Patent ID: 7415975

Claim:
An operating system for an internal combustion engine, which provides reduced energy consumption and reduced air pollution, said operating system comprising: (a) a fuel system including heating means for heating at least a portion of fuel, while flowing to fuel injection means, to reach a temperature between 60° C. and about 95° C. prior to injection of said portion of fuel into a combustion system of the engine, wherein said temperature is below a vaporization temperature of the fuel at a delivery fuel pressure, but is above a vaporization temperature of the fuel at a pressure of said combustion system, said fuel system comprising: (i) a primary fuel circuit comprising a fuel tank operatively connected to a pressure valve via an upstream primary conduit and a downstream primary return conduit; (ii) a secondary fuel circuit comprising fuel injection means in selective communication with the combustion system of the engine, said injection means being operatively connected to said primary conduit via an upstream secondary conduit; and (iii) suitable fuel heating means for heating the fuel in said secondary fuel circuit, said suitable heating means comprises suitable temperature sensing means for sensing fuel temperature therein, said temperature sensing means being operatively connected to a suitable controller, and wherein said controller is operatively connected to a valve in a secondary return conduit; (b) an air intake system receiving air at ambient temperature and receiving the heated fuel, said air intake system vaporizing the heated fuel to cool the air and thereby increasing an air mass flow being delivered into said combustion system; and (c) control means for enforcing an essentially constant target air-to-fuel ratio in said engine, said target air fuel ratio being selected in the range of Lambda between 1.25 to 1.35, said control means including a controller, said controller being connected to an engine computer and engine sensors, calculating said target air-to-fuel ratio, and sending an appropriate signal to said engine computer to alter the portion of fuel injected by said fuel injector means accordingly.