Propulsion device and method for operating same using a partially oxidized diesel fuel

1. A propulsion device for vehicles, comprising:

a device for partial oxidation of fuel;

a fuel tank for holding the fuel; and

a diesel internal combustion engine, the device for partial oxidation being in fluid communication with the fuel tank and the diesel internal combustion engine, so that a first portion of the fuel is delivered to the device for partial oxidation, a second portion of the fuel bypasses the device for partial oxidation, and the first portion of the fuel is partially oxidized in the device for partial oxidation before combustion in the diesel internal combustion engine to produce a partially oxidized fuel having an oxygen content of at least 0.5% by weight and no more than 30% by weight.

2. The propulsion device of claim 1 , wherein the device for partial oxidation of fuel includes one of a device for plasma discharge, a fuel reformer, and an ozonizer.

3. The propulsion device of claim 1 , wherein the device for partial oxidation of fuel includes a fuel reformer with a catalyst.

4. The propulsion device of claim 1 , wherein the device for partial oxidation of fuel produces ethers, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, and alcohols.

5. The propulsion device of claim 1 , further comprising a mixing unit in fluid connection with each of the fuel tank, the diesel internal combustion engine, and the device for partial oxidation of the fuel so that the partially oxidized fuel is mixed with the second portion of the fuel in the mixing unit to produce a mixture and the mixture is introduced into a combustion chamber of the diesel internal combustion engine.

6. The propulsion device of claim 1 , further comprising a mixing unit having a device for drawing in air, the mixing unit being in fluid connection with each of the diesel internal combustion engine and the device for partial oxidation of fuel.

7. The propulsion device of claim 6 , wherein the mixer unit is in fluid connection with the diesel internal combustion engine so that the mixer unit produces a mixture of the partially oxidized fuel and air, which is introduced into a combustion chamber of the diesel internal combustion engine and mixed in the combustion chamber with the second portion of the fuel to form a homogeneous mixture.

8. The propulsion device of claim 1 , further comprising a soot particle filter connected to the internal combustion engine.

9. A vehicle having a propulsion device of claim 1 .

10. A use of a partially oxidized diesel fuel in a propulsion device according to claim 1 ,

wherein a reduction of soot emissions occurs in a combustion chamber of the diesel internal combustion engine.

11. The use of partially oxidized fuel of claim 10 , wherein the partially oxidized diesel fuel is mixed with unmodified diesel fuel and air such that soot formed during combustion has a higher reactivity than soot obtained using unmodified diesel fuel and air.

12. A method for operating a diesel internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of:

supplying a diesel fuel;

partially oxidizing at least some of the diesel fuel to produce an oxidized portion of the diesel fuel;

mixing the oxidized portion of the diesel fuel with unmodified diesel fuel in a mixer unit to produce a mixture;

introducing the mixture into a combustion chamber of the diesel internal combustion engine; and

carrying out a compression ignition combustion process with the mixture.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the steps of mixing and introducing the mixture are performed in such a way that a substantially homogeneous mixture is formed in the combustion chamber.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the oxidized hydrocarbons are formed from aliphatic hydrocarbons during the step of partially oxidizing.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the oxidized hydrocarbons include at least one of ethers, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, and alcohols.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the oxidized hydrocarbons are formed from aromatic hydrocarbons during the step of partially oxidizing.

17. A method for operating a diesel internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of

supplying a diesel fuel;

partially oxidizing at least some of the diesel fuel to produce a partially oxidized fuel having an oxygen content of at least 0.5% by weight and no more than 30% by weight;

mixing the partially oxidized fuel with air in a mixer unit to produce a mixture;

introducing the mixture into a combustion chamber of the diesel internal combustion engine; and

introducing unmodified diesel fuel to the combustion chamber and carrying out a compression ignition combustion process with the unmodified diesel fuel and the mixture.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the partially oxidized fuel includes oxidized hydrocarbons, which are formed from aliphatic hydrocarbons during the step of partially oxidizing.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the partially oxidized fuel includes oxidized hydrocarbons, which include at least one of ethers, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, and alcohols.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the partially oxidized fuel includes oxidized hydrocarbons, which are formed from aromatic hydrocarbons during the step of partially oxidizing.

21. The propulsion device of claim 1 , wherein the partially oxidized fuel produced by the device for partial oxidation has an oxygen content of at least 10% by weight and no more than 15% by weight.

22. The method of claim 12 , wherein the oxidized portion of the diesel fuel produced in the step of partially oxidizing has an oxygen content of at least 0.5% by weight and no more than 30% by weight.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the oxidized portion of the diesel fuel produced in the step of partially oxidizing has an oxygen content of at least 10% by weight and no more than 30% by weight.

24. The method of claim 17 , wherein the partially oxidized fuel produced in the step of partially oxidizing has an oxygen content of at least 10% by weight and no more than 30% by weight.