Patent GB-186964-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or connected with liquid fuel internal combustion engines
IPC: F02M1/00
Filed: 1921-06-10
Abstract: 186,964. Rowlands, P. O. June 10, 1921. Vaporizers, external.-An internal-combustion engine is of the kind in which a charge of fuel vapour, water vapour, and air is induced by the engine suction, and the proportion of fuel vapour to water vapour is caused to remain substantially constant under varying suction by allowing the suction on the inlet side of the throttle valve to act both upon the fuel and water and upon the vapour produced thereform. According to the invention, the free surface of the water in the water heater is of large area relatively to the mass of. water being heated, and its heating surface is large, so that rapid vaporization of the requisite quantity of water is effected. As shown, the mixing chamber of the carburettor 23 is supplied with fuel vapour from a vaporizer 1 through a pipe 11 and a nozzle 12, with water vapour from a heater 15 through a chamber 18, pipe 19, and holes in a choke tube 22, and with air through a valve-controlled inlet 24 and an annular passage surrounding the nozzle 12. The water heater comprises an elongated box 15 mounted on the exhaust manifold 21, and fed through a pipe 29 from a float chamber 27, the upper part of which communicates through a pipe 28 with the space above the water level in the heater. The float and valve may be disposed within the heater or in a chamber therein. Means may be provided for regulatirg the quantity of water vaporized, such, for example, as partitions 15<x> which cut off a portion of the heater. The fuel vaporizer is preferably of the kind described in Specification 115,735 in which the fuel is fed into the top of a casing 1 provided with helical vaporizing-surfaces 2 and is heated by solid fuel in a grate 3. The two upper surfaces 2 are each provided with a small hole so that the fuel is distributed over three heating surfaces. To assist vaporization of the heavier components of the fuel, air is admitted through a valve 47 to the space between the casing 1 and a liner 44, and passes through hole 46 to the lower portions of the heating surfaces 2. To increase the temperature of the vaporizer, the thickness of fuel in the grate 3 is kept small to diminish the resistance to air, and the chimney 6, which is open at the bottom and provi'ded with opening 8, projects down into the fuel. In a modification; the chimney is replaced by a perforated liner around the inner wall of the combustion chamber. Fuel is fed by a pump 40 from a tank 41 through a pipe 38 to the feed device 53 of the vaporizer in greater quantity than is desired, the surplus being returned by a pipe 39. The feed device 53, Figs. 1 and 2, con. tains an upstanding tube 54 down which the fuel passes to a delivery pipe 10 in the vaporizer. The tube 54 is surrounded by a. larger tube 56 forming a well, the overflow from which to the pipe 39, and hence the supply to the tube 54, is controlled by adjusting the height of a surrounding sleeve 57 provided with ports 58. The fuel passes from the well 56 up an opening 60 in the head of the tube 54 and through a port 61 in a disc 62 on an adjustable cap 63 fitting over the head of the tube 54. Condensed fuel in pipe 11 is returned to the pump 40 through a pipe 37, and condensed fuel and water in the induction pipe 14 passes down a channel 34 and pipe 35 to a closed tank 36.