CA1171672A - Hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract of the Disclosure A hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation process and apparatus combusting hydrogen in a hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber and passing the hot hydrogen combustion products to a primary fuel combustion chamber providing mixing, chemical pretreatment and ignition of the non-hydrogen primary fuel. The apparatus and process of this invention provides improved thermal efficiency, reduced emissions and capability to employ alternative fuels in a wide variety of combustion systems having both internal and external combustion and stationary and mobile instillations, such as vehicle engines, both gasoline and diesel, gas turbines, Rankine and Sterling cycle engines, furnaces and boilers, including coal and oil fired.

Description

7~:

~ACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention An apparatus and process using controlled combustion of hydrogen and oxygen to provide the function of combustion initiation and improved com-bustion in combustion-based systems. The apparatus and process of this invention provides improved thermal efficiency, reduced emissions and capability to employ alternative fuels which are otherwise difficl~lt to combust. The apparatus and process o this invention is applicable to a wide variety of combustion systems with both internal and external combustion and stationary and mobile ins~tàllations, such~as vehicle engines, both gasoline and diesel, gas turbines, Rankine and Stirling cycle engines, furnaces and boilers, including coal and oil fired.
The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical -combustion initiation apparatus and process of this invention provides a more energetic combustion initlation meane than can be -obtained by conventional electric- or compression-ignition means for both i~
.- ,s :

2-' : . ','; , . " . . , . . ~ .

. . . . .

b7~

conventional and alternative non-petroleu~
based fuels, which may be difficult to combust in a broad range of combustion-based systems such as internal combustion piston engines, turbine engines, external combustion engines, furnaces and boilers.
For fuel-consuming applications, the ramifications of the limited availability of non-renewable primary energy resources and factors of energy-related environmental degradation makes consideration of improved fuel economy, reduced emissio~s, and conversion to non-petroleum domesically-producible alternative fuels desirable.
These three objectives are highly interactive and, in a number of instances, are in conflict wlth one anoeher. For example, modification to coal usage, from oll or natural gas, in electricity generating plants, provides difficult emissions control-challenges and requires major boiler changes.
Combustion-xelated devices and systems are basic to both mobile and stationary energy conversion system~ serving all industrial ~, .
`

3-... . . . . . . .
. . ,. ~ ~ . '. '' . ' :
' ' ' ;

~7~7~
.

nations. Primary examples are the internal combustion automotive engine and electrlc utility boilersO
In response to these energy/environ-mental needs, and under the press of Government mandated regulations, constructors and users of combustion systems are attempting to improve the energy conversion efficiency or fuel economy of such systems. The ~x~
recently promulgated automotive Federal fleet fuel economy standards (Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975) provides an example of this thrust. Increasing emphasis is being placed on reducing the environmental degradation impacts of combus-tion based systems of bo~th mobile and stationary kinds.
Description of the Prior Art The present state of deveIopment can be reviewed by examining three basic categories which encompass: improved energy c~nversion ~ificien~y, or iuel econo=y .' '` . `, ~

.
, ,: ~ ;
, ~ -4-.. . ..
., .
~' I . "

~7~.67~
.:
gains; reduced environmentally-significant pollution of air, water and land, or improved emissions control technology; and implementation of alternative fuels supply and use capabilities, to reduce oil and natural gas fuel use.
Improvements in energy conversion efficiency have long been sought in the interest of good operating econo~y for essentially all industrial combustion- ~s~
related systems. Hence, a relatively mature status has been achieved with only limited possibilities in the way of further practical gains to be made using conventional approaches. For examplej the combustion - -efficiency achieved in modern internal combustion engines and in steam-raising boilers is usually in the high 90 percentile, e.g., 98 percent. Additional gains are intrinsically very limited.
However, in some cases avenues for measurable improvements are being pursued, such as for example, the further development of the high speed diesel engine as used in ''.

~ ' ' ' . ' ' `,.
,.

5~
.
.......... , . . -, . - - - ` ' ' , `

7.~ ; .

heavy trucking and in buses. The diesel engine, however, is associated with environmental pollution which could act in the future to limit its use and/or impede potential fuel economy gains. The automotive high-speed light-duty diesel engines in today's automobiles and light trucks employ a divided combustion chamber design, not the single chamber configuration of larger engines. In addition to the main combustion chamber in which fuel is combusted with the highly compressed air charge, an auxiliary connected chamber, referred to as a pre-chamber or swirl-chamber, is employed. It is in this latter chamber where diesel fuel is initially injected and, in some designs, -in which a starting assistance electrical glow-plug is located. The divided chamber desi~n, although associated with thermodynamic losses of 10 to lS percent in terms of fuel economy, is deemed necessary to meet automotive emissions control requirements and to insure effective ignition and high combustion efficiency. If these requirements :
.~ , . ~ ' ' , ` -6-, .. ' ' - ' . ' .' .
.
:
: . .
.

~'7~

could be met in a direct injection open (single) chamber engine, substantial overall fuel economy gains could be realized.
Work on emissions control technology has greatly intensified with specific emissions being regulated to established quantified levels. Among these are carbon monoxide, reactive hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen, oxides of sulfur and particulates.
Generally, the mandated levels of such emissions have been progressively reduced.
Also, levels are stipulated based on the basis of regional air quality impacts and requirements, such as the State of California. Attempts at emissions control include: modified fuels preparation and admission, such as improved reduced-sac diesel fuel injectors; combustion~process modifications, such as exhaus~ gas re-circulation; water in~ection, and exhaust clean-up measures, such as oxidizing ca~alyst after-treatment in automobiles and limestone sulfur removal in coal-fired electric generating plants.

~ .
.
7~

.
.

~.~L7~

Most emissions controls result in adverse technical effects, unfavorable constraints on operating procedures and/or added ori~inal and operational costs and is often counter-productive to achievable efficiency or fuel economy and even result~
in new secondary emissiOns, for example, the present automotive catalytic converter provides undesirable exhaust manifold backpressure which lowers efficiency, requires unleaded gasoline and associa.ted reduced engine com-pression ra~ios which lowers efficiency, and causes noxiou~ gaseous and liquid sulfate products, not otherwise present, to be emitted.
The lean-burn techniques being pursued in certain automotive internal combustion engines substantially reduce oxides of nitrogen and carbon monoxide emissions, but due to cylinder-to-cylinder air/fuel mixture variations and, ultimately misfiring limits, reactive hydrocarbon emissions increase and combustion effici~ncy falls below acceptable limits.

!.

.

: . . . .

~ ~ -8---\

- . . . .;: :
.: . , -- - . , .;
:- ' , -- .. ,.. ~: . ,, A basic problem with alternative fuels is the incompatibility of present devices for use of such fuels. Hence, one approach is to produce alternative fuels to the same technical specifications as present petroleum-based fuels: gasoline, diesel and turbine fuels, heating oil and residual fuels. However, matching today's fuels' specifications partially or completelya starting with non-petroleum materials, for example, coal, oil shale, biomass, is difficult, expensive, and in many instances, unfeasible. For example, the use of alternative fuels in compression-ignition diesel engines requires that a certain minimum cetane number be achieved and in gasoline-fueled spark ignition engines a minimum octane rating must be achieved. Some alternative fuels do not possess these basic qualities as required for conventional combustion devices. New approaches for fuel preparation and ad=ission to the combustion chamber are desirable -because of uch facts as incompatible~fuel physical state, mismatched viscosity range and improper volatility properties.
, ~

' , _ ... -. - ' :
.

' Although not used extensively as a fuel for combustion based systems, hydrogen fuel has been used in certain air supported combustion processes, utilizing atmospheric oxygen, in both stationary and mobile applications. Also, ~he hydrogen-oxygen combination has long been employed in the oxy-hydrogen torch used in metal cutting, welding, glassware fabrication, ~w~
and other such operations.
The predominant use of hydrogen as a fuel today is in aerospace developments. The early development of the hydrogen-fueled rocket, using principa-lly oxygen, but also fluorine and certain other oxidizers, has been described in Sloop, J.L., "Liquid Hydrogen as a Propulsion Fuel, 1945-1959", The NASA
History Series, NASA SP-4404, Washington, D. C., 1978.
In the 1960's, hydrogen-oxygen fueled rocket engines were developed as part of the U. S. space program. Some of these engines comprised both a main hydrogen-' . . - ~, ' . ' , ': ` , , !

.' . , , . ~ ~ ':. '' ;, '' ' ' ' ' ,'', ' "
. . ; ' i7~

oxygen fed combustion chamber and several auxiliary combustion devices, a fuel-rich hydrogen-oxygen gas generator and a small hydrogen-oxygen "augmented spark igniter", used to initiate main chamber combustion.
In the 1970's, a high combustion chamber pressure staged combustion hydrogen oxygen rocket engine system in the 500,000 pound thrust class, equipped with several hydrogen-oxygen combustion initiation devices, was developed by Rocketdyne for the Space shuttle reusable launch vehicle system.
During the same time period, several small hydrogen-oxygen reaction control system and other auxiliary-purpose rocket engines were constructed and tested, however, none of these were developed to the point of operational service.
The hydrogen-oxygen rocket engine and related combustion areas provide basic technology for creating hydrogen-oxygen combustion devices operating over a wide range of reactant flows, pressures, mixture ratios (fuel-rich, fuel-lean, and stoichiometric).

' , ' . :

- .

:. :. .
:~. : . : .

.

,' ; ' ~ , : ' ' ~7~

This includes hydrogen-oxygen combustion - initiation devices which serve to initiate combustion in the larger hydrogen-oxygen combustion systems represented by, for example, main rocket thrust chambers.
The use of such hydrogen-oxygen combustion initiation devices for producing ignition in combustion-based systems employing other than the hydrogen-oxygen reactant combination has not been known to the present inventors to ignite hydrocarbon systems such as internal - combustion piston engines, gas turbines, external combustion type heat engines, furnaces or boilers.
. . . . Another proposed application of hydrogen-oxygen combustion devices is the - stoichiometric hydrogen-oxygen combustor in which water diluent is added to provide a very compact, highly controllable output in terms of pressure, temperature, flow and dynamic response, special purpose steam generator as described in U. S. Patent 1,483,917.
- Such systems have been proposed for high efficiency vehicle prime movers and for ~;

.i .
: . ` , - :. . : - ' ': ' ~ . ., ' , ' :

, ~. - .. . . .
~, . :. . .. .
~ . , , . , . ' - :. . . . , , :
.. ' .: . : . - : . :- : , ti7~ ~

electrieity generation using special high temperature steam expanders by Rockwell International, Rocketdyne Division in "A Non-Polluting Noiseless Engine for Powerplant Applications - With Specific Orientation to a High Speed Ground Trans-portation System", W. J. D. Escher, D. S.
Goalwin and R. E. Schnurstein, Rocketdyne Division, RockwPll International, Report RIP-13, July, 1970, and the General Electric Co. in "Role of Hydrogen in Eco Energy", W. Hausz, General Electric Co. TEMPO Center for Advanced Studies paper in Hydro~en for Energy Distribution, Institute of Gas Techl~ology Symposium paper, January, 1979, Chicago, Illinois. Escher Technology Associates proposed such a system for automotive vehicle propulsion as described in "On The Higher Energy Form of Water (H20*) -in Automotive Vehicle Advanced Power Systems", W. J. D. Escher, Escher Technology Associates paper, 7th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, proceedings, September, 1972, San Diego, California.

, . . :

~ 13- -~, ... ... ~ ~ , .
:: ,: . :
'',' , ' ' ' : , L ~
_ ._ More recently, Rocketdyne has studied this approach for producing electric utility generation plant steam using various th~rmo-dynamic cycles including conventional Rankine cycle condensing steam turbines as described in "Hydrogen/O~ygen Steam Generation:
An Example of Aerospace Technology Trans~er", D. E. Wright, Rocketdyne Division, Rockwell International, paper in Hydrogen for Energy Distribution, Institute of Gas Technology symposium paper, January, 1979, Chicago, Illinois.
For these applications of the hydrogen-oxygen combustion principle, it is observed that steam generation is the single objective pursued.
A large number of potential applications of hydrogen-air combustion based systems have been proposed and some of these have reached the experimental research. These range from automotive vehicle internal combustion engines to marine gas turbines to subsonic, supersonic and hypersonic aircraft powerplants including gas turbine systems, composite rocket/air-breathing propulsion systems, and subsonic-, . ` ., . ' . ' :-^

:. . ,,, .~ . . - . : - . .

. . , , . -, . .
- . ': ' ' . . . ~:
:. . , . :

7~;i7~

and supersonic-combustion ramjets as surveyed in "Survey and Assessmen~ of Contemporary U. S. Hydrogen-Fuelel Internal Combustion Engine Projects", W. J. D. Escher, Escher Technology Associates report for the U. S.
Energy Research and Development Administration, ERDA Report TEC-75/005, Sep~ember, 1975.
There have been studies of hydrogen supplementation to conventionally fueled combustion related systems, such as internal combustion engines as described in "Emission Control with Lean Operation Using Hydrogen-Supplemented Fuel"j R. F. Stebar and F. B.
parks, General Motors Corporation Research publication GMRL-1537, February, 1974; -- -~
"Hydrogen-Enrichment-Concept, Preliminary Evaluation", Anon., Jet Propulsion Laboratory Report prepared under Interagency Agreement ERA-IAG-Dr-0548, U. S. Energy Research and Development Administration, Report TEC-74/007, December, 1975. In hydrogen supplemented otherwise conventionally fueled combustion related devices, the prime objective is to extend the "lean burn" limits o hydrocarbon !. ..
: , . ' ' ` :~ 15-.
- .

.~ - ~ . , , .

. . .:
,' ~ ' .

fuels and to thus achieve measurable improvements in fuel economy and emissions.
Various hydrogen supplementation proposals have been made for achieving the desired lean-out characteristics in internal combustion engines. The major differences in such proposals related to the source of hydrogen, particularly with regard to vehicle onboard hydrogen availability as described in "Lean Combustion in Automotive Engines: An Assessment of the Addition of Hydrogen to Casoline as.Compared to other Techniques", Anon., The Aerospace Corporation report prepared under EPA Contract No. E[04 3]-1101, :
PA-3,- U. S. Department of Energy Report CONS/1101-1, February, 1976. Among the proposals are storage as a pressurized gas; production of hydrogen-rich gases from hydrocarbon liquids, including the main conventional fuel used, such as gasoline, or other chemical compounds as described in "Hydrogen-Enrichment-Concept, Preliminary . .
Evaluation", Anon., Jet Propulsion ~aboratory Report prepared under Inte:ragency Agreement .. ~;' ;~

~ 16- .

,, ;. :.

.:, :
..
.

'~

ERA-IAG-D4-05489 U. S. Energy Research and Development Administration, Report TEC- ~
74/007, December, 1975; metal hydride storage as described in "Hydrogen Storage in Metal Hydrides", J. J. Reilly, and G. D. Sandrock, Scientific American, February, 1980;
cryogenic liquid, and the electrolysis of water as described in "Automotive Fuel-Saving System with On-Board Hydrogen Generation and Injection into I.C. Engines", D. A. Kelley, Technidyne, Inc. paper presented at the 1st World Hydrogen Energy Conference Proceedings, March, 1978, Miami Beach, Florida, and "Method and Apparatus for Operating Combustion r ~ Engines", P. F. Talenti, U. S. Patent No.

4,111,160 (1978) September 5.
One disadvantage of hydrogen supple-mentation schemes is that rather substantial amounts of hydrogen, relative to the conventional fuel, on an equivalent energy basis, are required to produce the desired fuel economy~gains and emissions reductions. The need for eY.tensive hydrogen storage andlor onboard hydrogen generation equipment with attendant cost and/or ; operating efficiency penalties have acted to ~ `
limit and even arrest f~rther development of the hydrogen supplementation proposals. The~

~ 17-.~ . .. .
, , , - . , . : :
~ -- ' :

,- ~ - . . - .

z prior art has not, to the knowledge of the inventors, utilized hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion ini-tiation as a "chemical spark plug" or in a fuel pretreat-ment chamber as a combustion initiation and enhancement means for a different, non-hydrogen primary uel whose combustion primarily takes place in a conventlonal fuel combustion chamber with air.

SUMM~Y OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect the invention provides a hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device com-prising: hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber walls defining an elongated hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber having a first closed end and an opposite second end providing communication with the primary fuel combustion chamber of a combustion based system; pressurized hydro-gen feed means comprising controlled hydrogen control valve means controlling timing and rate of flow, hydro-gen source means providing hydrogen at greater than at-mospheric pressure and hydrogen injection means pro-viding hydrogen containing gas to the hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber at about 1.1 to 2.0 times the pres- ~ .
sure of other gases in the chamber; pressurized oxygen .
,~", ~7~7~
feed means comprising controlled oxygen control valve means controlling timing and rate of flow, oxygen source means providing oxygen at greater than atmos-pheric pressure and oxygen injection means providing oxygen containing gas to the hydrogen-,oxy,gen combustion chamber at about 1.1 to 2~0 times the pressure of , other gases in the chamber, ignition means comprising ,ignition control means, ignition source means and ignition device means providing ignition~energy in the first closed end of the hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber to ignite the hydrogen-oxygen mixture therein and the combustion products thereof passing through the second end to the primary fuel combustion chamber;
primary fuel feed means comprising primary fuel control .

. ~ :
. ~

-valve means, primary fuel source means and primary fuel injection means providing primary fuel to the primary fuel combustion chamber, the primary fuel being ignited by the combustion products from the h~drogen-oxygen combustion chamber; and control means in coordination communication with ~he combustion based systemj ~he ignition means, the hydrogen .control valve means, the oxygen control valve means and the primary fuel valve means to provide quantification ana time sequencing of ignition, hydro-gen and oxygen to the hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device and primary fuel to . the primary fuel combustion based system.

~; :
,: . ~, i ~ - 20 -:: . ~ :
.
:
, : : .
,.' ` ~ `~ ' ` . ~ ' .

~3L7~

In a further aspect the invention provides a hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation process comprising: providing hydrogen and oxygen : to a hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber which is in communication with the primary fuel combustion chamber of a combustion based system; igniting and combusting the hydrogen in the hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber;
-passing the hot hydrogen combustion products from the hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber to the primary fuel combustion chamber; and providing primary fuel to the primary fuel combustion cham~er, the hot hy-drogen combustion products igniting the primary fuel.

.

: .:

.

..

.

7~

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TEIE DRAWINGS

Objects, advantages, and features of this invention will be apparent from the description and by reference to the drawings wherein pre~erred embod;~ments are shown as:
- Fig. 1 is a schematic flow diagram of a hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion ini-tiation apparatus and process according to this invention;
F;g. 2 is a combined schematic flow diagram and schematic sectional view of one embodiment of the apparatus and process of this invention in a conventionally fueled internal combustion engine;

- :

' t~

~ - 22 -.
: , , : .~ . :

.

- -Flg. 3 is a combined schematic flow diagram and schematic sectional view of another embodiment of this invention in which part or all of the conventional fuel is admitted to the engine via the combustion initiation device having a single combustion/-reaction chamber;
Fig. 4 is a combined schematic flow diagram and schematic sectional view of another embodiment of this invention in which part or all of the conventional fuel is admit~ed to the engine via a staged secondary chamber within the combustion initiation apparatus downstream of the hydrogen-oxygen combustion; and Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram oi a vehicular engine system according to one embodiment of this invention using an onboard water electrolyzes to provide hydrogen and oxygen.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
_ . __ _ .... .......... .. .. .. . . . . . _ .. _ .. .. ... .
Flg. 1 shows hydrogen-oxygen thermo-chemical combustion initiation system 10 in schematic!-functional diagram form. The hydrogen- -~~
oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation system ~ .
.:
. .' ' `.
.
;

- - ~

- ~ . , . . ,-, ~ ~ , :: - , . . :
, . ~ .

.

10 comprises con~rol sys~em 12, hydrogen-oxygen supply system 13 and hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device 11. Multiple hydrogen-oxygen supply systems 13 and multiple hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation devices 11 may be utilized in a single hydrogen-oxygen thermo-chemical combustion initiation system 10.
Combustion based system 14 may be any quasi- .
steady-state, cyclic or pulsing combustion system having internal or external combustion such as internal combustion vehicle engines, including gasoline, diesel and other hydro-carbon fueled; gas turbines, Rankine and Stirling cycle based external combustion engines; furnaces and boilers. Both conventional and alternative primary fuels may be used. Stationary and mobile installations may be used.
Fig. 1 shows control system 12 which comprises control means 101, ignition feed means 102, pressurized oxygen feed means 103, pressuri~ed hydrogen feed means 10~ and primary fuel ~eed means 105.

' : ' .
' ' ' ' , : ~

Contral means lOl coordinates and control3all of ~the components of control system 12 as indicated by coordination means 106 in communication with the components of control system 12.
Control means 101 and coordination means 106 may be any electronic, electromechanical and/or mechanical means to achieve the desired results as described in this description and will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art. Control means .101 is coordinated with combustion based system 14 by combustion system coordination means 107 to provide primary fuel to combustiDn based system 14 and to provide ignition, oxygen, hydrogen and primary fuel, if desired, to hydrogen-oxygen thermo-chemical combustion initiation device 11 and to effect quantity control and time sequencing to obtain desired operation of combustion based system 14. The electronic circuitry or mechanical means may act in response to a signal supplied by chemical analysis of combustion in combustion based system 14, as in the case of furnaces, --or from flywheel rotation, in the case of !.

~ .
- , .

~ 25~

: ~. . -. :

., ~
- . - . : : -: ,. . :, ,.
-. : . .:
,, : ' ` :' , ' :
.~ :

~7~

.:
internal combustion engines, comprising combustion system coordination means 107 to control means 101 for coordination of hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation system 10 with combustion based system 14.
Ignition eed means comprises ignition control means 102, ignition energy source means 108 and ignition device means l22 supplying ignitibn via ignition feed 121 for hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device 11, .Ignition energy source means 108 may be any suitable electric supply such as commercial power lines, electrochemical cells, batteries, alternators, generators and the like capable of supplying desired electricity, Ignition device means 122 may be a spark plug, glow.plug or other electric ignitor.
pressuri~ed oxygen feed means comprises oxygen control valve means 103, oxygen source means ~ 111 and oxygen injection means 119. Oxygen control valve means 103 may be an electronically or mechanically `` ` ` controlled valve controlling the timing and rate ~ .
of flow of oxygen through oxygen injection =eans condult 119 to hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device 11, Oxygen source means 111 Is any suitable oxygen source, .~ uGh.~s~comme~cial--pipeline~suppliesj,~torage~
~ , , .
` ~ tanks~or production devices for provision ~ Z6-, :

.~

~'7~i7~

of oxygen containin~ gases to oxygen control valve ~eans 103. By the terminology "oxygenl' as used throughout this specifi-cation and claims, we mean any gas containing morP than about 75 volume percent oxygen while not containing chemicals which are deleterious to combustion or provide undesired combustion products. Preferably the gas contains more than about 95 volume percent oxygen.
pressurized hydrogen feed means comprises hydrogen control valve means 104, hydrogen source means 112 and hydrogen injection `means 120. Hydrogen control valve means 104 may be an electronlcally or mechanically controlled valve controlling the timlng and rate of flow of hydrogen through hydrogen injection means conduit 120 to hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device 11. Hydrogen source means 112 is any sultable hydrogen source, such as commercial pipeline supplies, - :~
storage tanks or production devices for ` - provision of hydrogen containing gases to hydrogen control valve means 104~ By the terminology "hydrogen" as used through-out this specification and claims, we . ' ' .
' ''~
`' . ~ , ~ . - ., ::
.
"" . ~ , , ' ' ' ' ~

mean any gas containing more than about ~~ ` ` - - 75 volume percent hydrogen while not containing chemicals which are deleterious to combustion or provide undesired combustion products.
Preferably the gas contains more than about 95 volume percent hydrogen.
- Pressurized oxygen and hydrogen feed means must provide those gases under sufficient pressure to assure entry of the gases into the hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber and to obtain desired mixing under primary fuel combustion chamber pressure conditions and mode of operation. For example, when the primary fuel combustion chamber is the cylinder of an internal combustion engine operating in a cyclic mode, the pres.sure must be greater than when the combustion chamber is a substantially atmospheric pressure operated furnace. Generally, the pressurized oxygen and hydrogen feed means provides gases pressurized about 1.1 to 2.0 times the pressure of the air or other gases in the hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber at the time of entry of the gases. In psi, this ~ might range from a few psi (5-10) differential - pressure to the order-of 2000 psi in a diesel- ~ ;
engine where peak cylinder pressures may be the-~r~der~ 150CLpsir.~;These;Apressur~s.,may be..

~ 28-:
- ' ' .

~ ~L7~

provided by any suitable means of compression known to the art, such as by compressors, pumps or a pressure-electrolyzer.
Particularly for vehicles it is desired to have an onboard hydrogen-oxygen supply system shown as 13 in Fig. 1. Onboard storage may be achieved by pressurized gaseous or cryogenic liquid storage. Chemical storage, such as metal hydride hydrogen containment, known to the art are suitable. Hydrogen-oxygen supply means 133 may preferably be a water electrolyzer means. Suitable electrolyzer means incl~lde alkaline electrolyte unipolar or dipolar devices such as produced by the Electrolyzer Corporation Ltd., Toronto, Canada, and Teledyne Energy Systems, Timonium, Maryland, respectively, or General Electric Company's SPE sol;d polymer electrolyte electrolysis systems. Feedstffck water is supplied to hydrogen-oxygen supply means 133 by water supply means 110 and necessary energy for electrolysis is supplied to hydrogen-oxygen supply means 133 by energy supply means 109 which may be any ,:
~.~ ' . 'j .

:
, - : , : ::
- ; ' ' ~
. ~ . - . . : . :
- , . . .
- . :. .
.- '-,. :
~,~ . .

7~

battery or electrical generation means.
Suitable electrical generation means include an engine driven generator, regenerative braking electrical generation, exhaust energy recovery electrical genera-tion such as a turbine expander or Rankine bottoming cycle apparatus, or other energy conservation or recovery means, alone or in combination. Various water electrolyzer systems are known to the art and vehicle ~4 onboard electrolyzer systems previously proposed and demonstrated are suitable for use in the present invention which utilizes relatively small amounts of oxygen and hydrogen. The amount of hydrogen used in the apparatus and process of this invention, based upon chemical energy provided by hydrogen and primary fuel, is about 0.5 to about 15 percent chemical energy derived from hydrogen and the balance from the primary fuel. Hydrogen energy amounts at about 1 to about 8 percent of the total are preferred. The amount of oxygen supplied may be the stoichiometric ~ 30- ~-.~ : . .' ;

: : `

amount for oxidation of the hydrogen, in which case only hot combustion products are provided for ignition of the primary fuel in the primary fuel combustion chamber;
less than the st~ichiometric amount, in which case some excess hydrogen in addition to hot combustion products is provided to the primary fuel combustion chamber to aid combustion of the primary fuel or; more than the stoichiometric amount, in which ~ase some excess oxygen in addition to ho~
combustion products is provided to the primary fuel combustion chamber to aid in oxidation of the primary fuel.
Primary fuel feed means comprises primary fuel control valve means 105, primary fuel source means 113 and primary fuel injection means. Primary fuel control valve means 105 is preferably an electronically or mechanically controlled valve controlling quantity and sequencing of primary fuel through primary fuel feed 115, mixing the primary fuel with air supplied through air supply means 116 to provide the desired primary fuel/air ratio through fuel/air , , . ~ - ,......... ..

~, .

supply means 117 to combustion based system 14. As previously disclosed, combustion based system 14 may be any suitable internal or external combustion system for combustion of primary fuel which may be any gaseous, liquid or solid hydrocarbon or other non-hydrogen fuel, such as natural gas, substitute natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, gasoline, kerosene, diesel oil, other middle distillate fuels, residual oil, alcohols such as methanol and ethanol, ammonia, vegetable oil derivatlves, coal, peat and others~ Primary fuel source means 113 provides the above fuels or mixtures thereof and provides desirable pretreatments prior to supply to primary fuel control valve means 105.
The terminology "primary fuel" as used in this disclosure and the appended claims refers to a fuel other than hydrogen and is the fuel which supplies the principal chemical energy which is utilized for energy conversion by combustion based system 14.
The principal combustion of the primary :

,~

'7~`7~

fuel takes place in the air-supplied combustion based system 14. A portion, or all, of the primary fuel may be supplied by primary fuel control valve means 105 to primary fuel feed means 114 for introduction directly to hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device 11.
By reference to Figs. 1 and 2 it is seen that a hydrogen-oxygen thermo-chemical combustion initiation device according to this invention comprises hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber walls defining an elongated hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber having a first closed end and an opposite second end providing communication with the primary fuel combustion chamber of a combustion based system; pressurized hydrogen feed means comprising hydrogen control valve means, hydrogen source means and hydrogen injection means providing hydrogen containing gas to the hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber; pressurized oxygen ~ 33-- . :

.
.
: ; . . ' ' ' ~-. ' , ' ', ' ' 7~

feed means comprising oxygen control valve means, oxygen source means and oxygen injectlon means providing oxygen containing gas to the hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber; ignition means compris~ng ignition control means, ignition source means and ignition device means providing ignition energy in the first closed end of the hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber to ignite the hydrogen-oxygen mixture therein and the combustion products thereof passing through the second end to the primary fuel combustion chamber; primary fuel feed means comprising primary fuel control valve means, primary fuel source means and primary fuel injection means providing primary fuel to the primary fuel combustion chamber, the primary fuel being ignited by combustlon products from said hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber; and control means in coordination communication with the combustion based system, ignition means, hydrogen control valve means, oxygen control valve means and primary fuel valve means to .
' ` ` - 34^
! ` ` .
. .

~'7~

provide-quantification and time sequencing of ignition, hydrogen and oxygen to ~he hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion-initiation device and primary fuel ~o the primary fuel combustion based system.
Fig. 2 shows one embodiment of -hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device 11 in conjunction with an internal combustion piston engine of the carbureted or intake valve port fuel-injection type as us,ed, for example, in vehicular propulsion. A single cylinder of the engine is shown by cylinder walls 126 and piston 131. Primary fuel combustion chamber 127 is provided primary fuel through fuel-air supply conduit 117 controlled by intake valve 128. Conventional carburetor or fuel injection system 118 may be used to provide suitable primary fuel and air mixture to fuel-air supply conduit 117.
Following combustion in primary fuel combustion chamber 127, exhaust gases are permitted to exit by opening exhaust valve 129 for communication with exhaust conduit .
~, - ' , , ' ' ' ~'7~ ~7~2 130. Combustion system coordlnation means 107 is shown as coordinating control means 101 coordinating with the engine crankshaft position.
Fig. 2 shows hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device 11 which comprises hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber 124 defined by hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber walls 123 with ignition device means 122 at one end and orifices 125 at the other end providing communication from hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber 124 to primary fuel combustion chamber 127.
As shown in Fig. 2, hydrogen is the only fuel provided to hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber 124 by hydrogen feed means conduit 120. Oxygen is supplied to hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber 124 by oxygen feed means conduit 119. Ignition device means 122 is shown as a spark plug provided with electrical feed by`ignition feed means 121.
~ydrogen is combusted in hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber 124 and the high tempera-ture oxidation products pass throogh '";

: -36-~ .

~7~ 67~

orifices 125 lnto primary fuel combustion chamber 127 providing ignition energy for the primary fuel~ With the hydrogen-oxygen combustion in hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber 124, high temperatures, up ~o about 6000F, may be obtained and the combustion product gases from hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber 124 may be accelerated to high velocities, as high as the order of 10,000 feet per second, for injection to a primary fuel prqtreatment or combustion chamber p~oviding prompt and even ignition and combustion of the primary fuel throughout primary fuel combustion chamber 127. Orifices 125 are arranged to disperse the hot hydrogen-oxygen combustion products ~hroughout primary fuel combustion chamber ~. The admission of the hot hydrogen-oxygen combustion product gases through orifices 125 is controlled with respect to velocity, direction and general distribution to efficiently effect primary fuel-air mixing, ignition and combustion.
The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation process of this invention comprises providing hydrogen and oxygen to a hydrogen-oxygen combust;on .
. ' . , , , ' , ' .

: -37-.:

~7~

chamber which is in communication with the primary fuel combustion chamber of a combustion based system; igniting and substantially combusting the hydrogen in the hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber; passing the hot hydrogen combustion products from the hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber to the primary fuel combustion chamber; and providing primary fuel to the primary fuel combustion chamber, the hot hydrogen combustion products igniting the primary fuel.
Fig. 3 shows another embodiment of the hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device 11 wherein at least a portion of the primary fuel is admitted directly to hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber 124 by primary fuel feed conduit means 114. Additional primary fuel may also be admitted to primary fuel combustion chamber 127 through conventional carburetor or fuel injection system 118 and primary fuel feed conduit means 115. Also shown in Fig. 3, hydrogen-o~ygen combustion chamber 124 has open end 132 in communicatlon with q ' ~'7~.~7~

- . .
primary fuel combustion chamber 127.
This embodiment is especlally useful when a large portion or all of the primary fuel is supplied to hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber 124 for heating, chemical processing, mixing and ignîtion by means of the products of hydrogen combustion. However, in the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the principal combustion of the primary fuel takes place with air in primary fuel combustion chamber 127.
Fig. 4 shows another embodiment of a-hydrogen-oxygen th~rmochemical combustion initiation device 11 according to this invention. In this embodiment, hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber 124 is in communication through orifices 125 with pretreatment chamber 134 portion of primary fuel combustion chamber 127. Pre-treatment chamber 134 is in communication through pretreatment chamber open end 135 with the main volume of primary fuel combustion chambçr 127. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, hydrogen is combus~ed , ' , .

.

`' ` `:

with oxygen in hydro~en-oxygPn combustion chamber 124 as described with respect to Fig. 2 and all or a portion of the primary fuel is supplied by primary fuel feed 114 to annular primary fuel injection chamber 136 and passes through primary fuel orifices 137 for intimate contact and mixing with the hydrogen combustion product passing from hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber 124 through orifices 125. The heated, mixed, chemically processed primary fuel and combustion products from hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber 124 pass through pretreatment chamber open end 135 to primary fuel combustion chamber 127 where combustion of the primary fuel takes place with air. ~dditional primary fuel may be supplied to primary fuel combustion chamber 127 by primary fuel feed 115 through conventional carburetor or fuel injection system 118. This embodiment is particularly preferred when pretreatment of the primary fuel is desired, including atomization, vaporization, partial oxidation and hydrocracking which takes place due to ~. .

~ r~ _40_ -~ ` : ~ ' :
.
' . . :
. . .

the hot hydrogen-oxygen combustion products which may additionally contain hydrogen or oxygen.
While the above description with respect to Figs. 2, 3 and 4 has described an embodiment of this invention wherein the combustion based system is an internal combustion engine, it can be readily seen that valves 128 and 129 and piston 131 may be removed and primary combustion chamber 127 provided with suitable fuel preparation and burning means may be the combustion chamber of a coal or oil fed stationary furnace or boiler. In such case, the exhaust conduit 130 is advantageously located at the opposite end of the combustion chamber 127.
Fig. 5 shows, in a schematic fashion, one preferred embo~iment of the apparatus and process of this invention for vehicular application. Hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation system device 11 is coupled to internal combustion engine 14 in the manner previously described.

~ -41 ,, .. .. , - -. ' ' :': . .. .
.
- ~

- : .
,' ' 7~2 Primary ~uel is stored i.n primary fuel storage means 18 and suppled to hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation system device 11 and/or engine 14 by primary ~uel feed means 114. Hydrogen and oxygen are supplied to hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device 11 by hydrogen injection means 120 and oxygen injection means 119, respectively. Hydrogen and oxygen are supplied by electrolyzer 16 and stored in pressurized hydrogen accumulator 1~ and pressurized oxygen accumulator 20. Onboard water storage means 17 provides water to electrolyzer 16 while generator 159 which may be a DC generator or an AC generator with rectifier, provides electricity for electrolyzer 16. Generator 15 may be powered by coupling to engine 14 directly or may be coupled to the engine exhaust recovery syst~m, regenerative braking system, or other energy conservation or recovery system as previously described. The vehicular application of the apparatus and process of this invention is one preferred embodiment , ,` "- ` `

due to th~ low hydrogen and oxygen consumption as compared with prior proposed onboard combustion systems associated with hydrogen supplementation of conventional fuels in engines.
The apparatus and process of this invention increases thermal efficiency of the combustion based system by providing better controlled igni~ion, more complete and better controlled combustion, leaner overall operation, particularly with Otto cycle systems, provide more optimum heat release during the combustion phase and simplifying combustion chamber design in a single combustion chamber in diesel and stratified charge engines, rathPr than employing divided combustion chambers.
Emissions from the combustio~
based system utilizing the apparatus and process of this invention are reduced due to more complete combustion, suppression of nitrogen oxides formation by reduction of local peak temperature zones and reduction of particulates by primary fuel treatment !.
in the pretreatment chamber.
, ,' ~ i : . . .. , - .

; ' .
' . .',' '', . ~ ' .

~ 7~

The invention renders alternative fuels more feasible for use in view of the positive and energetic ignition provided for the primary fuel, such as xendering low cetane fuels suitable for combustion in diesel engines, The invention renders hard to burn fuels more amenable ~o effective and efficient combustion by use of the energetic combustion-based ignition means or by injection of the fuels into the hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber or pretreatment chamber-and providing the hydrogen-oxygen combustion product pretreatment of the primary fuel prior to introduction into the combustion based system. These and the specific objects and advantages of this invention set forth above may be achieved by one skilled in the art upon reading of the above disclosure.

~ -44-, . - " ~"~, .

7~

One particularly preferred embodiment of the hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation apparatus and process of this invention is for use in light-duty automotive diesel engine applications. A current problem with diesel fueled vehicular engines is that they typically emit in the order of 30 to 80 times the quantity of particulates than corresponding equivalent gasoline fueled engines. The apparatus and process of this invention reduces the light-duty vehicular diesel engine particulate emissions to the level of equivalent gasoline engines or lower while maintaining the same or superior fuel economy. The apparatus and process of this invention additionally improves the cold start and engine operating noise problems associated with he light-duty vehicuIar diesel engine-and provides capability for use of lowered cetane rated fuels than presently used vehicular diesel engines.
An exemplary embodiment of appli-cation of the hydrogen-oxygen thermochemi~al combustion initiation device of this invention ~ -45-.... .

.
.
:, . . . . .
- ~
~, . ' ' '. ' ' ~ ~
.:

, .

~7~

to the light-duty automotive diesel engine is illustrated in Fig. 4. In this embodi-ment, the crankshaft position of the diesel engine is communicated mechanically by means of timing gears, shafts or chains to control means 101 to coordinate the injection of hydrogen, oxygen, ignition energy and diesel fuel to meet the diesel engine requirements over the full speed - ,~
and load operating range as signaled to the engine by means of the acceleration pedal. Synchronization of the hydrogen-oxygen flow and ignition energy input to the hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber is mechanically achieved by combination of the diesel engine crankshaft rotation and the accelerator position. This synchronization can be further adjusted by devices sensitive to engine speed, such as a centrifugal advance mechanism. The hydrogen and o~ygen control valves are mechanically operated by a rotating or sliding shaft which also serves to close the ignition electrical contact periodically for a spark plug or continuously for a glow plug to provide .

,, . . . ..... .. . . - - . - , .
.

~' ' ' ' .

~7~

ignition, hydrogen and oxygen to the hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber.
Hydrogen and oxygen are fed to the hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber in a stoichiometric ratio of 1 part by weight hydrogen to 8 parts by weight of oxygen.
Hydrogen-oxygen combustion is initiated by the spark plug or glow plug in the hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber as the piston approaches the end of its stroke minimizing the volume of the primary fuel combustion chamber. The combustion of hydrogen and oxygen in the hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber results in partly dissociated water vapor at tempera-tures of about 5500F. These energetic hydrogen combustion products are discharged through orifices into the primary fuel pretreatment portion of the combustion chamber while primary diesel fuel is simultaneously injected into the pretreatment chamber, as shown in Fig. 4, to vigorously interact, fully vaporizing, chemically processing and thermally .~ ~ .
,. ~ .
~- -47-. ~. . .. .
, :
' 6;7~

igniting the primary diesel fuel which expands and passes into the main portion of the primary fuel combustion chamber containing the engine piston. Air is added for combustion of the diesel fuel in the main portion of the primary fuel combustion chamber where combustion takes place smoothly and completely.
The droplet burning mechanism of conventional diesel combustion normally resulting in particulate emissions formation is completely avoided by this combustion process. The power stroke of the piston of the diesel engine having been initiated in this fashion, the operating cycle steps of expansion, exhaust, intake and compression, are carried out in the conventional manner. The injection pressures of the diesel fuel are about-2500 to 3500 lb/in2 since extreme atomization is not required in the injection stage itself. Conventional automotive diesel engines utilize fuel injection pressures in the order of 12000 to 17000 ~ -48-- - .
` ' , ~' ' `

lb/in2 in order to obtain the high degree8 of atomization necessary for the combustlon processes of the presently used engines.
This preferred mode of practice o~ this invention utilizing automotive-type diesel engines uses the subsystems as shown in Fig. 5. A DC electrical generator is driven directly by the diesel engine and may optionally be supplemented by other electrical power sources such as an auxiliary generator driven by the engine exhaust energy recovery system or an auxiliary generator driven by a regenerative electric braking system. The water electrolyzer is a pressure-type electrolyzer of solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) type as described by General Electric Company (supra).
A suitable water storage tank capable of providing sufficient pressurized water to the electrolyzer is provided. A pressurized hydrogen-gas accumulator and a pressurized oxygen gas accumulator with suitable sensing instrumentation transducers, circuitry and inEormation processing ~ .~ .
~ -49-.. .. .

.

~7~

devices is used to coordinate system operation, Initial quantities of hydrogen and oxygen for engine start up and the beginning of the warm up period are supplied from the respective pressurized gas accumulators. As these reactants are used, the pressure levels in the accumulators falls and a pressure sensing switch signals for an increase in engine driven generator electricity which results in added load on the, engine. This electricity is supplied to the water electrolyzer creating immediate generation of high pressure hydrogen and oxygen gas and water flow to the electrolyzer from the water storage tank is controlled by a high pressure positive displacement pump. The accumulators are thus maintained at the desired pressure as hydrogen and oxygen are supplied to the engine.
' The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device as described with respect to the automotive diesel engine reduces particulate emissions to the , -: .

. i ~7~

same levels as comparable gasoline engines due to the improved diesel fuel combustion process and elimination of the fuel droplets ignition-combustion particulate formation mechanism of current diesel engines. The device of this invention permits elimination of the present divided combustion chamber and use of an open combustion chamber of direct injection configuration resulting is a fuel efficiency improvement o~ about 15 to 20 percent. This more than makes up fuel use attributable to electrical generation to supply the electrolyzer. The highly energetic hydrogen-oxygen combustion heat available instantly on engine starting reduces engine cold start problems. Engine noise and undue internal loads due to ignition delays which lead to very high chamber pressure rise rates occurring in the conventional automotive diesel engine will be greatly reduced by the positive, smooth and high energy ignition effect o~ the hydrogen-oxygen combustion product. Sin~e the diesel engine according to this invention does not depend upon compression ignition and in view of the provision o~ positive , :- , .~7~7Z

highly energetic hydrogen-oxygen combustion heat, reduced cetane rating fuels are usable, While in the foregoing specification this invention has been described in relation to certain preferred embodiments thereof, and many details have been set forth for purpose of illustration, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible to additional embodiments and that certain of the details described herein can be varied considerably without departing from the basic principles of the invention.

., ~ 52-. ~ . . .. .. . : . ~. .
1~ .
- ~ .

, :, .: ' , . :

. ~ .

Claims (51)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device comprising: hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber walls defining an elongated hydrogen-oxygen combus-tion chamber having a first closed end and an opposite second end providing communication with the primary fuel combustion chamber of a combustion based system; pressurized hydrogen feed means comprising controlled hydrogen control valve means controlling timing and rate of flow, hydrogen source means providing hydrogen at greater than atmospheric pressure and hydrogen injection means providing hydrogen containing gas to said hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber at about 1.1 to 2.0 times the pressure of other gases in said chamber; pressurized oxygen feed means comprising controlled oxygen control valve means controlling timing and rate of flow, oxygen source means providing oxygen at greater than atmospheric pressure and oxygen injection means providing oxygen containing gas to said hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber at about 1.1 to 2.0 times the pressure of other gases in said chamber; ignition means comprising ignition control means, ignition source means and ignition device means providing ignition energy in said first closed end of said hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber to ignite the hy-drogen-oxygen mixture therein and the combustion products thereof passing through said second end to said primary fuel combustion chamber; primary fuel feed means comprising primary fuel control valve means, primary fuel source means and primary fuel injection means providing primary fuel to said primary fuel combustion chamber; the primary fuel being ignited by said combustion products from said hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber, and control means in coordination communication with said combustion based system, said ignition means, said hydrogen control valve means, said oxygen control valve means and said primary fuel valve means to provide quantification and time sequen-eing of ignition, hydrogen and oxygen to said hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device, and primary fuel to said primary fuel combustion based system.

2. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of claim 1 wherein said primary fuel feed means additionally comprises a second primary fuel injection means providing a portion of said primary fuel to said hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber.

3. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 1 wherein said primary fuel combustion chamber additionally comprises pretreatment chamber walls defining a pretreatment chamber portion in communication with said opposite end of said hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber on one side and said primary fuel combustion chamber through an unvalued opening on the opposite side, said primary fuel feed means providing primary fuel only to said pretreatment chamber portion of said primary fuel combustion chamber.

4. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 1 wherein said primary fuel combustion chamber additionally comprises pretreatment chamber walls defining a pretreatment chamber portion in communication with said opposite end of said hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber on one side and said primary fuel combustion chamber through an unvalved opening on the opposite side and said primary fuel feed means additionally comprises a third primary fuel injection means providing at least a portion of said primary fuel to said pretreatment chamber.

5. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 2 wherein said primary fuel combustion chamber additionally comprises pretreatment chamber walls defining a pretreatment chamber portion in communication with said opposite end of said hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber on one side and said primary fuel combustion chamber through an unvalved opening on the opposite side, said primary fuel feed means providing primary fuel only to said pretreatment chamber portion of said primary fuel combustion chamber.

6. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 2 wherein said primary fuel combustion chamber additionally comprises pretreatment chamber walls defining a pretreatment chamber portion in communication with said opposite end of said hydrogen oxygen combustion chamber on one side and said primary fuel combustion chamber through an unvalved opening on the opposite side and said primary fuel feed means additionally comprises a third primary fuel injection means providing at least a portion of said primary fuel to said pretreatment chamber.

7. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 1 wherein said oxygen and hydrogen source means comprises pressurized water electrolyzer means.

8. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 7 wherein electrical energy for said water electrolyzer means is provided by an electrical generator driven by said combustion based system.

9, The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 7 wherein electrical energy for said water electrolyzer means is provided by regenerative braking system means on a vehicle.

10. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 7 wherein electrical energy for said water electrolyzer means is provided by an exhaust energy recovery means on the exhaust of said combustion chamber.

11. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 2 wherein said oxygen and hydrogen source means comprises pressurized water electrolyzer means.

12. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 3 wherein said oxygen and hydrogen source means comprises pressurized water electrolyzer means.

13. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 4 wherein said oxygen and hydrogen source means comprises pressurized water electrolyzer means.

14. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 5 wherein said oxygen and hydrogen source means comprises pressurized water electrolyzer means.

15. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 6 wherein said oxygen and hydrogen source means comprises pressurized water electrolyzer means.

16. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 1 wherein said ignition source means comprises an electrical generator.

17. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 16 wherein said ignition device means is spark plugs or glow plugs.

18. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 1 wherein said primary fuel injection means comprises a carburetor.

19. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 1 wherein said primary fuel injection means comprises injection nozzles.

20. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 1 wherein said oxygen and hydrogen source means comprises pressurized water electrolyzer means, said ignition device means comprises spark plugs or glow plugs, and said primary fuel injection means comprises a carburetor.

21. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 2 wherein said oxygen and. hydrogen source means comprises pressurized water electrolyzer means, said ignition device means comprises spark plugs or glow plugs, and said primary fuel injection means comprises a carburetor.

22. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 3 wherein said oxygen and hydrogen source means comprises pressurized water electrolyzer means, said ignition device means comprises spark plugs or glow plugs, and said primary fuel injection means comprises a carburetor.

23. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 4 wherein said oxygen and hydrogen source means comprises pressurized water electrolyzer means, said ignition device means comprises spark plugs or glow plugs, and said primary fuel injection means comprises a carburetor.

24 The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 5 wherein said oxygen and hydrogen source means comprises pressurized water electrolyzer means, said ignition device means comprises spark plugs or glow plugs, and said primary fuel injection means comprises a carburetor.

25. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 6 wherein said oxygen and hydrogen source means comprises pressurized water electrolyzer means, said ignition device means comprises spark plugs or glow plugs, and said primary fuel injection means comprises a carburetor.

26. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 1 wherein said oxygen and hydrogen source means comprises pressurized water electrolyzer means, said ignition device means comprises spark plugs or glow plugs, and said primary fuel injection means comprises injection nozzles.

27. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 2 wherein said oxygen and hydrogen source means comprises pressurized water electrolyzer means, said ignition device means comprises spark plugs or glow plugs, and said primary fuel injection means comprises injection nozzles.

28. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 3 wherein said oxygen and hydrogen source means comprises pressurized water electrolyzer means, said ignition device means comprises spark plugs or glow plugs, and said primary fuel injection means comprises injection nozzles.

29. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 4 wherein said oxygen and hydrogen source means comprises pressurized water electrolyzer means, said ignition device means comprises spark plugs or glow plugs, and said primary fuel injection means comprises injection nozzles.

30. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 5 wherein said oxygen and hydrogen source means comprises pressurized water electrolyzer means, said ignition device means comprises spark plugs or glow plugs, and said primary fuel injection means comprises injection nozzles.

31. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation device of Claim 6 wherein said oxygen and hydrogen source means comprises pressurized water electrolyzer means, said ignition device means comprises spark plugs or glow plugs, and said primary fuel injection means comprises injection nozzles.

32. The hydrogen-oxygen thermochemical combustion initiation process comprising:
providing hydrogen and oxygen to a hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber at about 1.1 to 2.0 times the pressure of other gases in said chamber and with controlled timing and rate of flow, the. hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber being in communication with the primary fuel combustion chamber of a combustion based system;
igniting and combusting said hydrogen in said hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber;
pausing the hot hydrogen combustion products from said hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber to said primary fuel combustion chamber; and providing primary fuel to said primary fuel combustion chamber, said hot hydrogen combustion products igniting said primary fuel.

33. The process of Claim 32 wherein about stoichiometric amounts of hydrogen and oxygen for combustion of the hydrogen are provided to said hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber.

34. The process of Claim 32 wherein greater than the stoichiometric amount of hydrogen, required for combustion with oxygen provided, is provided to said hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber.

35. The process of Claim 32 wherein less than the stoichiometric amount of hydrogen, required for combustion with oxygen provided, is provided to said hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber.

36 The process of Claim 32 wherein at least a portion of said primary fuel is provided to said hydrogen-oxygen-combustion chamber.

37. The process of Claim 32 wherein said primary fuel is provided only to a pretreatment chamber portion of said primary fuel combustion chamber, said pretreatment chamber having one side in communication with said hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber and the other side in communication through an unvalved opening with said primary fuel combustion chamber.

38. The process of Claim 32 wherein at least a portion of said primary fuel is additionally provided to a pretreatment chamber portion of said primary fuel combustion chamber, said pretreatment chamber having one side in communication with said hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber and the other side in communication through an unvalved opening with said primary fuel combustion chamber.

39. The process of Claim 36 wherein said primary fuel provided to said primary fuel combustion chamber is provided only to a pretreatment chamber portion of said primary fuel combustion chamber, said pretreatment chamber having one side in communication with said hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber and the other side in communication through an unvalved opening with said primary fuel combustion chamber.

40. The process of Claim 36 wherein at least a portion of said primary fuel is additionally provided to a pretreatment chamber portion of said primary fuel combustion chamber, said pretreatment chamber having one side in communication with said hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber and the other side in communication through an unvalved opening with said primary fuel combustion chamber.

41 The process of Claim 32 wherein a substantially steady state combustion of primary fuel is conducted in said combustion chamber.

42. The process of Claim 32 wherein a cyclic combustion of primary fuel is conducted in said combustion chamber.

43. The process of Claim 32 wherein said primary fuel is selected from the group consisting of natural gas, substitute natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, gasoline, kerosene, diesel oil, middle distallate fuels, residual oil, alcohol, vegetable oil derivatives, coal and peat.

44. The process of Claim 32 wherein said primary fuel combustion chamber is at substantially atmospheric pressure.

45. The process of Claim 32 wherein said primary fuel combustion chamber is at an elevated pressure of about 1 to about 300 atmospheres.

46. The process of Claim 32 wherein said hydrogen and oxygen is supplied by electrolyzing water.

47. The process of Claim 46 wherein electricity for electrolyzing water is produced by electrical generating means driven by said combustion based system.

48. The process of Claim 47 wherein said electricity is produced by a vehicular regenerative braking system.

49, The process of Claim 47 wherein said electricity is produced by an exhaust energy recovery system.

50. The process of Claim 32 wherein hydrogen is provided in an amount providing about 0.5 to 15 percent of the chemical energy derived from both hydrogen and primary fuel.

51. The process of Claim 32 wherein hydrogen is provided in an amount providing about 1 to 8 percent of the chemical energy derived from both hydrogen and primary fuel.