An internal combustion engine assembly comprises: a fuel tank for containing fuel comprising alcohol, a reformer unit being in heat exchanging contact with exhaust gases from an exhaust system, for steam reforming of alcohol, a water supply unit connected to a water steam inlet of the reformer unit, and a distiller unit being with a fuel inlet connected to a distiller supply duct that is connected to the fuel tank, an alcohol outlet of the distiller unit being connected to the inlet of the reformer unit. The increased alcohol concentrations at the inlet of the steam reformer result in improved efficiency of the reforming process.

A method and apparatus according to the invention is described, which in a first mode operates as an internal combustion engine delivering energy and in a second mode operates as a pulsed compression reactor converting electrical energy in the form of chemical compounds. In the second mode, at least one of the generated compounds is collected and temporarily stored.

A method and apparatus according to the invention is described, which in a first mode operates as an internal combustion engine delivering energy and in a second mode operates as a pulsed compression reactor converting electrical energy in the form of chemical compounds. In the second mode, at least one of the generated compounds is collected and temporarily stored.

An engine system includes an engine having a combustion chamber, an intake gas passage through which air to be supplied to the combustion chamber flows, an exhaust gas passage through which exhaust gas generated from the combustion chamber flows, a reformer configured to reform the fuel to generate a reformed gas containing hydrogen, a gas supply passage through which air to be supplied to the reformer flows, a bypass passage connected to the gas supply passage and the exhaust gas passage so as to bypass the reformer and through which the fuel having passed through the reformer is circulated to an upstream of the reformer, and a switching valve switched between a normal position that does not allow the fuel having passed through the reformer to flow to the bypass passage and a circulating position that allows the fuel having passed through the reformer to flow to the bypass passage.

An engine system includes an engine having a combustion chamber, an intake gas passage through which air to be supplied to the combustion chamber flows, an exhaust gas passage through which exhaust gas generated from the combustion chamber flows, a reformer configured to reform the fuel to generate a reformed gas containing hydrogen, a gas supply passage through which air to be supplied to the reformer flows, a bypass passage connected to the gas supply passage and the exhaust gas passage so as to bypass the reformer and through which the fuel having passed through the reformer is circulated to an upstream of the reformer, and a switching valve switched between a normal position that does not allow the fuel having passed through the reformer to flow to the bypass passage and a circulating position that allows the fuel having passed through the reformer to flow to the bypass passage.

A fuel-efficient and fuel-saving device is provided and includes a first fuel-modification device, an air-refining device, and a tubing-type fuel-modification device. The first fuel-modification device is arranged in a fuel tank. The air-refining device is arranged under a filter screen of an air filter of an internal combustion engine, and the tubing-type fuel-modification device is arranged above a pipeline between the internal combustion engine and the fuel tank. The first fuel-modification device includes a first metal box body and a plurality of nano far-infrared ceramic particles. The surface of the first metal box body has a plurality of uniformly arranged air holes. The plurality of nano far-infrared ceramic particles is arranged in the first metal box body. The ball diameter of the nano far-infrared ceramic particles is larger than the diameter of the air holes.

Fuel reform apparatus includes: internal combustion engine including injector and configured so that compression-ignition combustion is carried out in combustion chamber; reform unit interposed in fuel supply path from fuel tank to injector and including reformer reforming fuel stored in fuel tank by oxidation reaction; and controller including CPU and memory. Controller performs: estimating progress level of oxidation reaction in reformer; and controlling operation of reform unit based on progress level of oxidation reaction estimated.

Fuel reform apparatus includes: internal combustion engine including injector and configured so that compression-ignition combustion is carried out in combustion chamber; reform unit interposed in fuel supply path from fuel tank to injector and including reformer reforming fuel stored in fuel tank by oxidation reaction; and controller including CPU and memory. Controller performs: estimating progress level of oxidation reaction in reformer; and controlling operation of reform unit based on progress level of oxidation reaction estimated.

Fuel reform apparatus includes: internal combustion engine including injector and configured so that compression-ignition combustion is carried out in combustion chamber; reform unit interposed in fuel supply path from fuel tank to injector and including reformer reforming fuel stored in fuel tank by oxidation reaction; ignition timing detector detecting ignition timing of fuel in combustion chamber; and controller including CPU and memory. Controller performs: determining whether fuel has been supplied into fuel tank; determining whether reforming is needed based on ignition timing when it is determined that fuel has been supplied; controlling operation of reform unit so as to reform fuel stored in fuel tank to supply to injector when it is determined that reforming is needed; and controlling operation of reform unit so as to supply fuel stored in fuel tank to injector without reforming when it is determined that reforming is not needed.

Fuel reform apparatus includes: internal combustion engine including injector and configured so that compression-ignition combustion is carried out in combustion chamber; reform unit interposed in fuel supply path from fuel tank to injector and including reformer reforming fuel stored in fuel tank by oxidation reaction; ignition timing detector detecting ignition timing of fuel in combustion chamber; and controller including CPU and memory. Controller performs: determining whether fuel has been supplied into fuel tank; determining whether reforming is needed based on ignition timing when it is determined that fuel has been supplied; controlling operation of reform unit so as to reform fuel stored in fuel tank to supply to injector when it is determined that reforming is needed; and controlling operation of reform unit so as to supply fuel stored in fuel tank to injector without reforming when it is determined that reforming is not needed.