WO2007119141A2

WO2007119141A2 - Polarizer apparatus for improving the combustion of liquid or gaseous fuels

Info

Publication number: WO2007119141A2
Application number: PCT/IB2007/000919
Authority: WO
Inventors: Guido Parisi
Original assignee: Guido Parisi
Priority date: 2006-04-14
Filing date: 2007-04-06
Publication date: 2007-10-25
Also published as: ITTO20060281A1; WO2007119141A3

Abstract

A polarizer apparatus (1) for improving the combustion of liquid or gaseous fuels is described, which comprises a fuel duct (2) and at least one electromagnet (7,7') having the N- S axis arranged radially relative to the axis of said duct (2), wherein at least a portion (10) of said duct (2), made of a magnetically permeable material, is inserted in a metal chamber (3), and wherein said permanent magnet (13) is housed on said at least a portion (10) of said duct (2).

Description

"Polarizer apparatus for improving the combustion of liquid or gaseous fuels"

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a polarizer apparatus for improving the combustion of liquid or gaseous fuels.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a polarizer apparatus which improves the combustion of liquid or gaseous fuels used for feeding endothermal engines, boilers, ovens and other similar applications.

The polarizer apparatus according to the invention is of a type intended for being inserted in a feed circuit of fuel in liquid or gaseous form.

According to the teachings of the prior art, the insertion of a polarizer apparatus in the fuel feed line, immediately upstream of the unit in which combustion takes place, determines a combustion improvement which translates into significant financial savings.

As they flow through the magnetic field within a polarizer apparatus, the clusters of molecules and particles which make up the fuel, and which notoriously move irregularly, get shattered and release single molecules and particles which become aligned by arranging themselves in an orderly way. It is believed that this phenomenon has a beneficial effect on combustion efficiency.

Experimental data has shown that the use of one or more polarizer apparatus allows to obtain a more efficient combustion both in internal combustion engines, whether Diesel-cycle type fed with diesel fuel or Otto-cycle type fed with petrol or liquefied gas, and in heating or industrial boilers fed with various types of fuels. Known polarizer apparatus comprise means for generating a magnetic field run through by the fuel. Such means are small magnets, e.g. small plates, or else electromagnets supplied with direct, alternate or pulsed current.

Some examples of polarizer apparatus comprising these two types of means for generating the magnetic field run through by the fuel are described in the PCT international patent application no. WO 2004/008030 in the name of the present Applicant.

Polarizer apparatus comprising electromagnets suffer from the drawback that the maximum magnetization degree reached during the operation of the polarizer apparatus is lost almost entirely if they are used discontinuously or after more or less long periods of inactivity. For this reason, known polarizer apparatus which utilize electromagnets always need a certain transient time after having been turned on before they can operate at full efficiency. Being small, the magnetic plates used in prior-art magnetic polarizer apparatus can be easily located on the fuel duct, so that the fuel can be subjected to a polarization treatment with either single or double polarity. On the contrary, in prior-art polarizers using electromagnets, since the latter are much bigger than said plates and therefore cannot be located at will, the fuel must be subjected to a double-polarity treatment, i.e. by using both the positive and the negative polarities. In practice, this means that the fuel is subjected to a treatment duration of 50% rather than 100%, which is obtained by subjecting the fuel to a unipolar treatment. Moreover, if the fuel molecules flowing through the magnetic duct are treated with a single polarity, they will not tend to re-combine, tending instead to repel one another since they have the same polarity. This ensures a more effective combustion in the unit arranged downstream of the polarizer apparatus. Vice versa, unstable fuel molecules are generated during a bipolar treatment, since one half is treated with a cartain polarity and the other half is treated with the opposite polarity, so that the molecules will tend to re-combine due to opposed polarities, thus partly reducing the polarization effect on the fuel molecules produced by the polarizer apparatus, the efficiency of which is therefore considerably reduced.

A solution to the aforementioned problems of the prior art has been proposed in the Italian patent application No. TO2004A000472, in the name of the present Applicant. A polarizer apparatus is described therein which comprises a fuel duct and at least one electromagnet having the N-S axis arranged radially relative to the duct axis, wherein the duct is inserted in a metal chamber in contact with the electromagnet, and wherein at least one seat for housing at least one permanent magnet is obtained in a wall of the metal chamber. However, the polarizer apparatus described in the Italian patent application No. TO2004A000472 is not particularly suited to applications wherein the space taken up by the polarizer apparatus is of vital importance, such as the application in the engine compartment of a vehicle, due to its parallelepiped shape. Besides, it is also not particularly easy to manufacture and to install.

The main object of the present invention is therefore to provide a polarizer apparatus which is compact, small, easy to install and cheaper than prior-art polarizers. It is another object of the present invention to provide a polarizer apparatus so conceived as to improve the combustion efficiency of a liquid or gaseous fuel in comparison with prior-art polarizers, the outer dimensions being equal. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a polarizer apparatus characterized by a lower energy consumption than prior-art polarizers.

These and other objects are achieved through the polarizer apparatus for improving the combustion of liquid and gaseous fuels as claimed in the appended claims. The invention will now be described in detail with particular reference to the annexed drawings, supplied by way of non-limiting example, wherein:

- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a polarizer apparatus according to the invention;

- Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the polarizer apparatus of Fig. 1;

- Fig. 3 is a top view of the polarizer apparatus of Fig. 1, with the electromagnets removed. With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, a polarizer apparatus 1 is illustrated therein which comprises a casing 4 being substantially cylindrical in shape and delimited at both ends by covers 5, thus defining a metal chamber 3.

The casing 4 as well as the metal chamber 3 are preferably made of aluminium in order to shield the polarizer apparatus 1 against external electromagnetic noise and at the same to keep the emitted electromagnetic radiations inside of the polarizer apparatus 1. In the metal chamber 3 there are two electromagnets 7,7', also cylindrical in shape, which are housed on opposite sides with respect to a fuel duct 2, made of a magnetically permeable material. The duct 2 crosses centrally at least a portion 10 of the chamber 3. The electromagnets 7,7' are powered by means of electric wires (not shown) supplied by a source of electric energy. Apertures 20 are obtained at the ends of the outer wall of the casing 4 in order to allow the wires of the electromagnets 7,7' to be routed out of the casing 4.

The electromagnets 7,7' have respective poles 6,6', wherein the pole 6, when housed in the chamber 3, is arranged closer to the duct 2.

The electromagnets 7,7' are preferably so supplied that the pole 6 of the electromagnets 7,7' has the same polarity, either positive or negative. This allows to treat the fuel with a unipolar field which further improves the performance of the polarizer apparatus 1.

By connecting a direct or pulsed current generator to the terminals of the electromagnets 7,7', a magnetic field is generated in which the axis N-S is radial relative to the fuel duct 2, thereby obtaining the desired orientation effect on fuel particles and molecules. With reference to Fig. 3, a seat 21 is obtained in the top portion of the duct 2 for housing a permanent magnet 13 in the form of, for example, a small plate.

The permanent magnet 13 is advantageously made of a magnetic material belonging to the lanthanides group, which includes chemical elements having an atomic number in the range between 57 and 71. Such elements are: lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lutetium.

In a preferred embodiment of the polarizer apparatus 1, two seats 21 are obtained in the duct 2, which are arranged symmetrically relative to the axis of the duct 2 and are so oriented that the permanent magnets 13 housed therein are parallel to the electromagnets 7,7'. In fact, experimentals tests have shown that the presence of two permanent magnets 13 generates a magnetic amplification effect, so that the fuel flowing through the duct 2 is subjected to a total magnetic field being greater than that which would be obtained by adding the magnetic field due to the electromagnets 7,7' to the magnetic field due to the permanent magnets 13, when considered individually ("over-unit" effect).

For the purpose of preventing the electromagnets 7,7', the duct 2 and the permanent magnets 13 from moving inside the metal chamber 3 due to vibration of the engine on which the polarizer apparatus 1 has been installed, all empty spaces within the casing 4, including the end covers 5 in the metal chamber 2, are filled with a resinous material.

The polarizer apparatus 1 may also comprise means for accelerating the flow of the fuel, e.g. a manually controlled ball valve 11.

In fact, experimental texts have shown that the velocity of the flow of the fuel across the magnetic axis affects the efficiency of the polarizer apparatus 1 considerably, the efficiency of the polarizer apparatus 1 increasing with the velocity of the fuel, within certain limits.

The presence of a ball valve 11 allows to change the velocity of the flow of the fuel by setting it to the value being most appropriate for every single vehicle during a necessary application setup process. As an alternative to manual adjustment, said valve may be controlled by a chip connected to an electric motor which adjusts the opening of the valve. If the invention is applied to a common-rail engine, the polarizer apparatus 1 is also provided with an adjustable chip (not shown) interfacing with the electronic control unit of the vehicle, for the purpose of changing the stoichiometric ratio of the fuel as required by the polarizer apparatus according to the present invention in order to obtain a lower fuel consumption without affecting the engine performance. When applied to a vehicle, the polarizer apparatus allows the user to drive the vehicle according to two main operation modes, which can be defined as "saving mode" and "sports mode": by choosing the "saving mode", the user of the vehicle will travel a higher number of miles than before with a full fuel tank, thanks to the improved combustion of the fuel; by choosing the "sports mode", the user of the vehicle will obtain approximately the same mileage as before, but with definitely improved engine performance, e.g. which allows to obtain more acceleration and reach a higher speed.

The advantages of the polarizer apparatus according to the present invention are apparent from this description.

Thanks to its cylindrical shape, the polarizer apparatus according to the invention is very compact and is therefore particularly suited to applications where installation room is limited. It is also easy to manufacture, and its installation is very simple. Due to the particular configuration of the electromagnets and permanent magnets according to the present invention, a sort of "flywheel effect" is produced which allows to maintain the same degree of magnetic saturation achieved by the polarizer apparatus during its operation even when the latter is used discontinuously or remains inactive for a long period of time. Also advantageously, thanks to the joint application of a magnetic field generated by permanent magnets and a magnetic field generated by one or more electromagnets, it has been proven experimentally that the resulting magnetic field is greater than the sum of the magnetic field obtained by considering the effect of the permanent magnets and the effect of said at least one electromagnet separately. Such a hybrid configuration of permanent magnets and electromagnets according to the invention thus provides a so-called "over-unit" effect. It is clear that the above description is provided by way of non-limiting example, and that variations and changes are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, the polarizer apparatus 1 has been described as having a substantially cylindrical shape, but different geometrical configurations may be conceived as well, such as a parallelepiped shape. For example, more than two seats may be obtained on the duct 2 in order to house a corresponding number of permanent magnets 13.

For example, a thermal switch may be fitted to the polarizer apparatus 1 for turning off the polarizer apparatus 1 when a predetermined operating temperature is reached in order to prevent the apparatus from overheating and suffer possible damage.

Claims

1. Polarizer apparatus (1) for improving the combustion of liquid or gaseous fuels, comprising a fuel duct (2) and at least one electromagnet (7,7') having the N-S axis arranged radially relative to the axis of said duct (2), wherein at least a portion (10) of said duct (2) is inserted in a metal chamber (3), characterized in that said portion (10) of said duct (2) is made of a magnetically permeable material and that said permanent magnet (13) is housed on said at least a portion (10) of said duct (2).

2. Polarizer apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein said permanent magnet (13), preferably provided in the form of a small plate, is housed in a seat (21) obtained on said duct (2).

3. Polarizer apparatus (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by comprising at least two electromagnets (7,7') having the N-S axis arranged radially relative to the axis of said duct (2), said electromagnets (7,7') being arranged on opposite sides relative to said at least a portion (10) of said duct (2) .

4. Polarizer apparatus (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that said at least two electromagnets (7,7') are so supplied that the respective pole (6) closer to said at least a portion (10) of said duct (2) has the same polarity, either positive or negative, so that said fuel is subjected to a unipolar magnetic field.

5. Polarizer apparatus (1) according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein said at least two electromagnets (7,7') are supplied electrically in such a way that current flows in one of said electromagnets (7) in a direction being opposite to that of said at least one other electromagnet (7').

6. Polarizer apparatus (1) according to any of claims 3 to 5, characterized by comprising at least two permanent magnets (13) arranged symmetrically relative to the axis of said duct (2).

7. Polarizer apparatus (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said at least one permanent magnet (13) is made of a material belonging to the lanthanides family.

8. Polarizer apparatus (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said metal chamber (3) is cylindrical in shape and is delimited by a casing (4) also having a cylindrical shape.

9. Polarizer apparatus (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that metal covers (5) are provided at the ends of said casing (4).

10. Polarizer apparatus (1) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that apertures (20) are obtained at the ends of said casing (4) in order to allow the wires of said electromagnets (7,7') to be routed out of the casing (4).

11. Polarizer apparatus (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said polarizer apparatus comprises means, preferably a manually or electronically controlled ball valve, for adjusting the intake velocity of the fuel in the duct (17).

12. Polarizer apparatus (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said polarizer apparatus (1) comprises electronic means, preferably a chip, adapted to be interfaced with an electronic control unit of a vehicle in order to change the stoichiometric ratio of said fuel and/or the quantity of fuel necessary for providing the required power.

13. Polarizer apparatus (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the empty regions inside the polarizer apparatus (1), comprised between a cover (5) and the side walls of a casing (3) of said polarizer apparatus (1), are filled with a resinous material.

14. Polarizer apparatus (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by comprising a thermal switch that deactivates said apparatus when a predetermined operating temperature is reached.

15. Motor vehicle comprising a device according to any of the preceding claims.