Method to increase the efficiency of combustion engines

Abstract

The present invention is related to an optimization method to internal combustion engines that reduces the fuel consumption and the exhaust emissions and particulated material. The operation principle is based in the introduction of small quantities of hydrogen in the air intake duct of the engine with the objective of optimizing the combustion of the traditional fuels, improving the parameters of the combustion reaction. This optimized combustion will increase the efficiency of the engine and reduce its environmental impact. The hydrogen is produced by an electrolysis reaction inside an electrochemical closed cell with non-circulating electrolyte.

Claims

1. A method to increase efficiency of combustion engines, the method comprising: a) producing HHO gas in an electrolysis system using a cell with a non-circulating electrolyte and electrodes made from nickel with a purity greater than 99%; b) introducing the HHO gas produced into an air intake duct of a combustion engine in accordance with a weight percentage of HHO gas relative to at least one of gasoline or diesel fuel, of 0.005% for diesel engines and 0.002% for gasoline engines, such that a quantity of the HHO gas introduced depends on a quantity of fuel used in the combustion engine; and c) depressurizing an HHO production device, preceded by extraction of the HHO gas produced to introduce the HHO gas produced into the air intake duct of the combustion engine, and using an existing vacuum in the air intake duct, thereby assuring an injection of all of the HHO gas produced into the air intake duct of the combustion engine, wherein the introduction of the HHO gas is adjustable by an electronic control unit to maintain a volumetric ratio between air and hydrogen between 1:2.510.sup.6 and 1:3.510.sup.6, assuming a stoichiometric combustion.

2. The A method according to claim 1, wherein a the density of the HHO gas produced is 0.5363 g/l.

3. The A method according to claim 1, further comprising feeding hydrogen through a hydrogen feeding tube from an exit at a top of the electrolysis system, the hydrogen feeding tube being connected to the air intake duct in a section downstream from an air filter and upstream of an air compressor.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein a voltage at the electrodes is regulated electronically.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(1) The method object of the invention is intended to optimize internal combustion engines, reducing the fuel consumption and the exhaust emissions and particulated materials. It uses a specific device to produce hydrogen.

(2) The present invention is based in the introduction of small quantities of hydrogen in the air intake manifold of the engine with the objective of optimizing the burn of the traditional fuels, improving the combustion reaction parameters.

(3) This optimized combustion will increase the efficiency of the engine and reduce its environmental impact. The hydrogen is produced by an electrolysis reaction inside an electrochemical cell with non-circulating electrolyte.

(4) The referred method uses a hydrogen production device powered from the engine's electrical circuit that can be connected to the battery or fuse box. The device is controlled electronically by an integrated module that manages the electrolysis reaction, assuring that the device only operates when the engine is running and that the production of hydrogen is adequate to the quantity of fuel consumed by the engine, that maybe inferred by the displacement and rotation speed of the engine.

(5) When the device turns on, is started inside it an electrolysis process electronically managed, resulting in the chemical separation of the hydrogen and oxygen molecules from the electrolyte contained in the device, that will be introduced in the intake air of the engine.

(6) The produced hydrogen will then mix with the air and fuel in the combustion chambers of the engine, changing the parameters of the reaction, allowing a faster and complete combustion of the traditional fuel with a more even temperature over the pistons' surface.

(7) The result is an engine with improved performance and efficiency, which will lead to a smoother and quieter running with a low rev torque increase. This optimized engine operation more often reduces the fuel consumption and reduces the exhaust emissions gases and particulate material, reducing the operation costs and protecting our environment. The electrolyte fluid inside the ULTIMATE CELL is consumed during normal operation and it should be periodically recharged depending on the operation time and engine's displacement. The device warns the user when an electrolyte recharge is needed.

(8) This device of hydrogen production by electrolysis consists in a hermetically closed container that operates as an electrochemical cell with non-circulating electrolyte. It needs only to be opened to refill new electrolyte that is consumed during operation. On the bottom of the container are placed a minimum of two electrodes made of nickel, with purity above 99%. The distance between the electrodes and its surface area are defined according the geometry and production rate of the device, in order to assure the right voltage that doesn't empower the corrosion. According the Pourboix diagram (FIG. 1) for nickel, it's needed to assure a relation between pH and voltage that keeps the electrolysis reaction inside the passivity zone. The electrolyte used is a water based solution with potassium hydroxide with a concentration that assures a voltage between the electrodes of 2 volts. As a possible configuration that assures all these parameters in its simplest form, we have 2 electrodes of nickel (Ni201) with 12.4 cm.sup.2 distanced from each other 5 mm with the electrolyte with a concentration of 0.5 Mol (2.5%).

(9) The electrolysis process is controlled by an electronic circuit (PCB) that assures the correct flow of hydrogen for the fuel consumed by the engine to optimize, regulating the electrical current that goes though the electrochemical cell. The PCB is also responsible to assure that the device will only turn on when the engine is running, detecting the voltage increment that is a result of the alternator operation. This voltage threshold is adjustable in the PCB to allow it to adapt to any engine's electrical system. In order to optimize the electrical energy consumption and make it possible to power with a voltage between 3 and 30 volts DC, the PCB incorporates a switching power source that commutates the input voltage with the necessary frequency that gives on the output the necessary equivalent voltage, smoothed by a condenser that minimizes the ripple effect (alternate current component that exceeds the average voltage of a continuous current). When the device initiates the production of hydrogen, it's indicated on the front panel of the device that it's operating. When is necessary to refill the container with electrolyte, it is indicated also on the front panel that a recharge is needed. On the top, the cell is sealed with a condensation membrane that avoids leakages and minimizes the evaporation of the electrolyte, letting pass though only the gas produced by electrolysis. The membrane can be made with many materials and forms that assure its functionality resisting chemically to the electrolyte formulation, being the perforated EPDM film with 1 mm of thickness one of the chosen configurations.

(10) When turned on, the device initiates an electrolysis process with the separation of the water on molecules of hydrogen and oxygen that will pass by the condensation membrane, exiting trough the outlet pipe in the top of the device. The flow of the HHO gas produced is regulated by the PCB according to the fuel consumption of the engine to assure a weight percentage of HHO relatively to fuel between 0.0005% and 0.05%, or preferably between 0.002% and 0.01%, having as reference value of the control equation followed by the electronic module of the device the weight relation of 0.005% for diesel engines and 0.002% for gasoline engines. This proportion, in stoichiometric combustion is equivalent to a volumetric ratio between air and HHO between 1:2.510.sup.6 and 1:3.510.sup.6. This extremely low ratio makes that the HHO gas that is added to the oxidizer (air) doesn't interfere on the engine management sensors like the Air Mass Sensor (MAF) in the air intake or oxygen sensor in the exhaust (Lambda).

(11) To assure this proportion it was considered as density of the produced HHO equal to 0.5363 g/l, being considered ideal for optimization of combustion a weight relation between HHO and fuel between 0.0005% and 0.05%, or preferably between 0.002% and 0.01%. This equation with the corrected weight adjustments comes to be applicable to all types of hydro carbonic fuels used in internal combustion engines: Gasoline (0.75 kg/l); Diesel (0.85 kg/l); LPG (2.5 g/l).

(12) The gas produced is injected into the air intake duct of the engine. There isn't in the device, at any time, pressurized storage of hydrogen, being all the produced flow of gas consumed directly by the internal combustion engine. The existent vacuum in the air intake will depressurize the device assuring the extraction of the gas produced inside the unit.

(13) The device should be installed near the engine, away from heat sources or moving parts. The device is electrically powered from the engine's electrical system (12 or 24 volts), directly from the battery or fuse box, being its circuit protected by a fuse adequate to the maximum consumption of the device. The hydrogen feeding tube that comes of the top of the device will be connected to the air intake duct of the engine in a section after the air filter and before any volumetric compressor that may exist.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(14) FIG. 1Pourboix diagram where is presented the graphical representation of the possible equilibrium stable stages of a electrochemical system.

(15) FIG. 2Shows an arrangement of the entire system.