FUEL INJECTOR FOR. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE
The present invention relates to the supply of fuel in an internal combustion engine. More particularly, a method and apparatus in accordance with the present invention offers at least one heated capillary flow passage for vaporizing the fuel supplied to an internal combustion engine. Several systems have been designed to supply small drops of fine liquid fuel and air to internal combustion engines. These systems supply the fuel either directly to the combustion chamber (direct injection) or use a carburetor or fuel injector (s) to supply the mixture through an intake manifold in a combustion chamber (indirect injection). In currently used systems, the fuel-air mixture is produced by atomizing a liquid fuel and supplying it in the form of fine droplets in a stream of air. In conventional spark ignition engines that use a fuel injection through a port, the injected fuel is vaporized by directing the small drops of liquid fuel as hot components in the intake or manifold port, under normal operating conditions. The liquid fuel forms a film on the surfaces of the hot components and is subsequently vaporized. The mixture of vaporized fuel and intake air is then introduced into the cylinder through the pressure differential created when the intake valve is opened and the piston moves towards the bottom dead center. To ensure a degree of control compatible with modern engines / this vaporization technique is typically optimized in such a way that it occurs in less than one engine cycle. In most operating conditions of the engines, the temperature of the intake components is sufficient to rapidly vaporize the small drops of liquid fuel that come into contact with these components. However, under conditions such as cold start and heating, the fuel is not vaporized through the entry in contact with the relatively cold engine components. On the contrary, under these conditions the motor operation is ensured by supplying excess fuel in such a way that a sufficient fraction is evaporated through mass heat transfer as it travels through the air before coming into contact with a cold intake component. The rate of evaporation through this mechanism depends on the properties of fuel, temperature, pressure, relative velocities of small drops of air as well as the diameter of the small droplets. Obviously, this approach does not work in the case of start-ups in extremely cold ambient conditions, where the volatility of the fuel is insufficient to produce vapor in suitable concentrations for the air to be ignited. For chemically complete combustion, the fuel-air-e | mixture must be vaporized to a stoichiometric mixture of gas phase. A stoichiometric fuel mixture contains the exact amounts of air (oxygen) and fuel that are required for complete combustion. In the case of gasoline, this air-fuel ratio is approximately 14.7: 1 by weight. A fuel-air mixture that is not completely vaporized, or stoichiometric, results in incomplete combustion and reduced thermal efficiency. The products of an ideal combustion process are water (H20) and carbon dioxide (C02). If the combustion is incomplete, a certain part of the carbon is not totally oxidized, providing monocarbon monoxide (CO) and unburned hydrocarbons (HC). The mandate to reduce pollution has resulted in attempts to compensate for the inefficiencies of combustion with multiple modifications to the fuel and engine system. In accordance with the evidence of the prior art related to the preparation of fuel and supply systems, many efforts have focused on reducing the size of small drops of liquid fuel, increasing the turbulence of the system and providing enough heat to vaporize the fuels in order to allow more complete combustion. However, an inefficient preparation of fuel at lower engine temperatures remains a problem which results in higher emissions, requiring complex control strategies and subsequent treatment. Such control strategies may include exhaust gas recirculation, variable valve timing, delayed ignition timing, reduced compression ratios, the use of catalytic converters and air ionization to oxidize unburned hydrocarbons and produce an exothermic reaction. beneficial for the operation of the catalytic converter. Excess fuel supply to the engine during a cold start and during heating is a major source of emissions of unburned hydrocarbons in conventional engines. What aggravates the problem is the fact that the catalytic converter is also cold during this period of operation and, therefore, does not reduce a significant amount of the unburned hydrocarbons that pass through the engine exhaust. As a result, the high concentrations leaving the unburnt hydrocarbon engine pass essentially unreacted through the catalytic converter and are emitted by the exhaust. It has been estimated that up to 80% of the total hydrocarbon emissions produced by a typical modern passenger car occur during the cold start and warm-up period during which the engine receives an excessive fuel supply and the catalytic converter is essentially inactive. Given the relatively large proportion of unburnt hydrocarbons emitted during startup, this aspect of passenger car engine operation has been the focus of major technological development efforts. In addition, as emissions standards become more stringent in legislation and since consumers remain price and performance sensitive, these development efforts will continue to be of the utmost importance. Such efforts to reduce emissions at the time of starting of conventional engines fall generally into two categories: 1) the reduction of the heating time for the three-way catalyst systems and 2) the improvement of the techniques of vaporization of fuel. Efforts to reduce the warm-up time for three-way catalysts to date have included: the delay of going <; - ignition timing to raise the exhaust temperature; the premature opening of the exhaust valves; electrical heating of the catalyst; the heating of the catalyst by burner or flame; and catalytic heating of the catalyst. In general terms, these efforts are costly and do not resolve HC emissions during a cold start and immediately after. Several techniques have been proposed to solve the problem of vaporization of fuel. U.S. Patents propose fuel vaporization techniques that include US Patent No.
5,195,477 issued by Hudson, Jr. et al., The Patent
North American No. 5,331,937 issued to Clarke, the Patent
No. 4,886,032 issued to Asmus, the Patent
North American No. 4,955, 351 issued to Lewis et al., US Patent No. 4, 458, 655 issued to Oza, US Patent No. 6, 189, 518 issued to Cooke, US Patent No. 5, 482, 023. reported to Hunt, US Patent No. 6, 109, 247 issued Hunt, US Patent No. 6, 067, 970 issued to Awarzamani et al., Patent
North American No. 5,947, 091 issued to Krohn et al., US Patent No. 5, 758, 826 issued to Nines, US Patent No. 5, 836, 289 issued to Thring, and US Patent No. 5, 813, 388 issued to Cikanek, Jr. and collaborators. Other proposed delivery devices include U.S. Patent No. 3,716,416, which discloses a fuel introduction device for use in a fuel cell system. The fuel cell system is contemplated to be self-regulating, producing energy at a predetermined level. The proposed fuel introduction system includes a capillary flow control device for throttling the fuel flow in response to the power output of the fuel cell, rather than providing an improved fuel preparation for subsequent production. On the contrary, the fuel is contemplated to be fed to the fuel cell for conversion to H2. In a preferred embodiment, the capillary tubes are made of metal and the capillary itself is used as a resistor that is in electrical contact with the power output of the fuel cell. Due to the fact that the resistance to the flow of a vapor is greater than the resistance to the flow of a liquid, the flow is strangled as the power output rises. The fuels suggested for use include any fluid easily transformed from a liquid into a vapor phase by applying heat and flowing freely through a capillary. Vaporization seems to be achieved in the way that steam blockage occurs in automobile engines. US Patent No. 6,276,347 proposes a supercritical or almost supercritical atomizer and a method for achieving the atomization or vaporization of a liquid. The supercritical atomizer of US Pat. No. 6,276,347 allows the use of heavy fuels to ignite spark ignition piston engines, with a low, light, small compression ratio that typically burn gasoline. The a-feomizer is contemplated to create a spray of small droplets of liquid or liquid-type fuels, by displacing fuels to their supercritical temperature and releasing the fuels in a region of lower pressure in the field of gas stability in the phase diagram associated with the fuels, causing fine atomization or vaporization of the fuel. Its usefulness is disclosed for applications such as combustion engines, scientific equipment, chemical processing, residue control, cleaning, chemical attack, insect control, surface modification, humidification and vaporization. To minimize decomposition, US Pat. No. 6,276,347 proposes to keep the fuel below the supercritical temperature until the distal end of a restrictor for atomization is passed. In the case of certain applications, heating only the tip of the restrictor is desirable to minimize the potential for chemical reactions or precipitation. It is commented that this reduces the problems related to impurities, reagents and materials in the fuel stream that tend otherwise to be expelled from the solution, covering the lines and filters. Working at near supercritical pressure suggests that the fuel supply system operates within a range of 21.1 to 56.2 kq / (300 to 800 psig). While the use of supercritical temperatures and pressures can reduce the clogging of the atomizer, it seems to require the use of a relatively more expensive fuel pump, as well as fuel lines, attachments and the like that are capable of operating at these temperatures. In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a fuel injector for vaporizing a liquid fuel for use in the internal combustion engine, comprising: (a) at least one capillary flow passage, said at least one passage of capital flow has an inlet end and an outlet end, said capillary flow passage comprises a channel formed within a monolithic body produced from a material selected from the group consisting of ceramics, polymers, metals and compounds of the themselves or a multi-layer ceramic body; (b) a fluid control valve for positioning said inlet end of said at least one capillary flow passage in fluid communication with the liquid fuel source and for introducing the liquid fuel in a substantially liquid state; and (c) a heat source positioned along said at least one capillary flow passage, said heat source being operated to heat the liquid fuel in said at least one capillary flow passage at a level sufficient to changing at least a portion thereof from the liquid state to a vapor state and for supplying a substantially vaporized stream of fuel from said outlet end of said at least one capillary flow passage. In another aspect, the present invention focuses on a fuel system for use in an internal combustion engine, comprising: (a) several fuel injectors, each fuel injector includes (i) at least one passage of capillary flow, said at least one capillary flow passage having an inlet end and an outlet end, said capillary flow passage comprises a channel formed within a monolithic body produced from a material selected from the group consisting of ceramics, polymers, metals and compounds thereof, or a multi-layer ceramic body; (ii) a fluid control valve for positioning said inlet end of said at least one capillary flow passage in fluid communication with the liquid fuel source and for introducing the liquid fuel in a substantially liquid state; and (iii) a heat source positioned along at least one capillary flow passage, said heat source operates to heat the liquid fuel in said at least one capillary flow passage at a level sufficient to change at least a portion thereof from the liquid state to a vapor state and to supply a substantially vaporized fuel stream from said outlet end of said at least one capillary flow passage: (b) a liquid fuel supply system in fluid communication with said various fuel injectors; and (c) a controller for controlling the supply of fuel to said various fuel injectors. In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method for supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of: (a) supplying liquid fuel to at least one capillary flow passage of a fuel injector; (b) causing a substantially vaporized fuel stream to pass through an outlet of the at least one capillary flow passage by heating the liquid fuel in the at least one capillary flow passage; and (c) supplying the vaporized fuel to a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine; wherein the capillary flow passage comprises a channel formed within a monolithic body produced from a material selected from the group consisting of ceramics, polymers, metals and compounds thereof or a multi-layer ceramic body. The present invention offers a fuel injector and supply system that can deliver vaporized fuel while requiring minimum power and a warm-up time, without the need for a high-pressure fuel supply system, which can be used in numerous configurations including conventional fuel injection engines, hybrid-electric engines, gasoline direct injection engines, and alcohol-powered engines. The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the preferred embodiments of the invention which are offered by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a modified fuel injector, in section partial transverse, which includes a capillary flow passage in accordance with a preferred embodiment; Figure 2 is a side elevation view of a fuel injector embodiment in accordance with another preferred form; Figure 2A is an isometric view of a capillary outlet of the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2; Figure 3 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of a fuel injector according to another preferred embodiment; Figure 3A is an isometric view of another outlet design of the capillary of the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3; Figure 4 is a side elevation view of another embodiment of a fuel injector in accordance with a preferred form; Figure 4A is an isometric view of another outlet design of the capillary of the embodiment illustrated in Figure 4; Figure 5 is a schematic illustration of another embodiment of a fuel injector in accordance with a preferred form; Figure 6 is a side view of another embodiment of a fuel injector in accordance with a preferred form; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the fuel injector according to another preferred form; Figure 8 is a side view of another embodiment employing double injectors in accordance with another preferred embodiment;
Figure 9 is a side view of another embodiment of a fuel injector in accordance with a preferred embodiment shown in cross section; Figure 9A is an enlarged view of an identified portion of the embodiment shown in Figure 9; Fig. 10 & s a side view of another embodiment of a fuel injector according to a preferred embodiment, shown in partial cross-section; Figure 10A is an enlarged view of an identified portion of the embodiment shown in Figure 10; Figure 11 is a side elevation view of another preferred form of a fuel injector in accordance therewith; Figure 11A is an isometric view of another outlet design of the capillary of the embodiment illustrated in Figure 11; Fig. 12 is a side view of another embodiment of a fuel injector having a heated capillary passage with recirculated exhaust gas; Figure 13 is a schematic of a fuel supply and control system, in accordance with a preferred embodiment; Figure 14 is a graph illustrating engine parameters during the first 20 seconds of starting the engine using the fuel supply device of the invention;
Figure 15 is a graph illustrating a comparison of engine emissions from fuel delivery device of the invention with conventional port fuel injectors; Figure 16 is a graph of mass flow of gasoline as a function of time showing the benefit of operation achieved through the use of the oxidation cleaning method of the present invention; Figure 11 is a graph of fuel flow rate versus time for a commercial grade gasoline; Figure 18 presents a graph of fuel flow rate versus time comparing several gasolines; Figure 19 is a graph of fuel flow rate versus time comparing an aircraft fuel with a No. 2 diesel fuel; Figure 20 presents a graph of fuel flow rate versus time for a diesel fuel without additives showing the effect of cleaning by oxidation; and Figure 21 is a graph of fuel flow rate versus time comparing a diesel fuel without additives with a fuel containing an anti-fouling additive. Reference is now made to the embodiments illustrated in Figures 1-21, wherein the same numbers are used to designate the same parts throughout the document. The present invention offers a preparation and supply of fuel useful for cold start, heating and normal operation of an internal combustion engine. The fuel system includes a fuel injector having a capillary flow bale that can heat liquid fuel such that the substantially vaporized fuel is fed to a motor cylinder. Substantially vaporized fuel can be burned with reduced emissions compared to conventional fuel injector systems. In addition, the fuel supply system of the present invention requires less power, and has shorter heating times than other vaporization techniques. In general, gasolines do not vaporize easily at low temperatures. During a period of cold start and heating, relatively little vaporization of the liquid fuel takes place. As such, it is necessary to provide an excess of liquid fuel to each cylinder of the engine in order to achieve an air / fuel mixture that will burn. When the fuel vapor generated from excess liquid fuel ignites, the combustion gases discharged from the cylinders include unburned fuel and undesirable gaseous emissions. However, upon reaching a normal operating temperature, the liquid fuel is easily vaporized in such a way that a smaller amount of fuel is required to achieve an air / fuel mixture that burns easily. Profitably, ai reaching a normal operating temperature, the air / fuel mixture can be controlled at stoichiometric level- or close to said stoichiometric level, thereby reducing the emissions of unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. In addition, when the fuel supply is controlled at the stoichiometric level or close to the stoichiometric level, a just enough amount of air is available in the exhaust stream for simultaneous oxidation of unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxides and reduction of nitrogen oxide in a Three-way catalyst (TC). The system and method of the present invention injects a fuel that has been substantially vaporized in the intake flow passage, or directly into a motor cylinder, thereby eliminating the need for excess fuel during the start-up and heating period of a fuel. motor. The fuel is preferably supplied to the engine in a stoichiometric or low fuel mixture, with air, or air and diluent, such that virtually all of the fuel is burned during the cold start and warm-up period. With conventional fuel injection per port, excess fuel is required to ensure robust and rapid engine starts. Under conditions of fuel-rich mixing, the exhaust stream reaching the three-way catalyst does not contain enough air to oxidize excess fuel and unburned hydrocarbons as the catalyst is heated. One approach to solve this problem is to use an air pump to supply additional air to the exhaust stream upstream of the catalytic converter. The objective is to generate a stoichiometric or slightly fuel-poor exhaust stream which can react on the catalyst surface once the catalyst reaches its operating temperature. In contrast, the system and method of the present invention allows the engine to operate in stoichiometric conditions or in slightly fuel-poor conditions during the cold start and warm-up period, eliminating both the need for excess fuel and the need for a fuel pump. additional exhaust air, thus reducing the cost and complexity of the exhaust after the treatment system. As mentioned, during the cold start and heating period, the three-way catalyst is initially cold and can not reduce a significant amount of unburned hydrocarbons passing through the catalyst. Much effort has been devoted to reducing the heating time for three-way catalysts to convert a larger fraction of the unburned hydrocarbons emitted during the cold start and heating period. One such concept is to deliberately operate the very fuel-rich engine during the cold start and warm-up period. -Using an exhaust air pump to supply air in this fuel-rich exhaust stream, a fuel mixture can be generated which is burned either by auto-ignition or by some ignition source upstream of the catalytic converter or within of said converter. The exotherm produced by this oxidation process significantly increases the temperature of the exhaust gas and the heat is largely transferred to the catalytic converter as the exhaust gas passes through the catalyst. Using the system and method of the present invention, the engine can be controlled to operate alternate cylinders rich in fuels and poor in fuels to achieve the same effect but without the need of an air pump. For example, with a four-cylinder engine, the cylinders could operate with a fuel-rich mixture during the cold start and warm-up period to generate unburned hydrocarbons in the exhaust. The remaining two cylinders could operate as a fuel-poor mixture during the cold start and heating period to provide oxygen to the exhaust stream. The system and method of the present invention can also be used with direct gasoline injection (GDI) engines. In direct gasoline injection engines, the fuel is injected directly into the cylinder in the form of a finely atomized spray that evaporates and mixes with the air to form a premixed charge of air and a vaporized fuel before ignition. Current GDI engines require high fuel pressures to atomize the fuel spray. GDI engines operate with a stratified load at partial load to reduce the inherent pump losses in conventional indirect injection engines. A spark ignition, stratified charge engine has the potential to burn fuel-poor mixtures to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions. Preferably, a poor overall fuel mixture is formed in the combustion chamber, but is controlled to be at stoichiometric levels or slightly rich in fuel in the vicinity of the spark plug at the time of ignition. The stoichiometric portion is therefore easily ignited and this in turn ignites the remaining mixture with a low level of combustion. While pumping losses can be reduced, the operating window currently available in the case of a stratified load is limited to low engine speeds and relatively light loads. Limiting factors include insufficient time for vaporization and mixing at higher engine speeds and insufficient mixing or poor air utilization at higher loads. By supplying a vaporized fuel, the system and method of the present invention can expand the operation window for a stratified loading operation, solving the problem associated with insufficient time for vaporization and mixing. Advantageously, unlike conventional GDI fuel systems, the fuel pressure employed in the practice of the present invention can be decreased, reducing the overall cost and complexity of the fuel system. The invention provides a fuel supply system for an internal combustion engine that includes a supply of liquid fuel under pressure that supplies liquid fuel under pressure, at least one capillary flow passage connected to the liquid fuel supply, and a source of liquid fuel. heat placed along at least one capillary flow passage. The heat source operates to heat liquid fuel in at least one capillary flow passage sufficiently to supply a substantially vaporized fuel stream. The fuel supply device is preferably operated to supply the vaporized fuel stream to one or more combustion chambers of an internal combustion engine during start-up, heating, and other operating conditions of the internal combustion engine. If desired, the at least one capillary flow passage can be used to supply a liquid fuel to the engine under normal operating conditions. The invention also provides a method for supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine, including the steps of supplying the liquid fuel under pressure to at least one capillary flow passage and for heating the liquid fuel under pressure in the at least one passageway. of capillary flow sufficiently to cause the supply of a stream of vaporized fuel to at least one combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine during start-up, heating and other operating conditions of the internal combustion engine. A fuel supply system in accordance with the present invention includes at least a capillary-sized flow passage through which fuel under pressure flows before being injected into a combustion engine.A capillary-sized flow passage it can be provided with a hydraulic diameter preferably less than 2 mm, more preferably less than 1 mm and most especially less than 0.5 mm.The hydraulic diameter is used to calculate the flow of fluid through a fluid carrying element. Hydraulic is defined as the flow area of the element that carries fluid divided between the perimeter of the solid boundary in contact with the fluid (it is generally known as the "humidified" perimeter.) In the case of an element that carries fluid of circular cross section, the hydraulic radius when the element is flowing full is (D¿ / 4) / p? =? / 4. In the case of fluid flow of non-circular elements that transport fluid, the hydraulic diameter is used. From the definition of the hydraulic radius, the diameter of an element that transports fluid having a circular cross section is four times its hydraulic radius. Accordingly, the hydraulic diameter is defined as four times the hydraulic radius. Heat is applied along the capillary passage, which results in at least a part of the liquid fuel entering the flow passage being converted into a vapor as it travels along the passage. The fuel leaves the capillary passage in the form of a vapor optionally containing a smaller proportion of heated liquid fuel, which has not been vaporized. By substantially vaporized, we understand that at least 50% of the volume of the liquid fuel is vaporized by the heat source, more preferably, at least 70%, and most especially at least 80% of the liquid fuel is vaporized . Even though it may be difficult to achieve 100% vaporization due to complex physical effects, however, complete vaporization would be desirable. These complex physical effects include variations in the boiling point of the fuel since the boiling point depends on the pressure and the pressure may vary in the f-luxury capillary passage. Thus, while it is believed that a larger portion of the fuel reaches the boiling point during heating in the capillary flow passage, a part of the liquid fuel may not be heated sufficiently to vaporize completely which results in a part of the liquid fuel passing through through. the outlet of the capillary flow passage together with the vaporized fluid. The capillary-sized fluid passage is preferably formed in a capillary body, for example, a glass or ceramic body or multi-layer or single-layer metal. The passage has an enclosed volume that opens to an entrance and an exit any of which, or both, may open outwardly of the capillary body or may be connected to another passage within the same body or to attachments. The heater may be formed in a portion of the body, for example, a section of stainless steel tube or the heater may be a discrete layer or a wire of resistance heating material incorporated in the capillary body or on said body. The fluid passage can have any shape that influences an enclosed volume that opens into an inlet and outlet and through which a fluid can pass. The fluid passage can have any desired cross section, with a cross section in the form of a circle of uniform diameter being preferred. Other transverse sections of capillary fluid passage include non-circular shapes, eg, triangular, square, rectangular, oval shapes, or other shapes and the cross section of the fluid passage does not have to be uniform. The fluid passage may extend in a rectilinear or non-rectilinear manner and may be a single fluid passage or a multi-path fluid passage. In the case in which the capillary passage is defined by a metal capillary tube, the tube may have an internal diameter of 0.01 to 3 m, preferably 0.1 to 1 rom, more preferably 0.15 to 0.5 mm. Alternatively, the capillary passage can be defined by a transverse area of the passage that can be 8 x 10"5 to 7 mm preferably 8 x 10" J to 8 x 10"1 mm2 and more preferably 2 x 10" 3 to 2 x 10"1 mm2 Many combinations of a single capillary or several capillaries, various pressures, various capillary lengths, amounts of heat applied to the capillary, and different cross-sectional areas will be suitable for a given application.The liquid fuel can be supplied to the passage of capillary flow under a pressure of at least 0.7 kg / cm¿ (10 psig), preferably at least 1.4 kg / crrr (20 psig). In the case where the capillary flow passage is defined by the interior of a stainless steel tube having an internal diameter of approximately 0.051 cm (0.020 inches) and a length of approximately 15.2 cm (5 inches), the fuel is - preferably supplied to the capillary passage at a pressure of 7 kg / cm2 (100 psig) or less to achieve mass flow rates required for stoichiometric start-up of a typical automotive motor cylinder (in the order of 100-200 mg / s) ). The at least one capillary passage offers a sufficient flow of substantially vaporized fuel to ensure a stoichiometric or quasi-stoichiometric mixture of fuel and air that can be ignited and burned within the cylinder (of the cylinders) of an engine without producing undesirably high levels of fuel. unburned hydrocarbons or other emissions. The capillary tube is also characterized in that it has a low thermal inertia such that the capillary passage can be brought to the desired temperature to vaporize the fuel very quickly, preferably within 2.0 seconds, more preferably within 0.5 seconds, and especially within 0.1 seconds, which is beneficial in applications involving the cold start of the engine. The low thermal inertia can also provide advantages during normal operation of the engine, for example, by improving the response of the fuel supply to sudden changes in engine power requirement. During the vaporization of the liquid fuel in a heated capillary passage, carbon deposits and / or heavy hydrocarbons can accumulate in the capillary walls and the flow of the fuel can be severely restricted which can finally cause the plugging of the capillary flow passage. The rate of accumulation of these deposits depends on the capillary wall temperature, fuel flow rate and fuel type. It is believed that fuel additives may be useful in reducing such deposits. However, if a tamponade develops, this plugging can be removed by oxidizing the deposits. Figure 1 shows a fuel injector 10 for vaporizing a liquid fuel extracted from a liquid fuel source, in accordance with the present invention. Apparatus 10 includes a capillary flow passage 12 having an inlet end 14 and an outlet end 16. A fluid control valve 18 is provided to place an inlet end 14 of a capillary flow passage 12 in communication with fluid with a source of liquid fuel F and for introducing the liquid fuel in a substantially liquid state in the capillary flow passage 12.
As preferred, a fluid control valve 18 can be operated by solenoid 28. A solenoid 28 has coil windings 32 connected to an electrical connector 30. When the coil windings 32 receive power, the solenoid element 36 is pulled in the center of the coil winding 32_ | When the power supply of the coil windings 32 is suspended, a spring 38 returns the solenoid element to its original position. A pin 40 is connected to the solenoid element 36. The movement of the solenoid element 36 caused by the application of electricity to the coil windings 32 causes the pin to be moved away from an orifice 42 allowing the fuel to flow through. of the orifice 42. A heat source 20 is placed along the capillary flow passage 12. As is especially preferred, a heat source 20 is provided by the formation of a capillary flow passage 12 from a tube of material electrically resistant, a portion of capillary flow passage 12 that forms a heater element when an electric current source is connected to the tube at connections 22 and 24 to supply current therein. A source of heat 20, as can be seen, can then operate to heat the liquid fuel in the capillary flow passage 12 to a level sufficient to change at least a portion thereof from a liquid state to a vapor state and supplying a substantially vaporized fuel stream from an outlet end 16 of the capillary flow passage 12. The apparatus 10 also includes a device for cleaning tanks formed during the operation of the apparatus 10. The device for cleaning tanks shown in Figure 1 it includes a fluid control valve 18, a heat source 20 and an oxidant control valve 26 for placing the capillary flow passage 12 in fluid communication with an oxidant source C. As can be seen, the control valve of oxidant can be located at or near either end of the capillary flow passage 12 or it can be configured in fluid communication with any end of capillary flow 12. If the oxidant control valve is located at or near the outlet end 16 of the capillary flow passage 12, then it serves to place the source of oxidant C in fluid communication with the outlet end 16 of the capillary flow passage 12. In operation, the heat source 20 is used to heat the oxidant C in capillary flow passage 12 to a level sufficient to oxidize the deposits formed during the heating of the liquid fuel F. In a mode for changing a fuel feed mode to a cleaning mode, the oxidant control valve 26 can be operated to alternate between the introduction of liquid fuel F and the introduction of oxidant C into the capillary flow passage 12 and allow in situ cleaning of the capillary flow passage 12 when the oxidant is introduced into the at least one capillary flow passage. - A technique to oxidize deposits includes the passage of air or vapor through the capillary. The flow passage is preferably heated during the cleaning operation in such a way that the oxidation process is initiated and maintained until the deposits are consumed. To increase this cleaning operation, a catalytic substance can be used either as a coating or as a component of the capillary wall to reduce the temperature and / or time required to achieve cleaning. In the case of a continuous operation of the fuel supply system, more than one capillary flow passage can be used in such a way that when a plugged condition is detected, as for example by the use of a sensor, the fuel flow can be diverted to another capillary flow passage and the flow of oxidant can be initiated through the capillarized capillary flow passage that must be cleaned. As an example, a capillary body may include several capillary flow passages there and a valve arrangement may be provided to selectively supply liquid fuel or air to each flow passage. Alternatively, a fuel flow can be diverted from a capillary flow passage and an oxidant flow can be initiated at pre-set intervals. The supply of fuel to a capillary flow passage can be effected through a controller. For example, the controller can activate the fuel management for a preset period of time and deactivate the fuel supply after the pre-established time. The controller may also adjust the pressure of the liquid fuel and / or the amount of heat that is supplied to the capillary flow passage based on one or more detected conditions. The detected conditions may include, among others: fuel pressure; the capillary temperature; and the air-fuel mixture. The controller can also control several fuel supply devices connected to the application. The controller can also control one or several capillary flow passages to clean deposits or clogging. For example, cleaning a capillary flow passage can be achieved by applying heat to the capillary flow passage and for supplying a flow from a source of oxidant to the capillary flow passage. The heated capillary flow passage 12, according to the invention, can produce a stream of vaporized fuel that condenses in air to form a mixture of vaporized fuel, small drops of fuel, and air which is commonly referred to as an aerosol. Compared to a conventional automotive fuel injector, which supplies a fuel rocket consisting of small droplets within a range of 150 to 200um Sauter Mean Diameter (SD), the aerosol has an average small droplet size less than 25 μp? SMD, preferably less than 15 um SMD. Thus, most of the small fuel droplets produced by the heated capillary according to the present invention can be transported by an air stream, independently of the flow path, to the combustion chamber. The difference between the small droplet size distributions of a conventional injector and the heated capillary flow passage in accordance with the present invention is especially critical during cold start and heating conditions, specifically, using a conventional port fuel injector. , relatively cold intake manifold components must receive an excess of fuel in such a way that a sufficient fraction of the large fuel droplets, which come in contact with the intake components, are vaporized to produce a fuel / air mixture capable of On the other hand, the vaporized fuel and the small fine droplets produced by the fuel injector of the present invention are essentially not affected by the temperature of the engine components at start-up and, as such, eliminate the need for excess fuel. during engine start-up conditions. removal of the excess fuel combined with the precise control of the fuel / air ratio to the engine that is offered through the use of the heated capillary injector of the present invention results in very reduced emissions during cold start compared to what is produced by engines that use conventional fuel injectors systems. In addition to a reduction, of the overall fuel feed, it should also be noted that the heated capillary injector according to the present invention also allows the operation with a fuel-poor mixture during cold start and heating, which results in a further reduction of emissions in the exhaust during the heating of the catalytic converter. With reference to Figure 1, the capillary flow passage 12 may comprise a metal tube, for example a stainless steel capillary tube and the heater comprises a segment of tube 20 through which an electric current passes. In a preferred embodiment, the capillary tube is provided with an internal diameter of aposimately 0.051 to 0.076 cm (0.02 to 0.030 inch), a heated length of approximately 5.08 to 25.4 cm (2 to 10 inches), and the fuel may be supplied to tube 12 at a pressure of less than 7.0 kg / cm (100 psig), preferably less than 4.9 kg / cm (70 psig), more preferably less than 4.2 kg / cm2 (60 psig), and preferably even higher less than 3.1 kg / cm2 (45 psig) or less. It has been shown that this embodiment produces vaporized fuel which forms a distribution of small aerosol droplets essentially within a range of sizes 2 to 30 p SMD with an average size of small droplets of approximately 5 to 15 μ? SMD, when the vaporized fuel is condensed in the air at room temperature. The preferred size of the small fuel droplets to achieve rapid and almost complete vaporization at cold start temperatures is less than about 25 um. This result can be achieved by applying approximately 10.2 to 40.8 kg / sec (100 to 400 W), for example 20.4 kg / sec (200 W) of electrical energy which corresponds to 2-3% of the energy content of the vaporized fuel , to a 15.2 cm (6 inch) stainless steel capillary tube. The electric power can be applied to the capillary tube by forming the tube entirely from the electrically conductive material, such as stainless steel, or by supplying a conductive material on at least a part of the non-electrically conductive or laminated tube having a flow passage there, as for example by rolling or coating an electrically resistant material to form a resistance heater in the tube or laminate. Electrical conductors can be connected to the electrically conductive material to supply the electric current to the heater such that the tube is heated over its length. Alternatives to heating the tube over its length could include inductive heating as for example through an electric coil positioned around the flow passage, or other heat sources placed in relation to the flow passage to heat the length of the flow passage 4 through of one or a combination of conductive, convective or radiant thermal transfer. Although a preferred capillary tube has a heated length of approximately 15.2 cm (6 inches) and an internal diameter of approximately 0.051 cm (0.020 inch), other capillary configurations offer acceptable vapor quality. For example, the internal diameter may be within a range of 0.05 to 0.08 cm (0.02 to 0.03 inch) and the heated portion of the capillary tube may be within a range of 2.5 to 25.4 cm (1 to 10 pregates). After cold start and heating it is not necessary to heat the capillary tube in such a way that the unheated capillary tube can be used to supply an adequate level of liquid fuel to a motor operating at normal temperature. The vaporized fuel leaving the fuel capillary according to the present invention can be injected into an engine intake manifold at the same location as the existing port fuel injectors or at another location along the intake manifold. If desired, however, the fuel capillary can be positioned to supply vaporized fuel directly to each cylinder of the engine. The fuel capillary offers advantages compared to systems that produce small droplets of larger fuel size that must be injected against the back side of a closed intake valve while the engine is started. Preferably, the exit of the fuel capillary tube is placed flush with the intake manifold wall in a manner similar to the arrangement of conventional fuel injector outlets. After approximately 20 seconds (or preferably less) of starting the engine, the heat fed to the capillary flow passage 12 can be turned off and the liquid injection can be initiated using conventional fuel injectors, for normal operation of the engine. Normal operation of the motor can be effected alternatively by injection of liquid fuel through an unheated capillary flow passage 12 through continuous injection or possibly through pulsed injection. With reference to Figure 2, a second example embodiment of the present invention is shown. A fuel injector 100 has a capillary flow passage 112. The capillary flow passage 112 is heated along a heated section 120. The capillary flow passage 112 is equipped with a widened end 150 with several perforations 152. in a plate 154 covering the enlarged end 150 in accordance with that illustrated by Figure 2A. the fuel injector 100 may include a fluid control valve, for example a solenoid valve of the type described above and shown in Figure 1, which allows the supply of liquid fuel under pressure to the capillary flow passage 112. After sufficient heating of the engine, the heating of the capillary flow passage can be suspended. 112 and fuel 22 can be supplied through capillary flow passage 112. Referring now to Figure 3, a third example embodiment of the present invention is shown. A fuel injector 200 is illustrated which has a capillary flow passage 212. The capillary flow passage 212 is heated along the heated section 220. The capillary flow passage 212 is equipped with a flat end 250 with various perforations. 252 on a plate 254 that covers the flat end 250 as illustrated in Figure 3A. The fuel injector 200 may include a fluid control valve, such as a solenoid valve of the type described above and shown in Figure 1, which allows the supply of a liquid fuel under pressure to the capillary flow passage. As described above, after sufficient heating of an engine using several fuel injectors 200, the heating of the capillary flow passage 212 can terminate and the liquid fuel can be supplied through the capillary flow passage 212. The injector 200 It can be cleaned profitably through the use of the oxidation technique described above. Referring now to Figure 4, a fourth example embodiment of the present invention is presented. A fuel injector 300 is shown which has a capillary flow passage 312. The capillary flow passage 312 is heated along the heated section 320. The capillary flow passage 312 is equipped with a tapered end 350 with various perforations. 352 on a conical plate 354 that covers the conical end 350 in accordance with that illustrated in Figure 4A. The fuel injector 300 may include a fluid control valve, such as a solenoid valve of the type described above and shown in Figure 1, which allows the supply of liquid fuel under pressure to the capillary flow passage 312. In accordance with As described above, after an engine using several fuel injectors 300, the heating of the capillary flow passage 312 can terminate and the liquid fuel can be supplied through the capillary passage 212. In the injector 300 it can be profitably cleaned. through the use of the oxidation technique described above. Referring now to Figure 5, there is shown a double fuel injector 400 in accordance with the present invention. Figure 5 illustrates the double function fuel injector 400 which may comprise a conventional fuel injector 460 and a heated capillary injector 410. In this embodiment, a heated capillary flow passage 412 is integrated in the fuel injector 400. After approximately 20 seconds of engine starting, or preferably less, the capillary injector 410 can be deactivated through a solenoid-activated piston 436 and the conventional injector 460 activated through another solenoid-activated piston 470 for continuous operation the motor. Another example embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 6. As shown, a fuel injector 500 can be equipped with a heated capillary flow passage 512 and a liquid fuel injector nozzle 560. The fuel flow can be selectively directed to the heated flow or capillary passage 512 to provide a vaporized fuel or nozzle 560 to provide a liquid fuel through the use of a valve array 540, as shown in Figure 6. After approximately 20 seconds of Starting the engine or preferably less, the fuel flow can be changed from capillary flow passage 512 to the liquid flow nozzle 560 by the valve arrangement for normal operation of the engine. The 540 valve arrangement can operate through a controller, which is part of an electronic engine control system. With reference to Figure 7, another example embodiment of the present invention is shown. A fuel injector 600 has a helical heated capillary flow passage 612 which is wrapped around, within the fuel injector 600 as illustrated in Figure 7. In this embodiment, the capillary flow passage 612 is wrapped around the fuel assembly. solenoid 628 and heated along a heated segment 620, defined by electrical connections 622 and 624. This embodiment is useful in a situation where space is limited and a linear capillary tube is not feasible. In addition, this mode could be adapted to be used with a conventional fuel injector (see Figure 8) to supply fuel to an engine during normal operating conditions.
Referring now to Figure 8, a motor intake port 700 is equipped with a heated capillary injector 10 (of the type described with reference to Figure 1) and a conventional liquid fuel injector 750. In this embodiment, the fuel will be supplied to the motor by the flow passage -capillary 12, heated on its length 20, during cold start and heating of the motor. After approximately the first 20 seconds of starting the engine, or preferably less, the heated capillary injector 10 will be deactivated and the conventional fuel injector 750 will be activated for normal operation of the engine. As will be seen, the apparatus and system for preparing and supplying fuel illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 and 7 can also be used in relation to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring again to Figure 1, the means for cleaning deposits includes fluid control valve 18, solvent control valve 26 for placing capillary flow passage 12 in fluid communication with a solvent, solvent control valve 26 placed at one end of the capillary flow passage 12. In one embodiment of the apparatus employing solvent cleaning, the solvent control valve 26 (the oxidizer control valve in the preferred form employing the oxidation cleaning technique, described above), operates to alternate between the introduction of liquid fuel and the introduction of solvent into a capillary flow passage 12, allowing in situ cleaning of the capillary flow passage 12 when the solvent is introduced into a capillary flow passage 12. A wide variety of solvents are useful, the solvent can - understand liquid fuel from the liquid fuel source. When this is the case, no solvent control valve is required, since there is no need to alternate between fuel and solvent, and the heat source must be removed over time or deactivated during the cleaning of the flow passage capillary 12. Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in the partial cross-section of FIG. 9. A fuel injector 800 having a heated capillary flow passage tube 812 for supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine is shown in FIG. Figure 9. Details of the tube for supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine are illustrated in Figure 9A. As shown, an axially displaceable rod 850 is placed within the capillary flow passage 812. The distal end 816 the capillary flow passage 812 is widened i the distal end 852 of the axially displaceable rod 850 is tapered to form a valve 854 wherein the axial movement of the rod 850 opens and closes the valve 854. As can be seen, the repeated movement of the displaceable rod 850 is effective to subject the deposits formed during the operation of the fuel injector of the present invention to abrasion. Referring now to Figure 10, another embodiment of the present invention is shown in partial cross section. A fuel injector 900 having a heated capillary flow passage tube 912 for supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine is shown in Figure 10. Details of the tube for supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine are illustrated in Figure 10A . As shown, an axially displaceable rod 950 is placed within the capillary flow passage 912. The distal end 916 of the capillary flow passage 912 is widened and the distal end 952 of the axially displaceable rod 950 is tapered to form a valve 954 wherein the axial movement of the rod 950 opens and closes the valve 954. Also within the capillary flow passage 912 are several brushes 960 positioned along the axially displaceable rod 950 for passage cleaning of capillary flow 912. As can be seen, the repeated movement of the axially movable rod 950 is effective to subject the deposits formed during operation of the fuel injector of the present invention to abrasion.
Referring now to Figure 11, another example embodiment of the present invention is shown in partial cross section. A fuel injector 1000 has several capillaries 1012 placed in parallel to supply fuel to an internal combustion engine. In this embodiment, the fuel will be supplied to the engine through one or more of the capillary flow passages 1012, heated over its length 1020, during specific periods of engine operation (e.g., cold start, warm-up and acceleration conditions). ). Since less vaporized fuel is required for the reduction of unburned hydrocarbons, the heating of one or more capillaries in this configuration can be deactivated. Figure 12 shows, in simplified form, how a fuel injector 10 having a capillary flow passage 12 can be positioned in such a way that the liquid fuel moving there can be heated to an elevated temperature through the use of a recirculated outlet gas (EGR) to reduce the energy requirements of the resistance heater to vaporize fuel 20. As shown, the capillary flow passage 12 passes through recirculated exhaust gas passage 1100 for heating. In the case of the initial engine start, the resistance heater 20 comprising a passage section of the capillary flow 12 or a separate resistance heater is connected to a power source such as a battery, to initially vaporize the liquid fuel F After about 20 seconds of operation, the capillary flow passage 12 can be heated through the heat of the recirculated exhaust gas to reduce the energy otherwise required for continuous vaporization of the fuel by the resistance heater 20. Thus, the fuel in the capillary flow passage 12 can be vaporized without the use of the resistance heater 20 in such a way that the energy can be conserved. Figure 13 shows an exemplary scheme of the control system 2000 used to operate an internal combustion engine 2110 incorporating a liquid fuel supply valve 2220 in fluid communication with a liquid fuel supply 2010 and an injection path of liquid fuel 2260, a vaporized fuel supply valve 2210 in fluid communication with a liquid fuel supply 2010 and capillary flow passages 2080, and an oxidizing gas supply valve 2020 in fluid communication with a supply of oxidizing gas 2070 and capillary flow passages 2080. The control system includes a controller 2050 that typically receives several input signals from various motor sensors such as, for example, motor speed sensor 2060, intake manifold air thermocouple 2062, temperature sensor 2064 refrigerant, exhaust air-fuel ratio sensor 2150, pressure of its Minister of Fuel 2012, etc. In operation, the controller 2050 executes a control algorithm based on one or more input signals and subsequently generates an output signal 2024 to the oxidizer supply valve 2020 to clean the clogged capillary passages according to the invention, a signal output 2014 to the liquid fuel supply valve 2022, an output signal 2034 to the vaporized fuel supply valve 2210, and a heating power command 2044 to a power supply that supplies power to heat the capillaries 2080. In operation, the system in accordance with the present invention can be configured to feed back the heat produced during combustion through the use of exhaust gas recycling heating, such that the liquid fuel is heated sufficiently to substantially vaporize the fuel liquid with form passes through the capillary flow passages 2080 reducing or eliminating or supplementing the need for electric or other heating of the capillary flow passages 2080. Ex emplos Example 1 Tests were performed where JP 3 jet fuel was vaporized by supplying fuel to a Capillary flow passage heated under constant pressure with a microdiaphragm pump system. In these tests capillary tubes of different diameters and lengths were used. The tubes were constructed of 304 stainless steel with lengths of 2.5 to 7.6 cm (1 to 3 inches) and internal diameters (ID) and internal diameters (OD)., in cm (inches) following: 0.025 DI / 0.046 OD (0.010 DI / 0.018 OD), 0.033 DI / 0.083 OD (0.013 DI / 0.033 OD), and 0.043 DI / 0.064 OD (0.017 DI / 0.025 OD). The heat to vaporize the liquid fuel was generated by passing electrical current through a portion of the metal tube. The distribution "of small droplet sizes was measured using a Spray-Tech laser diffraction system manufactured by Malvern.Small droplets having a mean diameter of Souter (SMD) between 1.7 and 4.0] x were produced.The SMD is the diameter of a small droplet whose ratio between surface and volume is equal to the ratio of the entire dew and refers to the dew-mass transfer characteristics Example 2 >; Tests were performed again using gasoline, which is vaporized by supplying fuel to a capillary flow passage heated to constant pressure with a microdiaphragm pump system. In those tests, capillary flow passages of different diameters and different lengths were used. The following table shows empirical findings for various configurations of capillary tubes. Internal diameter Length Pressure of cm (inches) - · heated fuel cm (inches) (psig) 0.069 (0.027) 17.2 (6.75) 5.3 (75) 0.074 (0.029) 18.4 (7.25) 4.6 (65) 0.051 (0.020) 15.2 ( 6.0) 4.9 (70) (Continuation of Table ...) Internal diameter Results cm (inches) 0.069 (0.027) Totally vaporized generated flow and flow rate of 180 mg / s. 0.074 (0.029) Flow rates generated high with heating voltage of 20v. 0.051 (0.020) Flow regime generated of at least 200 mg / s with substantially adequate vapor characteristics. Example 3 In tests using a V (Ford 4.6-liter engine, a 4-cylinder series was modified to include fuel feeding devices of the invention as shown in Figure 1. The capillary heating elements were assembled with the capillary tip placed flush with the intake port wall, this being the location of the conventional fuel injection nozzle.The tests performed with continuous injection (100% duty cycle) and, therefore, the pressure was used of fuel to regulate the fuel vapor regime With reference now to Figure 14, a graph illustrates the results of the capillary fuel supply system during the first 20 seconds of a cold start of an engine. represents the engine speed, in revolutions per minute, as time progresses along the x axis.The line of graph 2 represents the flow of comb usable, in grams per second, as time progresses along the x axis. The graph line 3 represents lambda as the time progresses along the x axis, also a unit lambda represents the stoichiometric ratio between air and fuel. Graph line 4 represents the total output of hydrocarbon emissions, in equivalent parts of methane per million, from the engine exhaust as time progresses along the x axis. As illustrated through the line of graph 3 in Figure 14, the initial excess fuel required for the conventional motor hardware and the control strategy is eliminated through the use of the fuel supply device of the invention. That is, the fuel and feeding device of the present invention efficiently vaporized the liquid fuel during the initial starting period such that the engine started with an almost stoichiometric fuel / air ratio. Figure 15 is a graph illustrating the emission reduction resulting from the quasi-stoichiometric start achieved with the fuel feed device of the present invention (line of graph 6) in comparison. with the conventional strategy of starting with excess fuel (line of graph 5). Specifically, the results in Figure 15 demonstrate that the fuel feed device of the present invention reduced the integrated hydrocarbon emissions by 46% during the first 10 seconds of the cold start compared to the conventional configuration, which requires excess made out of fuel. The area indicated by circle 7 illustrates the dramatic reduction of hydrocarbon emissions during the first 4 seconds of engine start. Example 4 Tests were carried out to demonstrate the benefits of the oxidation cleaning technique in a heated capillary flow passage using a sulfur-free, non-additive gasoline, which is known to produce high levels of deposit formation. The capillary flow passage used for these tests was a 5.1 cni (2 inch) long heated capillary tube constructed of stainless steel having an internal diameter of 0.053 cm (0.023 inches). The fuel pressure was maintained at 0.7 kg / cm (10 psig). Energy was supplied to the capillary to achieve various levels of R / R0; where- R is the capillary resistance and R0 is the capillary resistance under ambient conditions. Figure 16 presents a graph of fuel flow rate versus time. As shown, for this gasoline that does not contain detergent additive, an important tamponade was observed in a very short time lapse with a 50% loss of the flow regime observed in 10 minutes. After presenting a substantial plugging, the fuel flow was discontinued and air was replaced at 0.7 kg / cm '(10 psig). Warming was provided during that period and, a minute later, a significant cleanup was achieved, with the flow regimes returning to previous levels. EXAMPLE 5 This example demonstrates that plugging is much less severe in the heated capillary flow passage of Example 4, when a commercial grade gasoline is used with a package of effective additives. As shown in Figure 17, a reduction of less than 10% was shown in terms of the fuel flow rate after a device operation of almost two hours. Example 6 To compare various gasolines and the impact of detergent additives on the plugging, five test fuels were used in the heated capillary flow passage of Example 4. The fuels tested included a non-additive base gasoline containing 300 ppm. sulfur, a base gas without additive and without sulfur, the base gas without sulfur with a commercially available additive (additive A) and the base gas without sulfur with another commercially available additive (additive B). As shown in figure 18, fuels with additives had a similar performance while fuels without additives showed severe packing in less than one hour of operation. Example 7 This example compares the operation with the passage of time from a capillary flow passage operating in an aircraft fuel without additive (JP-8) to the same capillary flow passage operating with No. 2 diesel without additive operated in a capillary flow passage having an inferno diameter of 0.036 cm (0.014 inches) and a length of 5.1 cm (2 inches). The fluid pressure was adjusted to 1.1 kg / cm¿ (15 psig). Energy is fed to the capillary to achieve a R / R level of 1.19; where R is the heated capillary resistance and R: is the capillary resistance under ambient conditions. As shown in figure 19, the fuels had a similar performance in the first ten minutes of operation, and the diesel fuel presented a more severe plugging later. - Example 8 Tests were carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of the oxidation cleaning technique in heated capillary flow using a No. 2 diesel fuel with no additives known to produce high levels of deposit formation. The capillary flow passage used for these tests was a 5.1 cm (2 inch) long heated capillary tube constructed of stainless steel, having an internal diameter of 0.036 cm (0.014 inches). The fuel pressure was maintained at 1.1 kg / cm (15 psig). Energy was supplied to the capillary to achieve an R / RG level of 1.19; where R, again, is the heated capillary resistance and R0 is the capillary resistance under ambient conditions. Figure 20 presents a graph of the fuel flow rate versus time. As shown, for this fuel that does not contain detergent additive, significant plugging occurred in a very short time with a 50% loss of flow rate observed in approximately 35 minutes of continuous operation. In the second experiment, after five minutes of operation, the fuel flow was suspended and air was replaced at 0.7 kg / cm¿ (10 psig) for a period of five minutes. Heating was also provided during this period. _This procedure was repeated every five minutes. As shown in figure 20, the oxidation cleaning process increased the fuel flow rate in virtually all cases and presented a tendency to encourage the overall decrease of the fuel flow regime over time. However, the efficiency of the process was relatively lower than what was achieved using a gasoline without additives, in accordance with that described in example 4. Example 9 Tests were carried out to evaluate the effect of a commercial grade anti-fouling detergent additive. with diesel fuel No. 2 of Example 8 on the fuel flow rate over time in a heated capillary flow passage. The capillary flow passage used for these tests, again, was a 5.1 cm (2 inch) long heated capillary tube constructed of stainless steel, having an internal diameter of 0.036 cm (0.014 inches). The fuel pressure was maintained at 1.1 kg / cnr (15 psig) and energy was fed to the capillary to achieve a R / Rc level of 1.19. Figure 21 presents a comparison of fuel flow rate versus time for diesel fuel No. 2 with additives and a diesel fuel without additives. As shown, in the case of fuel that does not contain detergent additive, significant plugging is observed in a very short time, with a 50% quality of the flow regime observed in approximately 35 minutes of continuous operation, while the same base fuel that contained the detergent presented a much less significant clogging over an extended period of time. While the present invention has been illustrated and described with details in the drawings and the foregoing description, the disclosed embodiments are only illustrative but not restrictive. It is desired to protect all changes and modifications that are within the scope of the invention. By way of example, various capillary passages may be provided, and the fuel may pass through the passages in parallel with a higher volume flow rate if desired.