WO2004008029A1

WO2004008029A1 - Device for improving the combustion of liquid or gaseous fuels

Info

Publication number: WO2004008029A1
Application number: PCT/IB2003/003210
Authority: WO
Inventors: Guido Parisi
Original assignee: Guido Parisi
Priority date: 2002-07-15
Filing date: 2003-07-11
Publication date: 2004-01-22
Also published as: ITTO20020612A0; ITTO20020612A1; AU2003281082A1

Abstract

The invention concerns a device for improving the combustion of liquid or gaseous fuels in a feed line of a user unit (9), said device comprising a treatment group (7) constituted by one or more polariser apparatuses (7a..7n) wherein it is generated a magnetic field that is crossed by the fuel, and by a pre-treatment group (5) by means of which the flow of said fuel is made turbulent, said pre-treatment group being arranged upstream of said treatment group.

Description

"Device for improving the combustion of liquid or gaseous fuels"

The present invention refers to a device for improving the combustion of liquid or gaseous fuels.

More particularly, the present invention refers to a device that improves the combustion of liquid or gaseous fuels destined to feed endothermic motors, boilers, ovens and similar applications.

The device according to the invention is of the type destined to be positioned in the feed circuit of the fuel in liquid or gaseous form and embodies at least an apparatus, known as polarizer, in which a magnetic field crossed by the fuel is generated. According to the teaching of the prior art, the insertion of a polarizer apparatus along the fuel feed line, immediately before the unit in which the combustion occurs, provokes an enhancement of the combustion that is converted in a considerable economic saving.

A polarizer apparatus according to the prior art generally provides for a series of permanent magnets radially arranged on a duct through which the fuel flows in order to generate a magnetic field in the zone crossed by the fuel.

While crossing the magnetic field inside a polarizer apparatus, the clusters of molecules and particles composing the fuel and notoriously moving in a disorderly way, shatter by setting free molecules and single particles that align by arranging themselves in an orderly way.

It is believed that this phenomenon has a beneficent effect on the efficiency of the combustion.

Experimental data have shown that the use of one or more polarizer apparatuses of magnetic or electromagnetic type allows to obtain a more efficient combustion both in Diesel-cycle gas-oil fed motors and in Otto-cycle gasoline or liquid gas fed motors, and both in the heating and industrial boilers fed with various types of fuels.

It is also known to arrange in cascade at least two polarizer apparatuses for further reducing the consumption and for lowering in greater measure the harmful exhaust emissions. However, it has also been found that the addition of a number of polarizers greater than some units doesn't contribute to proportionally improve the system performance.

Scope of the present invention is therefore that of providing a device for improving the combustion that allows to obtain a higher energetic saving with respect to the devices of known type. The above and other scopes are obtained with the device for improving the combustion of liquid and gaseous fuels as claimed in the hereby attached claims.

The invention will be now described in a detailed way with particular reference to the attached drawings, provided as a non-limitative example, wherein:

- Figure la is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the invention; - Figure lb is a block diagram of a second embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 2 is a schematic view of an example of a pre-treatment group;

- Figures 3a-3i show various types of polarizer apparatuses that can be used in the device according to the invention.

With reference to Figure la there is shown a fuel feed line directed to a generic user unit 9.

It has to be remarked that the fuel can indifferently be one of the conventional fuels like for instance methane, gas-oil or gasoline, while the user unit 9 can be for instance the motor of a vehicle, a boiler, an oven, a burner or a similar apparatus.

The feed line comprises a fuel reservoir 3, a duct 11 for bringing the fuel from the reservoir 3 to the unit 9 and a device for improving the combustion, said device being arranged downstream of the reservoir 3 along said duct 11.

The device for improving the combustion is constituted by a pre-treatment group 5 and by a polarizer group 7 that will be better illustrated in the following.

According to the invention said pre-treatment group has the scope of provoking a turbulence in the fluid crossing it.

It has been experimentally observed that thanks to said turbulence effect the fuel molecules and particles are submitted to the treatment of the magnetic field in the following treatment group 7 in a more effective way.

According to a first embodiment of the invention the pre-treatment group 5 is constituted by a narrowing of the duct 11 obtained through a valve that partially closes said duct 11.

Advantageously, said valve will be of the type adjustable through an appropriate manual or electric control and can be for instance of the type known as butterfly or ball.

Besides, the entity of the narrowing can be varied over time according to the operative conditions of the user unit 9. In particular, in the case in which said unit 9 is represented by the motor of a vehicle, said pre-treatment group 5 can be advantageously constituted by a solenoid valve whose degree of opening is modified as a function of an electric signal proportional to the number of motor revolutions.

In an example of realization of the device according to the invention, the following scheme has been advantageously adopted for the control of a solenoid valve by means of a signal coming from the engine speed indicator of the vehicle:

- for a motor rotation up to 2000 revolutions per minute the solenoid valve is opened at 40-50%;

- for a motor rotation between 2000 revolutions per minute and 4000 revolutions per minute the solenoid valve is opened at 75%; - for a motor rotation higher than 4000 revolutions/minute the solenoid valve is opened at

80-90%.

With reference now to Figure lb, there is shown a second embodiment of the invention. According to this embodiment of the invention, in the feed duct 11 the fuel coming from the reservoir 3 meets, after a line 13, a three- ways link 15 in correspondence of which the fuel is separated onto two parallel branches 17,19 on which one or more polarizer apparatuses 7 are respectively provided. If necessary, according to the applications, after having been treated by the polarizers 7 present in the two branches 17,19, the fuel is made to flow into a single line 23 of the duct 11 by means of a second three-ways link 21.

Advantageously, according to this embodiment of the invention, the turbulence necessary to the improvement of the performance of the polarizer group 7 is obtained through said first three-ways link 15. Besides, thanks to this shrewdness, it is possible to separate the fuel on two parallel feed branches towards the user unit 9, along said branches the fuel being treated by different polarizers, thereby increasing the efficiency of the device.

Furthermore, it will be possible through two butterfly or ball valves 18, respectively arranged on the parallel branches 17,19 upstream of the polarizer group 7, to close partially or completely the one or the other of the two branches 17,19. It has to be noticed that a turbulence effect, can be obtained also through other means like for instance a duct having a toroidal or helical development, said duct being arranged upstream of the polarizer group 7.

In Figure 2 there is shown an example of realization of the pre-treatment group 5 in which the seal end 51 of a drive shaft 53 of a valve 55 provokes a narrowing of the duct 59 of the feed line 11 in correspondence of which the fuel flow passes from a substantially laminar state to a whirling or turbulent state in direction of the arrow 57.

With reference now to Figure 3a, it is shown a polarizer apparatus 7 comprising a housing 73 of cylindrical form, in which is included a duct 75, coaxial to said housing 73, for the passage of the fuel. For obtaining the desired effect on the particles and molecules of fuel, the polarizer

7 presents inside the housing 73 means able to generate a magnetic field.

In Figure 3b, it is shown a first example of polarizer apparatus 7 in which said magnetic field is obtained through a plurality of permanent magnets 71 radially arranged around a cylindrical metallic core 16 arranged around the duct 75 in which the fuel flows. According to the shown embodiment, the permanent magnets 71 will be orientated with their negative poles turned towards the core 76; however, it will be possible to provide for other configurations in which the permanent magnets 71 are orientated in an alternate or other way.

With reference now to Figure 3 c, it is shown a polarizer 7 of electromagnetic type in which the magnetic field is obtained through a coil 77 wound around the duct 75. By connecting a direct or impulsive current generator to the terminals 78 of the coil 77, it is generated a magnetic field that is crossed by the fuel flowing inside the duct 75.

With reference to Figure 3d it is shown a second example of polarizer 7 of electromagnetic type in which the magnetic field crossed by the fuel is obtained through an electromagnet 72 radially arranged around a metallic core 76 within which is provided coaxial the fuel duct 75.

The electromagnet 72 is preferably obtained through a bar 74 of ferromagnetic material preferably of cylindrical form, around said bar 74 being spirally wound a coil 79 electrically fed through the corresponding terminals 80. Said bar 74, preferably realised in ferrite, is preferably joined to the core 76 by welding. Coaxial to the metallic core 76 and to the duct 75 is provided an external protective housing 73 preferably realised by means of a sheath of synthetic material or of aluminium resistant to the corrosion, for instance of the type known as anticorodal, that performs a function of electromagnetic screen, on the one side by confining inside the polarizer 7 the magnetic field which the fuel is submitted to, and on the other side by preventing that external electromagnetic noise may influence the behaviour of the polarizer itself.

Between said housing 73 and said metallic core 76 there may be provided a layer 81 of filler material, for instance polystyrene.

By connecting a direct or impulsive current generator to the terminals 80 of the coil 79, it is generated a magnetic field with axis N-S radial to the duct 75 transversally crossing the duct 75 in which the fuel flows, thereby provoking the desired effect of orientation on the fuel particles and molecules, said effect being emphasised by the turbulence obtained in the pre-treatment group arranged upstream of the polarizer.

With reference to Figure 3e it is shown a second example of electromagnetic polarizer 7 that differentiates itself from that of Figure 3d for the presence of a pair of electromagnets 72 radially arranged around the core 76.

Each electromagnet 72 is obtained by means of a corresponding coil 79 wound around a bar 74 realised in ferrite and radially welded on the core 76.

As it is better visible in Figure 3f showing a cross-section of the polarizer of Figure 3e, the polarizer according to the example of Figure 3e further provides for a core 76 subdivided into two semicircular semi-shells 76a and 76b, to each of which the bar 74 of a corresponding electromagnet 72 is welded.

The two semicircular semi-shells 76a,76b will be spaced apart of some millimetres between them, but they will preferably result connected with the central duct 75 in which the fuel flows. The coils 79 of the two electromagnets 72 will preferably be fed so that the polarity of the electromagnet turned towards the core 76 is the same.

With reference to Figure 3g, it is shown a variant of realization of the polarizer of Figure 3e in which the core 76 is arranged inside the fuel duct 75. According to this variant of realization of the invention, the bars 74 of the electromagnets 72 are radially fixed to the duct 75 that will be outside of the core 76.

With reference to the Figures 3h and 3i there are shown a perspective and a frontal view of a third type of magnetic polarizer 7 comprising a plurality of magnetic silicon laminations 40 shaped like an "E" and placed side by side and connected between them by gluing or mechanically, said laminations 40 forming a central bar 41 and two side bars 41 '.

By spirally winding a coil 79 electrically fed through the correspondents terminals 80 on each of the three bars 41,41' respectively, three electromagnets 72 are formed.

As an alternative, it is possible to wind a coil 79 only around the central bar 41, or only around the central bar 41 and around one of the two side bars 41 '. In case three electromagnets 72 are present, the coils will be fed so that the current flowing in the central electromagnet has the same direction with respect to the current flowing in the side electromagnets, located from opposite sides with respect to the central electromagnet.

A metallic housing 43 comprising at its interior a duct 5 where the fuel flows is fixed either on the upper surface 42 of the central bar 41 or to the lower surface 44 of the magnetic polarizer 7.

By connecting a direct or impulsive current generator to the terminals 80 of the central coil or also of the side coils, a magnetic field is generated with the N-S axis radial to the duct 75 in which the fuel flows, thereby provoking the desired effect of orientation on the fuel particles and molecules. Besides, the polarizers of electromagnetic type will be advantageously provided with a LED indicator that, when turned on, indicates the passage of electric current and therefore the correct working of the polarizer, and with a protective fuse against possible overloads. In order to prevent that the device according to the invention can overheat and be damaged thereby damaging the system in which it is installed, it is possible to provide a chip thermal switch activating itself automatically, thereby preventing the circulation of the current in the device according to the invention, when a predetermined maximum temperature is reached. In case the device according to the invention is installed in a motor vehicle, such maximum temperature will preferably be of 130 °C.

Besides, always in case of polarizers of electromagnetic type, there can be provided a rheostat for adjusting the voltage supply. Said rheostat can be of manual type or automatically controlled according to an operation parameter of the user unit like for instance the number of the motor revolutions in the case of a motor vehicle. Upstream of the device 5 it will be also possible to arrange a heat exchanger for preheating the fuel that has to be treated by the polarizers 7.

In the case of a motor vehicle the device according to the invention can be advantageously mounted both along the fuel feed duct to the pump or to the carburetor, and in direct correspondence with the induction manifolds. Besides, in the case of a motor of a petrol vehicle it can be provided an electronic adjusting module allowing to adjust the carburetion for optimising the performance of the device according to the invention. Said module, mounted on the electronic unit of the motor vehicle, reads a signal coming from the lambda probe and provides for modifying it by means of a signal coming from a resistive branch, said signal being manually adjustable through a rheostat during the installation of the device, so that to the electronic unit arrives a modified signal instead of the signal directly coming from the lambda probe.

The device according to the invention can be advantageously protected by including it inside a rubber tube that on the one side, develops a protective function against heat and from the other side allows to adapt the device to the space available in the environment in which it has to be installed. This turns out to be particularly advantageous in case the device according to the invention has to be installed in the engine compartment of a motor vehicle.

The experimental results obtained by using the polarizer apparatus according to the invention installed in a Diesel motor vehicle are now shown.

As it can be remarked from the central column of the previous table the average energetic saving obtained is sensibly higher in case that upstream of the polariser it is provided a pre-treatment group for provoking a turbulence in the combustion fluid and therefore for submitting the molecules to a magnetic field having a higher intensity.

Furthermore, it should be remarked that by using the device according to the invention, an improvement in terms of energetic saving is obtained after having travelled sensibly less with respect to the prior art.

Likewise satisfactory results have been obtained in the tests carried out on boilers and methane gas fed ovens as shown in the following table.

During the performed tests it has been further remarked that, thanks to the device according to the invention, the exhaust smokes of the user unit presented oxygen in free state in a higher quantity with respect to what it was expected.

This phenomenon allows to presuppose also the presence inside the combustion chamber of a higher quantity of free hydrogen, that is to say of hydrogen in a diatomic state, with a consequent improvement of the performance thanks to a higher caloric supply.

Claims

1. Device for improving the combustion of liquid or gaseous fuels in a feed line (11) of a user unit (9), said device comprising a treatment group (7) constituted by one or more polarizer apparatuses (7a ...7n) in which it is generated a magnetic field that is crossed by the fuel, characterized by the fact of comprising upstream of said treatment group (7) a pre-treatment group (5) by means of which a turbulence is provoked in the flow of said fuel.

2. Device according to claim 1, in which said feed line (11) comprises a duct (59) for the passage of the fuel and in which said pre-treatment group comprises a narrowing (51) of said duct (59).

3. Device according to claim 1, in which said feed line (11) comprises a duct (59) for the passage of the fuel and in which said pre-treatment group comprises a manually or automatically adjustable valve (55) that partially closes said duct (59).

4. Device according to claim 1, wherein said feed line (11) comprises a duct (59) for the passage of the fuel and wherein said pre-treatment group comprises a three-ways link separating said duct into two feed ducts (17,19).

5. Device according to claim 3, wherein said automatically adjustable valve (55) is controlled by a signal coming from the user unit (9).

6. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said polarizer apparatus (7) comprises a duct (75) for the passage of the fuel and means (72) for generating a magnetic field crossing said duct.

7. Device according to claim 6, wherein said means (71,72) for generating a magnetic field comprise one or more permanent magnets.

8. Device according to claim 6, wherein said means (71,72) for generating a magnetic field comprise one or more electromagnets.

9. Device according to claim 8, wherein said at least one electromagnet comprises a coil (79) wound around a bar (74) of ferromagnetic material, said bar (74) being radially arranged with respect to said duct (75).

10. Device according to claim 9, wherein a cylindrical metallic core (76) arranged substantially coaxial with respect to said duct (75), to which said bar (74) is radially fixed, is provided between said duct (75) and said at least one electromagnet (72).