Claims
- 1. An apparatus for improving combustion efficiency comprising:
at least one catalyst element comprising at least one hydride producing element, at least one element of greater activity on the electrolytic scale than said hydride producing element, and at least one element of lesser activity on the electrolytic scale than said hydride producing element; and means for bringing fuel into contact with the catalyst element.
- 2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hydride producing element comprises at least one of a Group IV and Group V element.
- 3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said element of greater activity and said element of lesser activity comprises at least one of zinc, magnesium, aluminum, palladium, silver, copper and cerium.
- 4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said catalyst element comprises 10-80 %wt zinc, 20-60 %wt antimony, 1-5 %wt silver and 10-30 %wt tin.
- 5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said catalyst element comprises 40 %wt zinc, 40 %wt antimony, 18 %wt tin and 2 % wt silver.
- 6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said catalyst element comprises 0.1-1.0 %wt palladium, 20-80 %wt magnesium, 20-60 %wt antimony, 10-30 %wt tin and 1-8 %wt cerium.
- 7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said catalyst element comprises 0.2 %wt palladium, 30 %wt magnesium, 40 %wt antimony, 25 %wt tin and 4.8 %wt cerium.
- 8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said catalyst element comprises 39 %wt zinc, 11 %wt aluminum, 25 %wt tin and 25 %wt antimony.
- 9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for bringing fuel in contact with said catalyst element comprises an in-line housing including a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet.
- 10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein a plurality of catalyst elements are provided within the housing.
- 11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the plurality of elements are arranged in at least one of a straight line, multiple sets arranged in a straight line, and multiple levels.
- 12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing means for bringing fuel into contact with said catalyst element comprises a drop-in housing.
- 13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein a plurality of catalyst elements are arranged in the drop-in housing.
- 14. A method of improving the efficiency of fuel combustion comprising:
bringing a fuel in contact with a catalyst element comprising at least one hydride producing element, at least one element of greater activity on the electrolytic scale than said hydride producing element, and at least one element of lesser activity on the electrolytic scale than said hydride producing element; and burning the fuel in a combustion process.
- 15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said hydride producing element comprises at least one of a Group IV and Group V element.
- 16. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said element of greater activity and said element of lesser activity each comprise at least one of zinc, magnesium, aluminum, palladium, silver, copper and cerium.
- 17. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said catalyst element comprises 10-80 %wt zinc, 20-60 %wt antimony, 1-5 %wt silver and 10-30 %wt tin.
- 18. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said catalyst element comprises 40 %wt zinc, 40 %wt antimony, 18 %wt tin and 2 % wt silver.
- 19. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said catalyst element comprises 0. 1 -1.0 %wt palladium, 20-80 %wt magnesium, 20-60 %wt antimony, 10-30 %wt tin and 1-8 %wt cerium.
- 20. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said catalyst element comprises 0.2 %wt palladium, 30 %wt magnesium, 40 %wt antimony, 25 %wt tin and 4.8 %wt cerium.
- 21. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said catalyst element comprises 39 %wt zinc, 11 %wt aluminum, 25 %wt tin and 25 %wt antimony.
- 22. A fuel catalyst for improving combustion efficiency comprising:
at least one hydride producing element; at least one element of greater activity on the electrolytic scale than said hydride producing element; and at least one element of lesser activity on the electrolytic scale than said hydride producing element.
- 23. A fuel catalyst as claimed in claim 22, wherein said hydride producing element comprises at least one of a Group IV and Group V element.
- 24. A fuel catalyst as claimed in claim 22, wherein said element of greater activity and said element of lesser activity each comprise at least one of zinc, magnesium, aluminum, palladium, silver, copper and cerium.
- 25. A fuel catalyst as claimed in claim 22, wherein said hydride producing element comprises at least one of 20-60 %wt antimony and 10-30 %wt tin; and wherein said element of greater activity and said element of lesser activity each comprise at least one of 10-80 %wt zinc 1-5 %wt silver.
- 26. A fuel catalyst as claimed in claim 22, wherein said hydride producing element comprises at least one of 40 %wt antimony and 18 %wt tin; and wherein said element of greater activity and said element of lesser activity each comprise at least one of 40 %wt zinc and 2 %wt silver.
- 27. A fuel catalyst as claimed in claim 22, wherein said hydride producing element comprises at least one of 20-60 %wt antimony and 10-30 %wt tin; and wherein said element of greater activity and said element of lesser activity each comprise at least one of 20-80 %wt magnesium, 1-8 %wt cerium and 0.1-1.0 %wt palladium.
- 28. A fuel catalyst as claimed in claim 22, wherein said hydride producing element comprises at least one of 40 %wt antimony and 25 %wt tin; and wherein said element of greater activity and said element of lesser activity each comprise at least one of 30 %wt magnesium, 4.8 %wt cerium and 0.2 %wt palladium.
- 29. A fuel catalyst as claimed in claim 22, wherein said hydride producing element comprises at least one of 25 %wt antimony and 25 %wt tin; and wherein said element of greater activity and said element of lesser activity each comprise at least one of 39 %wt zinc and 11 %wt aluminum.
- 30. A fuel catalyst as claimed in claim 22, wherein said fuel catalyst liberates hydrogen when brought into contact with a fuel.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
8912592 |
May 1989 |
GB |
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional application and claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/460,329 filed on Dec. 10, 1999, which in turn is a divisional application and claims priority from U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,381, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority from U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,692, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority from U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,359.
Divisions (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09460329 |
Dec 1999 |
US |
Child |
09938367 |
Aug 2001 |
US |
Parent |
08961710 |
Oct 1997 |
US |
Child |
09460329 |
Dec 1999 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08757612 |
Nov 1996 |
US |
Child |
08961710 |
Oct 1997 |
US |
Parent |
07528363 |
May 1990 |
US |
Child |
08757612 |
Nov 1996 |
US |