Abstract:
An engine power booster comprises an electronic voltage generator that converts the direct current (DC) battery voltage of a vehicle at a power input, into an AC ripple voltage of 2.8-5.0 KV peak-to-peak at 2.4-14.0 KHz, that includes a DC voltage of 2.0-3.5. KV which are provided at an electrode output. A wire electrode is connected to the electrode output, and comprises a simple insulated stranded wire stripped bare at a distal end. A corona discharge generates ozone at the distal end during operation inside an internal combustion engine&#39;s air intake duct. Such ozone intake increases engine power and fuel efficiency.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to combustion engines, and more particularly to improvements in performance that result from corona discharge treatment of their air intakes.  
         [0003]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0004]     Internal combustion engines depend on the oxidizing of hydrocarbons. Ozone is one of the most powerful oxidants. Ozone is produced naturally by ultra-violet (UV) rays of the sun and lightning. Ozone can also be generated artificially by UV-lamps, cold-corona discharge, and Teslaire cold-plasma. The first simulates the action of the sun, and the latter two simulate lightning. UV-light in the 180-90 nanometer frequency will generate ozone from ambient air without producing nitrous oxide compounds. But, UV techniques cannot generate high volumes of ozone even with oxygen feed, e.g., not more than 1-3 micrograms of ozone per milliliter of oxygen. However, humidity in the intake air reduces the effectivity of corona discharge ozone generators, while UV-type ozone generators are little affected by water vapor.  
         [0005]     W. S. English wrote in U.S. Pat. No. 1,873,746, issued Aug. 23, 1932, that engine combustion can be enhanced by electric-arc discharge activation of the air before it enters a carburetor. The benefits claimed include increased power and reduced carbon deposits. The electrodes illustrated are operated such that “large amount of ozone” is produced.  
         [0006]     Israel Slomnicki describes, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,434,771, issued Mar. 6, 1984, an ozone production system that regulates how much ozone is introduced at the air intake of a combustion engine so as to limit the amount of excess ozone being exhausted.  
         [0007]     Ultraviolet light in the 180-190 nanometer wavelength generates ozone from ambient without producing nitrous oxide compounds. But, UV cannot generate the concentrations necessary for health or industrial applications, even with oxygen feed. Typically, UV systems produce only 1-3 μg/ml, sufficient only for air purification and cleaning of water in small quantities.  
         [0008]     Corona discharge generates high concentrations of ozone, up to 140 μg/ml, required for industrial applications. If it is properly engineered and used in conjunction with an air dryer, it may be used with ambient air. It is the most cost effective way to produce large quantities of ozone, but reliability is always a problem. An improved variation is called dual-dielectric, used for medical purposes, but long term reliability is again problematic.  
         [0009]     When nitrous oxide (N 2 O) is heated to about 570° F. (˜300° C.), it splits into oxygen and nitrogen. Injecting nitrous oxide into an engine makes more oxygen available for combustion. With more oxygen, more fuel can be injected, allowing the same engine to produce more power. Nitrous oxide is one of the simplest ways to provide a significant horsepower boost to any gasoline engine.  
         [0010]     What is needed is a simple, inexpensive unit that can be easily installed by the typical user and that requires only insignificant modification of the engine.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     Briefly, a power booster embodiment of the present invention comprises an electronic voltage generator that converts the direct current (DC) battery voltage of a vehicle at a power input, into an high voltage DC of 2.0-3.5 kilovolts (KV) with an alternating current (AC) ripple voltage of 2.8-5.0 KV peak-to-peak, at a frequency in the range of 2.4-14.0 KHz, which is produced at an electrode output. A wire electrode is connected to the electrode output, and comprises a simple insulated stranded wire stripped bare at a distal end. A corona discharge is generated at the distal end during operation, and that produces ozone which is inducted into an internal combustion engine. Such ozone intake increases engine power and fuel efficiency.  
         [0012]     An advantage of the present invention is a device is provided to increase passenger car fuel efficiency.  
         [0013]     Another advantage of the present invention is that a power boosting device is provided that is simple, inexpensive, and effective.  
         [0014]     A still further advantage of the present invention is that a power boosting device is provided that is quick and simple for a typical user to install.  
         [0015]     Another advantage of the present invention is an engine power booster is provided that requires no modifications to the engine on which it is installed.  
         [0016]     The above and still further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereof, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]      FIG. 1  is a functional block diagram of a gasoline engine system embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is a functional block diagram of a diesel engine system embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of a power booster embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0020]      FIG. 4  is a perspective diagram of a power booster installation embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0021]      FIG. 1  illustrates a gasoline engine system embodiment of the present invention, and is referred to herein by the general reference numeral  100 . The system  100  comprises a fresh air intake  102 , an air filter  104 , and a high-voltage generator  106  connected to a corona discharge electrode  108  positioned inside an air intake duct  110 . In a typical automobile, the air filter  104  is remote from a carburetor/fuel-injector  112  and the duct  110  is a long plastic or fiberglass tube about twenty inches long and a couple of inches in diameter. The carburetor  112  provides a fuel/air mixture  114  to an internal combustion engine  116 . As is typical in applications with smog control, blow-by and other crankcase vapors  117  are returned to the duct  110  to be reburned. It is important that the corona discharge electrode  108  be upstream of the point where these vapors  117  are injected into the duct  110 . Such vapors would otherwise foul the electrode.  
         [0022]     The system  100  further comprises an electronic ignition  118  that is powered by a car battery  120 . Such also provides power, e.g., via an ignition switch, to the high-voltage generator  106 . The engine  116  produces mechanical power  122  that is used to move the car. An exhaust system  124  typically includes a catalytic converter for smog control and outputs an exhaust  126 .  
         [0023]     All these elements, except high-voltage generator  106  and corona discharge electrode  108 , are common components and assemblies found in conventional automobiles. Embodiments of the present invention provide a simple and affordable device that installs easily to provide the functions of high-voltage generator  106  and corona discharge electrode  108 .  
         [0024]     The high-voltage generator  106  produces an high voltage DC of 2.0-3.5 kilovolts (KV) with an alternating current (AC) ripple voltage of 2.8-5.0 KV peak-to-peak, at a frequency in the range of 2.4-14.0 KHz, to the corona discharge electrode  108 . Such AC operating frequencies provide good ozone producing results at the corona discharge electrode  108 .  
         [0025]     The corona discharge electrode  108  is simple to construct and to install. In one commercial embodiment, such comprises an insulated stranded wire where the insulation has been stripped back 2-4 mm from the end. This is inserted through a small hole drilled by the user into the duct  110 . The wire and hole are sealed with epoxy glue to hold the electrode near the center of airflow and to prevent vacuum leakage. The end of the wire is expected to corrode away during use, and tests indicate an additional 1-2 mm of insulation should be stripped away every 20,000 km driven. The position of the corona discharge electrode  108  in the duct  110  will affect how rapidly the electrode corrodes. The best position is where the air is the cleanest, e.g., after the filter  104  and before the point the crankcase vapors  117  are recycled.  
         [0026]     The stranded wire in the corona discharge electrode  108  is copper with silver plating. Finely stranded wire may be preferable. Such insulated silver-plated copper stranded wire is affordable and produces good results. More expensive materials could be used, but an object of the present invention is to keep manufacturing costs low and the user installation simple. Therefore, the corona discharge electrode  108  can comprise nothing more than a wire lead from the generator  106  that has been stripped back by the user and inserted into the duct  110 .  
         [0027]     The exposed parts of the wire generate an electric corona discharge that will produce ozone from air. The AC frequencies selected help produce a charge concentration at the surface of the wires known as the “skin effect”. Such AC frequencies also lower the voltages required to produce satisfactory levels of ozone during operation.  
         [0028]     In prototype tests in a Saab 9000, a Toyota Corona, and an Isuzu one-ton pickup, their respective fuel efficiencies improved 7.89-10.06% when the units where properly installed and operating.  
         [0029]      FIG. 2  illustrates a diesel engine embodiment of the present invention, and is otherwise similar to that shown in  FIG. 1 . A diesel power booster system  200  comprises a fresh air intake  202  that passes through an air drier  204  or ordinary cartridge element-type air filter. The conditioned air is subjected to a corona discharge electrode  206  and such generates ozone and nitrous oxide from atmospheric air. A throttle body  208  regulates the intake to a diesel engine  210 . A battery  212  supplies operating power to a diesel-fuel injection system  214  and an electronic voltage generator  216 . The diesel engine  210  outputs mechanical power to drive the car, truck, or bus the system is mounted. An exhaust system  220  emits an exhaust  222  that has reduced pollutants due to the ozone being generated by the corona discharge electrode  206 .  
         [0030]      FIG. 3  represents an engine power booster embodiment of the present invention, and is referred to herein by the general reference numeral  300 . The power booster  300  comprises a potted assembly  302  that encapsulates a fuse  304 , a direct current (DC) chopper  306 , and a step-up transformer  308 . A corona discharge electrode  310  is preferably a simple, inexpensive insulated stranded wire, and is typically color coded green. The power input wire from the car ignition switch to fuse  304  is typically color coded red. Such color-codings are intended to make the user installation easier. The step-up transformer  308  can be a magnetic ferrite-core type.  
         [0031]     The potted assembly  302  is constructed with power transistors and printed circuit boards heat-sunk to an aluminum plate. It draws no more than 800 mA at 12-VDC, and outputs 2.4-14.0 KHz at a DC voltage of 2.0-3.5 KV with an AC ripple voltage of 2.8-5.0 KV peak-to-peak. It is housed in a small plastic box-enclosure that is potted with epoxy resin or RTV-silicone. Such makes the whole very rugged and relatively immune to mechanical vibration and shock.  
         [0032]      FIG. 4  represents the typical installation of an engine power booster embodiment of the present invention, and is referred to herein by the general reference numeral  400 . Such installation  400  comprises an air intake duct  402 , in a passenger car, that leads from a remote air cleaner to the carburetor or fuel injection throttle bodies. A power booster generator  404  is mounted nearby, e.g., on an inner fender wheel well. A red-colored power input wire  406  is connected to the ignition switch so that it receives operating power whenever the engine is running. A green-colored output wire-electrode  408  is inserted into the air intake duct  402  through a small hole  410  drilled by the user. A glob of epoxy glue  412  is used to seal the hole. A pair of nylon cable ties  414  and  416  are installed by the user and are used as strain relief to keep the output wire-electrode  408  from being accidentally pulled out. The placement of hole  410  is upstream of any crankcase vapors recycle  418 .  
         [0033]     Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated, such is not intended to limit the invention. Modifications and changes will no doubt become apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is intended that the invention only be limited by the scope of the appended claims.