초록 ▼

An automotive power plant includes an internal combustion engine and a heat exchanger for vaporizing fuel to the internal combustion engine utilizing heat from the combustion exhaust gas. The vaporized fuel may be fed to a combustion cylinder containing the compressed gas produced by a compression s

An automotive power plant includes an internal combustion engine and a heat exchanger for vaporizing fuel to the internal combustion engine utilizing heat from the combustion exhaust gas. The vaporized fuel may be fed to a combustion cylinder containing the compressed gas produced by a compression stroke. Alternatively, the vaporized gas may be fed to a dedicated expander for extracting work therefrom and then fed to the internal combustion engine.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.] A power plant comprising:a combustion engine including at least one combustion cylinder and piston reciprocally mounted therein, a fuel inlet for introducing fuel to said one combustion cylinder, an air inlet, separate from said fuel inlet, for introduction of ambient air into said

[ I claim:] [1.] A power plant comprising:a combustion engine including at least one combustion cylinder and piston reciprocally mounted therein, a fuel inlet for introducing fuel to said one combustion cylinder, an air inlet, separate from said fuel inlet, for introduction of ambient air into said one combustion cylinder, the air being compressed within said one combustion cylinder prior to feeding fuel into said one combustion cylinder, and an exhaust outlet for release of an exhaust gas from said one combustion cylinder;a fuel tank for holding a liquid fuel;a heat exchanger for vaporization of fuel from said fuel tank and for superheating the fuel vapor by indirect heat exchange with the exhaust gas, said heat exchanger being connected to said fuel inlet for feeding the superheated fuel vapor into said one combustion cylinder through said fuel inlet; andvalve means for feeding the vaporized and superheated fuel to said one combustion cylinder, with said piston near top dead center and containing the compressed air, said fuel undergoing combustion therein to form the exhaust gas.