Method and apparatus for controlling the ratio of gases in a mixture

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1, wherein said comparing step is further comprised of the step of passing said second part of said first gas and the mixture of said first part of said first gas and said second gas through a heat exchanger to equalize the temperature between said second part of said first gas and the mixture of said first part of said first gas and said second gas.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 2, wherein the temperature of said first and second gases are constant and subsequent to passing the constituents of said first and second gases said comparing step is further comprised of the steps of: a. converting said second part of said first gas to a first signal at a first frequency which is proportional to the molecular weight of said second part of said first gas; b. converting the mixture of said first part of said first gas and said second gas to a second signal at a second frequency which is proportional to the molecular weight of the mixture of said first part of said first gas and said second gas; c. detecting the difference between said first frequency and said second frequency of said respective first and second signals; d. converting the detected difference frequency to an analog signal proportional to said difference frequency; and e. comparing said analog signal with a reference signal to produce a control signal for controlling the percentage by weight of said second gas within the mixture of said second gas and said first part of said first gas.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 2, wherein subsequent to the passing of the constituents of said first and second gases through said heat exchanger, said comparing step is further comprised of the steps of: a. generating a first signal at a first frequency proportional to the molecular weight of said second part of said first gas; b. generating a second signal at a second frequency proportional to the molecular weight of the mixture of said first part of said first gas and said second gas, the frequencies oF said respective first and second signals being equal at the desired percentages by weight of said first and second gases in the mixture; c. converting said first signal to a first analog signal proportional to said first frequency; d. converting said second signal to a second analog signal proportional to said second frequency; and e. comparing said first and second analog signals to produce a change in a control signal only when adjustment in the percentage by weight of said second gas within the mixture of said second gas and said first part of said first gas is required.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 2, wherein subsequent to the passing of the constituents of said first and second gases through said heat exchanger, said comparing step further comprises the steps of: a. generating first and second fluidic signals at a first frequency proportional to the molecular weight of said second part of said first gas, said first signal being 180* out of phase with said second signal; b. feeding the mixture of said first part of said first gas and said second gas into a variable volume resonator cavity, the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity being proportional to the molecular weight of the mixture of said first part of said first gas and said second gas and the volume of said resonator cavity, the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity being equal to the frequency of said first and second generated signals when the percentages by weight of said first and second gases are at their desired values; c. delaying the phase of said first generated signal by 90*; d. passing said second generated signal through and out of said resonator cavity to shift the phase of said second generated signal only when the frequency of said second generated signal is unequal to the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity; and e. comparing the phase of the delayed first generated signal with the phase of said second generated signal after said second generated signal has passed through said resonator cavity to produce an output signal for controlling the adjustment of the percentage by weight of said second gas within said first part of said first gas when the frequency of said first and second generated signals are unequal to the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 2, wherein subsequent to the passing of the constituents of said first and second gases through said heat exchanger, said comparing step further comprises the steps of: a. generating first and second fluidic signals at a first frequency proportional to the molecular weight of the mixture of said first part of said first gas and said second gas, said first signal being 180* out of phase with said second signal; b. feeding said second part of said first gas into a variable volume resonator cavity, the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity being proportional to the molecular weight of said second part of said first gas and the volume of said resonator cavity, the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity being equal to the frequency of said first and second generated signals when the percentages by weight of said first and second gases are at their desired values; c. delaying the phase of said first generated signal by 90*; d. passing said second generated signal through and out of said resonator cavity to shift the phase of said second generated signal only when the frequency of said second generated signal is unequal to the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity; and e. comparing the phase of the delayed first generated signal with the phase of said second generated signal after said second generated signal has passed through said resonator cavity to produce an output signal for controlling the adjustment of the percentage by weight of said second gas within said first part of said first gas when the frequency of said first and second generated signals are unequal to the rEsonent frequency of said resonator cavity.

Claim 10

An apparatus for controlling the percentages by weight of at least a first and a second gas in a mixture according to claim 7, wherein said comparing means is further comprised of a heat exchanger for equalizing the temperature between said second part of said first gas and the mixture of said first part of said first gas and said second gas as the gaseous constituents are received from said separating means and pass through said heat exchanger.

Claim 11

An apparatus for controlling the percentages by weight of at least a first and a second gas in a mixture according to claim 8, wherein the temperature of said first and second gases are constant, and subsequent to passing the constituents of said first and second gases through said heat exchanger, said comparing means is further comprised of: a. means coupled to said heat exchanger for converting said second part of said first gas to a first signal at a first frequency which is proportional to the molecular weight of the second part of said first gas; b. means coupled to said heat exchanger for converting the mixture of said first part of said first gas and said second gas to a second signal at a second frequency which is proportional to the molecular weight of the mixture of said first part of said first gas and said second gas; c. means for detecting the differenc between said first frequency and said second frequency of said respective first and second signals; d. means for converting the detected difference frequency to an analog signal proportional to said difference frequency; and e. means for comparing said analog signal with a reference signal to produce a control signal for controlling the percentage by weight of said second gas within the mixture of said second gas and said first part of said first gas.

Claim 12

An apparatus for controlling the percentages by weight of a first and a second gas in a mixture according to claim 8, wherein subsequent to the passing of the constituents of said first and second gases through said heat exchanger, said comparing means is further comprised of: a. means coupled to said heat exchanger for generating a first signal at a first frequency proportional to the molecular weight of said second part of said first gas; b. means coupled to said heat exchanger for generating a second signal at a second frequency proportional to the molecular weight of the mixture of said first part of said first gas and said second gas, the frequencies of said respective first and second signals being equal at the desired percentages be weight of said first and second gases in the mixture; c. means for converting said first signal to a first analog signal proportional to said first frequency; d. means for converting said second signal to a second analog signal proportional to said second frequency; and e. means for comparing said first and second analog signals to produce a change in a contrOl signal only when adjustment in the percentage by weight of said second gas within the mixture of said second gas and said first part of said first gas is required.

Claim 13

An apparatus for controlling the percentages by weight of a first and a second gas in a mixture according to claim 8, wherein subsequent to the passing of the constituents of said first and second gases through said heat exchanger, said comparing means further comprises: a. means coupled to said heat exchanger for generating first and second signals at a first frequency proportional to the molecular weight of said second part of said first gas, said first signal being 180* out of phase with said second signal; b. a variable volume resonator cavity for receiving the mixture of said first part of said first gas and said second gas from said heat exchanger, the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity being proportional to the molecular weight of the mixture of said first part of said first gas and said second gas and the volume of said resonator cavity, the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity being equal to the frequency of said first and second generated signals when the percentages by weight of said first and second gases are at their desired values; c. means coupled to said generating means for delaying the phase of said first generated signal by 90*; d. means coupled to said generating means for passing said second generated signal through and out of said resonator cavity to shift the phase of said second generated signal only when the frequency of said second generated signal is unequal to the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity; and e. a phase discriminator for comparing the phase of the delayed first generated signal with the phase of said second generated signal after said second generated signal has passed through said resonator cavity to produce an output signal for controlling the adjustment of the percentage by weight of said second gas within said first part of said first gas when the frequency of said first and second generated signals are unequal to the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity.

Claim 14

An apparatus for controlling the percentages by weight of a first and a second gas in a mixture according to claim 8, wherein subsequent to the passing of the constituents of said first and second gases through said heat exchanger, said comparing means further comprises: a. means coupled to said heat exchanger for generating first and second signals at a first frequency proportional to the molecular weight of the mixture of said first part of said first gas and said second gas, said first signal being 180* out of phase with said second signal; b. a variable volume resonator cavity for receiving said second part of said first gas from said heat exchanger, the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity being proportional to the molecular weight of said second part of said first gas and the volume of said resonator cavity, the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity being equal to the frequency of said first and second generated signals when the percentages by weight of said first and second gases are at their desired values; c. means coupled to said generating means for delaying the phase of said first generated signal by 90*; d. means coupled to said generating means for passing said second generated signal through and out of said resonator cavity to shift the phase of said second generated signal only when the frequency of said second generated signal is unequal to the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity; and e. a phase discriminator for comparing the phase of the delayed first generated signal with the phase of said second generated signal after said second generated signal has passed through said resonator cavity to produce an output signal for controlling the adjustment of the percentage by weight of said second gas within said first part of said first gas when the frequency of said firsT and second generated signals are unequal to the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity.

Claim 15

A carburetor for controlling the fuel to air ratio by weight of a mixture of vaporized fuel and air to be fed into an internal combustion engine, comprising: a. first and second flow paths for separating the air into first and second parts by weight; b. means for feeding the vaporized fuel into said first flow path to mix the first part of the air with vaporized fuel; c. a heat exchanger for equalizing the temperature of a representative portion by volume of the second part of the air with a representative portion by weight of the mixture of the first part of the air and the vaporized fuel; d. a variable volume resonator cavity for receiving from said heat exchanger the representative portion of the mixture of the first part of the air and the vaporized fuel, said resonator cavity having a resonant frequency proportional to the molecular weight of the mixture of the first part of the air and the vaporized fuel and to the volume of said resonator cavity; e. means coupled to the output of said heat exchanger for generating first and second fluidic signals at a first frequency proportional to the molecular weight of the representative portion of the second part of the air, the respective first and second generated signals being 180* out of phase with one another; f. means for delaying the phase of the first generated signal by 90*; g. means for passing the second generated signal through and out of said resonator cavity to shift the phase of the second generated signal only when the frequency of the second generated signal is unequal to the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity; and h. a phase discriminator for comparing the delayed first generated signal with the second generated signal after the second generated signal has passed through said resonator cavity to produce a control signal for adjusting the feed of the vaporized fuel into said first flow path only when the frequency of the second generated signal is unequal to the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity to thereby obtain the desired fuel to air ratio by weight for the gaseous mixture to be fed to the internal combustion engine.

Claim 16

A carburetor for controlling the fuel to air ratio by weight of a mixture of vaporized fuel and air to be fed into an internal combustion engine, comprising: a. first and second flow paths for separating the air into first and second parts by weight; b. means for feeding the vaporized fuel into said first flow path to mix the first part of the air with vaporized fuel; c. a heat exchanger for equalizing the temperature of a representative portion by volume of the second part of the air with a representative portion by weight of the mixture of the first part of the air and the vaporized fuel; d. a variable volume resonator cavity for receiving from said heat exchanger the representative portion of the mixture of the first part of the air and the vaporized fuel, said resonator cavity having a resonant frequency proportional to the molecular weight of the mixture of the first part of the air and the vaporized fuel and to the volume of said resonator cavity; e. means coupled to the output of said heat exchanger for generating first and second fluidic signals at a first frequency proportional to the molecular weight of the representative portion of the second part of the air, the respective first and second generated signals being 180* out of phase with one another; f. means for delaying the phase of the first generated signal by 90*; g. means for passing the second generated signal through and out of said resonator cavity to shift the phase of the second generated signal only when the frequency of the second generated signal is unequal to the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity; and h. a phase discriminator for comparing the delayed first generated signal with the second generated signal after the second generated signal has passed through said resonator cavity to produce a control signal for adjusting the feed of the vaporized fuel into said first flow path only when the frequency of the second generated signal is unequal to the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity to thereby obtain the desired fuel to air ratio by weight for the gaseous mixture to be fed to the internal combustion engine.

Claim 17

A carburetor for controlling the fuel to air ratio by weight of a mixture of vaporized fuel and air which is to be fed to an internal combustion engine, comprising: a. first and second flow paths for separating the air into first and second parts by weight; b. means for feeding vaporized fuel into said first flow path to mix the first part of the air with the vaporized fuel; c. a heat exchanger for equalizing the temperature of a representative portion by weight of the second part of the air with a representative portion by weight of the mixture of the first part of the air and the vaporized fuel; d. a variable volume resonator cavity for receiving from said heat exchanger the representative portion of the second part of the air, said resonator cavity having a resonant frequency proportional to the molecular weight of the second part of the air and the volume of said resonator cavity; e. means coupled to the output of said heat exchanger for generating first and second fluidic signals at a first frequency proportional to the molecular weight of the representative portion of the first part of the air and the vaporized fuel, the respective first and second generated signals being 180* out of phase with one another; f. means for delaying the phase of the first generated signal by 90*; g. means for passing the second generated signal through and out of said resonator cavity to shift the phase of the second generated signal only when the frequency of the second generated signal is unequal to the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity; and h. a phase discriminator for comparing the delayed first generated signal with the second generated signal after the second generaTed signal has passed through said resonator cavity to produce a control signal for adjusting the feed of the vaporized fuel into said first flow path only when the frequency of the second generated signal is unequal to the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity to thereby obtain the desired fuel to air ratio for the gaseous mixture to be fed to the internal combustion engine.

Claim 18

A carburetor for controlling the fuel to air ratio by weight of a mixture of vaporized fuel and air which is to be fed to an internal combustion engine, comprising: a. first and second flow paths for separating the air into first and second parts by weight; b. means for feeding vaporized fuel into said first flow path to mix the first part of the air with the vaporized fuel; c. a heat exchanger for equalizing the temperature of a representative portion by weight of the second part of the air with a representative portion by weight of the mixture of the first part of the air and the vaporized fuel; d. a variable volume resonator cavity for receiving from said heat exchanger the representative portion of the second part of the air, said resonator cavity having a resonant frequency proportional to the molecular weight of the second part of the air and the volume of said resonator cavity; e. means coupled to the output of said heat exchanger for generating first and second fluidic signals at a first frequency proportional to the molecular weight of the representative portion of the first part of the air and the vaporized fuel, the respective first and second generated signals being 180* out of phase with one another; f. means for delaying the phase of the first generated signal by 90*; g. means for passing the second generated signal through and out of said resonator cavity to shift the phase of the second generated signal only when the frequency of the second generated signal is unequal to the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity; and h. a phase discriminator for comparing the delayed first generated signal with the second generated signal after the second generaTed signal has passed through said resonator cavity to produce a control signal for adjusting the feed of the vaporized fuel into said first flow path only when the frequency of the second generated signal is unequal to the resonant frequency of said resonator cavity to thereby obtain the desired fuel to air ratio for the gaseous mixture to be fed to the internal combustion engine.