Abstract: A device for converting a combustible liquid fuel into converted fuel having a smaller proportion of vapor and a larger proportion of microscopic fuel droplets, mixing the converted fuel with air in a manifold to convert more of the converted fuel to a vapor and transferring the converted fuel and air mixture into a combustion chamber is provided. The device includes a vacuum chamber formed as a cylindrical housing wall having a longitudinal axis with at least one fuel inlet in the housing wall and a fuel outlet in the housing wall offset from the inlet. An eccentrically mounted cylindrical rotor is provided within the housing wall for rotation about a longitudinal axis about bearings mounted in opposite end walls. The rotor has one or more radial slots and a generally rectangular vane slidably received in each of the slots. Each vane is urged outwardly against the housing wall when the rotor is rotated.

Abstract: An electronic fuel injector control is provided for selectively activating fuel injectors for introducing macroscopic liquid fuel droplets into the vacuum chamber of a device for converting fuel into microscopic fuel droplets and fuel vapor. The control has a rotatably mounted rotor shaft, connectable to the rotor in the vacuum chamber and fuel conversion signal device to provide first periodic signal pulses responsive to the angular rotational position of the rotor shaft. Engine sensor electronics is responsive to input signals from engine sensors indicative of engine condition and is further responsive to an output signal pulse from the fuel conversion signal device each time the vane sweeps past the fuel injector. A sensor is provided which is responsive to the desired angular position of the engine crankshaft to provide second periodic signal pulses.

Abstract: A fuel dispersion device has been provided in the form of a vacuum pump in which fuel is injected as macroscopic fuel droplets in metered quantities into a vacuum chamber in the pump where it is converted to a converted fuel in the form of a mixture of a smaller percentage of gaseous fuel and a larger percentage of microscopic liquid fuel droplets. This converted fuel is moved from the inlet to an outlet port by sweeping vanes. A combination of vacuum, expanding absorbed gases, mechanical energy and thermal energy is used to create gaseous fuel and microscopic liquid fuel droplets from macroscopic liquid fuel droplets. An air intake passageway is provided at one end of the mixing chamber at substantially right angles to the outlet from the vacuum chamber. An air-fuel discharge passageway is provided on the opposite side of the intake passageway for supplying the mixture of air and converted fuel to the engine for combustion.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for treating coal to produce micron-size coal particles having high surface reactivity and a low level of ash-forming impurities. The process involves grinding the coal in a substantially air tight fluid energy attrition mill to form a hydrophobic coal-fraction and a hydrophilic impurities-fraction, and separating the fractions by virtue of the impurities-fraction's affinity for water.

Abstract: A fluid energy grinding mill having a hollow vessel providing a central cylindrical core zone and a peripheral annular zone both disposed beyond a grinding zone at one end of the vessel. Carrier medium is injected into the grinding zone to generate a vertically-flowing vortex in the core zone. At the other end of the vessel, a first portion of the flow from the vortex is recirculated in a counter flow through an annular peripheral zone surrounding the core zone to interface with injected carrier medium in a grinding zone. A second portion is discharged through a central opening in the other end of the vessel. Particulate material is fed into the recirculating flow so that it may be comminuted in the grinding zone. In the vortex, the particulate material is classified by centrifugal action and the coarse particles are recirculated. The particles ground to the desired mass are discharged with the second portion of the carrier medium which is not recirculated.