An engine/reformer system accepts a first fuel and reforms it into syngas for use as a fuel in an accompanying internal combustion engine. Prior to reforming, the first fuel is pressurized and/or heated to at or near supercritical fluid conditions, such that the resulting syngas leaves the reformer in a supercritical fluid state. Injection of the supercritical syngas into an engine cylinder avoids the autoignition problems that occur when gaseous syngas is used. The first fuel is a fully self-reforming fuel (one that needs no separate water supply for complete conversion to syngas), and can beneficially be a “wet” fuel, such as ethanol containing water, allowing the system to use intermediate products of an ethanol production process (such as hydrous ethanol and stillage wastewater) as fuel, and reducing the overall cost of fuel production and engine operation.

The present invention relates to a vehicle system (80) configured for injecting an aqueous solution in an air intake line (12) upstream of a combustion chamber (14) of an internal combustion engine, or in the combustion chamber (14) of the internal combustion engine, said vehicle system (80) comprising the following constituents: ⋅a tank (16) to store an aqueous solution; ⋅a pump (18); ⋅an air intake line (12) upstream of a combustion chamber (14) of an internal combustion engine; ⋅one or more injectors (20) configured for injecting aqueous solution in the air intake line (12), in the combustion chamber (14) or both; ⋅a feed line (22) configured in for feeding said injector (20) with aqueous solution pumped by the pump (18). In the vehicle system, at least a portion of at least one of the vehicle system constituents (16, 18, 12, 20, 22) or of a tank (16) component (24) is made of a polymer material. The polymer material—comprises an effective amount of at least one antimicrobial agent, or—has on its surface a surface coating containing at least one antimicrobial agent, the surface coating comprising between 0.001% by weight and 0.25% by weight of the at least one antimicrobial agent.

The present invention relates to a vehicle system (80) configured for injecting an aqueous solution in an air intake line (12) upstream of a combustion chamber (14) of an internal combustion engine, or in the combustion chamber (14) of the internal combustion engine, said vehicle system (80) comprising the following constituents: ⋅a tank (16) to store an aqueous solution; ⋅a pump (18); ⋅an air intake line (12) upstream of a combustion chamber (14) of an internal combustion engine; ⋅one or more injectors (20) configured for injecting aqueous solution in the air intake line (12), in the combustion chamber (14) or both; ⋅a feed line (22) configured in for feeding said injector (20) with aqueous solution pumped by the pump (18). In the vehicle system, at least a portion of at least one of the vehicle system constituents (16, 18, 12, 20, 22) or of a tank (16) component (24) is made of a polymer material. The polymer material—comprises an effective amount of at least one antimicrobial agent, or—has on its surface a surface coating containing at least one antimicrobial agent, the surface coating comprising between 0.001% by weight and 0.25% by weight of the at least one antimicrobial agent.

A ship propulsion system comprises at least one internal combustion engine with a combustion chamber for burning a fuel and a turbocharger with a compressor in an intake tract of the internal combustion engine. The ship propulsion system further comprises an electrolysis device, which produces hydrogen and oxygen gas, which are added on a pressure side of the compressor and conducted to the internal combustion engine. Moreover, a water tank and an alcohol tank are connected to a pressure side of the compressor in order to add water and alcohol to the charge air.

A ship propulsion system comprises at least one internal combustion engine with a combustion chamber for burning a fuel and a turbocharger with a compressor in an intake tract of the internal combustion engine. The ship propulsion system further comprises an electrolysis device, which produces hydrogen and oxygen gas, which are added on a pressure side of the compressor and conducted to the internal combustion engine. Moreover, a water tank and an alcohol tank are connected to a pressure side of the compressor in order to add water and alcohol to the charge air.

A vehicle system storing an aqueous solution includes: a first compartment; a second compartment; a module that includes a feed pump unit connected for pumping aqueous solution from the first compartment to a feed outlet; and a jet pump having a suction inlet, a pressure inlet and an outlet. The feed pump unit is further connected for pumping aqueous solution along a flow path from the first compartment through the feed pump unit, through the pressure inlet of the jet pump to the outlet of the jet pump. A heater heats the flow path. The suction inlet is connected to a suction line that receives the aqueous solution from the second compartment. The outlet of the jet pump returns aqueous solution from the suction inlet and from the pressure inlet to the first compartment.

A vehicle system storing an aqueous solution includes: a first compartment; a second compartment; a module that includes a feed pump unit connected for pumping aqueous solution from the first compartment to a feed outlet; and a jet pump having a suction inlet, a pressure inlet and an outlet. The feed pump unit is further connected for pumping aqueous solution along a flow path from the first compartment through the feed pump unit, through the pressure inlet of the jet pump to the outlet of the jet pump. A heater heats the flow path. The suction inlet is connected to a suction line that receives the aqueous solution from the second compartment. The outlet of the jet pump returns aqueous solution from the suction inlet and from the pressure inlet to the first compartment.

An air compression system includes an internal combustion engine operable to produce a power output in response to combustion of a fuel-air mixture, and an air compressor driven by the internal combustion engine and operable to draw in atmospheric air and discharge a mixed flow of compressed air and water. A water injection system supplies water to the fuel-air mixture and into the internal combustion engine, a separator assembly in communication with the air compressor separates a portion of the water from the compressed air, and a water passageway interconnects the separator assembly and the water injection system such that the air compressor supplies water to the water injection system.

An air compression system includes an internal combustion engine operable to produce a power output in response to combustion of a fuel-air mixture, and an air compressor driven by the internal combustion engine and operable to draw in atmospheric air and discharge a mixed flow of compressed air and water. A water injection system supplies water to the fuel-air mixture and into the internal combustion engine, a separator assembly in communication with the air compressor separates a portion of the water from the compressed air, and a water passageway interconnects the separator assembly and the water injection system such that the air compressor supplies water to the water injection system.

A method is provided for operating an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle, The internal combustion engine has at least one cylinder with a combustion chamber, a water injection unit with a tank and at least one injection nozzle for directly or indirectly injecting water into the combustion chamber, an exhaust gas system with at least one exhaust gas catalytic converter and a particulate filter device which has a particulate filter for filtering particles out of an exhaust gas flow guided in the exhaust gas system. A control unit is provide for a state monitoring process and for controlling the combustion in the cylinder.