FUEL SAVING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSION ENGINES

Technical Field

This invention relates to a device for improving the combustibility of a fuel-air mixture formed in a carburetor of an internal combustion engine. In general, the device of the invention, which is located at the downstream or discharge end of a car¬ buretor and receives a fuel-air mixture formed therein, enhances that mixture by increasing the physical mixing of the fuel and air and by increasing the vaporization of the fuel in the air.

Thus, when the enhanced fuel-air mixture is drawn into a cylinder of the engine and ignited, a more complete combustion of the fuel takes place. A signi¬ ficant reduction is thereby achieved in the amount of fuel required to operate an engine of given size, to¬ gether with a consequent reduction in the exhaust pollu¬ tion produced by the engine. Background Art

U.S. Patent No. 1,542,933 discloses a device which is adapted to be installed between the carburetor and intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, and which comprises a series of ordinary screens installed in a housing, each screen being backed by a perforated plate. The perforated plates are described as governor means for regulating the volume of the fuel-air mixture passing through the screens so as to control the speed of the engine. The plates thus reduce any effect the screens have on the fuel-air mixture; they reduce the amount of the mixture itself, not the amount of fuel in the mixture.

Disclosure of Invention

In the description of the invention to follow, it will be understood that the term "intake manifold" applies to the passage or passages leading from the carburetor to the cylinder or cylinders of an internal combustion engine.

A fuel saving device of the invention comprises a housing adapted to the interposed between a carburetor and an intake manifold of an internal combustion engine. A chamber formed within the housing has an inlet end opening adapted to register with the discharge passage of the carburetor and receive a fuel-air mixture formed therein. An outlet end opening of the chamber is adapted to connect to the intake manifold. Micro-porous filter means are carried by the housing within the chamber, are disposed in the path of flow through the chamber of at least a portion of the fuel-air mixture, and are adapted to permit the flow of the mixture there¬ through, with consequent mixing of the fuel and air, together with, increased vaporization of the fuel. Preferably, the filter means comprises a plurality of micro-porous filter plates extending transversely to the path of flow of the fuel-air mixture through the chamber and disposed successively in the path of flow. Associated with at least one of the filter plates is a passage which permits the by-pass flow of a portion of the fuel-air mixture. For example, the filter plate means may comprise first, second, third and fourth successive filter plates, the first and fourth filter plates having a porosity range of 50 to 130 microns and the second and third filter plates having a porosity range of 25 to 50 microns. The filter plates are spaced from each other logitudinally, or in the path of flow. Other preferred features are that the chamber is formed with a transverse cross-sectional area which progressively increases from the cross-sectional area of

the inlet end opening to a maximum cross-sectional area at a location between the inlet and outlet end openings; that the housing is a two-piece structure comprising an inlet end portion and an outlet end portion formed with mating surfaces which abut at the maximum cross-sectional area of the chamber; that one of the filter plates has a peripheral portion mounted in a recess formed in the mating surface of one of the housing portions; and, that the passage associated with a filter plate for permitting the by-pass flow of a portion of the fuel-air mixture is arranged peripherally of that filter plate. Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation taken through a fuel saving device constructed in accordance with the invention and showing the relationship of the device to a carburetor and intake manifold, indicated in broken line, of an internal combustion engine; and

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation taken normal to the section of FIG. 1. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a fuel saving device 10 of the invention comprises a housing 12 adapted to be interposed between a conventional carburetor 14 and in¬ take manifold 16 of an internal combustion engine (not shown) . Formed within the housing 12 is a chamber 18 having an inlet end opening 19 and an outlet end opening 20. The inlet end opening 19 is adapted to register with the discharge passage of the carburetor and receive a fuel-air mixture formed therein; the outlet end opening 20 is adapted to connect with the manifold 16 and deliver the mixture thereto in enhanced form.

The housing 12 is a two-piece structure com¬ prising an inlet end part 22 and an outlet end part 23 formed with mating surfaces 24 that abut, the parts 22 and 23 having internal configurations such that the chamber 18 has a cross-sectional area which progressively

increases (as shown in FIG. 1) from the cross-sectional area of the inlet end opening 19 to a maximum cross- sectional area intermediate the inlet and outlet end openings 19 and 20 and at the location of the abutting surfaces 24. It will be understood that the housing 12 has an external configuration adapted to mate with the opposed surfaces 26 of the carburetor 14 and 27 of the manifold 16; and has corner bosses 28 (FIG. 2) provided with suitable means for connecting the housing parts 22 and 23 together and for mounting the housing 12 between the carburetor 14 and the manifold 16.

Micro-porous filter plate means are carried by the housing 12 and are mounted within the chamber 18 for enhancing the combustibility of the fuel-air mixture formed in the carburetor 14. In the particular fuel saving device 10 illustrated, the filter plate means com¬ prise a first filter plate 32 attached to support pads 33 formed with the inlet end part 22 of the housing; a second filter plate 34 having a peripheral portion 35 mounted in a recess 36 formed in one of the abutting surfaces 24 and centrally supported by a transverse bar 37; a third filter plate 33; and, a fourth filter plate 40 attached to support pads 42 formed with the outlet end part 23 of the housing 12, the third filter plate 38 being positioned by spacers 44 on a bolt 45 extending through the second, third and fourth plates as best shown in FIG. 2.

The filter plates 32, 34, 38 and 40 extend transversely to the path of flow of the fuel-air mixture between the carburetor 14 and the manifold 16, and associated with each of the first, third and fourth filter plates is a passage means for permitting the by¬ pass flow of a portion of the fuel-air mixture, each passage means being formed by a gap 46 between the peri- phery of its plate and the ad acent wall of the chamber 18,

Each of the filter plates 32, 34, 38 and 40 is 3 formed of a micro-porous material. A "micro-porous material" for purposes of the invention described and claimed herein, is a material through which the fuel-air 5 mixture can flow; or, in other words, a material having fine holes each of which forms an orifice. One example of such a micro-porous material is a sintered bronze filter made by Pacific Sintered Metals Co. of Los Angeles, California, in varying degrees of porosity. For example, 10 the first plate 32 may have a porosity range of 50 to 130 microns, the second and third plates 34 and 38 a porosity range of 25 - 50 microns, and the fourth plate 40 a poro¬ sity range of 50 - 130 microns.

It is presently believed that the successive 15 plates should preferably be spaced apart from each other logitudinally, or in the general direction of flow of the fuel-air mixture, as shown, thus dividing the chamber 18 into a plurality of sub-chambers in each of which mixing of the fuel and air and vaporization of the fuel takes 20 place.

Provided in the outlet end part 23 of the housing 12 is an opening 48 (FIG. 2) for a conventional crankcase ventilation connection 49, the opening being located at the downstream side of the fourth plate 40 so that crank- 25 case contaminants do not foul any of the plates. Industrial Applicability

An experimental device 10, constructed sub¬ stantially as shown and described and provided with four sintered bronze filter plates having the porosity ranges 30 specified above, has been tested on a 1977 Mercury auto¬ mobile equipped with a 400 cubic inch V-8 engine which in stock form tested at an average fuel consumption of 13.8 miles per gallon at highway speeds of 55-60 miles per hour. When equipped with the fuel saving device, it 35 was found that the carburetor jet could be reduced from a size 61 to a size 41, and that the average fuel consump-

tion changed to 22 miles per gallon at the same high¬ way speeds of 55-60 ph - a mileage increase of about 60%. The same device, but with the third plate 38 re¬ moved, enabled the carburetor jet size to be reduced only to size 47 and gave an average fuel consumption of 20 miles per gallon at 55-60 mph. These results, which seem to clearly show that the device 10 functions to improve or enhance the combustibility of the fuel-air mixture, are given as indicative of the reductions in fuel consumption attainable from the invention.

It is presently believed the enhanced combus¬ tibility is achieved by one or more of the following actions on the fuel-air mixture during its passage through the mixing chamber of the device and through and around the plates provided therein:

1. The time for the fuel and air to mix is extended.

2. _. The physical mixing of the fuel and air is increased by the flow of the mixture across and through the plates and through the by-pass passages associated therewith. 3. The fuel particle size is reduced, or in other words vaporization of the fuel is in¬ creased, by the passage of the fuel through the fine pores of the plates. Increased vaporization is also believed to result from pressure drops in the mixture caused by the plates and by the increasing cross-sectional area of the chamber 18. An indication of in- creased vaporization is that the housing 12 is cool to the touch even after an extended period of engine operation.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the particular construction of the device 10 shown and described herein is only representative of the invention. The size and configuration of the housing 12

o. will have to be varied to suit the carburetor and mani¬ fold of each specific engine. In fact, the device could vj conceivably be constructed integrally with a carburetor, although the separate type of housing 12 disclosed is 5 believed to be preferable for ease of cleaning, if and when necessary. Also, the number of plates used in a particular design of the device, as well as their poro¬ sity, may be varied, as desired and described above. The use of a by-pass passage with at least one of the 10 plates is presently preferred in order that the flow of fuel-air mixture through the device is not restricted to the point where engine performance (e.g. acceleration) is impaired.