skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Internal combustion engine with a methanol reforming system. [hydrocarbon-hydrogen fuel mixture]

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6421273

An internal combustion engine has a primary fuel circuit for producing a lean mixture of air and hydrocarbon fuel to be fed into a combustion chamber and a secondary fuel circuit which includes a secondary carburetor for producing a mixture of air and methanol at an air-methanol ratio of less than 2.0. The air methanol mixture is fed into a reactor vessel having therein a catalyst bed which is heated to facilitate reaction between the components of the air-methanol mixture. By the reaction the air methanol mixture is converted into a reformed gaseous mixture rich with hydrogen which is then mixed with an air-hydrocarbon fuel mixture to form a composite mixture to be supplied into the combustion chamber. The existence of hydrogen in the composite mixture assures reliable spark-ignition and stable combustion of the composite mixture which is of a very large air-fuel ratio as calculated in terms of air-gasoline ratio, to thereby reduce the emission of harmful components of engine exhaust gas and improve the fuel consumption.

Assignee:
Nippon Soken Inc (Japan)
Patent Number(s):
US 4230072
OSTI ID:
6421273
Resource Relation:
Patent Priority Date: Priority date 20 Dec 1974, Japan
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English