Critical Fuel System Engines Burn Gasoline Or Diesel, More

Critical fuel combustion engines can intake gasoline or diesel fuel or any mixture of both along with alcohol additives for operation at 16:1 compression ratio with major fuel efficiency and emissions gains. Very fast fuel burn takes place before reaching combustion chamber walls thereby reducing thermal losses. Efficiency is further enhanced by ability to operate unthrottled lean, misfire free out to 80:1 air fuel ratio. HC, CO and particulate emissions are cut to insignificant levels. EGR rates up to 50% with stable combustion are achieved with very low NOX levels. Combustion experts believe this will permit operation with very little if any exhaust aftertreatment when the system is optimized. _ ai-online

It is about time that heat engine designers came up with a better internal combustion engine design. If an engine could run on virtually any liquid fuel without causing damage to itself, a big part of the "peak gasoline" brouhaha would evaporate almost instantly.

The ability to run on ethanol, vegetable oil, diesel, gasoline, methanol, biodiesel, all of the above, and more -- provides an incredible degree of latitude in where a motor vehicle might be able to operate on the planet.

Another aspect is the impact on emerging bio fuel producers who must judge the future demand for middle distillate vs. gasoline type fuel if critical fuel combustion engines become mainstream. In this connection, it will be interesting to learn vehicle operator reaction to the prospect of being able to choose gasoline or diesel fuel at the retail pump. In turn, as critical fuel vehicles come into widespread use that can accept fuel with lower octane and cetane values, comes the question of whether a new fuel grade might evolve.

As a factor in the overall fuels issue, it can be argued that rather than billions of dollars in U.S. tax credits spent on ethanol to cut emissions and foreign oil, these objectives could be better achieved by tax credits for use of critical fuel combustion. On balance it would appear that existing light vehicle diesels fitted instead with critical fuel combustion technology may be the earliest to reach the market due to their existing high compression, robust architecture. de Boer suggests that IC gasoline engines intended for use with turbocharging also have robustness suited to high compression critical fuel operation. _ai-online