Fuel processor apparatus for diesel engine powered vehicles

Abstract

A new fuel processor apparatus for diesel engines, particularly diesel engine powered vehicles, with the apparatus having no moving parts and no internal gaskets or connections to leak or deteriorate, and said apparatus being capable of removing water from the diesel fuel while promoting filterability and combustion efficiency of the fuel.

The questions raised in reexamination request No. 90/001,642, filed Nov. 22, 1988, have been considered and the results thereof are reflected in this reissue patent which constitutes the reexamination certificate required by 35 U.S.C. 307 as provided in 37 CFR 1.570(e).

Description

This is a , connected to the return line of the passenger compartment heaterAs shown in the drawings, both embodiments disclosed have the fuel inlet (30 FIG. 1; 112, 113 see FIG. 5) located to introduce fuel into the apparatus approximately at the midpoint of the height of the vessel, a location relatively remote from the bottom region of the vessel, where separated water collects, and from the fuel outlet (36 or 115) located near the top of the vessel. This midpoint fuel entry avoids remixing incoming fuel with previously separated water while providing sufficient residence time to enable water to settle out before the fuel passes into the outlet.

Both embodiments likewise find the internal heating liquid conduit (22, 109) extending through the chamber from its top to bottom (conduit 22, FIG. 1) or at least into the bottom region (conduit 109, FIG. 3) where settled out water collects. In extreme cold weather conditions, the amount of heat supplied to the fuel by the heating liquid may be sufficient to melt or prevent the formation of individual ice crystals in the fuel, but insufficient to melt a body of ice which might be created by freezing of settled out water collected at the bottom of the vessel where it contacts the vessel housing which is essentially at outside ambient temperature. By routing the heating conduit through the bottom region of the vessel where the separated water is collected freezing of this collected water is prevented. By locating the filter (FIGS. 2-5) at the top of the unit, rising heat from the lower portions of the unit assists the heating fuel in keeping the filter from freezing up.

The fuel processor apparatus of the invention functions in a manner related more closely to a chemical or petro-chemical device rather than a mechanical device. Certain highly advantageous considerations in accordance with the invention are as follows:

(1) The specific heat of fuel oil is approximately one third that of water. (2) The specific gravity of fuel oil is approximately 80% of the specific gravity of water. (3) The coefficient of expansion differential between diesel fuel and water is so significantly different that when the fuel is heated, the twin phenomena of specific heat and coefficient of expansion causes water entrapped or suspended in the fuel to quickly separate and fall out--where it can be collected and drained away. (4) The surface tension of free water--once it is separated in the device of the invention--prevents water in the fuel processor from becoming resuspended in the fuel. (5) Bacterial growth occurs in fuels but essentially only when water is present. Bacteria are a major threat to fuel filters due to their clogging action. Bacteria have demonstrated their ability to "wick" themselves up around fuel filters to permit their propagation on filter elements--thus rapidly clogging filters and causing engines and vehicle downtime and repair costs. Water in the fuel can also result in the formation of sulfuric acid which is harmful to engine accessories and operation. The device of the present invention through its action of removing water from the fuel acts to alleviate the problems of bacteria formation and sulfuric acid formation. (6) The fuel processor device of this invention effectively dewaters fuel, removing over 99.7% of all suspended water--including that formed through the deterioration of the hydrocarbon molecule, and oxidation by the free oxygen in the atmosphere. (7) Ice crystals form in fuel during cold weather [+32° or lower] when molecules of water are present in fuels. The specific gravity of ice is very near that of fuel and permits ice to flow with the fuel to the filters. When this occurs, ice crystals can completely clog or seriously reduce fuel flow to the engine. The specific heat value for ice is 0.505 [or approximately 1/2 that of water]; ice crystals melt quickly in the fuel processor apparatus of this invention. The newly formed liquid water, being much colder than the fuel and consequently much heavier, immediately falls to the bottom of the fuel processor where it can be drained away. (8) Prevention of paraffin formations when ambient temperatures may drop below the cloud point of the fuel is accomplished by the fuel processor of the invention. In particular the greater weight of the molecules of paraffins and naphthenes are maintained in their liquid state. By enabling these heavy fuel elements to be used during cold weather, fuel economy is realized and the costs of adding chemicals or lighter grade fuels to dissolve the paraffin is eliminated. (9) Fuel oil, especially diesel fuel, shrinks when cooled. Fuel injectors operate by displacing a specific volume, therefore the heat potential of diesel fuel on a volume basis changes according to temperature. The fuel processor of this invention aids in improving fuel economy in diesel powered equipment in cold weather by restoring the diesel fuel molecule to a temperature consistent with factory engine calibrations and settings.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiments of the invention disclosed are well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be apparent that the invention will be susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claims.

Claims

1. A fuel processor means for use with diesel engines on diesel trucks, automobiles, and the like, and whereby said fuel processor means is operative to preheat heat the diesel fuel and to separate out water-impurities from the diesel fuel, and for melting wax crystals which form in cold ambient conditions before the fuel is transmitted to a particulate filter and enabling the diesel fuel to be used in cold ambient conditions without the use of fuel additives such as chemicals or lighter grade fuels to improve fuel flowability, comprising:

a vertically oriented tubular vessel means which provides for a substantially unconstrained flow path of the diesel fuel therethrough operative for separating the water out of the fuel, and collecting the water-impurities at the bottom of said vessel means,

first inlet conduit means to introduce for introducing hot liquid from the engine to said vessel means,

another a heat exchange conduit means passing from said first inlet conduit means through a central portion of said vessel means and into said bottom of said vessel means for transmitting the hot liquid therethrough,

first outlet conduit means for recirculating the hot liquid from said heat exchange conduit means back through the engine system,

a second inlet conduit means for introducing unprocessed fuel to into the interior of the said vessel means near the vertical midpoint thereof for flow therethrough and such that this inlet is above the level of water-impurities being collected in the vessel, whereby said separation of the water-impurities provided by said fuel processor means begins to occur after the fuel enters from said second inlet conduit means into said vessel means,

a second outlet conduit means for the fuel near the top of the said vessel means for transmitting the water-free fuel to the particulate filter and the engine whereby said second inlet conduit means and said outlet conduit means cause the fuel to flow through said vessel means in a manner which facilitates the separation of the water-impurities and minimizes remixing of the water-impurities being collected,

drain means at the said bottom of the said vessel means for draining out the water-impurities which collect therein to prevent water impurities collected in the bottom of said vessel means from rising to the level of said second inlet conduit means, and

vent means near the top of the said vessel means for venting the said vessel means when desired.

2. A fuel processor means for use with diesel engines on diesel trucks, automobiles, and the like, and whereby said fuel processor means is operative to preheat heat the diesel fuel and to separate out water-impurities from the diesel fuel and for melting wax crystals which form in cold ambient conditions before the fuel is transmitted to a particulate filter and enabling the diesel fuel to be used in cold ambient conditions without the use of fuel additives such as chemicals or lighter grade fuels to improve fuel flowability, comprising:

a vertically oriented tubular vessel means which provides for a substantially unconstrained flow path of the diesel fuel therethrough operative for separating the water out of the fuel and collecting the water-impurities at the bottom of said vessel means,

first inlet conduit means to introduce hot liquid from the engine into said vessel means,

another heat exchange conduit means passing from said first inlet conduit means through a central portion of said vessel means and into said bottom of said vessel for transmitting the hot liquid therethrough,

first outlet conduit means for recirculating the hot liquid from said heat exchange conduit means back through the engine system,

a second inlet conduit means for introducing unprocessed fuel to into the interior of the said vessel means near the vertical midpoint thereof for flow therethrough and such that this inlet is above the level of water-impurities being collected in the vessel whereby said separation of the water-impurities provided by said fuel processor means begins to occur after the fuel enters from said second inlet conduit means into said vessel means,

a second outlet conduit means for the fuel near the top of the said vessel means for transmitting the water-free fuel to the particulate filter and the engine whereby said second inlet conduit means and said second outlet conduit means cause the fuel to flow through said vessel means in a manner which facilitates the separation of the water-impurities and minimizes remixing of the water-impurities being collected, and

drain means at the said bottom of the said vessel means for draining out the water-impurities which collect therein to prevent water impurities collected in the bottom of said vessel means from rising to the level of said second inlet conduit means. 3. A diesel fuel processor for separating water-impurities from diesel fuel and for preventing the formation of wax crystals in said fuel as said fuel is supplied to the diesel engine of an automotive vehicle, said vehicle having a drivers compartment heater through which coolant liquid heated incident to the operation of said engine is passed under the control of the driver to regulate the temperature in the drivers compartment,

said processor comprising a vertically elongated hollow tubular vessel having an internal processing chamber adapted to contain diesel fuel,

fuel inlet means for introducing unprocessed diesel fuel into said chamber at a location substantially midway between the top and bottom of the chamber,

fuel outlet means adjacent the top of said chamber for conducting processed fuel from said chamber to said engine,

liquid inlet means adjacent the top of said chamber for receiving coolant liquid passed through said compartment heater,

liquid outlet means for returning said coolant liquid to said engine,

a coolant liquid heat exchange conduit sealingly connected at its opposite ends to said liquid inlet means and to said liquid outlet means and extending from said liquid inlet means through the central and bottom of said chamber to said liquid outlet means to transfer heat from liquid passing through said heat exchange conduit to diesel fuel and water-impurities in said chamber,

and drain means at the bottom of said vessel for draining separated water-impurities collected in the bottom of said chamber from said chamber as required to maintain the level of said separated water-impurities a substantial distance below the location at which said unprocessed fuel is

introduced into said chamber by said fuel inlet means. 4. A diesel fuel processor as defined in claim 3 wherein said diesel engine is a liquid cooled engine and said liquid heated incident to the operation of said engine is liquid coolant circulated through the engine cooling system of said engine.