Hydrogen-Enhanced Fuel Combustion for Engine Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional internal combustion engines are inefficient, consuming excessive fuel and emitting harmful greenhouse gases, necessitating improvements in fuel economy and emission reduction.
Innovation Solution
A fuel management system that includes an internal combustion engine, a reactor system for electrolytically generating hydrogen and oxygen gas, and a control system to optimize the combustion of carbon-based fuels by adjusting the percentage of hydrogen gas in the fuel-gas mixture based on laminar flame speed, thereby enhancing fuel efficiency and reducing emissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If conventional internal combustion engines are used, then the engine operation is simple, but fuel consumption is high and emissions are excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the fuel by mixing hydrogen gas with carbon-based fuel. This parameter change increases the laminar flame speed from typical values (e.g., 0.3-0.45 m/s for pure diesel/gasoline) to higher values (e.g., 1.2-2.0 m/s with hydrogen addition), which improves combustion efficiency and reduces fuel consumption and emissions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite fuel system by combining hydrogen gas with carbon-based fuels (diesel, gasoline, natural gas). This composite approach leverages the high flame speed of hydrogen while maintaining the energy density of carbon-based fuels, achieving both reduced consumption and lower emissions.
2Use of energy by moving object
If hydrogen gas is added to increase laminar flame speed, then fuel economy improves, but the system complexity increases due to reactor system and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a reactor system as an intermediary component that electrolytically generates hydrogen gas from water. This intermediary device enables the system to produce hydrogen on-demand, which then mixes with the carbon-based fuel to improve combustion. The control system acts as another intermediary, managing the hydrogen generation and injection to optimize fuel economy while maintaining manageable system complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system increases the laminar flame speed of the fuel-gas mixture, leading to reduced fuel consumption and minimized greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in improved fuel economy and environmental benefits.
Implementation Method 1
a reactor system configured to electrolytically disassociate a substrate to generate hydrogen gas and oxygen gas
Implementation Method 2
an internal combustion engine configured to combust a carbon-based fuel supplied by a fuel supply
Data Source
AI summary
The various embodiments disclosed herein relate to systems and methods of improving fuel economy of internal combustion engines. In particular, the systems and methods relate to improving fuel economy of internal combustion engines by increasing the laminar flame speed (LFS) of fuel and hydrogen gas mixture. By increasing the laminar flame speed of the mixture, amount of carbon-based fuel that undergoes combustion increases. This may provide the advantage of minimizing overall fuel consumption by the engine, resulting in fuel savings. This may also provide the advantage of minimizing greenhouse gas emissions by the engine, resulting in environmental benefits.