Onboard Fuel Octane Cetane Separation via Adsorbent Circulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicular fuel systems face challenges in efficiently separating onboard fuel into octane-rich and cetane-rich components, leading to complex infrastructure, operator errors, and heat balance issues during refueling and fuel enrichment processes.
Innovation Solution
A vehicular fuel system utilizing a fluid-circulated adsorbent to selectively separate fuel components, including a fuel supply tank, an adsorbent tank, a separation unit, and a heat exchanger, which generates octane-rich and cetane-rich fuels through adsorption and desorption processes controlled by a controller and sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If distillation or membrane-based permeation-evaporation activities are used for onboard fuel separation, then fuel enrichment capability is improved, but system size, weight and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the fuel separation function from complex distillation or membrane-based systems and implements it using a simpler adsorbent-based system. The adsorbent material selectively adsorbs specific fuel components (aromatics, olefins, paraffins) to separate them from the fuel stream, achieving fuel enrichment without requiring complex infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the separation mechanism from thermal-based (distillation) or membrane-based processes to adsorption-based separation. By utilizing the adsorption properties of specific materials at different temperatures, the system achieves fuel separation with reduced complexity and lower energy requirements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If parallel storage tanks and delivery conduits are used for pre-separated octane-enriched and cetane-enriched fuel portions, then fuel delivery capability is improved, but refueling time and operator error risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the fuel storage and separation functions into a single integrated system. Instead of requiring separate storage tanks for different fuel types, the system uses a single fuel source that is separated on-demand through adsorption, eliminating the need for parallel storage infrastructure and simplifying refueling operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary separation of fuel components using adsorbent materials that are pre-loaded into the fuel delivery system. This allows the separation to occur automatically as fuel flows through the system, eliminating the need for manual intervention or complex refueling procedures.
3Device complexity
If adsorbent is used for onboard fuel separation, then system complexity is reduced, but heat management challenges arise during desorption processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic cycling of the adsorbent material between adsorption and desorption states. During adsorption, fuel components are separated at lower temperatures; during desorption, the adsorbent is heated to release the adsorbed components. This periodic operation allows for efficient heat management by alternating between heat-intensive and heat-neutral phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The system integrates multiple functions into the adsorbent-based separation unit, including fuel separation, heat exchange, and fuel enrichment. The adsorbent material serves both as a separation medium and as a heat transfer medium, allowing the system to manage heat balance while performing separation operations.
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 simplifies fuel separation, reduces infrastructure complexity, minimizes operator errors, and achieves efficient heat management, enabling effective fuel enrichment for internal combustion engines with improved efficiency and reduced emissions.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing a fluid-circulated adsorbent to selectively separate fuel components
Implementation Method 2
A heat exchanger is used to selectively deliver heat to the saturated adsorbate that is conveyed from the top tank that makes up the source of adsorbent in order to desorb at least a portion of such saturated adsorbate
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular propulsion system, a vehicular fuel system and a method of operating an internal combustion engine. A separation unit that makes up a part of the fuel system may selectively receive and separate at least a portion of onboard fuel and a flowable adsorbent in order to separate the fuel into octane-enhanced and cetane-enhanced fuel components. A controller may be used to determine a particular operating condition of the internal combustion engine such that the onboard fuel can be sent to one or more combustion chambers within the internal combustion engine without first passing through the separation unit during one operating condition, or instead to the separation unit in situations where the internal combustion engine may require an octane-rich or cetane-rich mixture in another operating condition.