US3087472A

US3087472A - Method and apparatus for the improved combustion of fuels

Info

Publication number: US3087472A
Application number: US99393A
Authority: US
Inventors: Asakawa Yukichi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-03-30
Filing date: 1961-03-30
Publication date: 1963-04-30
Anticipated expiration: 1980-04-30

Description

April 30, 1963 YUKICHI ASAKAWA 3,087,472

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE IMPROVED COMBUSTION 'OF FUELS Filed March 30. 1961 3 Sheets-Shae t 1 COMBUSTION TIME IN SECONDS FOR 6 6.6.

8. HEAVY OIL SOLID ALCOHOL LALCOHOL KEROSENE 20 P LIGHT OIL lo ,4. GASOLINE 0 I 5 4 J lb POTENTIIANL AEAELECTRODE- INVENTOR I YUKICHI ASA AWA Fig. 2 BY AGE/VT April 30, 1963 YUKICHI ASAKAWA 3,087,472 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE IMPROVED COMBUSTION OF FUELS Filed March 50, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 COMBUSTION TIME IN SECONDS FOR 6 C. C.

GASOLINE E.M.F. OF APPLIED POTENTIAL IN K.

Fig.3

comausnon TIME 20 IN MINUTES FOR 20 GR. COAL (2o MESH) L5 o 2 4 e 8 l0 E.M.F. OF APPLIED POTENTIAL YUKICHI ASAKAWA INVENTOR- lN K. V. BY H94 AGE/VT A ril 30, 1963 YUKlCHI ASAKAWA 3,087,472 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE IMPROVED COMBUSTION OF FUELS Filed March 30, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 6

Fig.8 A 32 INVENTOR. YUKICHI ASAKAWA AGE/VT United States Patent Office 3,087,472 Patented Apr. 30, 1963 3,087,472 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE IMPROVED COMBUSTION F FUELS Yukichi Asakawa, 29 Nakamaru-Machi, Itabashi-ku,

. Tokyo, Japan Filed Mar. 30, 1961, Ser. No. 99,393 Claims. (Cl. 1231) This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the improved combustion of fuels. The invention may be applied to solid, liquid or gaseous fuels.

An object of the invention is the provision of a method and means for complete combustion of fuels such as coal, brown coal, crude petroleum oil, heavy petroleum oil, light petroleum oil, kerosene, gasoline, coal gas, natural gas, or a mixture of finely divided solid fuel with air or oxygen.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a method and means of improving combustion in diverse devices such as. internal combustion motors, internal com- :bustion turbines, boilers, blast furnaces, cupolos, flat furnaces, tempering furnaces, ore roasters, rotary furnaces, air pre-heating furnaces, etc.

It is an object of the invention to render combustion complete in devices as above mentioned, to increase the heating power of low calorie fuels, and reduce the production of exhausts containing smoke or poisonous gases.

Another feature of the invention is thatthe construction of the apparatus is simple and the consumption of electricity is small, and maintenance is low.

These objects are attained by applying a high electric potential to the fuel, to the mixture of fuel and air or oxygen or in .the combustion chamber.

The above and other objects will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings, and in which like parts are represented by like characters of reference.

In the drawings:'

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of an apparatus using the principle of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a graph showing the relation between the time and the potential for burning a predetermined amount of various hydrocarbon fuels;

FIG. 3 is a graph showing the result of varying the height of an electrode above the burning fuel and the of the applied potential;

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relation between the burning time and the when burning pulverized coal;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of an internal combustion motor having the invention applied thereto;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic cross section on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a modification of the invention shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation, in vertical section, of the invention applied to a boiler.

In FIG. 1, 10 is a vessel containing a fuel. A transformer 12 has its secondary adjustably connected through a contact 12 to an electrode 13. This electrode 13 is placed at a height H above the level 14 of the fuel in the vessel 10. The height H may be adjusted as conditions warrant and as may be seen in FIG. 3. The flame 15 results from burning the fuel in air or oxygen. In this experiment the height H is kept constant, as the fuel burns. The graph in FIG. 2 shows the results of tests with several liquid fuels with various applied E.M.F.s, plotting against the time of burning of 6 cc. of fuel. From approximately 2K volts up, the burning period is materially reduced.

When burning heavy petroleum B, solid alcohol or alcohol with an applied potential of '9 to 10K volts the time is reduced to about /5 to Me. With kerosene or light petroleum oil at 4.5K volts applied potential the time is about and at 7K volts with gasoline the time is about s; all times referred to zero potential burning. At the high voltages the flame becomes shorter and spreads wider.

I have also tried the device burning 6 cc. of gasoline in the vessel 10 and the electrode 13 placed 5 mm., 10 mm., and 50 mm. above the fuel. The results are shown in the graphin FIG. 3. Then with two electrodes 13 and 16 held respectively at 10 mm. and mm. above the fuel, I obtained the lowest curve in FIG. 3. These curves show that the closer the electrode is placed toward the fuel, the shorter the burning period. Here it is reduced to about that of zero potential at a potential of about 6.5K volts.

The graph in FIG. 4 is the result of burning 2 0 gm. of powdered coal, of about 20 mesh, in the vessel 10 and maintaining the height H (FIG. 1) at 5 mm. As shown the combustion time is reduced to about /3 that at zero potential under a potential of 10K volts. In this test particles of coal sparked and no smoke was visible. In another test with the electrode in coal, the results were substantially the same.

It is believed that the above resultsoccur for the following reasons: when a high E.M.F., is applied to an electrode inserted in a flame, as in the above examples, either positive or negative ions are repelled, the negative or positive ions being attracted to the electrode. The changing cycle of the A.C. causes agitation and the ions mix so perfectly with the air that even the base of the flame becomes oxidizing and the temperature increases materially. When D.C. is applied, the agitation is less and the combustion period is longer.

Although the above results were obtained with atmospheric air and A.C. potentials, it has been found that the same results are produced in the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, a forced draft boiler and in many kinds of furnaces when the applied potential is D.C.

An alternative arrangement is shown in FIG. 1 in which

poles

17 and 18 may be fed an A.C. potential from the transformer 11' or in which these poles may be magnets. The flame 15 is thus subjected additionally to a high potential from without, or to a magnetic field. The addition of the potential at the

poles

17 and 18 to the ionizing potential at 13 causes the mixing of fuel and air to occur rapidly, homogeneously and completely. The same results obtain when a spiral A.C. is passed through magnets in the

location

17, 18.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 I show the invention applied to an internal combustion motor. An insulated plug 21 is placed in the cylinder head 20 and the electrode 22 is connected to the secondary of the transformer 23, the other terminal of which is grounded. An A.C. potential of above 1,000 volts is applied to the electrode 22. The

arcuate electrodes

25, 26 are placed outside the cylinder 24 and are connected respectively to the terminals of the secondary of transformer 23'. The normal mixture of air and gasoline drawn into the combustion chamber of the cylinder 24 is subjected to the alternating ionizing potential which agitates the mixture. The alternate repulsion and attraction also is produced by the

electrodes

25, 26. The mixture is so agitated that the gasoline is micronized and mixes homogeneously with the air during this action. When the mixture is compressed and ignited, though the flame would normally have the positive and negative ions in balance, ionization as described causes agitation and the further agitation by the

electrodes

25, 26 causes the as yet unburned particles to mix thoroughly and to be burned completely.

In FIG. 7 I show a modification of the invention of FIGS. 5 and 6 wherein three

arcuate electromagnets

27, 28 and 29 are applied outside the cylinder 24 and are supplied with a high potential three phase A.C. This rotating magnetic field together with the ionizing potential from the electrode 22 micronizes the fuel particles and the agitation and rotation causes thorough mixing of the air and gasoline and results in an absence of unburned fuel particles. The combustion is accelerated and is complete. The same applies to the form of FIGS. 5 and 6. The above noted results obtain with 2 cycle, 4 cycle or diesel engines, with petroleum engines or internal combustion turbines. In all these cases the combustion velocity increases and the fuel burns completely. The exhaust gas contains no residual unburned fuel and is colorless. The output is increased and no exhaust smoke is emitted to be a source of smog. Good results obtain when the E.M.F.s at the electrode in the cylinder head and the electrode or electromagnet outside the cylinder are equal. The applied potentials are preferable above 1K volt and normally 5 to K volts. The effects do not appear to increase at potentials in excess of 50K volts.

In FIG. 8, I show the application of this invention to a coal fired boiler. In the combustion chamber 30 I place

electrodes

31 and 33 which are connected to an ionizing potential preferably in excess of 1,000 volts. This ionizing potential applied in the flame agitates by alternate repulsion and attraction and cause a thorough mixing of air and fuel. The temperature of the coal increases, the combustion is complete to the base of the flame. The combustion velocity is increased and the combustion capacity and evaporating capacity of the boiler is increased. Should any smoke be emitted and pass to the flue 32, it will be caused to burn by the agitation caused by the electrode 33. If there be insufficient air, secondary air may be applied in the flue 32 and the heated air exhaust gas mixture may be used to preheat charging air or charging water of the boiler. Through this operation substantially no smoke is generated and the capacity of the boiler is greatly increased. Furthermore the combustion quality and quantity of low calorie coal is materially increased so that such coal may be used in the same manner as high calorie coal. In the case of a boiler of the type referred to the may be from 1K volt to 5K volts, though with suitable electrode arrangement potentials of 8 to 10K volts may be used. With suitable electrode disposition in such devices as internal combustion turbines, blast furnaces, cupolas, fiat furnaces, tempering furnaces, ore roasters, rotary furnaces or air preheating furnaces, etc., and when the sizes of such devices is small, external high voltage poles or magnets are placed thereabout, combustion is improved and made more substantially perfect. The temperature within the device is increased and its efficiency is improved. There is an absence of smoke. In all such cases the consumption of electricity is very small.

Having now described my invention in its preferred form and in several uses thereof, I desire to be understood that modifications may be made within the skill of the art and the scope of the appended claims.

A related application, Serial No. 99,529, was filed in my name on March 30, 1961.

I claim:

1. The improved method of combustion which consists in supplying a mixture of oxygen containing gaseous fluid and fuel to a combustion chamber, applying a high potential in the combustion chamber to ionize the mixture and imposing a rotating magnetic field on the mixture. 7

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the rotating magnet field is provided by means of 3 phase A.C.

3. An apparatus for improved combustion comprising a combustion chamber, means for supplying a gaseous oxygen containing fluid, means for supplying a fuel to said combustion chamber, at least one electrode placed in the combustion chamber and connected to a source of high potential to ionize the fuel and gas mixture, a plurality of electromagnets outside the combustion chamber and closely adjacent thereto said magnets being supplied with a high potential 3-phase A.C. to produce a rotating magnet field about the combustion chamber.

4. The structure as defined in claim 3 wherein the first mentioned potential is on the order of 1K volt to K volts.

5. The structure as defined in claim 3 wherein the combustion chamber is part of an internal combustion engine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Claims

1. THE IMPROVED METHOD OF COMBUSTION WHICH CONSISTS IN SUPPLYING A MIXTURE OF OXYGEN CONTAINING GASEOUS FLUID AND FUEL TO A COMBUSTION CHAMBER, APPLYING A HIGH POTEN-