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Heated air assisted membrane separation of water and fuel from engine oil in an internal combustion engine

The use of controlled air flow to remove water and fuel from engine lubricating oil through membrane separation equipment solves the problem of contaminant accumulation, extends lubricating oil life and improves engine performance.

Inactive Publication Date: 2011-04-27
GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

But motor oil also accumulates water, unburned fuel matter and other liquid or gaseous combustion by-products that cannot be removed by conventional filtration techniques

Method used

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Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

Embodiment Construction

[0055] Modern internal combustion engines are built to tight tolerances, requiring the use of high-grade lubricants. To meet this need, current engine lubricating oils comprise a complex mixture of base motor oils and suitable additives to provide the desired lubricating properties even after a considerable period of use under a wide range of severe conditions.

[0056] One rare condition that is not well addressed by current lubricants or lubrication systems occurs when the vehicle engine is often only run for a short time. In this case, the lubricating oil only rarely reaches its "normal" operating temperature, and then only operates for a short time.

[0057] During the combustion process, some "blowby" occurs, which drives some unburned fuel and moisture through the piston rings and into the crankcase, where it is incorporated into the lubricating oil. These volatile contaminants essentially evaporate and are removed when the oil is maintained at its "normal" operating te...

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PUM

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Abstract

The invention provides a heated air assisted membrane separation of water and fuel from engine oil in an internal combustion engine. Contaminating water and / or fuel material may be removed from a stream of internal combustion engine lubricating oil being circulated over parts of an operating engine. A suitable membrane material is supported in a suitable housing. At least a portion of the oil stream is flowed over one side of the membrane and water and / or fuel material diffuses through the membrane to its other side where they are gathered and removed from the housing. The water and fuel material may be recovered separately using different membranes or different regions of a membrane. They may be swept from the membranes and housings using streams of flowing air heated to a pre-selected temperatures using waste engine heat for disposition outside the housing. Application of this practice to other membrane-separable mixtures is described.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for separating water and gasoline (or other fuel) from lubricating oil circulating in a working engine. More specifically, the present invention relates to an improved method using an apparatus in which motor oil is circulated along the surface of a membrane and water and / or fuel components such as gasoline, diesel fuel or ethanol are selectively removed from the motor oil through the membrane. removed. A flow of heated air directed across the permeate side of the membrane at a suitable pressure enhances the removal of water and fuel components from the membrane surface. Background technique [0002] Most automobiles are powered by an internal combustion engine consisting of several complementary cylinders in which tightly fitting reciprocating pistons receive an incoming fuel-air mixture, compress the mixture, combust the mixture and expel the products of combustion. The fuel may be gasoline, d...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(China)
IPC IPC(8): F01M11/03B01D61/36
CPCB01D2313/086F16N39/06B01D17/085B01D63/082F01M1/10B01D2311/13
Owner GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC