PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN TO BE INTRODUCED INTO THE INTAKE DUCT OF AN INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE

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The present invention relates to the sector of production of mechanical energy starting from fuels.

In particular, the invention regards an electronic-mechanical device designed for control and management of the production of hydrogen and introduction thereof into internal-combustion engines in order to improve the energy yield thereof, with particular reference to the reduction of fuel consumption and reduction of pollutant emissions.

As is known, internal-combustion engines are machines that have the purpose of converting the majority of the heat deriving from combustion of combustible substances into mechanical energy. In the case of reciprocating engines, for example, the active fluid is constituted by the products of combustion, which impress the movement on a piston connected by means of a crank mechanism to the engine shaft.

The fluid introduced into the engine may be constituted by a mixture of air and fuel or else by air and fuel supplied separately. The characteristics of engines and their performance are strictly linked to the type of fuel used, which usually may be liquid (petrol, diesel oil, naphtha-type fuels, alcohol, etc.) or gaseous (methane, LPG, hydrogen, etc.) .

Notwithstanding the continuous progress and research, internal-combustion engines, whether with spontaneous or controlled ignition, present a series of drawbacks from the standpoint of consumption levels and pollutant emissions.

It should also be noted that there already exist engines that use hydrogen, which present extremely low pollutant emissions that are constituted by CO ₂ and H ₂ 0. The problem of these apparatuses, however, is represented by the fact that the hydrogen tank is a very dangerous object on account of the extremely high flammability of this gas and of the need to store it at extremely high pressures in order to be able to have an acceptable operating autonomy.

The main purpose of the present invention is hence to overcome the aforesaid problems by providing a device for production of hydrogen on demand and for introduction thereof into the intake duct of an internal-combustion engine in order to improve the performance thereof and reduce consumption.

A further purpose of the present invention is to provide a supplementary apparatus to be installed on an internal-combustion engine that will enable reduction of pollutant emissions.

The above has been achieved, according to the invention, by providing a supplementary apparatus to be installed on an internal-combustion engine, for example for motor vehicles, that will enable reduction of consumption through introduction of hydrogen into the intake duct enriching the explosive charge possessed by the fresh charge introduced into the cylinder.

As will emerge more clearly in what follows, one of the innovative characteristics of the invention is that, unlike the systems so far known, the device that is described envisages an air-flow meter (a simple pipe for connection between the intake manifold and the electronic control unit), which enables management of the value of the volume of air taken in by the engine in order to produce accordingly - i.e., in proportion - the right amount of hydrogen.

A better understanding of the invention will be obtained from the ensuing detailed description and with reference to the attached drawings, which illustrate, purely by way of not-limiting example, a preferred embodiment .

In the drawings :

Figure 1 is a functional block diagram that shows the main components of the invention; and

Figure 2 shows schematically a common multi-plate electrolyser.

According to the present invention, the apparatus for production of hydrogen comprises:

- a tank 2 containing distilled water, preferably, but not exclusively, with potassium hydroxide in solution (or also NaOH or other suitable solute) for increasing the electrical conductivity of the water itself;

- a common multi-plate electrolyser 4, comprising a series of electrode plates (cathode) on which formation of H ₂ takes place, and a series of electrode plates (anode) on which formation of O ₂ takes place; set between these two electrodes is a solution containing a supporting electrolyte that must ensure electrical transport in ionic form, in addition to transport of H ⁺ and OH ^" , and guarantee proper development of the reactions on the electrodes; in the majority of cases, in order to prevent contact and recombination of the gases that are formed at the two electrodes, it is necessary to divide the solution into two compartments separated by a diaphragm or membrane; a flow of electrons, moved by an external e.m.f., reacts at the cathode with water, releasing gaseous ¾ and OH ^" which can move towards the anode, where there occurs the reaction of partial reduction of the hydroxyl ions to O2 with re-formation of water and introduction of electrons into the external circuit;

- a common square-wave pulse generator PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation) ; and

- a connection to the battery of the vehicle on which the apparatus is installed, or else to some other similar source of electrical energy.

According to a peculiar characteristic of the present invention, a central processing unit (CPU) is provided, which is interfaced to the pulse generator PWM and is equipped with a pipe 3 (air-flow meter) connected to the intake line of the internal-combustion engine 1. Said pipe 3 is subject to the pressure variations that are set up in the intake manifold C.

According to the invention, the pressure data regarding the intake manifold C detected via said air ^¬ flow meter 3 are processed by the CPU in order to establish the right amount of hydrogen to be produced and introduced into the internal-combustion engine 1 and to manage accordingly the right regime of activity of the generator PWM in order to produce the aforesaid amount of hydrogen. In order to enable the CPU to carry out the functions of management, control, and safety over the entire apparatus, according to the invention one or more of the following devices are preferably provided:

- detector of excess hydrogen in the surrounding environment ;

- detector of the temperature in the electrolyser

4;

- detector of the r.p.m. of the internal- combustion engine 1;

- resistance temperature detector in the tank for the solution for producing hydrogen;

- indicator of the level of liquid in the tank 2 of the solution for producing hydrogen;

- electric pump, or else a flowrate-control valve, for sending the right amount of hydrogen into the intake pipe of the internal-combustion engine;

- valve/sensor for detecting the pressure in the tank for the solution for producing hydrogen;

- cooling fan;

- connection with ignition-switched supply to the dashboard of the vehicle;

- Wi-Fi module for sending the data to a remote or external PC;

- GPS/GSM module where the GPS enables use of georeferencing data of the vehicle, whereas the GSM enables remote packet data transmission via a SIM card;

- fuse for protecting the circuit from shortcircuits or overcurrents ; and

- screen 8 for displaying all the information deemed necessary, said screen preferably not being of a Wi-Fi type, but being wire-connected to the apparatus according to the present invention.

In the case where the detector of excess hydrogen signals to the CPU an excessive concentration of hydrogen or exit of said gas from the tank, the CPU immediately goes into action to stop the entire apparatus .

If the temperature detector in the electrolyser signals an overtemperature, the CPU intervenes by stopping the apparatus until the overtemperature falls within the parameters envisaged.

The detector of r.p.m. of the internal-combustion engine 1 is an accessory that is certainly very useful in the case where it is possible to connect it up. It should, however, be noted that it is always preferable to provide an air-flow meter 3 in so far as it is an element that is completely external to the circuits of the vehicle and hence can always be applied without any particular difficulties of installation or of connection/compatibility.

The data supplied by the air-flow meter 3 are used for a proper programming of the CPU that is to manage the apparatus that produces the hydrogen to be sent into the intake duct of the engine itself.

The presence of a resistance temperature detector in the tank guarantees proper operation of the invention in steady running conditions even in particularly cold weather situations, enabling the CPU to eliminate any possible presence of ice in the solution.

The indicator of the level of liquid in the tank warns the CPU of any possible lack of liquid so that the CPU interrupts operation of the apparatus that has remained without solution for the production of hydrogen .

The electric pump, or the flowrate-control valve, is managed by the CPU in order to introduce the precise amount of hydrogen even in the case where variable amounts thereof within a short lapse of time are required by the intake line.

The pressure valve/sensor in the tank guarantees safety thereof in the event of pressures exceeding the pre-set ones and at the same time maintains the pre-set pressure constant (max 0.5 bar) for proper operation of the pump .

The fan has the function of cooling the components of the apparatus in order to guarantee constant operation thereof. The CPU manages the speed of said fan increasing it /decreasing it as a function of the energy required for production of the hydrogen gas .

The connection with ignition-switched supply signals to the CPU that the internal-combustion engine is prearranged for starting, but, according to a further peculiar characteristic of the present invention, the CPU activates production of hydrogen only in combination with reading of the data sent by the air-flow meter. This prevents hydrogen that will not be used on demand from being produced. This solution guarantees a concrete safety also in the event of accidents where the internal-combustion engine is turned off but the key on the dashboard is in the ignition position (e.g., behaviour similar to an inertial switch) .

The Wi-Fi module enables for the CPU a connection for remote data management, for example via a remote PC.

The GPS/GSM module enables the CPU to detect its own position and enables remote data management in the absence of Wi-Fi networks.

The presence of a fuse on the supply line of the apparatus preserves the CPU from irreversible damage.

The screen is connected to the CPU and informs the user on the data necessary for proper use and operation of the system.

Preferably displayed on the screen are:

- battery voltage;

- level of liquid in the tank;

amps (absorption) ;

- PWM (percentage) ;

- intake-line negative pressure;

- temperature of the solution in the circuit; and

- alarms (system on/off, battery low, detector of hydrogen in the environment, tank level low, limit of hydrogen generator, temperature high) .

From the standpoint of operation, with reference to Figure 1, the device according to the present invention for the production of hydrogen and introduction thereof into the intake duct of an internal-combustion engine 1 basically comprises an electrolyser 4 with multi-plate system, functioning on the principle of electrolysis, and a tank 2 for distilled water, preferably with a solution of potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide or some other solute able to increase the electrical conductivity thereof .

From the tank 2 the liquid is made to pass, preferably by gravity, through the metal plates that make up the electrolyser 4. Applied on said plates are square-wave electrical pulses via a pulse-width modulation (PWM) controlled by the CPU, in order to obtain formation of a gas which is commonly referred to as "oxyhydrogen" .

The gas produced in the electrolyser 4 is sent into the tank 2 where, by the so-called "bubbler" effect, the vapour that is captured undergoes partial drying before being sent to the intake manifold C of the internal-combustion engine 1. A further and definitive drying of the gas is obtained by getting it to pass in a condensate separator 6. The hydrogen thus obtained is introduced, via a pipe 9 equipped with non ^¬ return valve 7, directly into the aforesaid intake manifold C, enriching the explosive charge thereof.

The CPU, according to the data supplied by the air-flow meter 3 and of possible other data of the engine and/or of the vehicle, establishes the amount of hydrogen to be injected into the manifold itself.

The CPU is also connected to other sensors that detect possible anomalies and a to connection with ignition-switched supply for guaranteeing operation only when the vehicle has been started. The equipment is provided with a screen 8 for displaying the information regarding regular operation, consumption levels, and instantaneous performance.