BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention:
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of the system for vaporizing liquid fuel in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the system in FIG. 1 taken along line 2-2;
FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the system for vaporizing liquid fuel in accordance with the teachings of the present invention; and
FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of the system for vaporizing liquid fuel in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Now referring to the drawings, the fuel vaporization system of the present invention is shown and generally illustrated in the figures. As can be seen, the present invention provides for a fuel vaporization system that produces a highly concentrated air-fuel mixture using a combination of a liquid fuel and air that eliminates the residual liquid fuel droplets typically found in prior art systems. Further, the present invention also overcomes the heating and lean mixture issues that have prevented the widespread use of vapor engines of vacuum induced mixing chambers. In the context of the present invention, the term liquid fuel is intended to cover any type of fuel that is vaporized in preparation for combustion including but not limited to gasoline, fuel oil, diesel, ethanol, alcohol, bio-diesel, waste cooking oil, etc.
Turning to FIGS. 1 and 2 in combination, the system 10 of the present invention generally includes at least two tanks 12, 14, 16, and in the first preferred embodiment as is depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes three tanks 12, 14, 16. Each of the tanks 12, 14, 16 is an airtight vessel capable of being pressurized and retaining pressure. The tanks 12, 14, 16 have a top portion 12a, 14a, 16a with an outlet port 18, 20, 22 proximate the top of the tank 12, 14, 16 and a bottom portion 12b, 14b, 16b with an inlet 24, 26, 28 proximate a bottom portion of the tank 12, 14, 16. It is preferred that in all embodiments disclosed herein that the tanks 12, 14, 16, regardless of number, are arranged in a series relationship whereby the outlet 18, 20, 22 of the first tank is in fluid communication, via the hose 30, 32 depicted or any other connection such as the hard pipe connection 34, 36 shown in FIG. 2, with the inlet 24, 26, 28 of the second tank and so on for the entire series of tanks. Further, the first tank 12 can be seen to include an input port 24 that provides a location for the introduction of a pressurized airflow 38 and the last tank 16 can be seen to include an outlet port 22 for outputting the vaporized air-fuel mixture 40 as will be described in more detail below. Each of the tanks 12, 14, 16 can also be sent to include means 42, 44, 46 for visually determining the level of liquid fuel within each of said at least two tanks 12, 14, 16. Such means 42, 44, 46 may be any suitable means known in the art including but not limited to a sight glass, a translucent panel, a float indicator, an analog fuel gauge, a digital fuel gauge, etc. Further, the tanks 12, 14, 16 can also be seen to include filler ports 48, 50, 52 therein to allow additional liquid fuel to be added to the interior of the tank 12, 14, 16. Such filler ports 48, 50, 52 must include covers 54, 56, 58 and be capable of maintaining an airtight seal once the liquid fuel has been added to the tanks 12, 14, 16.
As can best be seen in FIG. 2, each of the tanks 12, 14, 16 is at least partially filled with a liquid fuel 60, 62, 64 whereby the level of liquid fuel 60, 62, 64 in each tank 12, 14, 16 is sufficient to cover the inlet ports 24, 26, 28 within the tanks 12, 14, 16. Further, while the inlet ports 24, 26, 28 may simply be an open ended pipe, it is preferred that each of the tanks 12, 14, 16 include a manifold assembly 66, 68, 70 that is installed adjacent the bottom of the tank 12, 14, 16 and is in fluid communication with the tank inlet ports 24, 26, 28. The manifold 66, 68, 70 can be any suitable distribution manifold consisting of an arrangement of interconnected passageways or pipes that include a plurality of holes therein to allow the compressed air 38 introduced to the input port 24, 26, 28 to percolate out of the manifold 66, 68, 70 and through the liquid fuel 60, 62, 64. Further, the manifold 66, 68, 70 may be arranged so that the holes face upwardly or downwardly without changing the method or system of the present invention. In the case where a manifold 66, 68, 70 assembly is employed, the tanks 12, 14, 16 are filled with enough liquid fuel 60, 62, 64 so that the liquid fuel fully covers the entire manifold assembly 66, 68, 70.
In the preferred embodiment, the manifold 42, 44, 46 is a series of interconnected small diameter pipes or tubing having a plurality of small holes in the exterior walls thereof. Further, it is preferable that when the manifold 42, 44, 46 in installed into the tank, the plurality of holes are directed downwardly. The manifold 42 in the first tank 12 has an input 24 that is directed to the exterior of the tank 12 and is configured to interface with a source of compressed air 38. The source of compressed air may be an air compressor, a turbo, an air pump, an air induction device such as the type typically on performance engines or the like. The compressed airflow 38 then enters the manifold 66, 68, 70 and bubbles into the liquid fuel 60, 62, 64 causing it to churn and allowing the vaporized liquid fuel 60, 62, 64 to combine with air.
In operation, the outlet 18 on the first tank 12 is connected to an inlet 26 that is in turn connected in the manifold 68 within the next or the second tank 14. Similarly, the outlet 20 on the second tank 14 is connected to an inlet 28 that is in turn connected in the manifold 70 within the next or the third tank 16. Compressed airflow 38 is introduced into the manifold 66 in the first tank 12 that in turn bubbles through the liquid fuel 60 causing some of the liquid fuel 60 to vaporize forming a first air-fuel mixture 72. The first air-fuel mixture 72 then exits the outlet 18 in said first tank 12 and travels through the inlet 26 in the second tank 14 and percolates through the liquid fuel 62 in said second tank 14 to vaporize a portion of said liquid fuel 62 in the second tank 14 forming form a second air-fuel mixture 74. This second air-fuel mixture 74 then exits the outlet 20 in said second tank 14 and travels through the inlet 28 in the third tank 16 and percolates through the liquid fuel 64 in said third tank 16 to vaporize a portion of said liquid fuel 64 in the third tank 16 forming form a third air-fuel mixture 76. Finally, the third air-fuel mixture 76 exits the outlet 22 in the third tank 16 whereby the vaporized air-fuel mixture 76 is then drawn off for use in any application wherein such an air-fuel mixture 76 is normally utilized.
While the preferred embodiment described above depicts three tanks 12, 14, 16 wherein each of the tanks 12, 14, 16 are interconnected with one another to form a single body, it is also anticipated within the scope of the present invention that two tanks be employed or that any greater number of tanks be employed in a series arrangement. Further a series of separate tank compartments may also be utilized and still fall within the teachings of the present invention. For example, turning now to FIG. 3, an alternate embodiment system 100 is depicted wherein two interconnected tanks 112, 114 are depicted. In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, each of the tanks 112, 114 is constructed to include an inlet 124, 126 that connects to a manifold 166, 168 at the bottom thereof and an outlet 118, 120 near the top thereof. Each of the tanks 112, 114 is connected in series such that the airflow 138 is introduced into the first tank 112 through the first manifold 166. The output 118 on the first tank 112 is connected to the input 126 on the second tank 114, wherein the first airfuel mixture 172 produced in the first tank 112 is then injected into the second tank 114 via the manifold 168 provided therein. The important relationship to note is that the output on a tank must be above the level of liquid in the tank in order to prevent a transfer of liquid gasoline from tank to tank as the vapors are being concentrated. As can be seen, by utilizing multiple tanks or compartments in series, each step serves to produce a more highly concentrated gas vapor output. In other words, the second air-fuel mixture has a higher concentration of vaporized fuel than the first air-fuel mixture while a third air-fuel mixture has a higher concentration of vaporized fuel than the second.
Turning now to FIG. 4 another alternate embodiment system 200 of the present invention is shown wherein the at least two tanks 212, 214 are shown as remote or separate from one another. This embodiment is the same as those described earlier in all aspects and operational features except that the two tanks 212, 214 are not physically attached to one another. Instead, a hose or pipe 234 is employed to make the fluid connection between the outlet 218 of the first tank 121 and the inlet 226 of the second tank 214. Airflow 238 is introduced to the input port 224 on the first tank 212 and is percolated via manifold 266 through the liquid fuel 260 contained therein to form a first air-fuel mixture 272. The first air fuel mixture 272 then is forced through outlet 218 to the manifold 268 in the second tank 214 where it percolates through the liquid fuel 262 to form a second air fuel mixture 274 that then exits the outlet 220 for use as a combustible fuel 240.
It is of note that the tanks used in the present invention may be fabricated metal tanks, molded polymer tanks or reinforced fiberglass tanks. The importance is not in the material employed of the construction of the tanks but in the arrangement of the manifolds and tank outputs as described above. Further the manifolds may be any suitable pipe or tubing material formed using a metal or a polymer. Further, it is possible that the manifolds may be formed integrally as a part of the bottom wall of the tanks themselves. The specific materials and configurations of the present invention are not meant to be critical or limiting and are only described to in order to illustrated the principals of the present invention.
Returning now to FIG. 3, also within the scope of the present invention a method of vaporizing a liquid fuel is disclosed wherein at least two tanks 112, 114 are provided that each include a top an bottom, an inlet 124, 126 proximate the bottom and an outlet 118, 120 proximate the top and further wherein the outlet 118 in a first one of the tanks 112 is in fluid communication with the inlet 126 in a second one of the tanks 114. Each of the two tanks 112, 114 are then partially filled with a liquid fuel 160, 162 to cover the inlets 124, 126 in each of the tanks 112, 114. A pressurized airflow 138 is then introduced to the inlet 124 in the first tank 112, wherein the pressurized airflow 138 enters the first tank 112, percolates through the liquid fuel 160 contained therein and vaporizes a portion of the liquid fuel 160 in the first tank 112 to form a first air-fuel mixture 172. This first air-fuel mixture 172 then exits the outlet 118 in the first tank 112 and is introduced into the inlet 126 in the second tank 114. The first air-fuel mixture 172 percolates through the liquid fuel 162 in the second tank 114 and vaporizes a portion of the liquid fuel 162 in the second tank 114 to form a second air-fuel mixture 174. Finally, the second air-fuel mixture 174 exits the outlet 120 in the second tank 114 in the form of a highly saturated air-fuel mixture 140 for use in a suitable combustion process.
In an operational example, three metallic tanks were connected in series with 5 gallons of gasoline in each tank. Compressed air was introduced to the inlet on the first tank at a pressure of 10 psi. The vaporized gasoline was drawn from the outlet on the third tank and directed to a torch assembly. The torch was burned wide open for 24 hours and consumed only 4 gallons of the original gasoline in vapor form.
It can therefore be seen that the present invention provides a novel method and system for the efficient vaporization of a liquid fuel in preparation for a combustion operation. The present invention further eliminates the residual liquid fuel droplets typically found in prior art systems to produce an air-fuel mixture that is highly saturated and serves to extract the highest potential energy from such a combustible fuel. For these reasons, the present invention is believed to represent a significant advancement in the art, which has substantial commercial merit.
While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.
Patent Application
20080022979
