3271results about "Thermal treatment of fuel" patented technology

The present disclosure relates to an electronic smoking article that provides for improved aerosol delivery. Particularly, the article comprises one or more microheaters. In various embodiments, the microheaters provide for improved control of vaporization of an aerosol precursor composition and provide for reduced power requirements to achieve consistent aerosolization. The present disclosure further relates to methods of forming an aerosol in a smoking article.

A humidifier and humidity sensor for use with a breathing assistance apparatus. The humidity sensor senses absolute humidity, relative humidity and/or temperature at both the patient end and humidifier end. The humidifier may also include provision to both control independently the humidity and temperature of the gases. Further, a chamber manifold facilitates easy connection of the humidifier to various outlets, inlets and sensors. A heated conduit provides a more effective temperature profile along its length.

A fuel cooling system for a marine inboard engine, including a fuel tank, a fuel supply conduit, and a heat exchanger. The fuel supply conduit includes first and second ends, and extends between the fuel tank and a fuel injection system for the engine. The heat exchanger is disposed intermediate the first and second ends of the fuel supply conduit, and includes a fuel passage in fluid communication with the fuel supply conduit, and a coolant passage in fluid communication with a coolant side of a closed-loop auxiliary cooling system.

To offer a fuel supply system and fuel supply method for direct injection engine that realizes higher output. In a fuel supply system for direct injection engine of the present invention, equipped with a primary fuel injector that injects fuel directly into the cylinder of the direct injection engine and supercharger that increase the intake air quantity of the engine, a secondary fuel injector is installed in addition to the primary fuel injector. In a specified engine load area, fuel is supplied using the primary fuel injector and secondary fuel injector. Even though the fuel quantity injected from the primary fuel injector into the cylinder is limited, the fuel supply system for direct injection engine constructed as above can increase the engine output because the fuel insufficiency can be supplied by the secondary fuel injector.

A diffusion driven desalination apparatus and related method includes structure for receiving a heated water stream and creating at least one region having a thin film of water and structure for forcing a low humidity air stream over the thin film of water, wherein water from the thin film of water evaporates and diffuses into the air stream to create a humidified air stream. A diffusion tower including at least one plenum can be used to create and transfer the humidified air stream. At least one condenser, such as a direct contact condenser, condenses the humidified air stream, wherein purified water is produced. Waste heat from a power plant can be used to provide the heated water stream and power plants can use the waste heat generated to inexpensively provide purified water.

A method for generating power comprising the steps of feeding water into an electrolyzer, providing electricity to operate the electrolyzer to split at least some of the water into hydrogen and oxygen, and decompressing one or both of the hydrogen and oxygen to generate power. Water can be pressurized prior to being fed into the electrolyzer. The hydrogen and oxygen, which can be stored in insulated storage vessels, can be decompressed isentropically to yield energy, which can be used to power a generator. Heat can be extracted from the hydrogen and oxygen, such as through heat exchangers. Hydrogen and oxygen can combine in an internal combustion process to produce work and heat, which can be recycled into the thermodynamic process.

An electronic cigarette with plural of atomizing assembly sizes. A battery assembly contains a battery and control circuit, with a first mechanical connector disposed adjacent to a first end, and a second mechanical connector disposed adjacent to the first connector. The electronic cigarette also has a small atomizer assembly with a mouthpiece, an atomizer, and a liquid reservoir. A small mechanical connector is designed to engage the second mechanical connector of the battery assembly. The assembly includes a connector shroud that has a shroud mechanical connector, and that tapers from a first outer periphery, which corresponds to the elongated housing size of the battery assembly, to a second outer periphery, which corresponds to the small atomizer assembly. When assembled, the mouthpiece of the small atomizing assembly is exposed beyond the second end of the connector shroud.

A premixed charge compression ignition engine, and a control system, is provided which effectively initiates combustion by compression ignition and maintains stable combustion while achieving extremely low nitrous oxide emissions, good overall efficiency and acceptable combustion noise and cylinder pressures. The present engine and control system effectively controls the combustion history, that is, the time at which combustion occurs, the rate of combustion, the duration of combustion and/or the completeness of combustion, by controlling the operation of certain control variables providing temperature control, pressure control, control of the mixture's autoignition properties and equivalence ratio control. The combustion control system provides active feedback control of the combustion event and includes a sensor, e.g. pressure sensor, for detecting an engine operating condition indicative of the combustion history, e.g. the start of combustion, and generating an associated engine operating condition signal. A processor receives the signal and generates control signals based on the engine operating condition signal for controlling various engine components to control the temperature, pressure, equivalence ratio and/or autoignition properties so as to variably control the combustion history of future combustion events to achieve stable, low emission combustion in each cylinder and combustion balancing between the cylinders.

A cartridge for an e-vaping device includes an ethanol-free gel formulation. The ethanol-free gel formulation includes a vapor former, water, and a biopolymer. The biopolymer may be included in an amount ranging from about 0.01% by weight based on the weight of the ethanol-free gel formulation to about 2.0% by weight based on the weight of the ethanol-free gel formulation. The biopolymer may be one or more of agar, kappa carrageenan, gelatin, sodium alginate, gellan gum, pectin, and combinations thereof. The cartridge also includes a heater configured to heat liquid from the gel formulation to a temperature sufficient to release a liquid/semi-liquid component from the gel, which component thereupon forms a vapor.

The present invention provides an internal combustion engine system which uses a blended fuel of gasoline and ethanol, operates with high efficiency, and can inhibit nitrogen oxide and the like from being discharged. The internal combustion engine system comprises: a fuel tank 3 that accommodates a blended fuel having an octane number of 80 to 100, which has been prepared by blending gasoline having the octane number of 30 to 85 and ethanol into a weight ratio between 9:1 and 6:4; separating means 4 for adding water to the blended fuel to separate the blended fuel into the gasoline and an ethanol-water mixture liquid; reforming means 8 for reforming one part of the ethanol-water mixture liquid to produce a mixture liquid of diethyl ether and water; and fuel injectors 10a, 10b and 10c which independently inject each of the gasoline, the ethanol-water mixture liquid and the mixture liquid of diethyl ether and water. The internal combustion engine system conducts spark ignition combustion when a load is high, and conducts homogeneous charge compression ignition combustion when the load is low.

An air conditioning system for conditioning the space within an enclosure having at least one inlet and one outlet, the system comprising first and second liquid/air heat exchangers; the first heat exchanger having an opening for receiving fresh air from the environment and for propelling the fresh air through the first heat exchanger to exchange heat with the liquid before it is entered into the enclosure, and the second heat exchanger having an opening for receiving air from the enclosure and for propelling it through the second heat exchanger to exchange heat with the liquid before it is expelled into the atmosphere. There are also provided methods for air-conditioning an enclosed space and for evaporation of industrial wastes.

An electronic cigarette and a method for supplying a constant power therein, the electronic cigarette comprises an atomizer with a heating wire. The electronic cigarette also comprises a power supply module for supplying power to the heating wire to heat the heating wire, and further comprises a microprocessor, a detecting module connected to the microprocessor, and a voltage adjusting module. A preset constant power can supply to the heating wire of the atomizer in the electronic cigarette, so that a consistent heating power can be applied to each of the electronic cigarettes produced in batch production, and smoke amount and flavor of each of the electronic cigarettes are more consistent, thereby better meeting demands of consumers.

A liquid primary fuel is ignited by HCCI with the assistance of the early injection of a liquid pilot fuel. Pilot fuel injection and/or ignition are preferably controlled so as to permit the injected pilot fuel to become thoroughly distributed through and mixed with the primary fuel/air charge in the combustion chamber and vaporized prior to ignition. Pilot fuel having a lower autoignition temperature will be ignited by compression ignition, followed by the ignition of the homogeneous mixture of the primary fuel and air. HCCI combustion of the primary fuel is facilitated by 1) selection of the properties of the primary and pilot fuels and 2) obtaining a homogenous mixture of primary fuel and air by injecting primary fuel into the engine's intake air stream in the form of finely atomized droplets having a mean diameter in the micron range.

A humidifier includes a base defining a reservoir for retaining liquid, a humidification device for inducing dispersion of liquid withdrawn from the reservoir into the environment and a liquid storage tank having an outlet for feeding liquid into the reservoir. The humidification device includes a heated disc for evaporating a stream of liquid delivered from the reservoir to the heated disc by a delivery mechanism. The delivery mechanism may deliver the stream of liquid as a mist, a thin film or a controlled stream of liquid onto the disc.

A humidifier includes a humidifier tub including an air inlet and an air outlet. The air outlet may have an exit port positioned in a plane disposed below the air inlet. A base plate is provided to the bottom of the humidifier tub. The base plate and humidifier tub define a water chamber adapted to receive a volume of water. The humidifier tub may include a guidance structure adapted to direct air entering the humidifier tub via the air inlet to swirl downwardly and around within the humidifier tub reaching the water surface before exiting the exit port. The tub may include a structure to prevent the inadvertent entry of water from the tub to the flow generator.

A method of operating an internal combustion engine coupled in a hybrid powertrain, the method comprising of extracting waste energy from a component of an electrical power system of the hybrid powertrain, and adjusting intake air temperature during homogeneous charge compression ignition operation of the engine by using said extracted waste energy.

A device and a method for facilitating the deposition and patterning of organic materials onto substrates utilizing the vapor transport mechanisms of organic vapor phase deposition is provided. The device includes one or more nozzles, and an apparatus integrally connected to the one or more nozzles, wherein the apparatus includes one or more source cells, a carrier gas inlet, a carrier gas outlet, and a first valve capable of controlling the flow of a carrier gas through the one or more source cells. The method includes moving a substrate relative to an apparatus, and controlling the composition of the organic material and/or the rate of the organic material ejected by the one or more nozzles while moving the substrate relative to the apparatus, such that a patterned organic layer is deposited over the substrate.

A forced air cooling tower includes an upright casing, and elevated water distribution system disposed in an upper portion of the casing and one or more fans for drawing air through the tower. The tower also includes a catch basin for collecting the cooled air and a pump for circulating the cooled water through a condenser and back to the top of the tower and to the water distribution system. The cooling tower also includes a controller and a variable frequency device for regulating the flow of air through the tower. A first temperature sensor senses the temperature T1 of the hot process water delivered to the water distribution system and a second sensor senses the dry bulb temperature of the air leaving the tower Tdbt2. A third sensor senses the temperature of the cooled water leaving the tower. The controller such as a computer and variable frequency drive controls the speed of the fan to minimize the difference in T1 and Tdbt2. A submaster control prevents the fan speed from being further reduced when a predetermined T2 (temperature of the cooled water) is reached.

The temperature of a vaporizing device, e.g., the temperature of a heating element of the vaporizing device, may be controlled according to various aspects of the present disclosure. The vaporizing device may comprise a heating element, a power source, at least one sensor in electronic communication with the heating element and the power source, and a processor configured to control the temperature of the heating element. The method of controlling the temperature may comprise receiving a resistance measurement of the heating element from the at least one sensor, determining the temperature of the heating element based on the resistance measurement, and adjusting the amount of power supplied to the heating element based on the determined temperature of the heating element.