Petroleum and hydrogen driven engine

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gas and a second portion of said cylinders being

PETROLEUM AND HYDROGEN DRIVEN operable for burning hydrogen;

ENGINE a hydrogen supply means for supplying said hydro gen;

FIELD OF THE INVENTION a cooling means for cooling at least a portion of said The on-board electrolysis hydrogen generator, using exhaust gas to provide a cooled exhaust gas stream; a delivering means for delivering said hydrogen and iron cathodes and nickel anodes and water containing said cooled exhaust gas stream to said second por small concentration of sodium hydroxide, will yield tion of said cylinders.

hydrogen. Petroleum fuel combustion engines produce O 2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising admix primarily carbon monoxide exhaust and as an impurity ing means, disposed within said delivering means, for is not a detrimental gaseous reducing agent for hydro admixing said cooled exhaust gas stream with a free gen. The combination of these elements enable the com oxygen source and with said hydrogen.

bustion engine to operate without damaging the engine. 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said free oxygen The small amount of hydrogen is produced and used 5 source is air.

only when the engine is in operation. 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: THE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION said first portion of said cylinders consists of at least one of said cylinders and

The use of pure hydrogen as a fuel in a combustion said second portion of said cylinders consists of the engine causes sever heat metal damage. Also, transport 20 remainder of said cylinders. ing of bulk hydrogen presents safety hazards. 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said hydrogen BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING supply means comprises a means for producing hydro gen from water.

The sole FIGURE is a schematic diagram of the 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said hydrogen present invention. 25 supply means comprises an electrolysis means for elec

OPERATION trolytically producing hydrogen from water using an electrical current.

The multiple cylinder combustion engine 1 is split 7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein: into two (2) units. The first unit is powered by petro said apparatus further comprises an electrical current leum fuel and the second unit is powered by mixture of 30 generating means for generating at least a portion exhaust gases from the petroleum powered cylinders, of said electrical current; air and hydrogen. The intake and exhaust manifolds are said apparatus further comprises conducting means split respectfully between the petroleum and hydrogen for conducting said portion of said electrical cur cylinders. The petroleum cylinders are cranked by 35 rent from said electrical current generating means starter 3, powered by battery 4 and ignited. The exhaust to said electrolysis means; and gases from the petroleum fuel cylinders are expelled said combustion engine is drivingly associatable with through conduit 16 into cooler 6 then through conduit said electrical current generating means such that 17 to control venturi 7 and are mixed with air. The the operation of said combustion engine will cause amount of air is controlled by the temperature sensor 13 said electrical current generating means to gener mounted in the exhaust manifold of the hydrogen pow ate said portion of said electrical current. ered cylinders. The exhaust gases and air mixture is then 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said delivering passed through conduit 18 and collected in the mixer/- means comprises a metering pump.

reservoir 8. 9. An apparatus comprising:

Alternator 5 being rotated by the petroleum fueled 45 a combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders, a portion of engine 1 via belt 19 and is biased by tempera first portion of said cylinders being operable for ture sensor 13 via conductor 20, 21, regulator 14 and burning a hydrocarbon fuel to produce an exhaust conductor 22. Alternator 5 output via conductor 23 gas and a second portion of said cylinders being provides electrical power to hydrogen generator 10. operable for burning hydrogen; Injector pump 11 is controlled by temperature sensor 13 50 a cooling means for cooling at least a portion of said via conductor 20, 25 and 26 and pumps water from exhaust gas to provide a cooled exhaust gas stream; water reservoir 12 through conduit 27 and 28 into hy an electrolysis means for electrolytically producing drogen generator 10. The hydrogen produced is trans said hydrogen from water using an electrical cur ported through conduit 29 into mixer/reservoir 8. The rent;

residue from the hydrogen generator 8 is discarded 55 a delivering means for delivering said cooled exhaust through conduit 33. gas stream and said hydrogen to said second por The mixer/reservoir 8 is now charged with the ex tion of said cylinders;

haust gases, air and hydrogen mixture. Conduit 30 pro admixing means, disposed within said delivering vides this mixture to metering pump 9 and is injected means, for admixing said cooled exhaust gas stream through conduit 32 into the hydrogen cylinders. At this with air and with said hydrogen; time all cylinders are ignited and producing power. an electrical current generating means for generating Alternator 2 charges battery 4 to maintain starting at least a portion of said electrical current; and and other engine basic functions. conducting means for conducting said portion of said What is claimed is: electrical current from said electrical current gen 1. An apparatus comprising: 65 erating means to said electrolysis means, a combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders, a said combustion engine being drivingly associatable first portion of said cylinders being operable for with said electrical current generating means such burning a hydrocarbon fuel to produce an exhaust that the operation of said combustion engine will

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cause said electrical current generating means to admixing said cooled exhaust gas stream with air and generate said portion of said electrical current. with said hydrogen to form an exhaust gas/air/hy 10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein: drogen mixture and said first portion of said cylinders consists of at least delivering said exhaust gas/air/hydrogen mixture to one of said cylinders and 5 said second portion of said cylinders for combus said second portion of said cylinders consists of the tion in accordance with step (c). remainder of said cylinders. 17. A method of operating a combustion engine, said 11. A method of operating a combustion engine, said combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders, com combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders, com prising the steps of:

prising the steps of: O (a) combusting a hydrocarbon fuel in a first portion of (a) combusting a hydrocarbon fuel in a first portion of said cylinders whereby an exhaust gas is produced; said cylinders whereby an exhaust gas is produced; (b) generating hydrogen from water by electrolysis (b) cooling at least a portion of said exhaust gas to using an electrical current; provide a cooled exhaust gas stream; and (c) generating at least a portion of said electrical (c) combusting a mixture comprising said cooled 15 current used in step (b) using an electrical current exhaust gas stream, hydrogen, and oxygen in a generating means which is driven by said combus second portion of said cylinders. tion engine;

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said first portion (d) admixing at least a portion of said exhaust gas of said cylinders consists of at least one of said cylinders with air and with said hydrogen to form an exhaust and said second portion of said cylinders consists of the 20 gas/air/hydrogen mixture; and remainder of said cylinders. (e) combusting said exhaust gas/air/hydrogen mix 13. The method of claim 11 wherein said exhaust gas ture in a second portion of said cylinders. produced in step (a) comprises carbon monoxide. 18. The method of claim 17 wherein said first portion 14. The method of claim 11 further comprising the of said cylinders consists of at least one of said cylinders step of generating said hydrogen from water by elec- 25 and said second portion of said cylinders consists of the trolysis using an electrical current. remainder of said cylinders. 15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the 19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of generating at least a portion of said electrical step, prior to step (d), of cooling said portion of said current using an electrical current generating means exhaust gas.

which is driven by said combustion engine. 30 20. The method of claim 19 wherein said exhaust gas 16. The method of claim 11 further comprising the produced in step (a)skcomprises k : k carbon

monoxide.

steps of: