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US4149853A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method and apparatus for improving fossil fuel combustion and related equipment

Assignee: Rigs Corp
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Filing: 1976-10-26
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Granted: 1979-04-17
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Expires: 1996-10-26
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Abstract

Abstract The efficiency of fossil fuel combustion equipment, such as engines, furnaces, boilers, and the like, is improved by introducing organic reactive intermediates to the air-fuel mixture prior to ignition. The presence of the reactive intermediates with the fuel improves the combustion reaction by an apparent alteration of the molecular structure of the fuel, resulting in a very high percentage of burning of the fuel. In one embodiment the reactive intermediates are generated from a suitable source compound, such as acetone, which is exposed to a source of ultraviolet radiation thereby converting the acetone into a short-lived, free radical. The short-lived, free radical is then converted into a longer-lived radical by combining it with heavier hydrocarbon molecules. The secondary free radicals are introduced to the air-fuel mixture in advance of the ignition point to improve the combustion reaction.

Inventors

  • 👤 Raymond C. DesMarais, Jr.
  • 👤 Ole A. Sandven

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 23:24
CPC Classifications
C; C10; C10L; C10L10/00; C10L10/10; C10L1/00; C10L1/10; C10L1/14; C10L10/02; C10L10/04; C10L10/06; F; F02; F02M; F02M25/00; C10L1/16; C10L1/1608; C10L1/18; C10L1/185; C10L1/1857; F02B; F02B1/00; F02B1/02; F02B1/04

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 83 words
The method of improving the combustion efficiency of fossil fuels, comprising the steps of a. irradiating an organic chemical with ultraviolet light to form free radicals, said chemical being of a class characterized by the formation of short-lived free radicals therefrom when irradiated by ultraviolet light, b. reacting said short-lived free radicals with relatively heavy hydrocarbons to produce long-lived free radicals therefrom, c. combining said long-lived free radicals with a fluid fossil fuel, and d. combusting said fuel and said long-lived free radicals.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 83 words
The method of improving the combustion efficiency of fossil fuels, comprising the steps of a. irradiating an organic chemical with ultraviolet light to form free radicals, said chemical being of a class characterized by the formation of short-lived free radicals therefrom when irradiated by ultraviolet light, b. reacting said short-lived free radicals with relatively heavy hydrocarbons to produce long-lived free radicals therefrom, c. combining said long-lived free radicals with a fluid fossil fuel, and d. combusting said fuel and said long-lived free radicals.
Claim 3
Independent Claim 75 words
The method of improving the combustion efficiency of fossil fuels, comprising the steps of (a) photochemically generating long-lived radicals, (b) combining said radicals with said fuels, and, (c) combusting said fuels and said radicals, said radicals being generated by exposing an ultraviolet light-absorbing organic compound to ultraviolet radiation to produce short-lived free radicals therefrom and then reacting said short-lived free radicals with relatively heavy hydrocarbons at ambient temperatures to produce said long-lived free radicals therefrom.
Claim 4
Independent Claim 75 words
The method of improving the combustion efficiency of fossil fuels, comprising the steps of (a) photochemically generating long-lived radicals, (b) combining said radicals with said fuels, and, (c) combusting said fuels and said radicals, said radicals being generated by exposing an ultraviolet light-absorbing organic compound to ultraviolet radiation to produce short-lived free radicals therefrom and then reacting said short-lived free radicals with relatively heavy hydrocarbons at ambient temperatures to produce said long-lived free radicals therefrom.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 27 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said organic chemical is selected from the group consisting of acetone, ethene, ethanol, 1, 3 butadiene and 1, 3, 5 hexatriene.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 20 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said heavy hydrocarbons are in the range of C 16 to C 20 .
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 18 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said ultraviolet light has a maximum peak of of approximately 280 nm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said heavy hydrocarbons are alkanes with carbon chains in the range of C 16 to C 20 .
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 30 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said fossil fuel is fluid mixed with air and said long-lived free radicals are combined with the air-fuel mixture prior to the ignition thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 31 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said long-lived free radicals are combined with said fuel in a ratio of approximately one part of long-lived free radicals to fourteen parts of fuel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 26 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said long-lived free radicals are selected from the class consisting of free radicals formed by the cleavage of covalent bonds.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2106661A Cited
US2176747A Cited
US2504361A Cited
US3791796A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1982-04-16 1982-10-16 1983-04-17 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1986-04-16 1986-10-16 1987-04-17 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1990-04-16 1990-10-16 1991-04-17 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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