Hydrogen fuel system for a vehicle

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Drawing sheet — no readable text.

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HYDROGEN FUEL SYSTEM FOR A 4 to reactor 5 containing the catalyst and is converted to VEHICLE acetic ether and hydrogen. The acetic ether passes through conduit 7 to storage tank 8.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The hydrogen gas 10 from the gas tank goes to engine 12,

The field of the invention is a hydrogen fuel system for a is mixed with the air 11, becomes water vapor 13, which vehicle powered by an engine. goes to the heat eXchanger 3 where it vaporizes the incoming alcohol.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART The System is operable when the engine is running. The Various proposals have been made utilizing hydrogen as catalyst used here is a special Solid catalyst CuAIZnzr; with a fuel. the following chemical reaction, the alcohol will become U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,709 discloses a hydrogen fuel system hydrogen and acetic ether:

by using an electrolyzer and D.C. power Supply.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,202,195 discloses a way of releasing 15 hydrogen on contact with water in a highly exothermic There is no waste in this reaction. reaction.

The catalyst can be used continually for a half year

U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,6117 discloses a hydrogen generator without being refilled. The reaction can be done within 10 for hydrolyzing hydrides. Seconds. The reaction condition can be easily controlled and U.S. Pat. No. 3,836,553 discloses a dehydrogenating of achieved at about 230to 250 C. and 0.3 to 0.5 MPa. alcohol to aldehyde or ketones, it does not produce hydrogen preSSure.

gaS. The main advantage of the System 5 is generating hydro U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,446 discloses a dehydrogenating of gen in a Self contained reactor which only needs a refilling alcohol to aldehyde or ketones, it does not produce hydrogen of the catalyst periodically. gaS. 25 I claim:

The hydrogen fuel System of the present invention pro 1. A System for powering a vehicle, Said System being vides hydrogen gas to the engine on the vehicle and does not mounted on the vehicle and comprising: need frequent replacement of the catalyst for the chemical a first tank for Storing alcohol, reactOr.

a heat eXchanger means communicating with Said first

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION tank for vaporizing alcohol from Said first tank, Said heat eXchanger means operably constructed to absorb

This invention is directed toward a system including an heat from water vapor to vaporize Said alcohol; engine mounted on a vehicle and operates when the engine reactor means containing a catalyst for receiving Said is running to generate hydrogen that powers the vehicle. The 35 Vaporized alcohol and converting Said vaporized alco System includes a gas tank, a chemical reactor with a hol to hydrogen gas and acetic ether; catalyst, a heat eXchanger, a tank for Storing alcohol and a tank for Storing acetic ether. Alcohol from the alcohol Second tank means for receiving and Storing Said acetic Storage tank reacts with a catalyst in the heat eXchanger to ether;

produce acetic ether, which is Stored in the acetic ether tank, 40 third tank means for receiving and Storing Said hydrogen and hydrogen which is used to power the engine. gaS, engine means for receiving Said hydrogen gas from Said

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING third tank means and combusting Said hydrogen with FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of one embodiment 45 air to drive said vehicle and produce heated water Vapor, of the hydrogen fuel System of the present invention.

conduit means for Supplying Said heated water vapor to

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED Said heat eXchanger providing that liquid alcohol enter EMBODIMENT ing Said heat eXchanger is vaporized by Said heat eXchanger.

Referring now to the drawing in detail one embodiment of 50 2. The System of claim 1 wherein Said catalyst is a the hydrogen fuel System of the present invention is Sche CuAIZnzr compound.

matically illustrated in FIG. 1 and generally identified by 3. The system of claim 2 wherein the chemical reaction reference numeral 5. The system 5 is mounted on a vehicle that takes place in converting alcohol to hydrogen gas and (not shown) and includes an engine 12, a tank 9 for storing acetic ether in the reactor takes place in a range of tempera hydrogen gas, a heat eXchanger 2, a tank 1 for Storing 55 ture of 230 to 250 centigrade and a range of pressure of 0.3 alcohol and a tank 8, for Storing acetic ether. to 0.5 MPa.

Alcohol flows from tank 1 through conduit 2 to the heat eXchanger 3. The vaporized alcohol passes through conduit