Apparatus and operating method for an internal combustion engine

Claim 2

For use with an external ignition, internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber, the improvement of a hot vapor charge forming apparatus which comprises: (a) structure defining a fuel mixture flow path between an air inlet and an outlet adapted to be in fluid communication with a combustion chamber; (b) fuel mixture introducing means disposed proximate said inlet for introducing pre-determined portions of air and a vaporizable fuel into said flow path; (c) the structure comprising: (i) fuel mixture vaporizer means to transfer heat absorbed from the engine into said fuel mixture; (ii) a fuel mixture homogenizer disposed in said flow path intermediate said fuel mixture vaporizer and said combustion chamber, the homogenizer being drivable by a power source to compress and mix the fuel mixture and maintain a pressure differential across the homogenizer and comprising means for transferring further heat to said fuel mixture; (iii) a fuel mixture heater disposed intermediate said fuel mixture homogenizer and the outlet of said fuel mixture flow path, and adapted to still further heat said homogenized fuel mixture to a point wherein only fuel in a supervaporized state and air is present for fluid communication into a combustion chamber.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the engine includes a cooling system and said fuel vaporizing means comprises a chamber disposed in said flow path including means for transferring heat absorbed by said cooling system to said fuel mixture.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fuel heating means comprises a chamber disposed in said flow path including means for transferring heat from combustion gases exhausted by said combustion chamber to said fuel mixture.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fuel homogenizer comprises a first turbine driven by gases exhausted from said combustion chamber and an associated turbine chamber, said homogenizer including a second turbine in driven engagement with said first turbine, rotatable in the mixture flow path and operative to both homogenize and compress the fuel mixture.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the internal combustion engine includes a plurality of combustion chambers and said fuel mixture heating means subdivides the fuel mixture flow into a plurality of branch flow paths, each branch communicating with one of said combustion chambers.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said fuel vaporizing means is sized to exchange enough heat to said fuel mixture to maintain said fluid coolant below a predetermined operating temperature.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fuel mixture introducing means comprises a carburetor.

Claim 9

Method for operating an internal ignition, internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber, a fluid coolant system and exhaust system adapted to discharge combustion gasses from a combustion chamber, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a fuel mixture flow path extending between an air inlet and an outlet that is in fluid communication with a combustion chamber; (b) introducing air and a vaporizable fluid into said flow path proximate said inlet to form a combustible fuel mixture, said fuel having a given average vaporization temperature at sea level; (c) preheating said fuel mixture by transferring heat from engine coolant fluid which is at a temperature in excess of said average vaporization temperature, thereby initially to vaporize said fuel towards the vapor state; (d) homogenizing and further heating said pre-heated fuel mixture while urging said further heated fuel mixture towards said combustion chamber by a pumping means driven by an external power source; (e) still further heating said pre-heated and homogenized fuel mixture to a temperature well in excess of said average vaporization temperature by transferring heat from said exhaust system into said fuel mixture, thereby creating a supervaporized, pressurized fuel vapor state; and (f) admitting said supervaporized vapor mixture into a combustion chamber at pre-determined intervals.

Claim 10

Method for operating an internal ignition, internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber, a fluid coolant system and exhaust system adapted to discharge combustion gasses from a combustion chamber, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a fuel mixture flow path extending between an air inlet and an outlet that is in fluid communication with a combustion chamber; (b) introducing air and a vaporizable fluid into said flow path proximate said inlet to form a combustible fuel mixture, said fuel having a given average vaporization temperature at sea level; (c) preheating said fuel mixture by transferring heat from engine coolant fluid which is at a temperature in excess of said average vaporization temperature, thereby initially to vaporize said fuel towards the vapor state; (d) homogenizing and further heating said pre-heated fuel mixture while urging said further heated fuel mixture towards said combustion chamber by a pumping means driven by an external power source; (e) still further heating said pre-heated and homogenized fuel mixture to a temperature well in excess of said average vaporization temperature by transferring heat from said exhaust system into said fuel mixture, thereby creating a supervaporized, pressurized fuel vapor state; and (f) admitting said supervaporized vapor mixture into a combustion chamber at pre-determined intervals.

Claim 13

The method of claim 9 wherein at least some of the heat energy is derived from engine exhaust gases.

Claim 14

The method of claim 9 wherein at least some of the heat is derived from engine coolant.