Vapor fueled engine
A fuel supply assembly providing vaporized fuel to an engine wherein a quantity of liquid gasoline fuel is controllably heated for a desired vapor emission from the liquid fuel, and a conduit arrangement conducts the vapor, intermixes it with ambient air and conveys the intermixture to the engine's combustion chamber. A sensor in the engine exhaust monitors the hydrocarbon content of the exhaust and control valving controls the vapor to air intermixture in response to the monitor for maintaining a desired intermixture that produces the desired hydrocarbon content.
1. A fuel supply assembly for a gasoline fueled engine which includes a combustion chamber for combusting fuel and an exhaust for the combusted fuel, which assembly comprises:
a vaporizing tank, a quantity of liquid gasoline fuel contained in the tank, a heating source for heating the liquid gasoline fuel to promote vaporization of the fuel, and a temperature control for controlling the heating source and thereby the temperature of the liquid fuel as contained in the tank;
a conduit arrangement intermixing vaporized gasoline fuel from the tank with ambient air, and for conveyance thereof to the combustion chamber of a gasoline fueled engine, said conduit arrangement including controllable valving for controlling the intermixture of said vaporized fuel and ambient air;
a monitor monitoring the exhaust for the combusted fuel and determining thereby a variation from a desired intermixture of said vaporized fuel and ambient air, said controllable valving responsive to said monitor for altering the intermixture of said vaporized gasoline fuel and said ambient air to achieve the desired intermixture; and
an engine power sensor for sensing engine power loss when receiving the desired intermixture and inducing a higher temperature of said liquid fuel in said tank to offset said power loss.
2. A fuel supply assembly as defined in claim 1 , including a system design that determines depletion of the fuel to a pre-established residual level and initiating termination of the vaporization at said level.
3. A fuel supply assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said depletion is determined by a maximum temperature of said liquid fuel, said system design responsive to said maximum temperature for initiating termination.
4. A fuel supply assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said depletion is determined by a minimum liquid fuel level in said vaporizing tank and said system design responsive to said minimum liquid fuel level for initiating termination.