Method for the operation of internal combustion engines

Abstract

Abstract This is a method for the operation of internal combustion engines which is designed to decontaminate the exhaust gases. The method includes: feeding a gasification air stream into a gasification reactor; feeding fuel into the same gasification reactor; combining the fuel with the gasification air into a homogeneous fuel-air mixture in the gasification reactor; and converting the fuel-air mixture by partial combustion into a soot-free reformed gas. Then, the reformed gas is fed from the gasification reactor to a mixer where the reformed gas is mixed with combustion air and the reformed gas-air mixture is fed to the internal combustion engine for further combustion with the result that there is intensive decontamination of the exhaust gases which thereby reduces air pollution. The reformed gas temperature is adjusted low for maximum engine output, and is adjusted higher for lower engine temperatures in order to obtain a reformed gas which is richer in hydrogen and thereby produce exhaust gases which are lower in harmful substances. In reference to the exhaust gases in an internal combustion engine, this method achieves the highest possible degree of decontamination, not only of the carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, but also of the nitrous oxides in the exhaust gases. Using this method, the internal combustion engine can be operated not only with high-test, no-knock gasoline, but also with cheap, lead-free low octane, straight-run gasoline which is low in aromatics and olefins, which normally do not have no-knock properties, and the internal combustion engine can be operated with the lowest possible fuel consumption. The gasification reactor operates through chemical reaction in the presence of a catalyst. Optionally, this method may include a return of part of the reformed gas to the input of the gasification reactor. In order to obtain low fuel consumption, the gasification reactor is fed such a quantity of gasification air that the gasification temperature is low and the gasification is soot-free. The reformed gas from the gasification reactor is leaned-out prior to combustion in the internal combustion engine by an admixture of combustion air to such an extent that the nitrous oxide content in the exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine is considerably reduced. No evaporation of the liquid fuel takes place in the gasification reactor.

Inventors

• 👤 Erhard Muhlberg

Bibliographic Details