Computer controlled sonic fuel system

Claim 2

A sonic fuel system for providing fuel from a fuel source to the air stream to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine comprising fuel input means connected to provide fuel from said fuel source, sonic means for receiving fuel from said fuel input means and providing a fuel dispersion to said airstream, said sonic means including transducer means having an active surface for producing sonic wave energy, power concentrator means secured to the active surface of said transducer means and having a concentrator active surface which is of a smaller area than the area of the active surface of the transducer means spaced from the active surface of said transducer means, said power concentrator means operating to concentrate the sonic wave energy from the active surface of said transducer means at said concentrator active surface and including an elongate body portion extending from a base portion secured to the active surface of said transducer means to a terminal end portion spaced therefrom, said terminal end portion including said concentrator active surface, the elongate body portion of said power concentrator means including a tapered section, a first, substantially cylindircal end section extending between said tapered section and the terminal end portion of said power concentrator means, and a second substantially cylindrical end section which is larger in diameter than said first end section extending between said tapered section and the base portion of said power concentrator means, and mounting means for mounting said sonic means with the terminal end portion of said power concentrator means adjacent the path of said airstream.

Claim 3

The sonic fuel system of claim 1 wherein said transducer means has a resonant frequency, said second substantially cylindrical end section being formed to one quarter wavelength with respect to the resonant frequency of said transducer means and the combination of said tapered section and said first, substantially cylindrical end section being formed to one quarter wavelength with respect to the resonant frequency of said transducer means.

Claim 4

A sonic fuel system for providing fuel from a fuel source to the air stream to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine comprising fuel input means connected to provide fuel from said fuel source, sonic means for receiving fuel from said fuel input means and providing a fuel dispersion to said airstream, said sonic means including transducer means having an active surface for producing sonic wave energy, power concentrator means secured to the active surface of said transducer means and having a concentrator active surface spaced from the active surface of said transducer means, said power concentrator means operating to concentrate the sonic wave energy from the active surface of said transducer means at said concentrator active surface and including an elongate body portion extending from a base portion secured to the active surface of said transducer means to a terminal end portion spaced therefrom, said terminal end portion including said concentrator active surface, and mounting means for mounting said sonic means with the terminal end portion of said power concentrator means extending into said airstream, said fuel input means including at least two fuel injector nozzles positioned to direct fuel onto said concentrator active surface, said concentrator active surface including a first flat surface section to receive fuel from a first of said fuel injector nozzles and a second flat surface section to receive fuel from a second of said fuel injector nozzles, said first and second flat surface sections being inclined to form a central apex at the terminal end of said power concentrator means.

Claim 5

A sonic fuel system for providing fuel from a fuel source to the air stream to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine comprising fuel input means connected to provide fuel from said fuel source, sonic means for receiving fuel from said fuel input means and providing a fuel dispersion to said airstream, said sonic means including transducer means having an active surface for producing sonic wave energy, power concentrator means secured to the active surface of said transducer means and having a concentrator active surface spaced from the active surface of said transducer means, said power concentrator means operating to concentrate the sonic wave energy from the active surface of said transducer means at said concentrator active surface and including an elongate body portion extending from a base portion secured to the active surface of said transducer means to a terminal end portion spaced therefrom, said terminal end portion including said concentrator active surface, and mounting means for mounting said sonic means with the terminal end portion of said power concentrator means extending into said airstream, said fuel input means including at least two fuel injector nozzles positioned to direct fuel onto said concentrator active surface, said concentrator active surface including a first flat surface section to receive fuel from a first of said fuel injector nozzles and a second flat surface section to receive fuel from a second of said fuel injector nozzles, said first and second flat surface sections being inclined to form a central apex at the terminal end of said power concentrator means.

Claim 6

In an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold, an air source for providing an airstream for entry into said intake manifold and a fuel source for said internal combustion engine, a fuel system for providing fuel from said fuel source to the airstream for the intake manifold at a point before the intake manifold reaches the combustion area for said engine comprising fuel input means connected to supply fuel from said fuel source to said airstream at a point before said intake manifold reaches the combustion area of said engine, said fuel input means including fuel dispersion means having at least one fuel receiving surface mounted adjacent to the path of said airstream for receiving fuel and providing a fuel dispersion to said airstream and fuel directing means spaced from said fuel receiving surface for directing fuel onto said fuel receiving surface, said fuel dispersion means including sonic means including transducer means having an active surface for producing sonic wave energy, power concentrator means secured to the active surface of said transducer means and having a concentrator active surface spaced from the active surface of said transducer means which forms said fuel receiving surface, said power concentrator means operating to concentrate the sonic wave energy from the active surface of said transducer means at said concentrator active surface and including an elongate body portion extending from a base portion secured to the active surface of said transducer means to a terminal end portion spaced therefrom, said terminal end portion including the concentrator active surface, and mounting means for mounting said sonic means with the terminal end portion of said power concentrator means adjacent said airstream, said concentrator active surface being inclined away from an apex forming the terminus of the terminal end portion of said power concentrator means and inclined relative to said fuel input means so as to redirect fuel received from said fuel directing means toward the center of the airstream.

Claim 7

In an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold, an air source for providing an airstream for entry into said intake manifold and a fuel source for said internal combustion engine, a fuel system for providing fuel from said fuel source to the airstream for the intake manifold at a point before the intake manifold reaches the combustion area for said engine comprising fuel input means connected to supply fuel from said fuel source to said airstream at a point before said intake manifold reaches the combustion area of said engine, said fuel input means including fuel dispersion means having at least one fuel receiving surface mounted adjacent to the path of said airstream for receiving fuel and providing a fuel dispersion to said airstream and fuel directing means spaced from said fuel receiving surface for directing fuel onto said fuel receiving surface, said fuel dispersion means including sonic means including transducer means having an active surface for producing sonic wave energy, power concentrator means secured to the active surface of said transducer means and having a concentrator active surface spaced from the active surface of said transducer means which forms said fuel receiving surface, said power concentrator means operating to concentrate the sonic wave energy from the active surface of said transducer means at said concentrator active surface and including an elongate body portion extending from a base portion secured to the active surface of said transducer means to a terminal end portion spaced therefrom, said terminal end portion including the concentrator active surface, and mounting means for mounting said sonic means with the terminal end portion of said power concentrator means adjacent said airstream, said concentrator active surface being inclined away from an apex forming the terminus of the terminal end portion of said power concentrator means and inclined relative to said fuel input means so as to redirect fuel received from said fuel directing means toward the center of the airstream.

Claim 8

The fuel system of claim 4 wherein said mounting means mounts said fuel directing means and sonic means and is secured between the entrance to said intake manifold and the source for said airstream to the intake manifold, said mounting means including an open ended chamber positioned between said airstream source and the intake manifold for receiving the airstream from the source thereof and directing the airstream to the entrance of said intake manifold, said sonic means being mounted by said mounting means with said fuel receiving surface positioned within the chamber at a point adjacent the path of the airstream therethrough.

Claim 9

The fuel system of claim 5 wherein said mounting means is formed by a substantially flat plate, said chamber being defined by an opening formed in said plate and extending therethrough, and air diversion means mounted upon said plate above said fuel receiving surface to divert the airstream through said chamber relative to the fuel receiving surface.

Claim 10

The fuel system of claim 4 wherein said fuel directing means includes at least two fuel injector nozzles positioned to direct fuel onto said fuel receiving surface, said fuel receiving surface including a first flat surface section to receive fuel from a first of said fuel injector nozzles and a second flat surface section to receive fuel from a second of said fuel injector nozzles, said first and second flat surface sections being inclined to form a central apex extending toward said airstream.

Claim 11

The fuel system of claim 4 wherein said mounting means mounts said sonic means with the longitudinal axis of said power concentrator means extending toward said airstream in a plane which bisects the path of said airstream.

Claim 12

The fuel system of claim 4 wherein said fuel directing means includes at least one fuel injector nozzle positioned to direct fuel onto said concentrator active surface, said concentrator active surface being conical in configuration.

Claim 13

In an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold, an air source for providing an airstream for entry into said intake manifold and a fuel source for said internal combustion engine, a fuel system for providing fuel from said fuel source to the airstream for the intake manifold at a point before said intake manifold reaches the combustion area for said engine, comprising fuel input means connected to supply fuel from said fuel source to said airstream at a point before said intake manifold reaches the combustion area of said engine, said fuel input means including fuel dispersion means having at least one fuel receiving surface for receiving fuel and providing a fuel dispersion to said airstream, said fuel dispersion means being mounted at a point adjacent the path of said airstream, means for directing fuel onto said fuel receiving surface, said fuel directing means including at least two fuel injector nozzles, said fuel dispersion means including sonic means having transducer means with an active surface for producing sonic wave energy, power concentrator means secured to the active surface of said transducer means and having a concentrator active surface spaced from the active surface of said transducer means which forms said fuel receiving surface, said power concentrator means operating to concentrate the sonic wave energy from the active surface of said transducer means at said concentrator active surface and including an elongate body portion extending from a base portion secured to the active surface of said transducer means to a terminal end portion spaced therefrom, said terminal end portion including the concentrator active surface, and mounting means for mounting said fuel directing means and sonic means between the entrance to said intake manifold and the source for said airstream to the intake manifold, said mounting means including a substantially flat plate, an open ended chamber defined by an opening in said plate extending therethrough which is positioned between said airstream source and the intake manifold for receiving the airstream from the source thereof and directing the airstream to the entrance of said intake manifold, and air diversion means mounted upon said plate above said fuel receiving surface to divert the airstream through said chamber relative to said fuel receiving surface, said sonic means being mounted by said mounting means with the fuel receiving surface positioned within the chamber at a point adjacent the path of the airstream therethrough, said fuel receiving surface being angularly inclined relative to said fuel directing means to redirect fuel received from said fuel directing means toward the center of the airstream, the fuel receiving surface including a first flat surface section to receive fuel from a first of said fuel injector nozzles and a second flat surface section to receive fuel from a second of said fuel injector nozzles, said first and second flat surface sections being inclined to form a central apex extending toward said airstream.

Claim 14

In an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold, an air source for providing an airstream for entry into said intake manifold and a fuel source for said internal combustion engine, a fuel system for providing fuel from said fuel source to the airstream for the intake manifold at a point before said intake manifold reaches the combustion area for said engine, comprising fuel input means connected to supply fuel from said fuel source to said airstream at a point before said intake manifold reaches the combustion area of said engine, said fuel input means including fuel dispersion means having at least one fuel receiving surface for receiving fuel and providing a fuel dispersion to said airstream, said fuel dispersion means being mounted at a point adjacent the path of said airstream, means for directing fuel onto said fuel receiving surface, said fuel directing means including at least two fuel injector nozzles, said fuel dispersion means including sonic means having transducer means with an active surface for producing sonic wave energy, power concentrator means secured to the active surface of said transducer means and having a concentrator active surface spaced from the active surface of said transducer means which forms said fuel receiving surface, said power concentrator means operating to concentrate the sonic wave energy from the active surface of said transducer means at said concentrator active surface and including an elongate body portion extending from a base portion secured to the active surface of said transducer means to a terminal end portion spaced therefrom, said terminal end portion including the concentrator active surface, and mounting means for mounting said fuel directing means and sonic means between the entrance to said intake manifold and the source for said airstream to the intake manifold, said mounting means including a substantially flat plate, an open ended chamber defined by an opening in said plate extending therethrough which is positioned between said airstream source and the intake manifold for receiving the airstream from the source thereof and directing the airstream to the entrance of said intake manifold, and air diversion means mounted upon said plate above said fuel receiving surface to divert the airstream through said chamber relative to said fuel receiving surface, said sonic means being mounted by said mounting means with the fuel receiving surface positioned within the chamber at a point adjacent the path of the airstream therethrough, said fuel receiving surface being angularly inclined relative to said fuel directing means to redirect fuel received from said fuel directing means toward the center of the airstream, the fuel receiving surface including a first flat surface section to receive fuel from a first of said fuel injector nozzles and a second flat surface section to receive fuel from a second of said fuel injector nozzles, said first and second flat surface sections being inclined to form a central apex extending toward said airstream.