A vehicle system includes a fuel separation system, a combustion engine, and a computer control system. The fuel separation system includes one or more fuel separation units, the vehicle system is configured to recover from the fuel separation system and maintain vapor fuel fractions as vapor throughout the vehicle system, and the combustion engine is configured to receive a vapor fuel feed and a liquid fuel feed. A method for operating the vehicle system includes separating a vehicle fuel with a fuel separation system into a plurality of fuel fractions, recovering and maintaining the vapor fuel fractions as vapor throughout the vehicle system, producing a vapor fuel feed and a liquid fuel feed, and introducing at least one of the vapor fuel feed and the liquid fuel feed to a combustion engine.

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 surgical frame and method for use thereof is provided. The surgical frame is capable of reconfiguration before, during, or after surgery. The surgical frame includes a main beam that can be rotated, raised/lowered, and tilted upwardly/downwardly to afford positioning and repositioning of a patient supported thereon. The main beam is capable of be reconfigured between a left configuration and a right configuration to support the patient in different positions thereon.

A surgical frame and method for use thereof is provided. The surgical frame is capable of reconfiguration before, during, or after surgery. The surgical frame includes a main beam that can be rotated, raised/lowered, and tilted upwardly/downwardly to afford positioning and repositioning of a patient supported thereon. The main beam is capable of be reconfigured between a left configuration and a right configuration to support the patient in different positions thereon.

The invention provides a fuel treatment system for cracking hydrocarbons in fuel for combustion engines. The system comprises a primary ducting component having an exhaust gas inlet zone, and a secondary ducting component which includes a fuel enrichment component and a processing chamber. The processing chamber may have an outlet zone connectable to the combustion engine. The inlet zone of the primary ducting component and the outlet zone of the processing chamber may be configured in a heat exchange relationship with each other and in a counter-current gas flow direction with respect to each other. During operation of the system, heat from hottest volumes of the exhaust gas flowing in a furthest upstream portion of the ducting arrangement may be transferred to fuel-enriched exhaust gas flowing in a furthest downstream portion of the processing chamber. The system may include turbulence-inducing formations, including vortex-inducing formations configured in accordance with mathematical sequences such as the Fibonacci sequence.

The invention provides a fuel treatment system for cracking hydrocarbons in fuel for combustion engines. The system comprises a primary ducting component having an exhaust gas inlet zone, and a secondary ducting component which includes a fuel enrichment component and a processing chamber. The processing chamber may have an outlet zone connectable to the combustion engine. The inlet zone of the primary ducting component and the outlet zone of the processing chamber may be configured in a heat exchange relationship with each other and in a counter-current gas flow direction with respect to each other. During operation of the system, heat from hottest volumes of the exhaust gas flowing in a furthest upstream portion of the ducting arrangement may be transferred to fuel-enriched exhaust gas flowing in a furthest downstream portion of the processing chamber. The system may include turbulence-inducing formations, including vortex-inducing formations configured in accordance with mathematical sequences such as the Fibonacci sequence.

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 split cycle internal combustion engine includes a combustion cylinder accommodating a combustion piston and a compression cylinder accommodating a compression piston. The engine also includes a controller arranged to receive an indication of a parameter associated with the combustion cylinder and/or a fluid associated therewith and to control an exhaust valve of the combustion cylinder in dependence on the indicated parameter to cause the exhaust valve to close during the return stroke of the combustion piston, before the combustion piston has reached its top dead centre position (TDC), when the indicated parameter is less than a target value for the parameter; and close on completion of the return stroke of the combustion piston, as the combustion piston reaches its top dead centre position (TDC), when the indicated parameter is equal to or greater than the target value for the parameter.

A split cycle internal combustion engine includes a combustion cylinder accommodating a combustion piston and a compression cylinder accommodating a compression piston. The engine also includes a controller arranged to receive an indication of a parameter associated with the combustion cylinder and/or a fluid associated therewith and to control an exhaust valve of the combustion cylinder in dependence on the indicated parameter to cause the exhaust valve to close during the return stroke of the combustion piston, before the combustion piston has reached its top dead centre position (TDC), when the indicated parameter is less than a target value for the parameter; and close on completion of the return stroke of the combustion piston, as the combustion piston reaches its top dead centre position (TDC), when the indicated parameter is equal to or greater than the target value for the parameter.

A split cycle internal combustion engine includes a combustion cylinder accommodating a combustion piston and a compression cylinder accommodating a compression piston. The engine also includes a controller arranged to receive an indication of a parameter associated with the combustion cylinder and/or a fluid associated therewith and to control an exhaust valve of the combustion cylinder in dependence on the indicated parameter to cause the exhaust valve to close during the return stroke of the combustion piston, before the combustion piston has reached its top dead centre position (TDC), when the indicated parameter is less than a target value for the parameter; and close on completion of the return stroke of the combustion piston, as the combustion piston reaches its top dead centre position (TDC), when the indicated parameter is equal to or greater than the target value for the parameter.