System and method for using concentrated oxygen for gas intake into an internal combustion engine
Methods and systems for enhancing fuel combustion in an engine (which may be a standard gasoline engine, a diesel engine or a hydro-diesel engine) by using an oxygen concentrator to remove nitrogen from the air to produce a concentrated oxygen gas that is fed into a gas intake of the engine's combustion chamber. The concentrated oxygen gas and liquid fuel are combusted within the combustion chamber. In hydro-diesel embodiments, hydrogen gas is mixed into the liquid diesel fuel to form a homogeneous mixture of hydrogen gas and liquid diesel fuel entering the combustion chamber. Filler gases may also be added into the combustion chamber.
1 . A method of enhancing fuel combustion in an engine, comprising:
(a) providing an engine having,
(i) a combustion chamber,
(ii) a gas intake into the combustion chamber,
(iii) a fuel intake into the combustion chamber, and
(iv) a gas exhaust out of the combustion chamber;
(b) providing a hydro-diesel system including:
(i) a diesel fuel source,
(ii) a hydrogen gas source,
(ii) an infuser configured to mix hydrogen gas received from the hydrogen gas source into diesel fuel received from the diesel fuel source into a homogeneous mixture of hydrogen gas and liquid diesel fuel;
(c) providing an oxygen concentrator, wherein the oxygen concentrator receives air therein and removes nitrogen from the air to produce a concentrated oxygen gas;
(d) supplying the concentrated oxygen gas through the gas intake into the combustion chamber;
(e) supplying liquid fuel into the combustion chamber; and
(f) combusting the concentrated oxygen gas and liquid fuel in the combustion chamber.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxygen concentrator is a pressure swing adsorption-type (PSA-type) oxygen concentrator.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxygen concentrator uses zeolites to absorb nitrogen from ambient air.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxygen concentrator uses membrane gas separation to separate and remove nitrogen from the ambient air.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxygen concentration produces oxygen at a concentration of greater than 50%.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxygen concentration produces oxygen at a concentration of greater than 90%.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(g) directing exhaust gasses from the combustion chamber back into the combustion chamber through a return line.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(g) adding a filler gas into the combustion chamber.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(g) sending a first portion of the concentrated oxygen gas from the oxygen concentrator into the combustion chamber, while simultaneously
(h) sending a second portion of the concentrated oxygen gas from the oxygen concentrator into the infuser.
10 . A system for enhancing fuel combustion in an engine, comprising:
(a) an engine having,
(i) a combustion chamber,
(ii) a gas intake into the combustion chamber,
(iii) a fuel intake into the combustion chamber, and
(iv) a gas exhaust out of the combustion chamber;
(b) a hydro-diesel system including:
(i) a diesel fuel source,
(ii) a hydrogen gas source,
(ii) an infuser configured to mix hydrogen gas received from the hydrogen gas source into diesel fuel received from the diesel fuel source into a homogeneous mixture of hydrogen gas and liquid diesel fuel;
(c) an oxygen concentrator, wherein the oxygen concentrator receives air therein and removes nitrogen from the air to produce a concentrated oxygen gas that is fed into the gas intake into the combustion chamber; and
(d) a liquid fuel source, wherein the liquid fuel is fed into the combustion chamber.
11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the oxygen concentrator is a pressure swing adsorption-type (PSA-type) oxygen concentrator.
12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the oxygen concentrator uses zeolites to absorb nitrogen from ambient air.
13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the oxygen concentrator uses membrane gas separation to separate and remove nitrogen from the ambient air.
14 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
(e) a gas return line running from the gas exhaust out of the combustion chamber to the gas intake into the combustion chamber.
15 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
(e) a filler gas source for adding filler gas into the combustion chamber.
16 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
(e) a first flow path for passing concentrated oxygen gas from the oxygen concentrator to the air intake into the combustion chamber; and
(f) a second flow path for passing concentrated oxygen gas from the oxygen concentrator into the combined diesel fuel and hydrogen gas entering the infuser.