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Venturi induction for heat recovery and low nox internal combustion enginesRelated Patent Categories: Power Plants, Internal Combustion Engine With Treatment Or Handling Of Exhaust Gas, Exhaust Gas Or Exhaust System Element Heated, Cooled, Or Used As A Heat SourceVenturi induction for heat recovery and low nox internal combustion engines description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060191260, Venturi induction for heat recovery and low nox internal combustion engines. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention improves the thermodynamic efficiency while reducing NOx emission of internal combustion engines. A simplistic approach is to homogeneously mix water with fuel and air in a pintle-regulated Venturi to reduce the combustion temperature. A second approach is described to increase engine efficiency, whereby exhaust heat is recovered by incoming air and subsequently cooled by water injection in a Venturi. A third approach recovers heat from the combustion chamber and exhaust, increasing the heat recovery potential. Fuel could be gasoline but could also be natural gas, other hydrocarbons, alcohols, or diesel. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] In a conventional internal combustion engine, coolant heat rejection ranges from 10-35% of the combustion energy. Exhaust heat loss is usually 20-45% of the combustion energy. Consequently, there is substantial room for improving the thermodynamic efficiency of the internal combustion engine. [0003] Air is composed of 78 volume percent nitrogen. Nitrogen oxidizes when fuel is burned at high temperatures, as in a combustion process to form nitrogen oxides. Nitrogen oxides consist of a group of oxidized nitrogen compounds collectively known as NOx. Many of the nitrogen oxides are colorless and odorless. However, one common pollutant, nitrogen dioxide (NO.sub.2) along with particles in the air can often be seen as a reddish-brown layer over many urban areas. The primary source of NOx is motor vehicles. Production of NOx increases with the time and temperature of combustion. [0004] NOx is generated exponentially with increasing flame temperature and decreases exponentially with water injection in the flame zone. NOx emissions can therefore be reduced by eliminating nitrogen from the intake vapor mixture and/or reducing the combustion temperature by saturating the intake vapor mixture with water. [0005] Of the six pollutants (carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and volatile organic compounds) tracked by the Environmental Protection Agency, all have decreased significantly since passage of the Clean Air Act in 1970--except for nitrogen oxides [0006] The differential producing Venturi has a long history of uses in many applications. With no abrupt flow restrictions, the Venturi can mix gases and liquids with a minimal total pressure loss. Recently, the Venturi has been used in carbureted engines. The suction from the throat of the Venturi provided the motive force for bringing the fuel in contact with the air. The improved application of the Venturi with the proposed invention is: the metering of the fuel is controlled by the fuel injector instead of the suction of the venturi; the fuel vaporization is facilitated by the reduced pressure in the throat of the Venturi; and mixing of the fuel/vapor mixture is enhanced by the turbulent action in the outlet of the Venturi. [0007] The principle behind the operation of the Venturi is the Bernoulli effect. The Venturi mixes vapors and liquids by reducing the cross sectional flow area in the vapor flow path, resulting in a pressure reduction in the throat of the Venturi. After the pressure reduction, the mixture is passed through a pressure recovery exit section where most of the pressure reduction is recovered. The pressure differential follows Bernoulli's Equation, simplified for a negligible change in elevation: P.sub.1+1/2d.sub.1v.sub.1.sup.2=P.sub.2+1/2d.sub.2v.sub.2.sup.2 [0008] where, [0009] P.sub.1=Pressure at the inlet of Venturi (FIG. 1, location 101); [0010] P.sub.2=Pressure at the throat of the Venturi (FIG. 1, location 102); [0011] d.sub.1=vapor density at the inlet of the Venturi (FIG. 1, location 101); [0012] d.sub.2=vapor density at the throat of the Venturi (FIG. 1, location 102); [0013] v.sub.1=vapor velocity at the inlet of the Venturi (FIG. 1, location 101) and; [0014] v.sub.2=vapor velocity at the throat of the Venturi (FIG. 1, location 102). [0015] In FIG. 1, the vapor enters the Venturi at the location 101 with a cross-sectional area A.sub.1, pressure P.sub.1, and velocity v.sub.1. These properties form the potential and kinetic energy of the fluid at one location. Energy is conserved in a closed system, that is, the sum of potential and kinetic energy at one location must equal the sum of the potential and kinetic energy at any another location in the system. If potential energy decreases at one location, the kinetic energy must proportionally increase at that location. The fluid enters the throat of the Venturi at location 102 with a new area A.sub.2, which is smaller than A.sub.1. In a closed system mass can be neither created nor destroyed (law of conservation of mass), and as such, the volumetric flow rate at area A.sub.1 must equal the volumetric flow rate at area A.sub.2. If the area at location A.sub.2 is smaller than A.sub.1, the fluid must travel faster to maintain the same volumetric flow rate. This increase in velocity results in a decrease in pressure according to the Bernoulli's equation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0016] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram for a typical Venturi. [0017] FIG. 2 is a diagram of a fuel/vapor intake passage improved by an unregulated Venturi. [0018] FIG. 3 is a diagram of a fuel/vapor/water delivery system using a pintle-regulated Venturi to deliver a homogeneous vapor, fuel and air charge to a liquid-cooled internal combustion engine. [0019] FIG. 4 is a diagram of a fuel/vapor/water delivery system using a pintle-regulated Venturi to deliver a homogeneous vapor, fuel and air charge to an internal combustion engine with dual chamber liquid/vapor cooling [0020] FIG. 5 is a process flow diagram of an internal combustion engine system using ambient air and water injection to control production of NOx. [0021] FIG. 6 is a process flow diagram of an internal combustion engine system using exhaust-heated ambient air to improve thermodynamic efficiency and water injection to control production of NOx. Continue reading about Venturi induction for heat recovery and low nox internal combustion engines... 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