Method and apparatus for oxidizing a fuel in an internal combustion engine

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of exhaust gases into conduits 18 and 20. A pressure

METHOD AND APPARATUS FoR oXIDIZING A control valve 22 in conduit 18 controls flow of exhaust FUEL IN AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE gases through conduit 18 and a cooler 24 to a tank 26. A This invention relates to a method and apparatus for pump 28 in conduit 18 provides the desired pressure. oxidizing fuel in an internal combustion engine and Pressure in tank 26 controls operation of valve 22 more particularly to burning a fuel in an internal com . through lead 30. A conduit 32 having a shutoff valve 34 bustion engine with a reduction in the amount of toxic therein leads from tank 26 to mixer 8. The flow of fuel substances produced. U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,365 dated may be controlled by a temperature controller 36 oper Aug. 31, 1976 in which I am joint patentee with ated by the temperature in engine 2 to prevent over Howard S. Orr, discloses a method of which this inven 10 heating. Oxygen or enriched air is supplied to mixer 8 tion is an improvement. The method and apparatus through conduit 38. The above described apparatus is disclosed in the patent does not disclose how the oxy essentially as shown in Vierling et al U.S. Pat. No. gen or enriched air is obtained and it is to this feature 3,977,365 dated Aug. 31, 1976.

that the present application is particularly directed. The According to the present application I provide at patent contemplates using a storage tank for the oxygen 15 least two, and preferably more, oxygen producers 40A which requires that the oxygen be bought at intervals. and 40B. As shown in FIG. 2, each producer includes a This is inconvenient and expensive. container 42 having a central chamber 44 surrounded Nakajima et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,817,232 dated June 18, by an annular heating chamber 46. A pump 48 is pro 1974 discloses a method and apparatus for oxidizing fuel vided in conduit 20 which is then divided into branches in an internal combustion engine wherein means are 20 20A and 20B or, if more than two oxygen producers are provided for obtaining oxygen or enriched air. This used, into one branch for each producer. A valve 50 is patent fails to appreciate that, for practical purposes, provided in each branch to separately control flow of some air must be provided for the engine substantially exhaust gases to the associated producer. Each conduit all the time. The oxygen producer is a nitrogen imper 20A and 20B is connected to the heating chamber 46 of meable membrane or a molecular sieve. These may be in 25 its associated producer 40A or 40B through a mixing two or more sections so that one section can be in use valve 52. A pump 54 supplies ambient air to valve 52 while the other is being purged. These have various through a conduit 56 also having a control valve 58 disadvantages including cost. therein. A fluidized bed of a metallic oxide, such as Cettin et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,203 dated Jan. 9, 1973 barium oxide (BaO) is provided in the central part of discloses an anti-pollution system for engines in which 30 chamber 44 and maintained in position by a porous or oxygen is obtained by the decomposition of an alkali perforated wall 59. While the bed of oxide is preferably metal perchlorate salt and mixed with exhaust gases in fluidized to increase the speed of the reaction it could be an amount equal to the nitrogen in air. It is not clear an ordinary bed. Air is delivered to chamber 44 through how the lithium chloride is regenerated, but it appears a conduit 60 having a pump 62 and control valve 64 that it is not done while in the automobile. 35 therein. Heat exchangers 66, 67 and 68, preferably of Cooper U.S. Pat. No. 3,792,690 dated Feb. 19, 1974 the recuperator type, are provided in conduit 60. A also relates to the manufacture of hybrid air and dis temperature sensing device 70 is provided in the fluid closes various ways of producing oxygen including ized bedchamber and is connected to controls 72 and 74 Brin's process. However, there is no indication that for operation of valves 52 and 64. A conduit 76 leads more than one oxygen producer is used and details of 40 from chamber 46 to heat exchanger 68. A conduit 78 the apparatus are not disclosed. leads from chamber 44 to a positioning valve 80. A Applicant's invention relates to utilizing Brin's pro branch conduit 82 leads from valve 80 to the heat ex cess in a particular manner so that an automible engine changer 67. Valve 80 is also connected to a conduit 84 or the like can be operated inexpensively to meet pollu having a pump 86 and valve 88 therein. The conduit 84 tion standards. 45 is connected through heat exchanger 66 to conduit 38. It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a A molecular sieve and/or nitrogen impermeable mem method of oxidizing a fuel in an internal combustion brane 90 and a valve 92 are provided in conduit 89 engine which cheaply manufactures and utilizes oxygen between valve 88 and heat exchanger 66. A conduit 94 in a greater ratio than in air to reduce the amount of is connected to conduit 84between valve 88 and molec toxic materials produced without reducing engine effi 50 ular sieve 90. A valve 96 and vacuum pump 98 are

provided in conduit 94. An oxygen storage tank 100

Another object is to provide apparatus for oxidizing may be provided in conduit 38.

fuel which cheaply manufactures and utilizes oxygen in The system may be operated in several ways. In all a greater ratio than air. cases at least one converter will be discharging oxygen These and other objects will become more apparent 55 at all times. Assume first that no oxygen or enriched air after referring to the drawing in which: is available for start up. In that case, which will seldom FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the apparatus of my occur, only fuel and air will be delivered to the mixer 8. invention; and Valve 16 will be positioned so that all the waste gases FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the oxygen producer of go into conduit 20. Either or both valves 50 will be my invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings refer opened and the hot exhaust gases will be fed to each

operating converter through its associated valve 52.

ence numeral 2 indicates an internal combustion engine Ambient air will be provided through conduit 56 only if particularly for use in an automobile. Fuel, such as it is required to cool the hot exhaust gases. At the same gasoline or hydrogen, is fed from tank 4 through valve time, air is fed to each operative converter through 6 to a proportional mixer 8. An air conduit 10 with a 65 valve 64. This air obtains its optimum pressure by means control valve 12 therein leads to the mixer 8. Hot ex of pump.62 and passes through the pervious wall 59 into haust gases from the engine 2 pass through conduit 14. and through the fluidized bed and is discharged through A proportional valve 16 in conduit 14 divides the flow valve 80 to heat exchanger 67 and then to the atmo

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sphere. The controls 72 and 74 operate valves 52 and 64 1. In the method of substantially completely oxidizing to bring the metallic oxide to the optimum temperature a fuel in an internal combustion engine having a com to form barium dioxide by reaction between the barium bustion chamber wherein a mixture of oxygen, air and oxide and the oxygen of the air. This temperature is engine exhaust gases are added to said fuel and individu about 500C for barium oxide, but may vary for other 5 ally controlled so that the nitrogen in the mixture does not exceed 70% by weight of the mixture, and said fuel metallic oxides. It will be understood that the specific and metallic oxides used are not part of my invention, but mixture are fed to and burned in said chamber dur are well known in the art. It is only necessary that the ing substantially all operation of said engine; the im oxide combine with oxygen at one temperature to form provement which comprises providing a plurality of beds a higher oxide which will release oxygen at a different 0. engine of a metallic oxide, supplying exhaust gases from temperature which in most cases will be a higher tem said around one of said beds of metallic oxide to change the temperature of said metallic oxide to that at perature and the description hereafter will be directed which to this specific case. When the optimum amount of the to formthea higher metallic oxide readily combines with oxygen oxide, passing air through said heated metallic dioxide is formed valve 64 is closed and valve bed of metallic oxide to form said higher oxide, stop so is positioned to discharge to heat exchanger 66. At ping flow of said air through the same time that valve 64 is closed, control 72 is set to oxide is formed, then supplyingsaidexhaust bed when the higher gases from said rapidly raise the temperature of the metallic dioxide to the optimum for converting the metallic dioxide to the engine around said bed of metallic oxide to change the oxide and releasing oxygen which is then fed to the temperature of said metallic oxide to that at which the mixer 8 or storage tank 100. At this time valve 16 is set 2O higher metallic oxide breaks down to the metallic oxide and releases oxygen, feeding the oxygen released by to deliver some of the exhaust gases to conduit 18 and said last named reaction to form said mixture until the the amount of air delivered to the mixer is decreased. said bed is essentially returned to its original state while Since, both producers are in discharge condition both valves 50 will be closed, but only one of the producers 25 said one of said beds is feeding oxygen to form said mixture supplying exhaust gases from said engine will have its temperature raised to discharge oxygen. around another of said beds of metallic oxide to change The system will then operate as in the Vierling et al. the temperature of said metallic oxide to that at which patent. , the metallic oxide readily combines with oxygen to When the metallic dioxide is converted back to the oxide, the converter is recharged as described above of metallic oxide topassing form a higher oxide, air through said heated bed while the other converter is discharged as described flow of said air through said bedhigher form said when oxide, stopping the higher oxide above. is formed, then supplying exhaust gases from said en Since it is only necessary that the amount of nitrogen gine around said bed of metallic oxide to change the be reduced the operation may be varied so that the temperature of said metallic oxide to that at which the oxygen formed is contaminated with nitrogen and as higher metallic oxide breaks down to the metallic oxide lesser percentage of air and/or exhaust gases will be fed and releases oxygen, feeding the oxygen released by to the mixer. w said last named reaction to form said mixture until the When a molecular sieve and/or nitrogen imperme said bed is essentially returned to its original state, and able membrane are used to upgrade the oxygen to the then repeating the above steps with at least one of said system they are purged of nitrogen while the metallic 40 beds releasing oxygen while at least another of said beds dioxide is being formed in the converter. At this time is having its temperature changed to form the higher valves 88 and 92 will be closed and valve 96 opened. oxide. • Vacuum pump 98 then is operated to purge the nitrogen 2. The method of claim 1 in which ambient air is after which valve 96 is closed, valves 88 and 92 opened mixed with the exhaust gases being fed to the said bed to and pump 98 shut off. 4S control the temperature thereof. It will be understood that the heat exchangers 66,67. 3. The method of claim"1 in which heat is added to and 68 are used only to increase the efficiency of the the air being fed to said bed by means of the exhaust system and may be omitted. gases and deoxified air leaving said beds. Any number of converters may be used and it is desir 4. The method of claim 3 in which the temperature of able to have at least one ready for discharge of oxygen 50 the oxygen leaving said bed is lowered by raising the at all times. Then by using a small oxygen storage tank temperature of air being fed to said bed. 100 which contains:oxygen when the engine is stopped, 5. In apparatus for substantially oxidizing a fuel in the the engine can be restarted without objectionable dis combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine charge at all times. W including a mixer, means for controlling flow of fuel to This system provides a wide range of operation to 55 said mixer, means for controlling flow of air to said limitpollutants legally acceptable in the exhaust. It may mixer, means for controlling flow of engine exhaust be operated as set forth in the above identified Vierling gases to said mixer, and means for supplying a con etal patent, especially if an oxygen enricher is used. On trolled amount of oxygen to said mixer: the improve the other handless pure oxygen can be obtained from ment comprising a plurality of oxygen converters ar the oxygen converter with a subsequent decrease in the 60 ranged in parallel, each of said converters including an percentage of ambient air supplied. The amount of ni inner chamber adapted to receive a bed of metallic trogen supplied to the mixture should not exceed 70% oxide and a heating chamber around said metallic oxide by weight, m chamber, a first conduit connecting exhaust from said While one embodiment of my invention has been engine to said heating chamber, a second conduit for shown and described, other adaptations and modifica-65 delivering air to said metallic oxide bed, a third conduit tions may be made without departing from the scope of leading from said metallic oxide chamber, a valve in the following claims. .. . . said third conduit, a fourth conduit leading from said I claim: valve to the oxygen supply means to said mixer, means

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for shutting off flow of air to said bed when said metal 8. The combination of claim 7 including a pair of heat lic oxide has been converted to a higher oxide, and exchangers located in said second conduit, means for control means for maintaining the temperature of said feeding the exhaust gases leaving said converter to one bed at that which the higher oxide is formed while air is of said heat exchangers, and means for feeding the deox flowing therethrough and then changing said tempera idized air to the other of said heat exchangers. ture to that at which oxygen is released when it is de 9. The combination of claim 8 including a third heat sired to feed oxygen from said converter to said mixer, exchanger located in said second conduit, and means for said valve being movable from a position where deoxi supplying oxygen being discharged to said third heat dized airis discharged from the system while air is being exchanger.

fed to the converter to a position where it connects the 10 10. The combination of claim 5 including an oxygen third and fourth conduits while oxygen is being fed purifier located in each of said fourth conduits for up from the converter, whereby one of said converters can grading the oxygen passing therethrough. be discharged while another converter is being charged. 11. The combination of claim 5 in which said control 6. The combination of claim 5 including a pair of heat means includes a temperature sensing device in said bed, exchangers located in said second conduit, means for 15 and means operable by said temperature sensing device feeding the exhaust gases leaving said converter to one to control the heat being supplied to said bed. of said heat exchangers, and means for feeding the deox 12. The combination of claim 5 in which each of said idized air to the other of said heat exchangers. oxygen converters includes a pervious wall in said inner 7. The combination of claim 5 including means for chamber providing a space between it and the inner supplying ambient air to said first conduit to control the 20 wall of said heating chamber, and said bed is a fluidized temperature of the gases being fed to said heating cham bed located within said pervious wall. ber.