ENGINE COMBUSTION CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD EMPLOYING CONDENSATION OF SOME EXHAUST GAS

Abstract: A combustion control system for an internal combustion engine (20). A control device (33) with a vortex chamber (34) has a tangential inlet (36) connected to a gas supply at substantially atmospheric pressure, a second inlet (32), and an axial outlet (35) connected directly to the gas inlet opening (23) of the intake manifold (21). A condenser (40) condenses water from the exhaust gas passing through the exhaust conduit (37). A gas inlet of a reactor device (30) has a gas inlet connected directly to the exhaust manifold (24) for drawing gas therefrom and an outlet connected to the second inlet of said control device by a conduit. The reactor device (30) includes one or more ejectors for drawing in atmospheric air and for drawing in liquid water from the condenser (40), and for mixing the atmospheric air and water with gas from the exhaust manifold (24).

Description: ENGINE COMBUSTION CONTROL SYSTEM AND " METHOD EMPLOYING CONDENSATION OF SOME EXHAUST GAS This invention relates to an improved combustion control system for internal combustion engines. This system employs condensation of some of the water vapor of the engine exhaust gas as a source of water to be added to the fuel to improve its combustion. Background of the Invention Several devices are known which seek to improve the performance of internal combustion engines by the injection of water or water vapor. Such devices incorpc— rate a reservoir which requires frequent refilling and has the further disadvantage that the water in them is subject to freezing. Also, the reservoir may be filled with hard water or even dirty water, both of which can cause problems, and the possibility of dirty water necessitates a filter. An especially good device is that shown in my co-pending patent application. Serial No. 348,867, filed February 16, 1982. The present invention eliminates the need for a reservoir by providing means for recovering water from the engine exhaust gases, for these gases contain plenty of water. For example, water is produced by the combustion of octane or iso-octane, by the reaction: 2C 8 Hιg + 2502 > I8H2O + 15C02 Gasoline, a blend of hydrocarbons, may be approximately represented as CβH , in which case the equation becomes: 4c 8Hl7 + 49 O2 > 34 H2O + 32C02 A simple calculation shows that for each gallon of gaso- line consumed, 0.95 gallons of water is produced. ^ The amount of water required per gallon of fuel in ^ order to improve engine performances varies from device to 3 device and depends on driving, conditions. One such system ~ * is described in my U.S. Patent 4,183,338. This system ^ requires typically about 0.3 to 1 gallon of water for each * 10 gallons of fuel burned. It is clear then, that the 7 reservoir could be eliminated if only 10% of the water in 8 the engine exhaust were made available. Moreover, the Q 7 condensed water is distilled water—clean and certainly 10 not hard. 11 12 Summary of the Invention 13 In its broadest aspect the invention relates ■ ^ broadly to an internal combustion engine employing water, " and it includes the continuation of condensing liquid, - ■ -* principally water, but also including possibly some hydro- --' carbons from the engine exhaust gases and conducting that -*- * liquid or some of it to the engine for use there in some ~3 manner. The liquid is usually used for improving combus¬ 20 tion in the combustion chamber. water may be accomplished by use of the pressure of the exhaust, or (in a vehicle) by deceleration and inertia, if desired with the use of exhaust pressure. Gravity may be employed. Suction force created by the flow of exhaust gas may used. Various types of condensers may be used, as will be seen below. 29 The invention provides an improved combustion 30 control system for an internal combustion engine having an 31 intake manifold, a gas inlet opening into the intake 32 manifold, an exhaust manifold, and an exhaust conduit 33 connected to the exhaust manifold. As with some of my 34 earlier inventions, the system preferably includes a 35 vortex device having a vortex chamber with a tangential 36 inlet connected to a gas supply at substantially atmo- 37 1 spheric pressure. There is a second inlet to this chamber, 2 and there is an axial outlet connected directly to the gas 3 inlet opening into the intake manifold. The present invention, however, replaces the 5 reservoir for water, which has been used heretofore, with the condenser for condensing water from the exhaust gas 7 passing through the exhaust conduit. 8 As in some earlier systems of mine, there is 9 preferably a reactor device having a gas inlet connected 10 directly to the exhaust manifold for drawing gas from the H exhaust manifold. The reactor device has an outlet, which 12 may be spaced well apart from the vortex device, but 13 connected by a conduit to the second inlet of the vortex 14 device. The reactor device including one or more ejectors 15 for drawing atmospheric air into the reactor and also for 16 drawing in condensed water. If desired, this may be done 17 by two ejectors in parallel. In the reactor device, 18 atmospheric air and the water are mixed with gas from the 19 exhaust manifold and the mixture is sent via the conduit 20 mentioned above to the second inlet of the vortex device. 21 In one form of the invention, the ejector is 22 connected to the condenser by a first conduit that leads 23 from the condenser to a small reservoir having an overflow 24 opening. Exhaust pressure, deceleration and inertia, or 25 gravity may move the water from the condenser to the 26 reservoir, which is located at a level lower than the 27 ejector and connected to the ejector. The suction of the 28 ejector is balanced against the force of gravity to assure 29 proper flow, by adjusting the vertical distance of the 30 small reservoir below the ejector. 31 In another form of the invention , the condenser is 32 connected to the ej ector through a pressure-in i tiated , 33 flow-controlled valve instead of the small reservoir , this valve responding to pressure differential above a 35 threshold value to initiate the delivery of liquid to the 6 ej ector , through a liquid condu it attached thereto. 37 Thereafter , flow controls the delivery. -33 Preferably, the condenser has a scoop perpendicu¬ lar to the flow of exhaust gas in the engine exhaust conduit for picking up a portion of the exhaust gas. Various types of condensers may be used, as will be seen from the following examples. Exhaust gases also frequently contain unburned hydrocarbons, some of which can, with advantage, be recirculated with the water to the combustion chamber. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the drawings and the following description. Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of an automotive engine having a system embodying the principles of the invention, employing a reservoir between the condenser and the reactor device. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modified form of system also embodying the principles of the invention, employing a pressure-initiated, flow-controlled valve. Fig. 3 is a similar view of a portion of another modified form of system employing a reservoir and gravity. Fig. 4 is a view in cross section of a condenser embodying the principles of the invention, as used in Figs. 1 - 3, the condenser shown here employing a fluidic vortex cooling device. Fig. 5 is a view in section taken along the line 5-5 in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a view in cross section of a modified form of condenser. Fig. 7 is a view in cross section of another mόdi- fied form of condenser embodying the principles of the invention, wherein exhaust gases are entrapped and mixed with cold air, as well as being cooled by air-cooled fins. Fig. 8 is a view in cross section of another modi- fied form of condenser generally like that of Fig. 6, wherein the exhaust gas is additionally cooled by a venturi type of device. Fig. 9 is a view in section taken along the line 9-9 in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a view in side elevation and partly in section of a modified form of condenser embodying the principles of the invention incorporating a ref igerating unit and in which a heat-transfer fluid flows. Fig. 11 is a view in side elevation of another modified form of condenser, wherein the condenser surface is cooled by an absorption refrigerator. Description of Some Preferred Embodiments A complete system (Fig. 1) Fig. 1 shows in simplified form a system embodying the principles of the invention in connection with an engine 20 having an intake manifold 21 with a carburetor 22 and a PCV gas inlet 23 leading into the intake manifold 21 below the butterfly valve (or the like) of the carburetor 22. The engine 20 also has an exhaust manifold 24 and an opening 25 into its valve cover 26, in which a PCV valve (not present here) is usually mounted. In this instance a conduit 27 is attached directly to the opening 25. A reactor 30 closely adjacent to the exhaust manifold 24 is connected to it through a tapped opening 31. A tube 32 connects the reactor 30 to a control device 1 33 having a vortex chamber 34 located closely adjacent to 2 the intake manifold 21 to which a conduit 35 leads to the 3 PCV gas inlet 23. The conduit 27 is attached to an inlet * 36 leading tangentially into the vortex chamber 34 and ^ producing the vortex. If PCV gas is not used, atmospheric air may be applied to the tangential inlet 36. The tube 32 7 leads axially into the vortex chamber 34. Q An exhaust conduit 37 leads the exhaust gases away 9 from the exhaust manifold 24, and these gases contain a 0 considerable amount of water vapor, water in gaseous form 1 mixed with carbon dioxide. The present inventions incorpo- 2 rate a condenser 40 which condenses a portion of this 3 water vapor into liquid water. The water (and any condensed hydrocarbons) falls into a trap 41, while the 5 exhaust gas flows out to atmosphere, via an outlet 42. 6 Water from the condenser trap 41 passes via a 7 conduit 43 to a small reservoir 44 which is located below 8 and fairly close to the reactor 30 and is connected to it 9 by a conduit 45 leading to an inlet 46 of the reactor 30. 0 The reservoir 44 is held in position by a suitable clamp 1 47 and has a vent-and-overflow opening 48. In this form of 2 the invention, reliance can be made on the deceleration of 3 the vehicle, which occurs from time to time, to pump the 4 condensed water from the trap 41 into the reservoir 44. 5 Alternatively, the condensed water can be forced from the 6 trap 41 to the reservoir 44 by the pressure of the exhaust 7 gases exerted upon the condensate in the trap 41. Both 8 these deceleration and pressure systems can be used 9 together as well as separately.If the reservoir 44 is over 0 filled, the excess flows out through the opening 48 and no 1 attempt is made of recovery. 2 The suction force at the reactor inlet 46 draws 3 the water from the reservoir 44 into the reactor 30. The 4 force of gravity is matched to the suction force by 5 adjusting the height of the reservoir 44 relative to the 6 reactor 30, using the clamp 47 to hold the reservoir 44 7 at a convenient spacing from the exhaust manifold 24 and ', ι 1 at the proper height. The length of the path from the 2 condenser 40 to the reservoir 44 is very long—nearly the length of the car, e.g., 10 feet. The height to be ~ traversed, a few inches is relatively small, and the 5 height of the reactor 30 above the reservoir 44 is even σ smaller. 7 The reactor 30 is thus spaced away from the vortex Q ° control device 33 and from the condenser 40. Its gas inlet " 31 is connected directly to the exhaust manifold 24 and 0 draws gas therefrom. Preferably, as described in my co¬ l pending U.S. Patent application Serial No. 348,867 filed February 16, 1982, the reactor 30 comprises a first 3 ejector for drawing in atmospheric air and mixing it with 1^" the gas from the exhaust conduit and a second ejector 15 connected to the liquid conduit 45 for drawing in water ■ ^- from the conduit 45 according to the pressure differential established by the second ejector and for sending it into - ■ ° the atmospheric air drawn in by the first ejector. 19 20 modified system (Fig. 2) 1 Fig. 2 shows a system that is much like that of Fig. 1 but in which there is no reservoir 44. Instead ^ there is a valve 50 connected to the trap 41 by a conduit ^ 51 and connected to the reactor's inlet 46 by a conduit O 52. This valve 50 is preferably that shown, described, and ° claimed in my co-pending U.S. application Serial No. 7 348,700, filed February 16, 1982, and also shown in appli- 28 cation Serial No. 348,867 referred to above and filed that 00 same day. In this form of the invention, the suction force 0 of the reactor 30 is used to draw water from the condenser - >J - trap 41 to the reactor 30, through the valve 50. 32 33 A gravity-fed system (Fig. 3) 34 In Fig. 3, the exhaust pipe 37ja at the condenser 35 40 is higher than the reservoir 44, so that the condensed 36 water flows down by gravity from the trap 41 to the 37 18 1 reservoir 44. Overflow can leave the reservoir 44 via the overflow opening 48. 3 A vortex-type condenser (Figs. 4 and 5) Figs. 4 and 5 show a preferred form of condenser 40. Its housing 55 is located adjacent to the exhaust conduit 37, supported by a suitable clamp.The housing 55 is supported by and in a cylindrical base ring 57 that 9 provides an enclosed annular chamber 58 around the housing 10 55. An inlet tube 59 has a scoop 60 inside the conduit 37 to conduct some of the exhaust gas from the conduit 37 -"-" into the chamber 58. The scoop 60 is inserted directly into the tail pipe 37. It is oriented to obtain the maximum extraction 1 -"5' of exhaust gases with the minimum impedance to flow. The - * " extracted gases go directly into the chamber 58. 7 Tangential entry of the exhaust gases is employed. ~° For example, the housing 55 may be drilled at various • " points around its periphery to provide substantially 2 tangential entry ports 62 into the housing 55. Other - 2'1-' structures can be used to provide the same effect. The 22 exhaust gas there enters the housing 55 in a vertical 23 pathway and moves upwardly in a generally helical path. This vertical movement tends to raise the temperature of 25 the gas higher, but cooling fins 63 on the outer wall of 26 the housing 55 help to keep the housing wall cool and 27 either balance or overbalance the heating effect. At the 28 upper end of the housing 55, rods 64 support an inverted 29 conical member 65, leaving an annular outlet space 66 30 where higher temperature gases escape to the atmosphere. 31 Meanwhile much of the gas, the cooler portion thereof 32 flows back down along and around the axis of the helical 33 vortex, all the while cooling further, and moisture 34 condenses from this counterflow of cooled gas and drops 35 down through a bottom central conduit 67 into the trap 41, 36 37 - o 1 which also has cooling fins 68. The cooling typically is 2 between 25°F. and 100°F. The conduit 43 is connected to a 3 bottom outlet tube 69. 4 A scoop-trap condenser (Fig. 6) Fig. 6 shows a modified form of the invention, in which a scoop 160 is provided near the end of the exhaust Q pipe 37 causing a fraction of the exhaust gas to flow down g ^ the scoop 160 into a condenser-trap 161. The condenser- trap 161 has fins 162 and one or more vents 163. It also has a bottom opening 164 whence a tube 165 leads to a ιo -'*' tubing 166 going back to the reactor 30, as in Figs. 1 and 13 2. 14 A condenser mixing cool air with the exhaust gas (Fig. 7) 1 Fig. 7 shows a. condenser 70 having a reservoir 71. 1/ The condenser 70 is attached to the end 72 of the tail 1° pipe 37 in such a manner as to provide an annular gap 73 1Q 7 through which ambient air is drawn into the condenser 70 on by the Venturi effect produced by the exhaust gas stream. 21 The mixing of this cool ambient air with the outer layer 22 of hot exhaust gases, the coolest portion of these gases , 23 reduces the temperature of these gases to the point where the mixture is supersaturated, and water vapor is thus 25 converted to liquid droplets. These droplets impinge on 26 the relatively cool surface 74 of the condenser 70 and 27 ' are collected in the reservoir 71. In addition, there is 28 further cooling by air-cooled fins 77. As a result of the 29 pressure differential created within the condenser 70 or inertial pumping or the effect of the reactor 30 or the 31 like, the water is withdrawn from the reservoir 71 by an ~ 3*2 extractor 75 and is carr ied to the point of use through 33 the conduit 43. Exhaust ports 76 a*re provided for escape of the exhaust gases and are sized enough smaller than the 35 pipe 37 to provide acceptable impedance, so as to JO pressurize the reservoir 71 and help force water back to ~ > l the reactor 30. ~ r\ 1 A condenser with a venturr throat (Figs. 8 and 9) 2 Figs. 8 and 9 show a condenser 80 attached to the 3 end of the tail pipe 37 and having an open end 81 for the 4 outflow of exhaust gas. The attachment provides an annular 5 space 81 between the tail pipe 37 and the condenser 80, 6 through which ambient air enters. The condenser 80 has 7 exterior cooling fins 82, and its internal wall is shaped 8 to provide a tapered portion 83 leading into a narrow neck 9 84 followed by a wider end portion 85 having an upper vent 10 86 and a lower condensation well 87. A frustoconical exit 11 tube 88 for the exhaust gases enables expansion and 12 cooling. Cooling and condensation occurs in the neck 84 3 and in the end portion 85 due to the cooling of the 14 coolest outer layer of the exhaust gases by the increasing 15 cold air from the atmosphere, the cooling action of the 16 air-cooled fins 82, and the venturi accelerational 17 expansion. The condensate is trapped in the well 87 by the 18 edge of the frustoconical tube 88. An outlet tube 89 leads 19 from the well 87 and is connected to the conduit 43. 20 21 A condenser employing heat pipes and refrigeration 22 (Fig 10) 3 The condenser 70 shown in Fig. 10 may be essen- 24 tially like that in Fig. 7 (or the condenser 80 of Figs. 8 5 and 9 may be used) but it includes refrigerating means to 26 cool the inner surface of the condenser 70. A finned 27 radiator 90 holding a heat-transfer fluid is mounted on 28 the condenser 70 by means of thermal isolators 91. The 29 outlets from the radiator 90 may be connected to the 30 condenser 70 by means of a sealed system incorporating a 31 plurality of heat pipes 92 having wicks on their inside 32 wall. The transfer fluid in each pipe 92 flows by 33 capillary action along the wick from the radiator 90 to 34 the hot-gas exhaust area 93 and helps to condense the 35 water in the exhaust gases by heat transfer througn the 36 walls of the heat pipes 92. This action also vaporizes the 37 heat transfer fluid, which is then conducted back to the ~ Q 1 refrigerator 90 via the central portion of the pipes 93. 2 Λt the refrigeration 90 it is cooled and flows again into 3 the wicks and is thereby returned to the condenser 70 as a * liquid. THe heat pipes 92 may have fins outside the condenser 70 to aid in or accomplish the cooling of the ° heat-transfer fluid. 7 A condenser with absorption refrigeration (Fig. 11) * Fig. 11 shows a condenser 100 that is essential¬ 0 ly the same as the condenser 70 in Fig. 7 but with the 1 addition of means to cool the condenser surface. An 2 absorption refrigerator 101 is mounted on the top of the 13 condenser 100. The hot end of the refrigerator is 14 connected by a conduit 102 to a clamp 103 which is mounted on the tail pipe 36. The cold end is connected by 16 a conduit 104 to a terminal 105 which is in good thermal 1 contact with the condenser 100. 18 To those skilled in the art to which this 19 invention relates , many changes in construction and widely 2 differ ing embodiments and applications of the invention 9 -"1-" will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit 22 and scope of the invention. The disclosures and the 23 descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not 24 intended to be in any sense limiting. 25 What is claimed is: 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37

Claims: 1. In an internal combustion engine employing water, the combination of condensing means for condensing liquid from the 4 engine exhaust gases and 5 liquid conducting means for conducting such 6 condensed liquid to the engine for use there. 7 3 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said liquid 9 conducting means employs pressure derived from said 10 exhaust gases as a force to effect movement of said 11 liquid. 12 13 3. In an internal combustion engine employing 14 water in its combustion chamber along with hydrocarbons or 15 other hydrogen-containing fuel the combination of 16 condensing means for condensing water from the 17 exhaust gases of the combustion chamber,and 18 recirculation means for sending at least some of 19 said condensed water to said combustion chamber. 20 21 4. The combination of claim 3 in which said 22 condensing means also condenses some unburned hydrocarbons 23 in said exhaust gases and said recirculation means sends 24 them also back to said combustion chamber. 25 26 5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said 27 recirculation means employs pressure from said exhaust 28 gases as the primary force for effecting said 29 recirculation. 30 31 6. The combination of claim 4 with a moving 32 vehicle incorporating said engine, wherein deceleration 33 inertia of said vehicle is the primary force in said 34 recirculation means for effecting said recirculation. 35 36 37 10. 7. The combination of claim 4 with a moving vehicle incorporating said engine, wherein said recircula- tion means employs the combination of pressure derived from said exhaust gases and of deceleration inertia of said vehicle as the primary force for effecting said recirculation. 8. The combination of claim 4 wherein said recir- culation means employs suction force created by the flow of said exhaust gases as the primary force for effecting said recirculation. 9. A combustion control system for an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold, a gas. inlet opening into said intake manifold, a combustion chamber producing exhaust gas, and an exhaust outlet, including in combination: a vortex device having a vortex chamber with a tangential inlet connected to a gas supply at substanti- ally atmospheric pressure, a second inlet, and an axial outlet connected directly to said gas inlet opening of said intake manifold, condenser means for condensing water from the exhaust gas, a reactor device having a gas inlet connected to said exhaust outlet for drawing gas theref om and an outlet connected to said second inlet of said vortex device by a first conduit, said reactor device including ejector means for drawing in atmospheric air and for drawing in water from said condenser means and for mixing said atmospheric air and said water with gas from said exhaust outlet. 10. The system of claim 9 wherein said ejector means is connected to said condenser means by a second conduit connected to said condenser means, a third conduit connected to said ejector means and a reservoir located at a level lower than said ejector means and having an inlet connected to said second conduit, an outlet connected to said third conduit, and water-overflow means for ridding the reservoir of excess water. 11. The system of claim 10 having height-adjustment means for adjusting the height of said reservoir relative to said reactor means in order to bias the flow rate of water from said reservoir to said ejector means through said third conduit. _. 12. The * system of claim 10 having means for applying pressure from said exhaust gas to impel the condensed water from said condenser means to said reservoir. 13. The system of claim 10 including a , moving vehicle driven by said engine having means for employing the deceleration of said vehicle and the inertia of the condensed water to impel the condensed water from said condenser means to said reservoir. 14. The system of claim 13 having, in addition, means for also applying pressure from said exhaust gas to said condensed water for impelling it from said condenser means to said reservoir. 15. The system of claim 10 wherein said condenser means is located at a height above said reservoir, whereby said condensed water flows from said condenser, means to said reservoir principally by gravity and from said reservoir to said ejector means by the suction force generated in said reactor device. 1 16. The system of claim 9 wherein said condenser 2 means is connected to said reactor device via pressure- initiated, flow-controlled valve means for controlling the * water flow directly to said ejector means in response 5 initially to a predetermined pressure differential above a ° threshold value and subsequently by the flow from said 7 ' condenser means through said valve, as a result of the suction force generated by said reactor device. 9 0 17. The system of claim 9 wherein said condenser 1 means has scoop means perpendicular to the flow of exhaust 2 gas for picking up a portion of the exhaust gas. 3 4 18. The system of claim 17 wherein said condenser 5 means has a collecting chamber into which said scoop 6 leads, said chamber having exhaust outlet means for gas 7 and finned cooling walls exposed to atmosphere. j 8 9 19. The system of claim 9 wherein said condenser 0 means comprises 1 a housing having a cylindrical chamber, with 2 tangential entry means, 3 said housing having a lower wall and an upper end 4 with an inverted conical plug partially closing the upper 5 end except for an annular outlet therearound, said housing 6 also having a drain passage in said lower wall connected 7 by conduit means to said reactor device. 8 9 20. The system of claim 19 wherein said housing 0 has radially outwardly extending cooling fins. 1 2 21. The system of claim 9 having an exhaust 3 conduit with an end portion, wherein said condenser means comprises a tubular member of larger diameter than said 5 exhaust conduit connected to the end portion thereof to 6 provide annular spacing between said tubular member and 7 1 said exhaust condu i t for the entry of cooling air there- ~ through, and water collecting means at a bottom portion J thereof. 4 22. The system of claim 21 wherein said tubular ° member includes a radially-inwardly tapered portion leading from the end of said exhaust conduit to a narrow 8 neck portion, followed by a wider portion for further g cooling and condensation, with said water collecting means at the bottom of said wider portion. 11 1 J 9 S" 23. The system of claim 22 having a frustoconical tube widening out to an open end, inside said wide-portion, its smaller diameter portion being inwardly 15 spaced therefrom but closed off around the outside of its- 16 wider end. 17 18 24. The system of claim 9 having refrigerating 19 heat-exchanger means mounted on said condenser means for 20 keeping the walls of said condenser means cold. 21 22 25. The system of claim 24 wherein said condenser 23 and said heat exchanger means are connected together by 24 heat pipes. 25 26 26. The system of claim 9 wherein said condenser 27 means is equipped with a series of heat pipes having an 28 internal portion inside said condenser means exposed to 29 said hot exhaust gas and an internal cooling portion 30 outside said condenser means exposed to atmosphere. 31 32 27. A combustion control system for an internal 33 combustion engine having an intake manifold, a gas inlet 34 opening into said intake manifold, and an exhaust, including in combination: 36 37 ■ 30 1 a vortex device having a vortex chamber with a 2 tangential inlet connected to a gas supply, a second 3 inlet, and an axial outlet connected directly to said gas 4 inlet opening of said intake manifold, 5 condenser means for condensing water from the 6 exhaust gas, 7 a reactor device having a gas inlet connected to 8 said exhaust for drawing gas therefrom and an outlet 9 connected to said second inlet of said vortex device by a 0 first conduit, said reactor device including ejector means 1 for drawing in liquid condensed by said condenser means 2 and for mixing said water with gas from said exhaust. 3 4 28. The system of claim 27 wherein said ejector 5 means is connected to said condenser means by a second 6 conduit connected to said condenser means, a third conduit 7 connected to said ejector means and a reservoir located at 8 a level lower than said ejector means and having an inlet 9 connected to said second conduit an outlet connected to 0 said third conduit, and water overflow means for ridding 1 the reservoir of excess water. 2 3 29. The system of claim 27 wherein said condenser 4 means is connected to said reactor device via pressure- 5 initiated, flow-controlled valve means for controlling the 6 water flow directly to said ejector means in response 7 initially to a predetermined pressure differential above a 28 threshold value and subsequently by the flow from said 29 condenser means through said valve, as a result of the 0 suction force generated by said reactor device. 31 32 30. The system of claim 27 wherein said condenser 33 means has scoop means perpendicular " to the flow of exhaust 34 gas in said engine exhr.ust for picking up a portion of the 35 exhaust gas. 36 37 ~ ~ 31. The system of claim 30 wherein said condenser means has a collecting chamber into which said scoop leads, said chamber having exhaust outlet means for gas and finned cooling walls exposed to atmosphere. 32. The system of claim 30 wherein said condenser means comprises a housing having a vertical cylindrical chamber, a larger-diameter concentric cylindrical chamber surrounding a lower portion of said housing, said housing having tangential entry means leading into said vertical cylindrical chamber from said concentric chamber, said housing having an upper end with an inverted conical plug partially closing the upper end except for an annular outlet therearound, said housing also having a water collecting trap connected by conduit means to said reactor device. ' 33. The system of claim 32 wherein said housing has radially outwardly extending cooling fins. 34. The system of claim 27 having an exhaust conduit with an end portion, wherein said condenser means comprises a tubular member of larger diameter than said exhaust conduit connected to the end portion thereof to provide annular spacing between said tubular member and said exhaust conduit for the entry of cooling air there- through, and water collecting means at a bottom portion thereof. 35. The system of claim 34 wherein said tubular member includes a radially-inwardly tapered portion leading from the end of said exhaust conduit to a narrow neck portion, followed by a wider portion for further cooling and condensation, with said water collecting means at the bottom of said wider portion. SUBSTITUTE SHEET 1 36. The system of claim 35 having a frustoconical 2 tube widening out to an open end, inside said 3 wide-portion, its smaller diameter portion being inwardly 4 spaced therefrom but closed off around the outside of its 5 wider end. 6 7 37 . The system of claim 27 having refrigerating 8 heat-exchanger means mounted on said condenser means to 9 keeping the walls of said condenser means cold. 0 1 2 38. The system of claim 37 wherein said condenser 3 and said heat exchanger means are connected together by 4 heat pipes. 5 6 39. The system of claim 27 wherein said condenser 7 means is equipped with a series of heat pipes having an 8 internal portion inside said condenser means exposed to 9 said hot exhaust gas and an internal cooling portion 0 outside said condenser means exposed to atmosphere. 1 2 40. A combustion control system for an internal 3 combustion engine having an intake manifold with a 4 throttle, a PCV gas inlet opening into said intake 5 manifold, an exhaust manifold, an exhaust conduit 6 connected to said exhaust manifold, and a PCV gas conduit, 7 including in combination: 8 a vortex device having a vortex chamber with a 9 tangential inlet connected to said PCV gas conduit, an 0 axial inlet, and an axial outlet connected directly to 1 said PCV gas inlet opening of said intake manifold, condenser means connected to said exhaust conduit 3 for condensing water from the exhaust gas passing through 4 said exhaust conduit, 5 36 37 - ~ 1 pressure-initiated, flow-controlled valve means connected to said condenser means for responding initially to a predetermined pressure differential above a threshold * * value and subsequently by the flow therethrough to deliver 5 water through a water conduit attached thereto, a reactor device spaced away from said condenser means having a gas inlet connected directly to said exhaust conduit for drawing gas therefrom and an outlet Q 7 spaced well apart from said vortex device and connected to ° said axial inlet of said vortex device by a connecting conduit, said reactor device comprising 1 -9 first ejector means for drawing in atmospheric air J and mixing it with gas from said exhaust conduit, and second ejector means connected to said water conduit for drawing in water from said water conduit according to the pressure differential established by said 7 second ejector means for sending it into the atmospheric 18 air drawn in by said first ejector means. 19 f ) w 41. The system of claim 40 wherein said condenser 21 means has scoop means.perpendicular to the flow of exhaust oo gas in said engine exhaust for picking up a portion of the 23 exhaust gas. 24 25 42. A method of operating an internal combustion 26 engine employing water, including the steps of 27 condensing liquid from the engine exhaust gases 28 and 29 conducting such condensed liquid to the engine for 30 use there. 31 32 43. The method of claim 42 wherein said conducting 33 step includes deriving pressure from said exhaust gases 34 and employing that pressure as a force to effect movement 35 of said liquid. 36 37 1 44. A method for operating an internal combustion 2 engine employing water in its combustion chamber along 3 with hydrocarbons or other hydrogen-containing fuel 4 including the steps of 5 condensing water from the exhaust gases of the 6 combustion chamber,and 1 7 sending at least some of said condensed water to 8 said combustion chamber. 9 10 45. The method of claim 44 in which said 11 condensing means also condenses some unburned hydrocarbons 12 in said exhaust gases and said recirculation means sends 13 them also back to said combustion chamber. 14 15 46. The method of claim 45 wherein said sending 16 step includes deriving pressure from said exhaust gases 17 and employing that pressure as the " primary force for lδ effecting the movement of said condensed water to said 19 combustion chamber. 20 21 47. The method of claim 45 as employed with a 22 moving vehicle ' incorporating said engine, utilizing 23 deceleration inertia of said vehicle as the primary force 24 in said sending step for effecting said movement of 25 condensed water to said combustion chamber. 26 27 48. The method of claim 45 as employed with a 28 moving vehicle incorporating said engine, wherein said 29 sending step employs the combination of deriving pressure 30 from said exhaust gases and of using the deceleration 31 inertia of said vehicle as the primary force for effecting 32 movement of said water to said combustion chamber. 33 34 49, The method of claim 45 wherein said sending 35 step employs suction force created by the flow of said 36 exhaust gases as the primary force for effecting movement 37 of said water to said combustion chamber. o 1 50. A method for combustion control of an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold, a gas inlet 3 opening into said intake manifold, a combustion chamber producing exhaust gas, an exhaust manifold and an exhaust conduit connected to said exhaust manifold conducting exhaust gas, including the steps of: condensing water from the exhaust gas, conveying said water to a reactor device having a g gas inlet connected directly to said exhaust manifold for drawing gas therefrom and an outlet to by a first 11 conduit, 12 drawing into said reactor device both atmospheric 1 J 3 air and said condensed water means, mixing said atmospheric air and said water with 15 gas from said exhaust manifold, 16 sending the mixture into said first conduit and 7 thence to a vortex device ι 18 drawing into said vortex device additional gas' at 19 atmospheric pressure, Λ 90 W mixing that gas with said mixture, and 21 x sending the resultant mixture into said intake 99 manifold. 23 51. The method of claim 50 including connecting 25 said condenser means by a second conduit to a reservoir 26 located at a level lower than said ejector means having 27 and water-overflow means for ridding the reservoir of 28 excess water, and connecting said reservoir to said 29 ejector means. 30 31 52. The method of claim 51 including for adjusting 32 the height of said reservoir relative to said reactor 33 means in order to bias the flow rate of water from said reservoir to said ejector means through said third 35 conduit. 36 37 • 3.S 1 53 . The method of claim 51 including applying pressure from said exhaust gas to impel the condensed water from said condenser means to said reservoir . 4 -* 54. The method of claim 51 as applied to a moving ° vehicle driven by said engine, including employing the 7 deceleration of said vehicle and the inertia of the 8 condensed water to impel the condensed water from said Q 7 condenser means to said reservoir. 10 1 55. The method of claim 54 including, in addition, 1 applying pressure from said exhaust gas to said condensed 13 water for impelling it from said condenser means to said 1 A 4^ reservoir. 15 1 56. The method of claim 51 including locating said 17 condenser means at a height above said reservoir, causing 1° said condensed water to flow from said condenser means to 1° said reservoir principally by gravity. 20 1 57. The method of claim 50, including flowing the 22 condensed water from the said condenser means to said 23 reactor device via a pressure-initiated, flow-controlled 24 valve means, controlling the valve and thereby the water 25 flow directly to said ejector means in response initially 26 to a predetermined pressure differential above a threshold 27 value and subsequently by the flow from said condenser 28 means through said valve, as a result of the suction force 29 generated by said reactor device. 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38

Inventors: LINDBERG JOHN EMERY, LINDBERG, JOHN, EMERY
Applicants: LINDBERG JOHN EMERY, LINDBERG, JOHN, EMERY
Application year: 1985
Main classification: F02M25
IPC codes: F02M25