Patent ID: 8220441

Claim:
A fuel state control unit for a selected internal combustion engine, the fuel state control unit comprising: a first chamber having a first interior volume, a first inlet, and a first outlet, a heat transfer conduit being disposed within the first interior volume and connecting the first inlet with the first outlet such that fuel can be conveyed within the heat transfer conduit, the first interior volume being fluidically isolated from fuel conveyed in the heat transfer conduit; a second chamber having a second interior volume, the second chamber being disposed adjacent to the first chamber and separated therefrom by an insulating plate, the insulating plate having a flowpath extending therethrough such that fuel from the first outlet can flow through the insulating plate flowpath into the second interior volume, the insulating plate being of ceramic, polymer, or polymer composite material; a third chamber having a third interior volume, the third chamber being disposed adjacent to the second chamber and separated therefrom by a pressure plate, the pressure plate having two ports extending therethrough such that fuel in the second interior volume can flow through the ports into the third interior volume, the ports having diameters that provide, at a fuel flow rate of at least 1 gallon per hour, a cavitation number of less than 1000, each port having a diameter not greater than 0.5-inch, the diameters for the ports being further selected such that, at moderate load operating conditions of the selected internal combustion engine, the change in the pressure across the ports is no less than negative 5% of the pressure in the second chamber; a pickup tube disposed in the third interior volume and configured to convey fuel in the third interior volume to a fuel line for use by the selected internal combustion engine; a heating element disposed in the first interior volume, the heating element being configured to heat fuel conveyed in the heat transfer conduit; and a thermostat configured to regulate an output of the heating element to maintain a temperature of fuel in the heat transfer conduit in a predefined range between 90° F. and 180° F.