GAS GENERATOR AND METHOD OF FUELLING AN ENGINE

Abstract: The gas generator comprises an electrolysis unit (10) in which gas is generated for subsequent mixing with fuel in an engine assembly. The engine assembly comprises an engine (17), a fuel container for the engine, the aforesaid electrolysis unit (10) and a mixing chamber (26) in which the generated gas is intermixed with the fuel from the fuel container prior to combustion in the engine.

Description: Gas generator and method of fuelling an engine. This invention relates to a gas generator and in particular to an electrolysis unit which is particularly, but not exclusively, for converting water into hydrogen and oxygen for use in conjunction with hydrocarbon fuel in prime movers, stationary engines, ships, furnaces, power stations and other applications. The invention further relates to an engine a-ssembly utilising the gas generator. It has been proposed hitherto to utilise hydrogen gas in conjunction with petrol xn internal combustion engines as a petrol-saving measure. Typically, this has been ' carried out by producing the gas in relatively small quantities and storing the gas in a suitable container from which it is fed to the engine. However, hydrogen gas stored in'that way is dangerous and an object of the present invention is to provide an electrolysis unit which will enable gas, typically hydrogen gas, to be produced in relatively large quantities thereby avoiding the need to use a storage tank for the gas in the vehicle According to one feature of the invention I provide an engine assembly comprising an engine, a fuel container for the engine, an electrolysis unit, an electrical supply for the electrolysis unit, and a mixing chamber in which gas generated by the electrolysis unit - 2 - can be intermixed with fuel from the fuel container prior to combustion in the engine. According to a further " feature of the invention there is provided an electrolysis unit comprising a container, an electrolyte in the container and first and second sets of electrodes immersed in the electrolyte which receive electrical current. In use the electrical potential across the first set of electrodes may be different from the electrical potential across the second set of electrodes, and the different sets of electrodes may be brought into operation successively or in combination to provide extra gas output as engine speed rises. At least part of the oxygen is used to convert the pollutants produced in the cylinder from the combustion of the hydrocarbon fuel i.e. nitrous oxides and carbon monoxide, into non-polluting oxides, and if this chemical combination occurs in an engine cylinder not only is the exhaust pollution reduced, but extra power is created in the cylinder. There may also be re-combination of hydroge and oxygen in the combustion chamber, also to produce power. To avoid the water produced by this re-combina¬ tion from inhibiting sparking, as a further feature of my invention I provide spark electrodes disposed to be self- freeing of water, i.e. generally horizontally or substantially-horizontally such that the water formed drops fee or vibrates free to fall away. It has been found that an electrolysis unit in accordance with the invention is particularly efficient and, by using a suitable elctrical potential, e.g. provided by a rectified current derived from an alternator of the kind described in my co-pending application no. 2120865A, will provide sufficient gas to meet engine demand thereby avoiding the need to use an intermediate storage reservoir. Preferably, a third set of electrodes is provided in the container and is immersed in the electrolyte. Preferably, the unit is mounted in a motor vehicle and is connected to a fuel system whereby the gas, in use, is introduced into the fuel system for introduction into an iternal combustion engine. In such a case, the gas may be fed to the fuel system, e.g. a carburetter, through non-return means such as.a water valve. Where the unit is mounted in a vehicle, the electrical current may be derived from an alternator driven by the engine. Current derived from the alternator is preferably . rectified to produce the electrical current necessary for po ering the electrolysis unit. An electrolysis unit in accordance with the inventio will now he described by way of example with reference 5 to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig.l is a plan view of a typical electrolysis unit in accordance with the invention showing electrical connections, and Fig.2 is an elevation of the unit of Fig.l showing 10 diagrammatically the connection of the unit to a fuel system of an internal combustion engine. Tank 10 contains three' sets of electrodes indicated generally at 12, 13 and l-_ corresponding respectively to the aforesaid first, second and third sets of electrodes. » 15 The first set 12 comprises a hank of anode electrodes 12a and a hank of cathode electrodes 12b. The electrode sets 13 and i*_ comprise respective anode and cathode sets 13a, 13b and l-_a, 14b. The respective electrode sets are connected to a rectifier unit 15 which receives electrical 20 current from an alternator 16 driven by the internal combustion engine 17 of a vehicle. The alternator is • V- preferably of the kind set out in my co-pending British Application No. 2120865A which provides a high-current output at low voltage. 25 The sets of electrodes 12, 13 and 1*. are immersed in an electrolyte in the tank 10 which may be a solution comprising 30J6 sodium hydroxide to 70 water. The pro- portions can vary as desired. The tank is provided with a lid 18 which includes an inlet ±S and an outlet 20. Solution is fed to the inlet from a reserve tank 22 to maintain a constant level 21 of 5 solution in the tank during electrolysis. Gas produced by electrolysis, typically hydrogen and oxygen, leaves the outlet 20 and passes through a conduit 23 having an outlet end positioned beneath the surface of water in a water valve 2-_. A pipe 25 has an inlet end located above 10 the surface of the water in valve 2-_ and has an outlet end terminating at an air filter or an air intake of a carburetter 26 for the engine. The carburetter Is connected to the usual fuel supply for the engine. Once the engine is running, the alternator produces .15 current which is rectified and then fed at potentials of, e.g. 3 to 4 volts, to the respective electrode sets 12, 13 and.14. If desired the potentials may be different for each set of electrodes. The electrodes may be of stainless steel. The spacing between adjacent electrodes 20 of each set may be around 3/16 ( 4.76mm). The use of an electrolysis unit as described is particularly advantageous because it enables sufficient gas to be produced to avoid the use of an intermediate storage reservior between the electrplysis unit and the f 25 carburetter. The use of a single electrolyte common to all the electrodes makes available more ions for the electrolysis unit as a whole than would be the case if the electrodes were immersed in respective individual containers of electrolytes. The use of the water valve - 6 - prevents ^ any risk of explosion travelling through pipe 23 JErom the engine. The tank may be made of material such as plastics and can be as small as 6" (152 mm) wide, 5" (127 mm) deep and 8" (203 mm) long. The electrolysis unit produces gas only while the engine drives the alternator which is another advantage pver the gas-storage system where large quantities of gas may still be stored after the engine has been switched off. The hydrogen and oxygen produced by the unit and fed to the engine produces a reduction in pollutant by-products of combustion. A. typical exhaust emission analysis is set out below. 02 .6% Oxygen CO2 16% Carbon Dioxide C01 .7% Carbon Monoxide NO2 8.9% Nitrogen Dioxide N2 ■ " 56% Nitrogen Unburnt Hydrocarbon fuel 13.8% C .9 to 1.0% Carbon Lead less than 2 parts per 1,000,000. Preferably the pipe 25 includes a valve 34 which controls the pressure of, as fed to the carburetter. I that way the pressure of the gas fed to the carburetter is maintained around 0-492 Kg (7 lbs/sq.inch) . The level of electrolyte in tank 10 may be sensed by a sensor 32 a signal from which results in transfer of solution from reserve tank 22 to tank 10.

Claims: CLAIMS ; 1. An engine assembly comprising an engine, a fuel container for the engine, an electrolysis unit, an electrical supply for the electrolysis unit, and a mixing chamber in which gas generated by the electrolysis unit can be intermixed with fuel from the fuel container prior to combustion in the engine. 2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the electrolysis unit has an electolytic chamber, the electrolytic chamber containing firsb and second sets of electrodes, the sets being separately connected to the electrical supply. 3. An assembly as claimed in claim 2 in which the electrodes are electrically connected to a rectifier, the rectifier being electrically connected to an alternato 4« An assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 in which the assembly is mounted in a motor vehicle, and in which the engine is an internal combustion engine. 5. An assembly as claimed in claim 4 in which the engine carries a carburetter, the carburetter including the said mixing chamber. 6. An assembly as claimed in claim 5 in which the engine carries a one-way valve, the valve having an outlet conduit connected to the said mixing chamber of the carburetter, the valve having an inlet conduit connected to the said electrolysis unit. 7. An assembly as claimed in claim 6 in which the one-way valve is a water-valve. 8. A method of fuelling an engine driven by the combustion of hydrocarbon fuel, comprising storing hydro- carbon fuel adjacent the engine, mounted an electrolysis unit, said electrolyte being selected from the group which generates hydrogen gas when D.C. electric current is passed therethrough, supplying D.C. current to the electrolysis unit at a current and voltage to cause hydrogen gas to be generated whilst drawing off hydro¬ carbon fuel from the store, mixing the drawn-off hydro¬ carbon fuel with the hydrogen gas from the electrolysis unit, and feeding the hydrogen-enriched hydrocarbon fuel to a combustion chamber for the engine. 9- A method as claimed in claim 8 in which the engine is an internal combustion engine having a carburetter controlling the amount of hydrocarbon fuel supplied, and wherein the hydrogen is mixed with the hydrocarbon fuel in the carburetter. 10. A method as claimed in claim 9 in which the hydroge is fed to the carburetter through a one-way water valve. 11. A method as claimed in any of claims 8 to 10 in which the said electrolyte is an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide. 12. A method as claimed in claim 11 in which the solu¬ tion comprises 30% sodium hydroxide to 70 water, by weig -- 9 - 13. A method as claimed in any of claims 8 - 12 in which the hydrogen has a pressure of at least 0.492 Kg/ sq.cm (7 lbs/sq. inch) before being mixed with the hydrocarbon fuel. 5 14. A method as claimed in any of claims 8 - 13 in which the DC current is supplied at 4 volts. 15- A method as claimed in any of claims 8 - 14 in which the hydrocarbon fuel is mixed with a gas additional to hydrogen. -*0 16. A method as claimed in claim 15 in which a said gas is selected from those adapted to reduce the emission of pollutant by-products from the engine, following combustion. 17. A method as claimed in claim 16 which includes • 15 oxygen. 18. An electrolysis unit for use in the assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 - 7 comprising a container, an electrolyte ih the container, first and second sets of electrodes immersed in the electrolyte, and means to 20 supply the- electrodes with electric current. 19- An engine assembly constructed and arranged substan tially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings. 20. A method of fuelling an engine driven by the combus -5 tion of hydrocarbon fuel substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

Inventors: THOMAS IORWERTH, THOMAS, IORWERTH
Applicants: IORWERTH THOMAS, THOMAS, IORWERTH
Application year: 1985
Main classification: F02M25
IPC codes: C25B1, F02B43, F02M21, F02M25