IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0229928
(2002-08-28)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
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대리인 / 주소 |
Thorpe, North & Western, LLP
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
7 인용 특허 :
11 |
초록
▼
A system and method for conditioning and/or vaporizing fuel within an internal combustion engine in order to effectuate more complete combustion is provided. In one embodiment of the invention, the system comprises a combustion chamber; a fuel conditioning cavity defined by walls fluidly connected t
A system and method for conditioning and/or vaporizing fuel within an internal combustion engine in order to effectuate more complete combustion is provided. In one embodiment of the invention, the system comprises a combustion chamber; a fuel conditioning cavity defined by walls fluidly connected to the combustion chamber; a fuel injector system for ejecting a fuel spray through the fuel conditioning cavity; and an electromagnetic wave source electromagnetically configured for introducing electromagnetic waves into the fuel conditioning cavity and into the fuel spray to effectuate volumetric heating of a droplet of the fuel spray once ejected from the fuel injector.
대표청구항
▼
1. A reciprocating internal combustion engine for enhanced fuel efficiency, comprising:(a) a combustion chamber;(b) a fuel conditioning cavity defined by walls fluidly connected to the combustion chamber;(c) a fuel injector system for ejecting a fuel spray through the fuel conditioning cavity; and(d
1. A reciprocating internal combustion engine for enhanced fuel efficiency, comprising:(a) a combustion chamber;(b) a fuel conditioning cavity defined by walls fluidly connected to the combustion chamber;(c) a fuel injector system for ejecting a fuel spray through the fuel conditioning cavity; and(d) an electromagnetic wave source configured for introducing infrared electromagnetic waves into the fuel conditioning cavity, and in the fuel spray to effectuate volumetric heating of droplets of the fuel spray ejected from the fuel injector. 2. A reciprocating internal combustion engine for enhanced fuel efficiency according to claim 1, wherein the fuel conditioning cavity and the electromagnetic wave source are configured to correlate an electromagnetic wavelength, a fuel conditioning cavity dimension, and a fuel molecular absorption resonant frequency such that an electromagnetic standing wave is formable and effectuates volumetric heating of the fuel spray droplets. 3. A reciprocating internal combustion engine for enhanced fuel efficiency according to claim 1, wherein the fuel conditioning cavity is at least partially defined by an optical mirror that reflects electromagnetic waves through the fuel spray. 4. A reciprocating internal combustion engine for enhanced fuel efficiency according to claim 1, wherein the fuel conditioning cavity forms at least a part of the combustion chamber. 5. A reciprocating internal combustion engine for enhanced fuel efficiency according to claim 1, further comprising a traveling wave resonator system having a resonant ring configured for introducing the electromagnetic waves into the fuel conditioning cavity. 6. A reciprocating internal combustion engine for enhanced fuel efficiency according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic waves are from 3 μm to 4 μm in wavelength. 7. A reciprocating internal combustion engine for enhanced fuel efficiency according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic waves are from 9 μm to 10 μm in wavelength. 8. A reciprocating internal combustion engine for enhanced fuel efficiency according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic wave source is configured to introduce the electromagnetic waves into the fuel conditioning cavity via a periodically poled lithium niobate device. 9. A reciprocating internal combustion engine for enhanced fuel efficiency according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic wave source is configured to introduce multiple electromagnetic wave frequencies to the fuel conditioning cavity. 10. A reciprocating internal combustion engine for enhanced fuel efficiency according to claim 1, wherein the fuel conditioning cavity further includes a plurality of air vents. 11. A reciprocating internal combustion engine for enhanced fuel efficiency according to claim 4, wherein the fuel conditioning cavity is removable from the combustion chamber. 12. A fuel conditioning system for delivering fuel to a chamber of a reciprocating internal combustion engine, comprising:(a) a fuel conditioning cavity defined by walls having a reflective inner surface,(b) an electromagnetic energy source operable within the fuel conditioning cavity and configured to emit and reflect infrared electromagnetic energy from the reflective inner surface;(c) an energy concentrating region disposed within the fuel conditioning cavity for receiving reflected electromagnetic energy as concentrated energy that is greater than in regions outside the energy concentrating region; and(d) a fuel injector having a dispensing end configured and oriented for dispensing a fuel spray with a trajectory through the energy concentrating region. 13. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 12, wherein the fuel conditioning cavity has an elliptical cross-section with respect to the fuel spray trajectory. 14. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 13, wherein the elliptical cross-section is a mathematical ellipse having two focal points, and wherein the fuel condit ioning cavity comprises two focal axes that pass through the two focal points of the cross-section. 15. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 14, wherein the electromagnetic energy source is disposed along a first axis of the two focal axes, and the energy concentrating region is disposed along a second axis of the two focal axes. 16. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 12, wherein the electromagnetic energy passes through the fuel spray at a plurality of locations along the energy concentrating region. 17. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 12, wherein the reflective inner surface comprises a parabola. 18. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 17, wherein the energy concentrating region is substantially located at a focal region of the parabola. 19. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 12, wherein the electromagnetic energy source is disposed along at least one of said walls within the fuel conditioning cavity. 20. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 19, further comprising a plurality of electromagnetic energy sources disposed along at least one of said walls within the fuel conditioning cavity. 21. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 12, wherein the fuel conditioning cavity is substantially cylindrical. 22. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 21, wherein the energy concentrating region is disposed along a center axis of the cylinder. 23. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 12, wherein the electromagnetic energy source introduces electromagnetic waves into the fuel conditioning cavity via a periodically poled lithium niobate device. 24. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 12, wherein at least one of said walls comprises an optical mirror. 25. A fuel conditions system according to claim 12, further comprising a combustion chamber, said combustion chamber fluidly coupled to the fuel conditioning cavity. 26. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 25, wherein the fuel conditioning cavity is removable from the combustion chamber. 27. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 12, wherein the fuel conditioning cavity comprises a plurality of air vents. 28. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 12, wherein the electromagnetic energy comprises electromagnetic waves that are from 3 μm to 4 μm in wavelength. 29. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 12, wherein the electromagnetic energy comprises electromagnetic waves that are from 9 μm to 10 μm in wavelength. 30. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 12, wherein the fuel injector operates as a direct fuel injection system. 31. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 12, wherein the fuel injector operates as an indirect fuel injection system. 32. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 12, wherein the electromagnetic energy source introduces multiple electromagnetic wave frequencies to the fuel conditioning cavity. 33. A fuel conditioning system for delivering fuel to a chamber of a reciprocating internal combustion engine, comprising:(a) a fuel conditioning cavity defined by walls;(b) a fuel injector for ejecting a fuel spray into the fuel conditioning cavity, said fuel spray having a trajectory;(c) an electromagnetic energy source configured for introducing infrared electromagnetic energy into the fuel conditioning cavity through the trajectory, said electromagnetic energy source being further configured to effectuate volumetric heating of fuel spray droplets ejected from the fuel injector; and(d) an energy concentrating region disposed within the fuel conditioning cavity, wherein the electromagnetic energy is received from the electromagnetic energy source, said energy concentrating region configured for receiving a greater energy concentration from the electromagnetic energy source than in regions outside the energy concentrating region. 34. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 33, wherein the electromagnetic energy source introduces the electromagnetic waves to the fuel conditioning cavity via a periodically poled lithium niobate device. 35. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 33, further comprising a combustion chamber, said combustion chamber fluidly coupled to fuel conditioning cavity. 36. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 33, wherein the fuel conditioning cavity is a combustion chamber. 37. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 33, wherein the surface defining the fuel conditioning cavity is configured for reflecting electromagnetic energy. 38. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 33, wherein the fuel conditioning cavity is removable from the combustion chamber. 39. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 33, wherein the electromagnetic energy comprises electromagnetic waves from 3 μm to 4 μm in wavelength. 40. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 33, wherein the electromagnetic energy comprises electromagnetic waves from 9 μm to 10 μm in wavelength. 41. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 33, wherein the fuel injector operates as a direct fuel injection system. 42. A fuel conditioning system according to claim 33, wherein the fuel injector operates as an indirect fuel injection system. 43. A method for conditioning fuel for use in a reciprocating internal combustion engine, comprising:(a) injecting fuel into a fuel conditioning cavity defined by walls within a reciprocating internal combustion engine; and(b) emitting infrared electromagnetic waves into the fuel conditioning cavity and reflecting the electromagnetic waves from the cavity walls into the fuel spray to cause molecular vibrational resonant absorption with respect to the fuel spray. 44. A method for conditioning fuel according to claim 43, further comprising the step of correlating an electromagnetic wavelength, a fuel conditioning cavity dimension, and fuel resonant frequency to form an electromagnetic standing wave that effectuates volumetric heating of the fuel spray droplet. 45. A method for conditioning fuel according to claim 43, wherein the step of injecting fuel into the fuel conditioning cavity includes at least partially defining the fuel conditioning cavity by an optical mirror, thereby providing a surface such that reflected electromagnetic waves, once introduced into the fuel conditioning cavity, are reflected through the fuel spray. 46. A method for conditioning fuel according to claim 43, wherein the step of emitting electromagnetic waves includes electromagnetic waves from 3 μm to 4 μm in wavelength. 47. A method for conditioning fuel according to claim 43, wherein the step of emitting electromagnetic waves includes electromagnetic waves from 9 μm to 10 μm in wavelength. 48. A method for conditioning fuel according to claim 43, wherein the step of emitting electromagnetic waves is by a periodically poled lithium niobate device. 49. A method for conditioning fuel according to claim 43, wherein the ejecting step is by a direct fuel injection system. 50. A method for conditioning fuel according to claim 43, wherein the ejecting step is by an indirect fuel injection system. 51. A method for conditioning fuel according to claim 43, wherein the fuel conditioning cavity is a combustion chamber.
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