical re chamber. v .

actions. Various changes may be made without de parting from the spirit of the invention as

The heavy fuel will dissolve large quan tities of hydrogen and varying quantities claimed.

of oxygen. Kerosene for instance will ab What is claimed is: 55 10 sorb as much as 65 volumes of hydrogen to 1. A process of producing a gaseous fuel 100 volumesThe of excess kerosene at ordinary mixture, comprising treating heavy hydro peratures. of hydrogen will tem pass carbons with hydrogen by passing a mix through pipe 18 to the manifold 19 and will ture of hydrogen and oxygen electrolyti give an exceedingly explosive gaseous mix cally generated through the body of the 60 15 ture excellent for starting in the coldest heavy hydrocarbons.

weather. 2. An apparatus for producing a gaseous The gaseous mixture of oxygen and hy fuel vapor, comprising a closed tank, means drogen will contain vapors of light hydro at the bottom of the tank for generating 65 carbons which are formed by the reaction electrolytically evolved hydrogen and oxy 20 of the hydrogen during its passage through gen, means under the control of the operator the heavy fuel 5. E. physical qualities for controlling said electrolytic means, a of the heavy fuel are changed, due to the passage leading from said tank to the mani absorption of large volumes of hydrogen, fold of , an internal combustion engine, 70 lowering its specific gravity and making the means under the control of the operator for 25 same more volatile within the carbureter. controlling said passage, and another pas Furthermore, chemical changes take place, sage leading from said tank for conducting the hydrogen reacting with the hydrocar hydrocarbons to the carbureter. bons and producing the lower more volatile fuel3. vapor,

An apparatus for producing a gaseous comprising a closed tank, a pair 75 members of the hydrocarbon series.

30 When it is desired to replenish the supply of horizontally disposed electrodes in the bottom of said tank, of heavy fuel the valve 6 is closed and valve trodes being perforated, the upper of said elec 3 is opened, allowing the fuel from the sup a source of elec pl tank (not shown) to flow into the ves tricity connected to said electrodes, means 80 sel 4, and by closing the valve 3 and opening for controlling said source of electricity, a 35 the valve 6 the apparatus is again in nor conduit leading from the upper part of said mal working condition, the electrolyte being tank for conducting off the gases and va from time to time replenished through the pors, a conduit leading from a point, inter filler pipe 7. It will be understood that to mediate the top and bottom of said tank 85 electrolyte may be introduced by other con ingconduct liquid fuel, means for supply a hydrocarbon to said tank, and means 40 venient means or provision may be made for supplying an electrolyte to cover said for keeping the vessel 4 filled with electro electrodes.

lyte and heavy fuel by means of float cham In testimony whereof I have signed my ber,Bydevices, as will of my treatment be the understood.

heavy fuel, as ex name to this specification.

45 plained above, I may utilize the grades of fuel which at the present time are unsuit HENRY BLUMENBERG, Jr.