Charging up fuel injection
By Patrick BarryOctober 25th, 2008; Vol.174 #9 (p. 9)
A new device uses an electric field to increase cars’ gas mileage A little voltage can jolt existing cars into getting better gas mileage, new
research shows.
Applying a strong electric field to fuel a moment before it’s injected into the engine’s cylinders boosted fuel efficiency of a Mercedes-Benz 300D
from 32 to 38 miles per gallon during six months of road tests — an increase of more than 18 percent, scientists report in the Nov. 19 Energy &
Fuels.
Other researchers say that the increase in fuel efficiency would probably be smaller in real-world scenarios, but they agree that the technology could
raise a car’s gas mileage by 5 to 10 percent. If applied to all the cars and trucks in the United States, that fuel savings would add up to more than
300 million barrels of gasoline and about 150 million barrels of diesel per year.
The new technique works by making the fuel about 10 percent thinner — more like water and less like molasses — so that the liquid breaks up into
smaller droplets when it’s sprayed into the combustion chamber.
“Making the droplets smaller has been a goal for a while,” says Rongjia Tao, a physicist at Temple University in Philadelphia who led the research.
“Of course they didn’t consider using an electric field, they talked about using very high pressure.”
The small field-generating device, which currently costs about $50 per cylinder and could be retrofitted to existing car engines, applies 1,000 volts
per millimeter across the fuel line as it enters the fuel injector. Despite this high voltage, the device draws less than 1 watt of power because its
electrical current is tiny. This strong electric field polarizes molecules in the fuel: Each molecule develops a slightly positive electric charge at
one end, while the other end becomes slightly negative. These electric charges cause the molecules to clump together, reducing the molecules’ overall
surface area. Less surface area means less friction, which is what gives a fluid its thickness, or viscosity. By lessening friction, the device makes
the fuel thinner.
Thinner liquids break into smaller droplets when passing into the engine's cylinders than those in thicker fluids — just think of spraying water
instead of molasses through a nozzle — and smaller droplets have more surface area. Droplets of fuel burn at their surfaces, where the fuel meets
oxygen in the air, so having more surface area means the fuel will burn cleaner and more efficiently.
“I think the potential of this idea is outstanding,” comments Matthew Thomas, a combustion engineer at CFD Research Corporation, a commercial research
company in Huntsville, Ala. “I think in the next five to 10 years you’re going to see the option for charged fuel injection in automobiles.”
Temple University holds a patent on the device, and Tao says he has been contacted by major automobile manufacturers seeking to license the
technology.Udo - 10-26-2008 at 11:23 AM
GM or Ford will more than likely buy out the patent, and rather than licensing the technology, they'll just make dissappear. As they have done with
other mileage technology in the past.comitan - 10-26-2008 at 11:26 AM
bajalou - 10-26-2008 at 11:32 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by udowinkler
GM or Ford will more than likely buy out the patent, and rather than licensing the technology, they'll just make dissappear. As they have done with
other mileage technology in the past.
That doesn't make much sense with their push to develop higher mileage cars. Now Standard Oil or Shell, maybe.Hook - 10-26-2008 at 04:58 PM
Acetone is supposed to something similar in gasoline and diesel; reduce surface tension of molecules so they disperse into smaller units after the
injectors.comitan - 10-26-2008 at 05:36 PM
Hook
I have been through all these claims on other forums, and I have been using Acetone on and off for about three years and my thought is that it will
increase mileage the first three tanks then nothing, it just so happens gas has esters in it which basically is acetone, so what I think is that the
acetone just cleans the injectors. These are just my thoughts subject to correction by the experts. Minute particles(snake oil). If you Google this
system many more, just want your money.bajalou - 10-26-2008 at 05:42 PM
I've used acetone also in both gas and diesel and my experience is similar to comitan's. Seems like it works for a while then nothing.Bruce R Leech - 10-27-2008 at 09:39 AM
this device is pure snake oilgnukid - 10-27-2008 at 09:48 AM
If you use acetone, like me too, use high quality acetone, usually there are two types como typo americano and typo industrial or some such
designation. And be careful, do not use too much since it can cause increased breakdown of hoses. Though in Mexico we have little choice but to use
acetone in small amounts such as a few ounces at most per 16 gallons to clean up the crap. Perhaps Comitan has more input about the appropriate amount
before one experiences breakdown of hoses.comitan - 10-27-2008 at 10:19 AM
The recommended dose is 3 oz for 10 gals. It does not cause a breakdown in hoses, there are people that have been using it for as long as 20years and
no problems.
