Patent ID: 7225998
Filing Date: 2007-06-05
Classification: F02M,F23D,Y02T

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for vaporizing a liquid fuel drawn from a source of liquid fuel, comprising; (a) at least one capillary flow passage, said at least one capillary flow passage having an inlet end and an outlet end; (b) a fluid control valve for placing said inlet end of said at least one capillary flow passage in fluid communication with the liquid fuel source and introducing the liquid fuel in a substantially liquid state; (c) a heat source arranged along said at least one capillary flow passage, said heat source operable to vaporize the liquid fuel in said at least one capillary flow passage and deliver a stream of vaporized fuel from said outlet end of said at least one capillary flow passage; and (d) means for cleaning deposits formed during operation of the apparatus, said means for cleaning deposits includes said fluid control valve, said fluid control valve operable for placing said at least one capillary flow passage in fluid communication with a solvent, enabling in-situ cleaning of said capillary flow passage when the solvent is introduced into said at least one capillary flow passage; wherein said heat source comprises a resistance-heating element to which power is supplied to achieve a level of R/Ro sufficient to change at least a portion thereof from the liquid state to a vapor state; where R is the heated capillary resistance and Ro is the capillary resistance under ambient conditions.