Internal combustion apparatus and method utilizing electrolysis cell

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to the production of hydrogen and oxygen within an electrolysis cell having a coated anode such that these gases can be added to the fuel source (fossil fuel and/or alternative fuels) of a combustion engine system as a supplement for said fuel source(s) for increased performance.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 60 / 726,049, filed Oct. 12, 2005, 60 / 819,293, filed Jul. 7, 2006, and 60 / 844,997, filed Sep. 15, 2006, each of which is incorporated herein in their entirety by reference thereto.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present disclosure relates generally to the production of hydrogen and oxygen within an electrolysis cell such that these can be used in combination with a fuel source in a combustion engine system. The present disclosure can be best understood and appreciated by undertaking a brief review of the problems facing the world with respect to the operation of the millions of automobiles, trucks, buses, and other internal combustion engines utilizing hydrocarbon or fossil fuel as its energy source. [0003] One of the major problems facing the world is the atmospheric pollution caused by the noxious gases that are produced as combustion by-produc...

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Benefits of technology

[0086] Another expected advantage of the present invention is less indirect maintenance on the engine 2 due to improved efficiency such that the exhaust system requires less maintenance due to decreased corrosion, engine oil levels require less frequent inspection due to easier running conditions, engine oil stays cleaner, and other aspects of vehicle maintenance repair are expected improved by use of the cell 1.

[0087] Some embodiments of the disclosure are expected to have an approximate 25% reduction in NOx emissions, while simultaneously not increasing the percentage of NO2 emissions. The NO2 emissions, according to

Problems solved by technology

One of the major problems facing the world is the atmospheric pollution caused by the noxious gases that are produced as combustion by-products from internal combustion engines.

Another major problem facing the world is the increasing shortage of fossil fuels on which vehicles and other engines operate.

The limited supply of fossil fuel is decreasing while the world-wide demand continues to increase at an unprecedented rate, thereby creating an economic burden on consumers and the national economies.

The shortage of the availability of fossil fuels has been a prolonged problem going back at least over 30 years to shortages in the 1970s.

Despite these benefits, neither hydrogen gas nor oxygen gas are being rapidly deployed as an alternative fuel source for several reasons including of significant technical and economic difficulties.

For instance, according to some U.S. governmental reports, hydrogen gas storage systems for vehicles are inadequate to meet consumer driving range expectations without intrusion into vehicle cargo or passenger space.

They can be very dangerous and environmentally unsafe when stored in bulk due to the explosive volatility of collected hydrogen gas.

Also, hydrogen gas is currently three to four times as expensive as gasoline and diesel fuels.

The fuel cells are about five times more expensive than internal combustion engines and do not maintain performance over the full useful life of the vehicle.

In addition, the investment risk of developing a hydrogen gas delivery infrastructure is understood to be too great given technology status.

However, on-board storage of hydrogen gas in a large tank presents tremendous and most likely insurmountable safety challenges as these systems are subject to the same difficulties as engines or fuel cells operating only on hydrogen.

Thus, such systems are similarly subject to the same deficiencies as other hydrogen gas cells and engines.

Despite the disclosures and efforts of others in the field, these disclosures and the art as a whole have failed to provide a device like the one disclosed herein which has overcome the problems in the art.

The prior art systems were not sufficiently environmentally safe and stable.

The chemicals used in the devices were often toxic or otherwise unsafe due to the dangerous accumulation or pressurization of the explosively volatile gases of hydrogen and oxygen.

The disclosures, with the interdependency of the various operating parameters, were unstable leading to dependence on various additional machinery that cause further unreliability and instability.

The prior art failed to solve the problem of overheating that occurred in such electrolysis chambers.

The prior art has similarly failed to solve the problems associated with the prolonged supply of hydrogen and oxygen to the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine.

Many of the prior art disclosures involved pressurized hydrogen gas and ox

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