Patent US3792690A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3792690A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and system for open cycle operation of internal combustion engines
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1972-03-22
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Granted: 1974-02-19
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Expires: 1992-03-22
Abstract
Abstract A method and system for the open cycle operation of an internal combustion engine to achieve more complete combustion and increased efficiency, and to effectively reduce or eliminate harmful exhaust pollutants. A combustible charge is formed in a combustion chamber of the engine with a given ratio of hybrid air and fuel. The hybrid air is comprised essentially of oxygen from a diatomic oxygen source or in part by oxygen and in part by an oxygen diluent from the engine''s products of combustion. The system provides a fuel limited combustion process by establishing a stoichiometric excess of oxygen in the hybrid air of the combustion charge and with the oxygen diluent comprising essentially gaseous carbon dioxide, or a mixture of gaseous carbon dioxide and water, with little or no nitrogen. The combustion process is highly efficient and produces relatively little or no unburned fuel components, and relatively little or no nitrogen oxides, in the exhaust. In one embodiment a portion of the exhaust gases is diverted to produce the diluent which is then combined with diatomic oxygen to form hybrid air in a preset ratio to provide the stoichiometric excess of oxygen with respect to the fuel charge, and the hybrid air is then directed to the combustion chamber on a demand basis. In another embodiment the oxygen is first combined with fuel to form an oxygen/fuel mixture which is added to the exhaust product diluent in an intake manifold. In another embodiment an oxygen/fuel mixture is added to the exhaust product diluent in the combustion chamber. In another embodiment the rate of combustion is limited by providing a hybrid fuel which includes a fuel diluent. In another embodiment the oxygen source comprises a chemical process utilizing a reducing agent for combination with oxygen in atmospheric air by formation of an oxide, followed by an endothermic dissociation of the oxide to release the oxygen for storage under pressure. In another embodiment the oxygen source comprises a physical process which includes liquifying air to extract nitrogen therefrom by fractional distillation and returning the nitrogen to the atmosphere after transferring heat to it from the air being taken in for liquification.
Inventors
- 👤 T Cooper
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 14:17
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02B; F02B41/00; Y; Y02; Y02T; Y02T10/00; Y02T10/10; Y02T10/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
172 words
An open cycle method of operating an internal combustion engine system having means forming at least one combustion chamber, a source of liquid or gaseous fuel and having intake, compression, combustion and exhaust phases in its cycle, including the steps of separting oxygen from atmospheric air by chemical process using engine waste heat to provide a source of gaseous diatomic oxygen, forming a quantity of hybrid air free of nitrogen by combining said diatomic oxygen together with an oxygen diluent comprising carbon dioxide taken from a first portion of the products of combustion from said exhaust phase, combining a given charge of said fuel with a quantity of said hybrid air to form a combustion charge free of nitrogen and containing oxygen in an amount to completely combust said charge of fuel, and combusting said charge with said quantity of oxygen whereby the rate of combustion of said fuel charge and oxygen is limited by said oxygen diluent and the products of combustion from said system are substantially released during engine operation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
172 words
An open cycle method of operating an internal combustion engine system having means forming at least one combustion chamber, a source of liquid or gaseous fuel and having intake, compression, combustion and exhaust phases in its cycle, including the steps of separting oxygen from atmospheric air by chemical process using engine waste heat to provide a source of gaseous diatomic oxygen, forming a quantity of hybrid air free of nitrogen by combining said diatomic oxygen together with an oxygen diluent comprising carbon dioxide taken from a first portion of the products of combustion from said exhaust phase, combining a given charge of said fuel with a quantity of said hybrid air to form a combustion charge free of nitrogen and containing oxygen in an amount to completely combust said charge of fuel, and combusting said charge with said quantity of oxygen whereby the rate of combustion of said fuel charge and oxygen is limited by said oxygen diluent and the products of combustion from said system are substantially released during engine operation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
149 words
A method as in claim 1 in which said combustion rate is limited by forming and storing under pressure for use upon engine demand a quantity of hybrid air, said hybrid air being formed of said diatomic oxygen together at equal temperatures with said diluent carbon dioxide taken at a substantially constant volume ratio of said diatomic oxygen to diluent carbon dioxide effective to: a. form a stiochiometric excess of oxygen sufficient to completely combust the fuel in said combustion charge, said charge being formed at a substantially constant weight ratio of said fuel to hybrid air, said hybrid air being supplied to said combustion chamber prior to said compression phase, and b. supply sufficient diluent carbon dioxide to limit the rate of combustion of said fuel in said combustion charge substantially by the temporary thermal dissociation of said diluent during at least a portion of said combustion phase.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
74 words
A method as in claim 2 in which said combustion charge is formed of said fuel charge and said hybrid air which is inducted into said combustion chamber, and said combustion charge provides a stiochiometric excess of oxygen within the range of 0- 25 percent by weight of oxygen for completely combusting said charge of fuel, said excess of oxygen required being a function of the amount of diluent used in said combustion charge.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
77 words
A method as in claim 2 in which said first portion of the products of combustion is established at a temperatUre below the dew point of the water vapor of said first portion by passing the incoming atmospheric air for subsequent oxygen separation in heat exchange relationship with said first portion to preheat said atmospheric air and to substantially remove said water vapor whereby said diluent is comprised substantially of carbon dioxide gas together with excess oxygen.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as in claim 2 in which said hybrid air is compressed and accumulated following said exhaust phase, and said compressed hybrid air is directed into said combustion chamber with said fuel during the intake phase to form a combustion charge.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
78 words
A method as in claim 2 in which said products of combustion comprising substantially CO2 and H2O in gaseous form are largely removed during engine operation from said combustion chamber and passed in heat exchange relationship with parts of said source of diatomic oxygen and thereafter at least a portion of said gaseous carbon dioxide is separated from said first portion of said products of combustion and is combined with said diatomic oxygen to form said hybrid air.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as in claim 6 in which a flow of said hybrid air is directed to said combustion chamber at a predetermined upstream pressure upon engine demand, and said fuel charge is aspirated into said hybrid air flow.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as in claim 6 in which said hybrid air is compressed and stored, and said compressed hybrid air is directed to said combustion chamber upon engine demand at a predetermined pressure effective to supply the combustion requirements of said engine.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
225 words
An open cycle method of operating an internal combustion engine system having means forming at least one combustion chamber, a source of liquid or gaseous fuel and having intake, compression, combustion and exhaust phases in its cycle, including the steps of separating oxygen from atmospheric air to provide a source of diatomic oxygen including chemically combining the oxygen in a quantity of preheated atmospheric air under pressure with a reducing agent utilizing the energy of engine waste heat at least in part to form an oxide of said reducing agent capable of dissociating into constituents including diatomic oxygen, separating said oxide from said air, dissociating said oxide at a reduced pressure below said first mentioned pressure into constituents including diatomic oxygen whereby the latter forms said source of oxygen, forming a quantity of hybrid air by combining said diatomic oxygen together with an oxygen diluent comprising a first portion of the products of combustion from said exhaust phase, combining a given charge of said fuel with a quantity of said hybrid air to form a combustion charge containing oxygen an amount to substantially completely combust said charge of fuel, and combusting said charge with said quantity of oxygen whereby the rate of combustion of said fuel charge and oxygen is limited and the products of combustion from said system are substantially released during engine operation.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
225 words
An open cycle method of operating an internal combustion engine system having means forming at least one combustion chamber, a source of liquid or gaseous fuel and having intake, compression, combustion and exhaust phases in its cycle, including the steps of separating oxygen from atmospheric air to provide a source of diatomic oxygen including chemically combining the oxygen in a quantity of preheated atmospheric air under pressure with a reducing agent utilizing the energy of engine waste heat at least in part to form an oxide of said reducing agent capable of dissociating into constituents including diatomic oxygen, separating said oxide from said air, dissociating said oxide at a reduced pressure below said first mentioned pressure into constituents including diatomic oxygen whereby the latter forms said source of oxygen, forming a quantity of hybrid air by combining said diatomic oxygen together with an oxygen diluent comprising a first portion of the products of combustion from said exhaust phase, combining a given charge of said fuel with a quantity of said hybrid air to form a combustion charge containing oxygen an amount to substantially completely combust said charge of fuel, and combusting said charge with said quantity of oxygen whereby the rate of combustion of said fuel charge and oxygen is limited and the products of combustion from said system are substantially released during engine operation.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
88 words
A method as in claim 9 in which said reducing agent comprises a mercury in vapor form and said combining step includes combining said mercury vapor with oxygen of the atmospheric air preheated by the waste heat of engine exhaust products and exhaust nitrogen to form HgO, said dissociating step includes dissociation by high intensity electromagnetic radiation at reduced pressure and temperature into mercury and oxygen, said dissociated mercury is recycled for subsequent combination with oxygen from atmospheric air, and said dissociated oxygen forms said source of oxygen.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
58 words
A method as in claim 10 in which said atmospheric air is preheated to a temperature within the range of substantially 180* - 480* F, and said preheated air is combined with said mercury vapor within a temperature range of substantially 615* -1,800* F to form a mixture at a temperature below the evaporation temperature of said mercury.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method as in claim 10 in whiCh said high temperature products of combustion from the combustion chamber are directed in heat exchange relationship with said recycled mercury to provide at least a portion of the heat energy to form said mercury vapor.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method as in claim 10 in which the constituents of said atmospheric air remaining after separation of said oxide therefrom are directed, in that order, in heat exhange relationship with incoming atmospheric air to preheat the same prior to combiniation of the oxygen therein with said reducing agent.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
121 words
In an open cycle internal combustion engine system having intake, compression, combustion and exhaust phases in its cycle, means forming at least one combustion chamber, a source of fuel, means separating diatomic oxygen from atmospheric air by chemical process using engine waste heat, means to combine, prior to said combustion phase, a charge of said fuel with said diatomic oxygen in an amount to substantially completely combust said fuel charge in said combustion chamber, means to limit the rate of said combustion including means forming a combustion charge free of nitrogen and comprising said fuel charge and said oxygen together with an oxygen diluent combined prior to said compression phase, and means to exhaust the products of combustion during engine operation.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
121 words
In an open cycle internal combustion engine system having intake, compression, combustion and exhaust phases in its cycle, means forming at least one combustion chamber, a source of fuel, means separating diatomic oxygen from atmospheric air by chemical process using engine waste heat, means to combine, prior to said combustion phase, a charge of said fuel with said diatomic oxygen in an amount to substantially completely combust said fuel charge in said combustion chamber, means to limit the rate of said combustion including means forming a combustion charge free of nitrogen and comprising said fuel charge and said oxygen together with an oxygen diluent combined prior to said compression phase, and means to exhaust the products of combustion during engine operation.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
75 words
A system as in claim 14 in which said combustion rate limiting means includes means to form a quantity of hybrid air comprising said diatomic oxygen together with said oxygen diluent, said diluent being comprised of carbon dioxide taken from a first portion of the products of combustion from said exhaust phase, said hybrid air comprising a portion of said combustion charge and containing said diluent in sufficient quantity to limit the rate of combustion.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
81 words
A system as in claim 14 which includes means to compress and accumulate as nitrogen free hybrid air, said diluent taken from a first portion of the products of combustion following the exhaust phase of the engine together with said diatomic oxygen in an amount sufficient to completely combust said fuel charge, and means to direct a charge of said accumulated hybrid air combined with said fuel charge into said combustion chamber during the intake phase to form said combustion charge.
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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) | 1977-02-18 | 1977-08-20 | 1978-02-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-02-18 | 1981-08-20 | 1982-02-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-02-18 | 1985-08-20 | 1986-02-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |