Southwest Research Institute

Other

Robert H Thring

Evan S Guy

A porous element fuel vaporizer to be used in conjunction with internal combustion engines. The vaporizer, comprising a fuel injector in conjunction with a porous element, wherein during cold operations the porous element heats and vaporizes the fuel exiting the fuel injector. Since during cold operations an engine consumes more fuel to compensate for liquid fuel precipitating inside, an important feature of this combination involves eliminating precipitate during cold starts to reduce fuel consumption and decrease engine emissions.

Porous element fuel vaporizer

A fuel injector valve controls both the metered flow of fuel and the metered flow of air into a mixing chamber, permitting intermittent, cyclic flow of both air and fuel into the chamber. The controlled cycling of both the air and fuel flow permits optimization of fuel performance. A single action valve and a dual action valve are disclosed. The air flow and fuel flow may be independently adjusted for maximum flexibility.

Air assisted fuel injector with timed air pulsing

A regenerative internal combustion engine (10) is provided that includes a regenerator (65) that is capable of preheating a charge of compressed air, while not causing premature combustion of fuel. The regenerator (65), in combination with a catalyst (75), also ignites residual amounts of combustible material in exhaust gases. The catalyst (75) itself is capable of oxidizing fuel in a combustion cylinder (50) once stable combustion is achieved.

Regenerative internal combustion engine

An open-cycle internal-combustion Stirling engine having two pistons coupled by a rhombic drive which define a combustion chamber and a compression chamber, within either a single cylinder or two cylinders, and a manifold enabling flow of the working fluid between the compression chamber and the combustion chamber with a plurality of engine valves controlling such flow, the dead space of the manifold being minimized and provision of the working fluid (i.e., air) being provided by an intake valve and an exhaust valve with corresponding manifolds for providing the open-cycle characteristics of the engine while approximating an ideal thermo-dynamic system.

Open cycle, internal combustion Stirling engine

An unthrottled multicylinder catalytic engine having first and second cylinders with first and second pistons, respectively, reciprocating therein. A mixture of air and fuel is inserted into the first cylinder, compressed in the first cylinder, and combustion is initiated, if necessary, during start-up. A transfer passageway communication between the first and second cylinders receives the compressed mixture and a catalyst positioned in the passageway oxidizes or ignites the mixture to provide the power stroke for operating the second piston. Thereafter, the oxidized or burnt mixture is exhausted from the second cylinder. The compressed gas may be heated in the passageway by the exhaust heat.

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Devine, TX, United States of America

Robert H Thring