US3855980A — Fuel systems for engines

Claim 1

Independent Claim 127 words

A combination of a combustion engine with means for the introduction of fuel into the engine for burning and operation of the engine, said means comprising a fuel tank containing fuel of relatively low octane number, means for passage of the fuel through a hydrocarbon catalytic converter operated at temperatures above about 600*F. and means for passage of the effluent from the hydrocarbon catalytic converter into the engine for burning, said catalytic converter containing a crystalline aluminosilicate catalyst having a pore structure that has a shape selective preference for admitting linear hydrocarbons over hydrocarbons of other structural classes and having an alpha value of at least 5, wherein the relatively low octane number fuel is converted into relatively high octane number fuel for operation of the engine.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 127 words

A combination of a combustion engine with means for the introduction of fuel into the engine for burning and operation of the engine, said means comprising a fuel tank containing fuel of relatively low octane number, means for passage of the fuel through a hydrocarbon catalytic converter operated at temperatures above about 600*F. and means for passage of the effluent from the hydrocarbon catalytic converter into the engine for burning, said catalytic converter containing a crystalline aluminosilicate catalyst having a pore structure that has a shape selective preference for admitting linear hydrocarbons over hydrocarbons of other structural classes and having an alpha value of at least 5, wherein the relatively low octane number fuel is converted into relatively high octane number fuel for operation of the engine.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 26 words

A combination according to claim 1 wherein the fuel, after conversion in the hydrocarbon catalytic converter, is combined with air prior to introduction into the engine.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 33 words

A combination according to claim 2 wherein the hydrocarbon catalytic converter is operated at a temperature between about 600*-15,000*F. and the catalyst is regenerated with air to prolong the life of the catalyst.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 27 words

A combination according to claim 3 wherein the catalytic converter is disposed within the exhaust of an internal combustion engine and is heated by the exhaust gases.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 36 words

A combination according to claim 4 wherein the effluent from the catalytic converter is introduced directly into the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine in combination with air to obviate the requirement for a carburetor.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 18 words

A combination according to claim 5 wherein the catalyst is a crystalline aluminosilicate catalyst of the ZSM-5 type.

Claim 8

Independent Claim 102 words

A method of operation of a combustion engine which comprises passing a relatively low octane number fuel through a hydrocarbon catalytic converter containing a crystalline aluminosilicate catalyst of the ZSM-5 type operated at a temperature of about 600*-1,500*F. a space velocity of 50-200 liquid volumes of fuel per volume of catalyst per hour wherein the low octane number fuel is catalytically converted into relatively high octane number fuel by the shape selective preference of said catalyst for admitting linear hydrocarbons during long operating cycles, and passing the resulting effluent into the intake manifold of a combustion engine for operation of the engine.

Claim 9

Independent Claim 102 words

A method of operation of a combustion engine which comprises passing a relatively low octane number fuel through a hydrocarbon catalytic converter containing a crystalline aluminosilicate catalyst of the ZSM-5 type operated at a temperature of about 600*-1,500*F. a space velocity of 50-200 liquid volumes of fuel per volume of catalyst per hour wherein the low octane number fuel is catalytically converted into relatively high octane number fuel by the shape selective preference of said catalyst for admitting linear hydrocarbons during long operating cycles, and passing the resulting effluent into the intake manifold of a combustion engine for operation of the engine.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 26 words

A method according to claim 7 wherein the fuel, after conversion in the hydrocarbon catalytic converter, is combined with air prior to introduction into the engine.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 33 words

A method according to claim 8 wherein the hydrocarbon catalytic converter is operated at a temperature between about 900*-1000*F. and the catalyst is regenerated with air to prolong the life of the catalyst.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 23 words

A method according to claim 9 wherein the catalytic converter is heated by indirect ''''heat exhange'''' with the exhaust gases from the engine.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 36 words

A method according to claim 10 wherein the effluent from the catalytic converter is introduced directly into the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine in combination with air to obviate the requirement for a carburetor.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 31 words

A method According to claim 8 wherein the hydrocarbon catalytic converter is operated at a temperature of at least 900*F. and the catalyst has an alpha value of at least 5,000.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 129 words

In a method of operating an internal combustion engine which comprises contacting a liquid hydrocarbon fuel in the absence of air with a catalyst in a catalytic converter under hydrocarbon-cracking conditions and mixing the lower boiling hydrocarbons formed with air and passing said hydrocarbons into the fuel inlet of said internal combustion engine, the improvement comprising using a crystalline aluminosilicate catalyst of the ZSM-5 type, said aluminosilicate having a composition in terms of mole ratios of oxides as follows: 0.9 + or - 0.2 M2/n O:Al2O3:5-100 SiO2:zH2O wherein M is at least one cation having a valence n selected from the group of alkylammonium, ammonium, hydrogen and mixtures thereof and z is between 0 and 40, said aluminosilicate having the X-ray diffraction lines of Table 1 of the specification.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 129 words

In a method of operating an internal combustion engine which comprises contacting a liquid hydrocarbon fuel in the absence of air with a catalyst in a catalytic converter under hydrocarbon-cracking conditions and mixing the lower boiling hydrocarbons formed with air and passing said hydrocarbons into the fuel inlet of said internal combustion engine, the improvement comprising using a crystalline aluminosilicate catalyst of the ZSM-5 type, said aluminosilicate having a composition in terms of mole ratios of oxides as follows: 0.9 + or - 0.2 M2/n O:Al2O3:5-100 SiO2:zH2O wherein M is at least one cation having a valence n selected from the group of alkylammonium, ammonium, hydrogen and mixtures thereof and z is between 0 and 40, said aluminosilicate having the X-ray diffraction lines of Table 1 of the specification.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 21 words

The process according to claim 13 wherein said hydrocarbon fuel is a hydrocarbon fraction boiling in the 100* to 700*F. range.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 13 words

The process according to claim 13 wherein said fuel is an unleaded gasoline.

Claim 19

Independent Claim 160 words

A method of operating an internal combustion engine which comprises: a. selecting a hydrocarbon fuel boiling in the range of 100*-700*F., b. contacting said fuel with a catalyst in the absence of air in a catalytic converter heated to about 500* to 1,500*F. to convert a substantial portion of said fuel to gaseous hydrocarbons having about one to five carbon atoms in the molecule, said catalyst comprising a crystalline aluminosilicate catalyst of the ZSM-5 type, said aluminosilicate having a composition in terms of mole ratios of oxides as follows: 0.9 + or - 0.2 M2/n O:Al2O3:5-100 SiO2:zH2O wherein M is at least one cation having a valence n selected from the group of alkylammonium, ammonium, hydrogen and mixtures thereof and z is between 0 and 40, said aluminosilicate having the X-ray diffraction lines of Table 1 of the specification; and c. mixing said hydrocarbons with air and passing said mixture into the fuel intake system of said internal combustion engine.

Claim 20

Independent Claim 160 words

A method of operating an internal combustion engine which comprises: a. selecting a hydrocarbon fuel boiling in the range of 100*-700*F., b. contacting said fuel with a catalyst in the absence of air in a catalytic converter heated to about 500* to 1,500*F. to convert a substantial portion of said fuel to gaseous hydrocarbons having about one to five carbon atoms in the molecule, said catalyst comprising a crystalline aluminosilicate catalyst of the ZSM-5 type, said aluminosilicate having a composition in terms of mole ratios of oxides as follows: 0.9 + or - 0.2 M2/n O:Al2O3:5-100 SiO2:zH2O wherein M is at least one cation having a valence n selected from the group of alkylammonium, ammonium, hydrogen and mixtures thereof and z is between 0 and 40, said aluminosilicate having the X-ray diffraction lines of Table 1 of the specification; and c. mixing said hydrocarbons with air and passing said mixture into the fuel intake system of said internal combustion engine.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 12 words

The process according to claim 16 wherein the fuel is lead free.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 19 words

The process according to claim 16 wherein the fuel is fed to said internal combustion engine through a carburetor.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-12-23	1978-06-24	1978-12-24	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-12-23	1982-06-24	1982-12-24	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-12-23	1986-06-24	1986-12-24	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Fuel systems for engines

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