Patent ID: 9234482
Filing Date: 2016-01-12
CPC Classification: F01K,F01N,F02D,F02M,Y02T

Claim Text:
1. An engine system comprising; a source of liquid alcohol; an internal combustion engine generating exhaust gas; a structure for introducing a first portion of the liquid alcohol into the engine; a series of heat exchangers forming a Rankine heat recovery cycle extracting heat from the exhaust gas and transferring the heat to a second portion of the liquid alcohol causing it to change phase to a gaseous alcohol; a heat exchanger/catalyst heated by the exhaust to reform the alcohol into a hydrogen-rich reformate; a valve structure for introducing the reformate into the engine for combustion; and a control system for controlling a ratio of the first and second portions of the liquid alcohol to maximize an amount of the second portion of the liquid alcohol while using a minimum amount of the first portion needed to prevent knock, further including an additional heat exchanger extracting heat from engine cooling water to preheat the liquid alcohol.