Abstract: A fuel feed system which causes liquid fuel to evaporate so as to feed gaseous fuel, provided with an evaporator which includes a heater which heats the liquid fuel to vaporize it and an electric heater which adjusts the temperature of the heater. The heater has a heat conduction surface which supplies heat to the liquid fuel. A difference between the temperature of the heat conduction surface of the heater and the boiling point of the fuel at the evaporator is used as the basis to change the temperature of the heater and adjust the heat flux at the heat conduction surface.

Abstract: The relative combustion phasing of a homogenous charge compression ignition engine is controlled by controlling the introduction of ions and free radicals to cylinders in the engine. The engine has an engine housing with at least a first and second cylinder and an intake system that introduces a combustible mixture of air and fuel to the cylinders. A piston is disposed in each of the cylinders and is operable to compress a combustible mixture until the mixture auto ignites, without the introduction of a spark.

Abstract: Disclosed is an internal combustion engine which is to be mounted on automobiles or the like and in which an improvement has been achieved in terms of startability and combustion stability during warm-up operation. In an internal combustion engine of the type in which gas discharged from a combustion heater is introduced into an intake passage of the internal combustion engine, a fuel vaporizing glow plug is operated during the period from the starting of the internal combustion engine to the occurrence of complete explosion, whereby unburned vaporized fuel is supplied from the combustion heater to the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: In an internal combustion engine with a combustion heater for elevating a temperature of an engine related element, there is provided a combustion heater comprising a combustion chamber and a heat exchange portion for transmitting to an engine related element heat held by burnt gas that has been burnt in said combustion chamber is provided, characterized by a first burnt gas discharging portion for discharging from the combustion heater the burnt gas which has passed through the heat exchange portion, a second burnt gas discharging portion for discharging from the combustion heater the burnt gas which has not yet passed through the heat exchange portion, and a burnt gas passage controlling unit for supplying at least one of burnt gas discharged by the first burnt gas discharging portion and burnt gas discharged by the second burnt gas discharging portion to elevate the temperature of an exhaust gas purifying catalyst.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine having a lean NOx catalyst is capable of relieving a load upon an engine fuel injection device by eliminating the use of sub-injection, and of well purifying an exhaust gas and recovering from S-poisoning even by eliminating the use of the sub-injection. The internal combustion engine has a combustion heater for allowing a flow of combustion gas through an engine intake passageway to raise temperatures of engine related elements, a lean NOx catalyst, provided in an engine exhaust passageway, for purifying an engine exhaust gas, and a combustion gas introducing passageway for introducing at least some proportion of a combustion gas emitted by the combustion heater, toward upstream of the lean NOx catalyst in the engine exhaust passageway from the engine intake passageway when making a request for a reproducing process of the lean NOx catalyst.

Abstract: In an internal combustion engine with a combustion heater for elevating a temperature of an engine related element, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique that may effectively performs temperature elevation of an exhaust gas purifying device.

Abstract: A homogeneous charge compression ignition engine comprising an air intake passage, a combustion chamber connected to the air intake passage, and a partial oxidation device is disclosed. The partial oxidation device comprises a housing including a fuel inlet, an air inlet, an outlet, a mixing chamber and a burning chamber. The air inlet is connected to the air intake passage and the outlet is also connected to the air intake passage. A source of ignition is attached to the housing for causing ignition of a portion of a fuel-air mixture supplied to the housing. A partially oxidized fuel is produced as the combusting fuel-air mixture is rapidly quenched upon exiting the outlet of the housing and entering the air intake passage. Different structures for achieving rapid quenching are discussed and different air supply strategies are also presented. Further, another structure for producing a partially oxidized fuel using a low temperature chain propagating reaction is included.

Abstract: An engine having in an exhaust system a lean NOx catalyst for purifying nitrogen oxide in an oxygen excessive exhaust gas by using a reducing agent, includes an intake air quantity decreasing device for decreasing a quantity of intake air flowing through an intake system when the nitrogen oxide needs to be purified by the lean NOx catalyst, and a combustion heater provided separately from the internal combustion engine also serves as a CO2 adding device for adding carbon dioxide to the intake air when a flowing quantity in the intake system decreases by operating the intake air quantity decreasing device. With this arrangement the reducing agent such as hydro carbon and the like can be supplied even when eliminating an auxiliary injection hitherto needed in the internal combustion engine having the lean NOx catalyst.

Abstract: A method of operating a diesel engine assembly having a combustion chamber is disclosed. The method includes the step of determining a desired level of NO.sub.x for exhaust gases exiting the combustion chamber and generating a fuel control signal in response thereto. The method further includes the steps of injecting an amount of combustor fuel into a combustor based on the fuel control signal and combusting the amount of combustor fuel in the combustor so as to produce combustion products. The method yet further includes the steps of advancing the combustion products into the combustion chamber during an intake stoke of the diesel engine and injecting diesel fuel with a fuel injector into the combustion chamber while the combustion products are located in the combustion chamber during a compression stroke. The method still further includes the step of combusting a mixture of the diesel fuel and the combustion products so as to produce exhaust gases during a power stroke. An engine assembly is also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for reducing NOx emissions in diesel engine exhaust air includes a secondary burner engaged within an air intake system of the engine, upstream of an intercooler in the intake system, the secondary burner being actuated during warm temperature operation of the engine to fumigate the intake air with CO.sub.2 thus decreasing NOx output in the exhaust gases. A primary burner disposed between the intercooler and the intake manifold may be selectively operated during cold startup operation of the engine. The apparatus may further include an oxidation catalyst in an exhaust gas line from the engine to eliminate hydrocarbons from the engine exhaust emissions. In an alternative embodiment, the primary burner is eliminated and the intake air from the secondary burner is selectively bypassed around the intercooler to provide cold startup operation.

Abstract: A motorcycle engine having a pair of cylinders, a piston disposed in each-cylinder, rotatably mounted flywheels, a crank pin mounted on the flywheels, and a connecting rod assembly for coupling the crank pin to the pistons. The connecting rod assembly includes a master connecting rod having a connecting rod portion connected at one end to one of the pistons and a base portion at its other end. A cap is removably mounted on the base portion and defines with the base portion a coupling for receiving the crank pin. A split bushing is disposed between the coupling and the crank pin. The connecting rod assembly also includes a slave connecting rod connected at one end to the other piston. An aperture is formed in the base portion, a second bushing is disposed in the aperture and a pin is disposed in the second bushing. The other end of the slave connecting rod is pivotally mounted on the pin.

Abstract: The invention relates to an exhaust system for a W-12 reciprocating piston internal combustion engine with three rows of cylinders of four cylinders each, with outlet channels connected to the exhaust lines, in which there are two separate exhaust runs to which two cylinders per row of cylinders are connected in order to achieve a functional, structurally favorable system.

Abstract: A controller for a heater has two switch circuits for controlling the supply of electric power to an atomizing glow plug for atomizing fuel and an ignition glow plug for igniting atomized fuel, the glow plugs being connected parallel to each other. One of the switch circuits includes a series-connected resistor for producing a voltage drop thereacross. During an inital period of operation of the heater, the first switch circuit free of the series-connected resistor is turned on to heat the glow plugs quickly up to respective prescribed temperatures for atomizing and igniting the fuel. Upon elapse of a predetermined period of time, during which the prescribed temperatures are reached, the first switch circuit is turned off and the second switch circuit with the series-connected resistor is turned on to keep the glow plugs at the prescribed temperatures without further heating them.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for pretreatment of fuel in a combustion device such as an internal combustion engine, in which a fuel is partially combusted by a catalytic reaction to form a high temperature hydrogen-rich product gas, which gas is thereafter directly injected into an oxidizing atmosphere in the combustion chamber of the device. A composite catalyst is utilized constituted by diverse catalytic materials to achieve different contributing effects on the catalytic combustion process by the respective materials, particularly the inhibition of coke formation by the use of magnesium oxide, and platinum to achieve low temperature ignition and partial combustion of a fuel-oxidizer mixture.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for controlling the rate and timing of heat released during each combustion cycle of an internal combustion engine so as to maximize the net work output of the engine. Mathematical expressions of engine loss factors, such as friction and heat transfer, are used to establish a combustion chamber pressure versus crank angle function which is analyzed together with a combustion chamber pressure versus crank angle function in the absence of combustion. From this analysis, a derivation of optimized combustion chamber heat release rate and timing is enabled. The optimized combustion chamber heat release rate and timing are achieved by controlling the timing and rate of injection of fuel into the combustion chamber, which fuel has been activated by pretreatment so to enable "hypergolic" or instantaneous combustion upon injection.

Abstract: A liquid fuel combustion apparatus including a housing defining a composite chamber; a perforate wall separating the composite chamber into a vaporization chamber and a combustion chamber and distributing the flow of vapor therebetween; an intake pipe providing air flow to the vaporization and combustion chambers; and a vaporization pipe comprising an inlet portion disposed in the combustion chamber and a discharge portion projecting into the vaporization chamber, the discharge portion defining a jet for discharging fuel into the vaporization chamber. Also included is a means for feeding liquid fuel into an end of the vaporization pipe opposite to the discharge portion, and an igniter for igniting fuel in the combustion chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for achieving hypergolic combustion, in which a hydrocarbon fuel is partially combusted by a catalytic reaction to form a high temperature hydrogen-rich product gas, which is directly injected into an oxidizing atmosphere in a combustion chamber while at a temperature sufficiently elevated to enable hypergolic combustion therein. The air-fuel ratios are selected to minimize coke formation at the elevated temperatures of the product gas.

Abstract: A heater system associated with an engine is described having a burner disposed on an air intake tube of the engine for burning fuel, and a heat exchanger disposed downstream of the burner. The combusted gas produced by burning the fuel in the burner is introduced into the heat exchanger in which a heating medium such as air or engine cooling water is heated by the heat of the combusted gas. If the heating medium is air, then heated air is delivered by a blower into a passenger compartment to warm the same. If the heating medium is engine cooling water, then it is delivered to a heater core to warm the passenger compartment. The burner has a heater for heating the fuel to vaporize the same and an igniter for igniting the vaporized fuel. The heat exchanger is connected to a tubing serving as a passage for the heating medium, and directional control valves are disposed in the tubing for guiding the heating medium to flow through the heat exchanger or bypassing the heat exchanger.

Abstract: An intake burner is disclosed for use in an internal combustion engine having an air intake system including an air intake tube, comprising an outer tube adapted to be attached to the air intake tube, a heater mounted in the outer tube and made of a ceramic material with a heating resistor embedded therein. A holder surrounds the heater in spaced relation thereto and together with the heater defines a vaporizing and a combustion region around the heater for vaporizing supplied fuel along a surface of the heater and for burning vaporized fuel supplied from the vaporizing region. Fuel feed means directs fuel into the vaporizing region around the heater, and a support member attaches the heater to the outer tube.

Abstract: A fuel burner for producing a highly stable flame and predictable heat output for use within an environment subject to disruptive pressure changes and ambient air current flow such as the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine. The burner includes a nozzle for forming a cone shaped fuel spray and a flame surrounding shroud having a combustion gas outlet wherein the shroud is shaped to cause a toroidal pattern of recirculating combustion gases to be formed within the shroud. A circumferential lip surrounding the combustion gas outlet creates a low pressure zone within the shroud to cause a counterflow of ambient air into the shroud through the outlet in a cylindrical pattern coaxial with the exiting combustion gases.

Abstract: To restart an alcohol fueled engine at low temperatures, a quantity of liquid ethanol is supplied to a vaporizing chamber before the engine is stopped. When restarting the engine, some of the alcohol in the vaporizing chamber is delivered to an igniter, and the hot gases resulting from the burning alcohol are conducted past the vaporizing chamber to evaporate the liquid alcohol remaining in the vaporizing chamber. The alcohol vapor thus generated is conducted to the engine induction system to start the engine.