Patent ID: 6311649
Filing Date: 2001-11-06
Classification: F02M,Y02T

Abstract:
An internal combustion engine comprising:a fuel storage tank;a fuel pump for drawing liquid fuel from the storage tank;a distillation unit for producing from the fuel drawn from the storage tank a plurality of flow streams of different volatility, said distillation unit comprising:a continuous flow boiler for heating a flow of fuel and evaporating a flow of low and medium boiling point vapour fuel fractions leaving a first one of said flow streams, the first flow stream being a flow of high boiling point liquid fuel fraction;a compressor for compressing the flow of the low and medium boiling point vapour fuel fractions;a condenser for receiving the compressed flow of the low and medium boiling point vapour fuel fractions from said compressor and for condensing a second one of said flow streams, the second flow stream being a flow of medium boiling point liquid fuel fraction, leaving behind a third one of said flow streams, the third flow stream being a flow of low boiling point vapour fuel fraction; anda high pressure fuel storage reservoir for accumulating at the bottom of the reservoir the flow of the medium boiling point liquid fuel fraction, said reservoir comprising an ullage space for storing the flow of the low boiling point vapour fuel fraction; andan engine management system for separately metering fuel to the engine from the flow streams, the management system being responsive to the rates at which the flow streams are produced by said distillation unit and serving to adjust the relative usage rates of the flow streams based at least upon the rates at which the flow streams are produced by said distillation unit such that, at least during steady state operating conditions of the engine, the flow streams are all consumed in the engine continuously in substantially the same proportion as they are produced by the distillation unit.