US3664646A - Carburetor vapor superheater - Google Patents

Abstract

FOR MORE COMPLETE COMBUSTION IN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES, A SWIRL CHAMBER IS SUPPLIED IN THE FUEL LINE BETWEEN THE FUEL SUPPLY VESSEL AND THE CARBURETOR VENTURI. THE CHAMBER IS CIRCULAR AT THE BOTTOM AND HAS AN INVERTED FUNNEL-SHAPED TOP, THE TIP HAVING A CONDUIT LINE LEADING TO THE VENTURI. A FUEL PIPE LEADING FROM THE SUPPLY VESSEL EXTENDS THROUGH THE FLOOR OF THE CHAMBER, SEALED THERETO, THE TOP FO THE CHAMBER HWERE IT IS BENT SHARPLY DOWNWARD TO EXTEND AXIALLY TO A CLOSED END AT THE CHAMBER FLOOR. THE CLOSED END HAS A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS THEREAROUND THROUGH THE PIPE WALL, EACH OPENING BEING INCLINED FROM RADIALLY TOWARD TANGENTIALLY IN THE SAME SENSE FROM THE RADICAL FOR IMPARTING A CIRCULARLY SWIRLING MOTION TO THE EMITTED GAS WHICH IS DRAWN UPWARD BY SUCTION AT THE VENTURI INCREASING IN VELOCITY AS IT NEARS THE

CHAMBER TOP. THE HELICALLY SWIRLING GAS AT THE TOP HEATS THE TOP OF THE FUEL PIPE AND SUPERHEATS THE VAPOR DRAWN TO THE VENTURI. FOR INCREASED VACUUM AT STARTING AND FOR HEAVY ENGINE LOADING A HIGH VACUUM CARBURETOR IS USED HAVING A PAIR OF VENTURIS, A PAIR OF SWIRL CHAMBERS BEING PROVIDED, EACH CHAMBER BEING CONNECTED TO A RESPECTIVE VENTURI, AND WITH VALVE MEANS IN THE CARBURETOR FOR SHUTTING OFF THE AIR FLOW THROUGH ONE OF THE VENTURIS.

Description

y 1972 F. A. JORDAN 3,664,646

' CARBURE'IOR VAPOR SUPERHEA'I'ER Filed Dec. 2 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

2 FREDERICK A. JORDAN BY y 3, 1972 F. A. JORDAN CARBURETOR VAPOR SUPEHHEATER 2 Sheets$heet 2 Filed Dec. 2 1970 INVENTOR, FREDERICK A. JORDAN A ena;

"United States Patent O1 lice Patented May 23, 1972 3,664,646 CARBURETOR VAPOR SUPERHEATER Frederick A. Jordan, R.D. Madrid Road, Potsdam, N.Y. 13676 Filed Dec. 2, 1970, Ser. No. 94,316 Int. Cl. F02rn 15/02 US. Cl. 261-23 R 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE For more complete combustion in internal combustion engines, a swirl chamber is supplied in the fuel line between the fuel supply vessel and the carburetor venturi. The chamber is circular at the bottom and has an inverted funnel-shaped top, the top having a conduit line leading to the venturi. A fuel pipe leading from the supply vessel extends through the floor of the chamber, sealed thereto, to the top of the chamber where it is bent sharply downward to extend axially to a closed end at the chamber floor. The closed end has a plurality of openings therearound through the pipe wall, each opening being inclined from radially toward tangentially in the same sense from the radial for imparting a circularly swirling motion to the emitted gas which is drawn upward by suction at the venturi increasing in velocity as it nears the chamber top. The helically swirling gas at the top heats the top of the fuel pipe and superheats the vapor drawn to the venturi. For increased vacuum at starting and for heavy engine loading a high vacuum carburetor is used having a pair of venturis, a pair of swirl chambers being provided, each chamber being connected to a respective venturi, and with valve means in the carburetor for shutting off the air flow through one of the venturis.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the art of inducing cyclonic flow of a fluid and relates more particularly to a swirl chamber between fuel supply and carburetor venturi in internal combustion engines.

Broadly, the invention concerns inducing cyclonic or swirling flow of fluids and increasing the velocity thereof for separating the liquid and gaseous components of a fluid such as gasoline. More particularly it concerns such separation in the fuel line of an internal combustion engine between the gas tank or other fuel supply vessel and the car buretor venturi for insuring a more perfect combustion of the fuel to the end that pollution of the air with carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons in the exhaust from the engine is drastically reduced.

It is wel known that unvaporized fuel in most carburetors reaches the intake manifold and that the distance of the carburetor from the various cylinders of the engine results in an air-fuel ratio varying from cylinder to cylinder. These carburetor difficulties result, usually, in an airfuel setting which is richer than that" theoretically required for complete combustion of the fuel in the engine.

It is the principal object of the present invention, therefore, to provide means in the fuel line to ensure that the liquid fuel is completely vaporized before it is mixed with air in the carburetor so that a more complete combustion may take place in the cylinders of the engine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A swirl chamber is provided in the fuel line prior to its entrance to the carburetor. The fuel is fed by vacuum in the chamber from the fuel tank or other vessel, such as a float tank, through a pipe which extends up through the floor of the chamber to its top where the pipe is sharply bent downward to extend axially downward to its end at the floor of the chamber. This end of the pipe is closed but has a plurality of apertures or holes in the wall of the pipe near the closed end. These holes are drilled at an angle to the radial for setting up a circular or swirling action in the chamber of the gaseous fuel emitted by the holes.

The chamber is round to aid in the setting up of this swirling action and has an inverted funnel-shaped top terminating in a tube which leads to the fuel jet at the venturi in the carburetor. Suction from the carburetor venturi draws the swirling gas upward in a helically swirling manner, the cone-shaped top of the chamber causing the gas to proceed at greater and greater velocity as it nears the top.

As liquid gasoline first rises in the tube its vapor expands longitudinally and its density decreases. This low density vapor creates minimal turbulence as it fiows around the sharp bend at the top of the chamber. As more gasoline is drawn up the tube, the density of the vapor increases inducing higher turbulence at the bend, developing a back pressure at the bend suflicient to hold back the liquid gasoline in equilibrium at a point just below the bend. The sharp bend acts as a valve which restricts vapor flow at high engine speeds and high vacuum, but allows vapor flow in proportion at low vacuum and low speeds.

As the gaseous fuel emitted by the holes at the end of the pipe starts its rotary motion, low pressure in the chamber induces the attainment of high angular velocity and allows the vapor to expand to lower pressure and temperature. Contact between the wall of the chamber and the high velocity vapor creates friction which heats the wall, the vapor, and the tube.

Revolving up into the funnel or tapered top of the chamber, the angular momentum of the vapor remains constant but since the radius of the top is continually shortening an increased angular velocity is produced. Here again friction supplies heat to the gasoline evaporating in the pipe and the rotating gaseous fuel itself is superheated as it flows to the venturi.

As noted above the vapor is lowered in pressure and temperature as it flows through the holes in the end of the pipe and then its temperature is raised by friction, only moderate heat being required to superheat it and the final temperature of the vapor being relatively low.

The air at the venturi can be heated to a higher temper-ature than this relatively low superheated vapor, if required.

To ensure that a low level of negative pressure is maintained in the chamber at all times, a pair of chambers are used, each connected to a different venturi in a doubleventuri carburetor, the air flow past one of the venturi being controlled by a valve which may be closed when starting the engine or when the engine is under heavy load.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a pair of swirl chambers according to the invention, a portion of the fuel inlet pipe of one chamber being broken away to show the liquid fuel level in the pipe;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of one chamber on the line 22 of .FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the end of the fuel pipe shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a twovtnturi carburetor used with the swirl chambers of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, two swirl chambers 10 are shown supported in framework 11. The chambers 10 are identical each having a floor or bottom 12, a circular sidewall 13 and an inverted funnel-shaped top 14. Each has a fuel pipe 15 leading from the gasoline tank or other fuel vessel, such as a float vessel. "Pipe 15 passes through the bottom 12, in sealed relation therewith at 16, passes upward and then alongside the top 14 to a point near the top of the chamber where it has a sharp bend 17. From the bend 17 the pipe extends downward axially of the chamber to the 'bottom of the chamber where it has a closed end 18. The pipe may be of brass and has a plurality of holes or drilled openings 19 therethrough drilled at an incline to the radical so they are slanted toward the tangential, all in the same sense from the radical as best seen in FIG. 3.

Since they are all slanted in the same sense, fuel vapor or gas drawn from the pipe 15 is given a circular or swirling motion around the lower portion of chamber 10 as is common for such swirl chambers.

At the top of each chamber 10 an outlet 20 is connected by a tube 21, shown in broken lines, to a jet 22 of a double-venturi carburetor 23 shown in FIG. 4.

Carburetor 23 is connected at 24 to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, not shown, and suction from the engine draws air past the two venturis 25 from an air intake 26. Air intake 26 has a conventional butterfly choke valve 27 thereat and the outlet at 24 has the usual butterfly throttle valve 28 thereat. A third valve 29 is located so as to close off, as shown in broken lines, the passage between one of the venturis 25 and the air intake 26.

Valve 29 may be operated, manually or automatically by mechanism not shown, to close off one venturi and the operation of one swirl chamber 10 for starting or for operation under a heavy load when very high vacuum is needed at the other swirl chamber 10.

The chamber 10 operates under high vacuum and the swirling gas from the openings 19 is drawn upward helically toward outlet 20. The swirling vapor has an angular momentum which tends to remain constant. The top 14 of the chamber is tapered, however, so that the vapor is swirled at a constantly shortening radius as it rises resulting in a very high rotative speed at the top of the chamber.

The swirling vapor, by friction with the walls and top of the chamber and with pipe 15, heats the swirling gas and also pipe 15, thus aiding in the vaporization of the fuel in the pipe. Suction in the chamber 10 draws vapor from pipe 15 which results in liquid fuel being drawn up toward the bend 17. The rising fluid fuel creates a higher density of vapor at the bend 17 and a higher and higher turbulence at the bend which develops a back pressure sufiicient to hold back fluid gasoline at a level short of the bend and shown at 30 in the right hand chamber 10 in FIG. 1. In effect the sharp bend at 17 acts as a valve restricting vapor flow at high engine speeds and high vacuum, but allowing vapor flow in proportion at low vacuum and low speeds.

The bend 17 thus acts to impede vapor flow enough to hold back the liquid gasoline. Moreover, the gasoline vapor temperature and pressure are lowered in the chamber 10 and the vapor can then be superheated at relatively low temperatures. At the venturi 25, the dry vapor can be mixed with air which is at a higher temperature than the so-called superheated vapor. This results in more complete combustion in the engine cylinders and ability of the engine to run at a leaner mixture setting with consequent lessening of pollustion of the air at the engine exhaust.

I claim:

1. A suction operated swirl chamber for complete vaporization of the gasoline flowing from the fuel supply vessel to the carburetor venturi of an internal combustion engine, comprising: a closed circular chamber having an axially extending fuel pipe leading from the supply vessel to the lower portion of the chamber, the pipe having a closed end and a plurality of outlet openings therearound through the wall of the pipe, the openings each extending inclined from radially toward tangentially in the same sense from the radial for imparting a circularly swirling motion to the emitted gas, the top of the chamber being inverted funnel-shaped inclined inward toward the top, and a gas line leading from the chamber top to the carburetor venturi, whereby the gas emitted from the pipe is given a heat producing helically swirling motion increasing in velocity as it moves toward the top of the swirl chamber.

2. The swirl chamber defined in claim 1 having the fuel pipe extending upward within the chamber to the top and then bent sharply downward and extending axially downward to the bottom of the chamber, whereby heat from the swirling gas is transferred to the fuel in the pipe and the sharp pipe bend creates a turbulence zone tending to keep liquid fuel from the downwardly extending portion of the pipe.

3. In combination with a pair of swirl chambers defined in claim 2, a high suction carburetor having two venturis, the venturis being connected respectively to the gas lines from the chambers, the carburetor having a single air inlet and a single outlet to the internal combustion engine, and carburetor valve means for selectively cutting ofi the flow of air from the air inlet to the carburetor outlet past one of the venturis, whereby high suction is maintained for starting and for heavy engine load conditions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 738,131 9/1903 Weaver 261-79 R 1,233,557 7/1917 Curtis 261-79 R 1,752,506 4/1930 Portail 261-79 R 2,011,997 8/1935 Cameron 261-79 R 3,227,427 1/1966 Wells et a1. 48-102 R 3,530,844 9/1970 Kawai 261-79 R 3,599,941 8/1971 Becker 261-79 R TIM R. MIIJES, Primary Examiner U.'S. Cl. X.R.

261-79 R, 64 R; 48-102 R; 122-4 R; 123-119 R

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