Fuel and related compositions – With combustion improver
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-29
2001-10-09
McAvoy, Ellen M. (Department: 1764)
Fuel and related compositions
With combustion improver
C044S620000, C044S628000, C044S641000, C123S003000, C123SDIG001
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299656
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention concerns fuel additives for internal-combustion engines and of noxious components in combustion effluents.
BACKGROUND THE INVENTION
Predominantly hydrocarbon fuels, whether in gaseous, liquid, or solid (usually pulverized) form, are noted for combustion effluents of harmful or noxious nature, such as carbon monoxide, particulates, and other by-products of incomplete combustion. Operation of such engines on hydrogen and air (or oxygen) sounds good, but hydrogen is not the ideal fuel it has seemed to be because engines operated on it attain such high temperatures as to flash back through the intake valves and thereby to preclude proper timing and to foster formation of noxious nitrogen oxides (aptly called NO
X
) in their effluent.
Organic origins of predominantly hydrocarbon fuels endow them with such ranges of molecular compositions and molecular sizes that their complete combustion while altogether is notably problematical. Attempts to provide a suitable range of combustion environments to accommodate such diverse combustible components have complicated the design and control of air and fuel inflow, admixture, and exhaust.
This invention does not undertake to extend that work, but to modify the fuel itself to render it more amenable to complete combustion, by providing a fuel additive—or additive fuel—noted for the unparalleled completeness of its combustion and the freedom of its effluent from the harmful contaminants common to the combustion effluents of predominantly hydrocarbon fuels. This phenomenal fuel, or fuel additive, also has the desirable characteristic of resisting leakage through imperfect tubing or pipeline joints or valves, for related reasons that are only gradually becoming better understood.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a fuel additive, to improve the utility of predominantly hydrocarbon fuels.
Another object is to safeguard predominantly hydrocarbon fuels from loss by leakage during transport through pipelines or the like.
A further object of this invention is to improve the operation of internal-combustion engines on predominantly hydrocarbon fuels.
Yet another object is to provide a fuel additive—itself a fuel.
In general, the object of this invention are accomplished by providing a fuel additive, itself a non-fossil fuel, characterized by substantially non-polluting combustion effluent and by ability to decrease the polluting effluents of predominantly hydrocarbon fuels, such as in transport to eventual use locations, or in admixture with such fuel before or after entry into an internal-combustion engine.
More particularly, this fuel additive is produced as a gaseous mixture evolved in water surrounding an electric arc and with carbon supplied thereto, preferably at least in part via carbon electrodes. This evolved non-fossil gaseous mixture, itself useful as a fuel, may be supplied as an additive, or it may be fractionated to extract its small molecular components (mainly hydrogen and carbon monoxide) to leave, for use as such an additive, aggregates of some or all its constituent elements (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen) somehow bound otherwise than by traditional chemical molecular bonding, but presumably electromagnetically, and conveniently called “magnecules” here.
Addition of this fuel/additive to a gas pipeline, in an amount of about several percent (by volume) of gas being transported, can safeguard the pipeline from loss, as by physical leakage at joints, probes, valves, or other access to or outlet from the pipeline.
Injection of this fuel/additive to a predominantly hydrocarbon fuel for an internal-combustion engine, in an amount of at least about several percent of such fuel, can improve combustion of the fuel, reduce its content of harmful, noxious, undesirable materials present in combustion effluent from such internal-combustion engine.
Other objects of this invention, together with methods and means for attaining the various objects, will become apparent from the following description and accompanying diagrams of one or more embodiment(s), presented by way of example rather than limitation.
SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a side elevation, partly sectioned or cut away, of an embodiment of manufacturing plant for fuel of the present invention;
FIGS. 2A
,
2
B, and
2
C are, respectively, side elevation and end elevations, and top plan, of FIG. l's underwater electrode assembly;
FIG. 3
is a side elevation, of a pipeline-adjunct embodiment, also partly sectioned or cut away, to reveal reactor componentry;
FIG. 4
is a part-schematic side elevation of a second pipeline-adjunct embodiment illustrating internal-combustion engine uses;
FIGS. 5A and 5B
are, respectively, a side elevation, partly cut away, and an end elevation of a pipe segment, of the embodiment of
FIG. 4
, including an electrode assembly different than in
FIG. 3
;
FIGS. 6
is a side elevation, partly cut away, of pipeline-adjunct apparatus of this invention including means for fractionating the gaseous product as a fuel and/or as a fuel additive; and
FIG. 7
is a graph of permeability vs. kinetic gas diameter, for gaseous compositions of this invention and some hydrocarbons.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3409420 (1968-11-01), Booth
patent: 3781171 (1973-12-01), Maccaferri
patent: 4440100 (1984-04-01), Michelfelder et al.
patent: 5435274 (1995-07-01), Richardson, Jr.
patent: 5692459 (1997-12-01), Richardson, Jr.
patent: 5792325 (1998-08-01), Richardson, Jr.
patent: 5826548 (1998-10-01), Richardson, Jr.
Palmer Douglas A.
Richardson, Jr. William H.
Wilcox James A.
McAvoy Ellen M.
McClure Charles A.
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