US3778038A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for mixing and modulating liquid fuel and intake air for an internal combustion engine
Assignee: Dresser Industries Inc
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Filing: 1971-06-09
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Granted: 1973-12-11
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Expires: 1991-06-09
Abstract
Abstract A combustible mixture of air and minute fuel droplets is produced for supply to the cylinders of an internal combustion engine. This mixture is formed by accurately controlling both the atomization of fuel and the mass flow rate of air over substantially the entire operating range of the engine. These controls are accomplished by introducing liquid fuel into a stream of intake air and uniformly distributing the fuel in the air followed by passing the air and fuel mixture through a constricted zone to increase the velocity of the mixture to sonic. The sonic velocity air at the constricted zone divides the fuel into minute droplets that are uniformly entrained throughout the air stream. The area of the constricted zone and the quantity of fuel introduced are adjustably varied in correlation with operating demands imposed upon the engine. Downstream from the constricted sonic zone, the air and fuel mixture is accelerated to supersonic velocity in a supersonic zone without imparting substantial turbulent flow thereto. Thereafter the mixture is decelerated to subsonic velocity in a subsonic zone to produce a shock zone where the fuel droplets entrained in the air are believed to be further subdivided and uniformly distributed throughout the combustible mixture before the mixture is supplied to the engine cylinders. The supersonic and subsonic velocities occur in a gradually increasing cross-sectional area corresponding to that of a conical section having an apex angle in the range of about 6* to 18*. Operation of the engine with such a combustible mixture results in substantially reduced levels of undesirable exhaust emissions, and also permits operation of high compression ratio engines on relatively low octane fuel with good power and fuel economy characteristics. Additionally, misfire does not occur even when the engine is operated on relatively lean air-fuel ratios.
Inventors
- 👤 J Eversole
- 👤 L Berriman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 05:25
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02M; F02M9/00; F02M9/12; F02M9/127; F02M19/00; F02M19/08; F02M19/12; F02M19/124; F02M7/00; F02M7/12; F02M7/18; F02B; F02B1/00; F02B1/02; F02B1/04; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S261/00; Y10S261/56
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
188 words
A method for producing a combustible mixture of air and minute liquid fuel droplets uniformly distributed therethrough for delivery to an internal combustion engine comprising the steps of introducing liquid fuel into a stream of intake air, passing the air and fuel mixture in a substantially uniform distribution through a constricted zone to increase its velocity to sonic and thereby minutely divide and uniformly entrain the fuel as droplets throughout the air stream, varying the area of the constricted zone together with the quantity of fuel introduced into the intake air stream in correlation with operating demands imposed upon the engine for which mixture is produced, further increasing the velocity of the air and fuel mixture to supersonic immediately downstream from the constricted zone without imparting substantial turbulent flow to the air and fuel mixture, and then abruptly decreasing the velocity of the air and fuel mixture from supersonic to subsonic in a shock zone, and wherein the supersonic and subsonic velocities occur in a gradually increasing cross-sectional area corresponding to that of a conical section having an apex angle in the range of about 6* to 18*.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
188 words
A method for producing a combustible mixture of air and minute liquid fuel droplets uniformly distributed therethrough for delivery to an internal combustion engine comprising the steps of introducing liquid fuel into a stream of intake air, passing the air and fuel mixture in a substantially uniform distribution through a constricted zone to increase its velocity to sonic and thereby minutely divide and uniformly entrain the fuel as droplets throughout the air stream, varying the area of the constricted zone together with the quantity of fuel introduced into the intake air stream in correlation with operating demands imposed upon the engine for which mixture is produced, further increasing the velocity of the air and fuel mixture to supersonic immediately downstream from the constricted zone without imparting substantial turbulent flow to the air and fuel mixture, and then abruptly decreasing the velocity of the air and fuel mixture from supersonic to subsonic in a shock zone, and wherein the supersonic and subsonic velocities occur in a gradually increasing cross-sectional area corresponding to that of a conical section having an apex angle in the range of about 6* to 18*.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as in claim 1 including the step of maintaining the air flow through the constricted zone at sonic velocity throughout substantially The entire operating range of the engine.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as in claim 2 including maintaining a substantially constant air-to-fuel ratio throughout substantially the entire operating range of the engine.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as in claim 2 wherein the sonic velocity at the constricted zone is maintained in the engine operating range down at least to about 5 inches mercury vacuum.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein the air and fuel mixture downstream from the constricted zone flows through a gradually increasing cross-sectional area corresponding to that of a conical section having an apex angle in the range of about 8* to 12*.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein the liquid fuel is introduced into the stream of intake air in a substantially annular pattern with the intake air flowing concentrically through the annular pattern of fuel.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein the liquid fuel is introduced into the stream of intake air from a location generally concentric with the stream.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
220 words
A device for producing a uniform combustible mixture of air and minute liquid fuel droplets for delivery to an internal combustion engine comprising, in combination, means defining an intake air zone connecting with means defining a throat zone for constricting the flow of air to increase the velocity thereof, means for introducing liquid fuel into the air and uniformly distributing the fuel at or before the throat zone to minutely divide and uniformly entrain fuel as droplets in the air flowing through the throat zone, means for adjustably varying the area of the throat zone and controlling the rate of liquid fuel introduction in correlation with operating demands imposed upon the engine for which the mixture is produced, means defining a supersonic zone immediately downstream from the throat zone in which the mixture is accelerated to supersonic velocity, means defining a subsonic zone downstream from the supersonic zone in which the mixture is decelerated to subsonic velocity, and means defining a shock zone between the supersonic and subsonic zones, and wherein the means defining the supersonic and subsonic zones provide a gradually increasing cross-sectional area corresponding to that of a conical section having an apex angle in the range of about 6* to 18* whereby the kinetic energy of the air and fuel mixture is efficiently recovered as static pressure.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
220 words
A device for producing a uniform combustible mixture of air and minute liquid fuel droplets for delivery to an internal combustion engine comprising, in combination, means defining an intake air zone connecting with means defining a throat zone for constricting the flow of air to increase the velocity thereof, means for introducing liquid fuel into the air and uniformly distributing the fuel at or before the throat zone to minutely divide and uniformly entrain fuel as droplets in the air flowing through the throat zone, means for adjustably varying the area of the throat zone and controlling the rate of liquid fuel introduction in correlation with operating demands imposed upon the engine for which the mixture is produced, means defining a supersonic zone immediately downstream from the throat zone in which the mixture is accelerated to supersonic velocity, means defining a subsonic zone downstream from the supersonic zone in which the mixture is decelerated to subsonic velocity, and means defining a shock zone between the supersonic and subsonic zones, and wherein the means defining the supersonic and subsonic zones provide a gradually increasing cross-sectional area corresponding to that of a conical section having an apex angle in the range of about 6* to 18* whereby the kinetic energy of the air and fuel mixture is efficiently recovered as static pressure.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
A device as in claim 8 wherein the throat zone is substantially in the form of a uniform annular orifice.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
A device as in claim 9 wherein the inside circumference of the orifice is defined by an axially movable member having a substantially circular cross-section located concentrically in the intake air zone.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
A device as in claim 9 wherein the means for introducing liquid fuel includes means for distributing liquid fuel in a substantially uniform annular pattern.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
A device as in claim 11 wherein the means for introducing liquid fuel includes an annular opening in the intake air zone upstream of the throat zone.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
A device as in claim 10 wherein the means for introducing liquid fuel includes a movable valve element operative concomitantly with the means for adjustably varying the area of the throat zone.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
A device as in claim 13 wherein the means for introducing a liquid fuel includes means for adjusting the quantity of fuel introduced for a given position of the axially movable member.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
56 words
A device as in claim 8 wherein the means defining the supersonic and subsonic zones provide a gradually increasing cross-sectional area corresponding to that of a conical section having an apex angle in the range of about 8* to 12* whereby the kinetic energy of the air and fuel mixture is efficiently recovered as static pressure.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
203 words
A device for supplying a uniform combustible mixture of liquid fuel and air to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine comprising, in combination, means defining an intake air zone connecting with means deFining a throat zone for constricting the flow of air to increase the velocity thereof, fuel delivery means for introducing liquid fuel into the air at or above the throat zone, wall means downstream of the throat zone arranged to provide a gradually increasing cross-sectional area corresponding to that of a conical section having an apex angle in the range of about 6* to 18* for efficiently recovering a substantial portion of the kinetic energy of the high velocity air and fuel as static pressure whereby the velocity of the air through the throat zone is sonic over a wide range of intake manifold conditions, means for adjustably varying the area of the throat zone in correlation with operating demands imposed upon the engine, and means for controlling the rate of fuel delivered into the air in direct proportion to the area of the throat zone whereby the air-to-fuel ratio of the mixture supplied to the intake manifold remains substantially constant over a wide range of intake manifold conditions.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
203 words
A device for supplying a uniform combustible mixture of liquid fuel and air to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine comprising, in combination, means defining an intake air zone connecting with means deFining a throat zone for constricting the flow of air to increase the velocity thereof, fuel delivery means for introducing liquid fuel into the air at or above the throat zone, wall means downstream of the throat zone arranged to provide a gradually increasing cross-sectional area corresponding to that of a conical section having an apex angle in the range of about 6* to 18* for efficiently recovering a substantial portion of the kinetic energy of the high velocity air and fuel as static pressure whereby the velocity of the air through the throat zone is sonic over a wide range of intake manifold conditions, means for adjustably varying the area of the throat zone in correlation with operating demands imposed upon the engine, and means for controlling the rate of fuel delivered into the air in direct proportion to the area of the throat zone whereby the air-to-fuel ratio of the mixture supplied to the intake manifold remains substantially constant over a wide range of intake manifold conditions.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
52 words
A device as in claim 16 wherein the wall means provides a gradually increasing cross-sectional area corresponding to that of a conical section having an apex angle in the range of about 8* to 12* degrees whereby the kinetic energy of the air and fuel mixture is efficiently recovered as static pressure.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-12-10 | 1977-06-11 | 1977-12-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-12-10 | 1981-06-11 | 1981-12-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-12-10 | 1985-06-11 | 1985-12-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |