Internal-combustion engines – Water and hydrocarbon
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-12
2001-03-06
Kamen, Noah P. (Department: 3747)
Internal-combustion engines
Water and hydrocarbon
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196165
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a device for supplying vapor to the intake air that is supplied to an internal. The device comprising a moistening means which has a first connection for feeding liquid into the moistening means and a second connection for feeding the intake air into the moistening means. The moistening means supplies vapor to the intake air by contacting the intake air and the liquid with each other, while the same flow through said moistening means. A preheater is connected to the first connection of the moistening means and preheats the liquid before feeding it into the moistening means. A compressor provided for compressing the intake air which is connected to the second connection of said moistening means.
Such a device is known from WO 95/23286. By the supply of vapor to the intake air the level of the emissions of nitric oxide is drastically reduced and simultaneously the degree of utilization of the fuel is increased. By direct evaporation of the liquid in the obtained intake air it is possible to obtain, as a specific advantage, a self-regulation of the amount of vapor in the intake air so that thus no separate regulation of the amount of air in the intake air is necessary.
According to the known device the preheater is connected either to the cooling water or to the exhaust gases of the internal combustion engine in order to transfer the energy present in the cooling water or in the exhaust gases to the liquid.
As a regards the design of the moistening means in the known device, this is formed as moistening tower which is flown through by the intake air and the liquid in opposite directions, i.e. in counterflow, wherein the liquid is introduced at the upper end and the intake air is introduced at the lower end of the moistening tower. In the moistening tower the liquid is dispersed to a mist by a nozzle, wherein the mist falls down through the moistening tower and flows thereby through the compressed and thus heated intake air flowing upwardly through the moistening tower. A part of the moisture is evaporated and accompanies the intake air out of the moistening tower into the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine, for instance a diesel engine with a turbo-supercharger.
The evaporation of the liquid in a gas mixture in this manner has the advantage that it occurs at substantially lower temperatures than in a case according to which only water is present. If a strong evaporation occurs at a relatively low temperature it becomes possible to use low-grade energy for the evaporation process which, for instance, can stem from the cooling water and/or the exhaust gases of the internal combustion engine. As mentioned above, with the known device the moistening means is designed as moistening tower, i.e. upright container. This construction of the moistening means is especially suitable for the feeding of the intake air and of the liquid in counterflow. However, such a construction of the moistening means sometimes can produce space problems, especially with close conditions, as for instance on ships.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide a device of the cited kind which has an especially compact structure with regard to its height dimensions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention this object is attained with a device of the cited kind by the features that the moistening means is formed as lying container and is traversed through by the intake air and the liquid in cross flow and/or parallel flow.
The above-mentioned space problems are removed by the lying or horizontal construction of the moistening means. According to the invention it was ascertained that such a horizontal construction is suited for a counterflow conduction of liquid and intake air only in a limited manner since by this a relative bad efficiency with regard to the evaporation of vapor results. This is understandable since, according to a horizontal construction with a conduction in counterflow, the liquid is conducted parallel to the longitudinal axis of the horizontal container but drops relatively fast to the bottom of the container by gravity so that only a short contact length between liquid and intake air is present. In order to avoid this relative low efficiency with regard to the evaporation of vapour the inventive solution furthermore suggests that the horizontal container is flown through by the intake air and by the liquid in cross flow and/or parallel flow.
The term “lying or horizontal container” which is used here is to include also slightly inclined container positions extending to a position of 45° with respect to a horizontal line.
With “cross flow” it is meant that liquid and intake air impinges upon one another with an angle which preferably is 90°, however, can also deviate herefrom and can be, for instance, in a range between 45° and 135° with regard to the flow direction of the intake air if it is emanated from a horizontal passage of the container. Of course, the flow direction of the intake air can also slightly deviate from the horizontal direction.
With “parallel flow” it is meant that the intake air and liquid flow through the container substantially parallel with respect to one another wherein also in this case deviations from parallelism are possible, for instance, up to an angle of 45° with regard to the flow direction of the intake air.
If an ideal cross flow is present, i.e. if the liquid is introduced into the container at the upper side thereof and flows through the container horizontally, the contact length between the two media corresponds to the height of the container at maximum. However, the liquid is entrained in longitudinal direction of the container by the intake air laterally impinging on the introduced liquid so that the real contact length is longer. By this, a relatively good efficiency is achieved.
With parallel flow according to which liquid and intake air are conducted through the horizontal container in the same direction parallel with respect to one another the problems occuring with a counterflow conduction do not result since the introduced liquid is entrained by the intake air and is carried along over the length of the container so that also in this case a relative long contact length results which brings along a good efficiency.
However, in both cases a space-saving construction with regard to the height of the device is obtained without having to accept a degradation of the efficiency of the formation of vapour compared with the prior art.
According to an improvement of the invention, the moistening means has at least one nozzle for distributing the liquid in the container which is connected to the first connection. Dependent on the conduction of flow (cross flow or parallel flow) this nozzle is arranged in the upper portion or in the front portion (entrance portion) of the horizontal container. By means of the nozzle the liquid is atomized for the formation of a mist which falls down, contacts the intake air and is collected at the bottom of the moistening means. From here it can be fed back by a conduit to a liquid tank from which the liquid is also withdrawn.
Since the container with its horizontal construction practically has a relative great length it is especially favorable to arrange a plurality of nozzles in the upper portion of the container one behind the other in flow direction of the intake air when the liquid is conducted in cross flow so that the intake air on its way through the container receives always new liquid in corresponding portions of the container. In this manner an especially large portion of the liquid can be evaporated.
Another preferred solution of the invention consists in the feature that the moistening means includes at least one packing block. By this feature the moistening effect can be increased further. Suitable packing materials are known and have not to be described in detail at this point.
Practically, a plurality of packing blocks are disposed one behind the other in air flow direction in the container. If the fl
Olsson Lars-Ola
Rosen Per
Dubno Herbert
Kamen Noah P.
Munters Euroform GMBH
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