Patent ID: 9347386
Filing Date: 2016-05-24
CPC Classification: F02B,F02D,F02M,Y02T

Claim Text:
1. An alcohol reforming system for an internal combustion engine comprising: a fuel system configured to deliver liquid fuel comprising an alcohol-gasoline mixture to the internal combustion engine, the fuel system including a fuel line through which the liquid fuel is delivered to the engine; a reformer in selective fluid communication with the fuel line through a reformer inlet line for receiving liquid fuel from the fuel line, the reformer configured to reform the alcohol in the alcohol-gasoline mixture of the liquid fuel into a reformate mixture comprising hydrogen gas and gasoline; a buffer tank in fluid communication with the reformer through a reformer outlet line for receiving the reformate mixture, the buffer tank configured to disengage the hydrogen gas from the gasoline in the reformate mixture, wherein the buffer tank comprises a liquid fuel outlet in fluid communication with the fuel line for re-introducing the gasoline as a liquid into the fuel line, and a reformate gas outlet for delivering the reformate gas to a reformate line through which the reformate gas is delivered to the engine; wherein the reformer is configured such that at least a portion of the gasoline in the reformate mixture is vaporized as it enters the reformate outlet line, and wherein the alcohol reforming system further comprises a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the reformer through a reformer outlet line for receiving and cooling the reformate mixture so that at least a portion of the vaporized gasoline in the reformate mixture is condensed into liquid gasoline before it enters the buffer tank.