01/31/99 - A History of Vapor Carburetors
by Robert Felix
Parascience #2, Winter,1998 ISSN 1464-6935
Domra Publications
65 Constable Road
CORBY
Northamptonshire
NN18ORT
United KingdomSubscriptions & Info:
Tel/Fax: (01536) 201250
email:domra.prestel.co.uk
Editor: Gerry Connelly
NOTICE: This article may be downloaded and copied to BBS without let
or hindrance; no part of the contents may be changed. Material in this
heading concerning its printing/publication must not be changed or deleted.
Readers who attempt to build a vapour carburetor apparatus are encouraged
to add their commentaries/drawings as a secondary file. This file must
be so labelled as a seperate addition in the writer's own words.
Air pollution from internal combustion engines is caused by unburned
hydrocarbons,i.e.pollution found in the exhaust. Only gasoline vapor will
explode, droplets end as pollution. Using heat or mechanical agitation
to more completely vaporize the gasoline before it enters the intake manifold
can result in more efficient operation and a reduction in unburned hydrocarbons.
A list of over 500 'hidden' US patents using heat and mechanical action
to vaporize gasoline is given; also instructions to access the US Patent
Office over the Internet and download patents. Following is a history of
this technology from the turn of the century to the present. Two modern
patents that use a process called thermo-catalytic cracking to vaporize
the gasoline are described. Missing information that would enable the reader
to build a working model of one - the Gunnerman patent - is footnoted at
the end of this paper. A list of all vapor patents in US class 123, subclass
545 is included. The Manuel of Classification of the US Patent offices
classes all types of devices in categories by using a number. Class 123
is internal combustion engines. A subclass of this class is defined as:
"the various subordinate elements designed for and adapted to be used only
with internal combustion engines and therefore included in this class are
indicated in the definitions hereinafter appearing of the various subclasses."1
Class 545 is a type of carburetor for an internal combustion engine that
vaporizes the gasoline using a heat exchanger. In the words of the Manual:
"Class 545 = Heating medium surrounds combustible mixture-subject matter
under subclass 543 in which the heating medium completely surrounds a conduit
or passage containing the combustible mixture." The reference 'under subclass
543' further clarifies the definition: "the charge forming device or a
part thereof for heating the combustible mixture formed by the charge forming
means.2 Most of these patents use the heat from exhaust gases
to do this. There exists a system of International Classes that can be
used to cross reference US patents to similar patents in other countries.
There also exist special patents called 'International Patents' that use
this classification system. The International Classification for these
patents in US Patent Class 123 [internal combustion engines] 545 [heat
exchanger/vaporizer carburetors] is: F02M 031/00 [Use this syntax when
searching the IBM website, otherwise use: F02M 31/00 in USPTO website]There
are three other subclasses that also contain many vaporizer patents. The
USPTO site can also be searched using the International Classification.
This brings up many vapor patents that for technical reasons are 'hidden'
in other subclasses. To conduct a search on the USPTO website, follow this
procedure: 1. Go to USPTO web page by entering its address: http://www.uspto.gov
Click 'Search Patents'. 2. Under the category 'US Patent Bibliographic
Database', click "Advanced Search".3. In " Advanced Search" Page, click
'All' under Select Database subheading.4. There are four US classes in
total that contain vapor patents, and the International Class which acts
as a cross reference to 'hidden' patents. These are listed in the following
table:A)Patent ClassesB)Number USP in ClassC)DefinitionsD)Enter under 'Query'
A)123/545B)569(1997-1900AD)C)Heating Medium surrounds combustible mixtureD)CCL/123/545
A)123/546B)57(1997-1976AD)C)Combustible Mixture surrounds heating mediumD)CCL/123/546
A)123/547B)111(1997-1976AD)C)Combustible mixture and heating medium
adjoin one another D)CCL/123/547
A)123/543B)44(1997-1976AD)C)Heating of Combustible MixtureD)CCL/123/543
A)F02M 31/00B)578(1997-1976AD)C)International Patent Classification
for gasoline vapor patents &related devices.D)ICL/F02M-31/00
5.In the "Advanced Search" Page, enter under 'Query' the appropriate
command line to search for patents under the Patent Classes. For example,
enter ICL/F02M-31/00 after the flashing I-beam under 'Query' to access
International Patent Classification database listed above under Definitions
containing Patent Numbers of US Patents herein. Then Click 'Search' to
bring these patents up onscreen on the USPTO Webpages.There is a website
on the Internet maintained by IBM corporation that has a file of US Patents
going back over twenty years. The user is able to call up an image-copy
of the original patent-text and drawings-on this website ,if they type
in the patent number. The internet address of this site is:http://patent.womplex.ibm.comThe
images of the patent page on the computer screen can be captured by a screen
saver such as Hypersnap and stored on the 'C' drive of the users computer
as readable image files in BMP,GIF or JPEG format. To save the patent images
and text in readable format, it is advisable to save them as BMP or Windows
Bitmap files. Hypersnap is shareware, and is fully functional. It is designed
to work in the Windows95 and NT environment, and can be downloaded from;http://www.hyperionics.com/www.snap32.htmFor
users of Windows 3.1 there is wcaptr31.zip, or capture3.zip available as
shareware from;http://www.rad.kumc.edu/win31/clipbrd.htmA
Macintosh version of Hypersnap called Screen Catcher exists; there is a
link for this on the Hypersnap WebPages. The full address for this is;http://www.stclairsw.com/ScreenCatcher/index.html
The United States Patent Office maintains links to websites of Patent
Offices throughout the world. This can be accessed at address; http://www.uspto.gov/web/menu/other.html
On these other web pages, there are links as to yet other sites not
given from the USPTO link. The user can also physically examine copies
of the Official Gazette or actual US patents in the Patent Office of their
respective country. By international treaty, the USPTO has a reciprocal
agreement to exchange patent information with other countries. In Israel,
for example, copies of the weekly Official Gazette (which contains a drawing
and abstract of newly issued patents) are available from;* Israeli Patent
Office Library
Lev Hagiva, Building 11,
Beit Hadefus Street, 11
POB 34255
Jerusalem 91341
IsraelThe British Library maintains holdings of all US Patents from
number one issued over two hundred years ago to the present. They can be
accessed at; Foreign Patents Reading Room
Chancery House
Chancery Lane
London,UK WC2
Telephone: 0171-412-7901 or -7902There exist patents of recent vintage
that deal with using heat to vaporize gasoline and intake air for fuel
injection systems in internal combustion engines. The Chandler patent of
1995 is one of them, he even goes as far as to cite the patents and early
work of the Canadian inventor CN Pogue on gasoline vaporization in the
late l930's!3 An index of US Patents in class123, subclass 545-
'internal combustion engine carburetors that use heat to vaporize gasoline'
is given from the years 1997 to 1900;
Classification: 123/545
Total: 569
5606956 O 5598826 X 5555855 X 5396866 X 5353772 O 5335639 O 5327875
5327874 O 5291870 O 5247909 X 5146897 X 5134986 X 5123398 X 5101801
5086748 X 5086747 X 5048501 X 5042447 X 5040518 X 5040517 O 5038742
5027759 X 5019120 X 5012788 O 4984555 O 4979483 X 4971018 X 4955351
4883616 X 4883040 X 4865004 X 4862859 O 4829969 X 4768493 X 4718393
4717808 RX 4708100 X 4671245 O 4667643 O 4651702 X 4637365 O 4611567*
4603672 O 4593670 O 4592329 O 4583511 O 4574764 O 4548183 X 4534333
4524746 X 4513720 X 4513698 X 4503833 O 4491552 X 4478198 X 4469077
4467773 X 4465053 X 4463737 X 4452216 X 4438750 X 4434772 X 4425899
4420439 X 4416242 X 4407254 X 4404948 X 4401090 O 4399797 X 4399796
4399794 X 4388910 X 4379770 X 4377148 X 4372275 X 4366798 X 4357926
4351284 O 4338906 O 4327691 X 4318386 X 4302407 X 4300513 O 4286564
4256066 O 4212274 X 4192270 O 4167165* 4151820 X 4147144 O 4142481
4108953 X 4053013 X 4048969 X 4044741 O 4030457 X 4003357 O 3989014
3977366 X 3961616 O 3944634 X 3930476 O 3918423 X 3916859 X 3911881
3895617 O 3892211 X 3859971 X 3841284 O 3832985 O 3828736 X 3797468
3789817 O 3788292 O 3762385 O 3756022 X 3741180 O 3658042 X 3554174
3543736 X 3509860 O 3496919 X 3494342 X 3444848 X 3380442 O 3273550
3150652 X 3139874 X 3114357 X 3091229 X 3032023 O 3019781 O 2991778
2989956 O 2968297 O 2896658 X 2864355 O 2833262 X 2826183 O 2808041
2807245 X 2796855 X 2793633 O 2767699 O 2733698 O 2720197 X 2715520
2710605 O 2698613 O 2673446 O 2634983 X 2627257 X 2597977 O 2582916
2560197 X 2473808 O 2424723 X 2325850 X 2319752 O 2296790 O 2287593
2273957 X 2269930 O 2269706 O 2261493 O 2257047 X 2254775 O 2254634
2252415 O 2251999 O 2250786 O 2234901 X 2232413 O 2216801 X 2213154
2192067 X 2189022 X 2185573 X 2181058 O 2155162 O 2145029 O 2140254
2133775 O 2125216 O 2119885 O 2119179 X 2112568 X 2110806 O 2108639
2104013 X 2103902 X 2100466 O 2099278 X 2092246 O 2090823 X 2082666
2080662 O 2080420 X 2075330 O 2068952 O 2067292 O 2066922 X 2054997
2049596 X 2030508 O 2016881 O 2016695 O 2016694 X 2004093 O 2001669
2001466 O 2000669 X 1999237 X 1998497 X 1997497 X 1985271 O 1975093
1974722 X 1973889 O 1961249 O 1955242 X 1954586 X 1947048 O 1944396
1941487 X 1931781 X 1918380 O 1916952 O 1913684 O 1913497 O 1903433
1897540 O 1891768 O 1889648 X 1889619 X 1881671 O 1881562 O 1881434
1879551 O 1874327 O 1867457 O 1865515 X 1864608 X 1862723 X 1855129
1849135 O 1846008 O 1844298 O 1844041 O 1841740 O 1834202 O 1833552
1833183 O 1829400 X 1828899 O 1825225 O 1824926 O 1822147 O 1821047
1819284 O 1815432 O 1815178 X 1813406 X 1812950 O 1812939 X 1811540
1806581 X 1806045 X 1803461 X 1800426 O 1795037 O 1795036 X 1792828
1792367 O 1790812 O 1788929 O 1786233 X 1783781 O 1778190 O 1777554
1770689 O 1766794 O 1766781 O 1766709 O 1763948 O 1761960 O 1753788
1751511 O 1749035 O 1749029 O 1747361 X 1736003 O 1728421 O 1727605
1722846 O 1714210 X 1713701 O 1712465 O 1709968 X 1706492 O 1696881
1696761 X 1689942 O 1686609 X 1685564 O 1680373 O 1678045 X 1676955
1675870 O 1670550 O 1667886 O 1660609 O 1651393 O 1646779 O 1641619
1637768 O 1635266 O 1634968 X 1633909 O 1627671 X 1626783 O 1626727
1626561 O 1625135 O 1625134 O 1624249 O 1624229 X 1613029 O 1612377
1611299 X 1610541 O 1610000 O 1598289 X 1591071 X 1583584 O 1576301
1575859 X 1572747 X 1562670 X 1557657 X 1555807 X 1547474 X 1541431
1540144 O 1539963 O 1539126 O 1534290 O 1533855 O 1533432 O 1533196
1525956 X 1524680 O 1519516 X 1514189 X 1511820 X 1507315 O 1503900
1503821 O 1503805 X 1496102 X 1487234 O 1486058 O 1477724 O 1476316
1476281 X 1474359 O 1473999 X 1472899 O 1472326 X 1472264 X 1471600
1470659 O 1467759 X 1467225 X 1466647 O 1464759 O 1464466 O 1456572
1453007 X 1449333 X 1448781 O 1448641 O 1447975 O 1447089 X 1445194
1444852 O 1439146 O 1438877 X 1434353 O 1431327 O 1431326 O 1431281
1420684 X 1420616 X 1416977 X 1416352 X 1415086 O 1409093 X 1406598
1404215 X 1403350 X 1400955 X 1400485 O 1392168 X 1386376 X 1386297
1384281 X 1379437 X 1377990 O 1377369 O 1374927 X 1374280 O 1372194
1366831 X 1366018 X 1365564 X 1361503 X 1360098 X 1359168 O 1358686
1355076 X 1354484 O 1348066 O 1345927 X 1345378 X 1342950 O 1342869
1341141 X 1339870 X 1335990 X 1335665 O 1325998 O 1317709 X 1316346
1314872 X 1313639 X 1311417 O 1306496 O 1304987 X 1304205 X 1303559
1299648 X 1289605 X 1285652 X 1284643 X 1283125 X 1283068 X 1278558
1274707 X 1269252 X 1267924 X 1267139 O 1265735 X 1263259 X 1260388
1256738 O 1256186 X 1253682 O 1253681 O 1253642 X 1252796 X 1248417
1247983 X 1245519 O 1244151 O 1242975 X 1238404 X 1237536 O 1233744
1233287 X 1230116 X 1230092 X 1228415 O 1227649 O 1227551 X 1222860
1222548 X 1220281 X 1218867 O 1217781 X 1217448 X 1213817 X 1213736
1211775 X 1207664 X 1205540 X 1201977 O 1201871 X 1201731 X 1199573
1198013 O 1195764 X 1193004 X 1190252 X 1190129 O 1178972 O 1178276
1176816 X 1171435 O 1170337 X 1165656 X 1160438 X 1158494 X 1155599
1154617 X 1145995 X 1143902 X 1143092 X 1140064 X 1137057 O 1136675
1135113 O 1132420 X 1129794 X 1128133 X 1121868 X 1114200 X 1111140
1108916 X 1106881 O 1105592 X 1102478 X 1099842 O 1099271 X 1098915
1080139 X 1079338 X 1078919 O 1072875 X 1061626 X 1056760 X 1049417
1042004 X 1038300 X 1032937 O 1021326 X 1016741 X 1013759 X 1006088
0994658 O 0983307 O 0976237 X 0970429 X 0946780 X 0906671 X 0906111
0896183 X 0869675 X 0868834 O 0862377 O 0800777 X 0796684 X 0765814
0762271 X 0749864 X 0662169 X 0657738 O 0620586 O 0609831 O 0600107
0571495 X 0541773 X 0535914 X 0433806 X 0385121 X 0287578 X 0276075
X 3640256*
A United States Patent runs for 17 years from the date of its publication
in the Official Gazette. After that, it expires. It then falls into
the 'public domain',this means that the inventor has lost all legal proprietary
rights over the invention and it can now be used by all. There is no longer
any legal or practical reason why a US inventor should maintain secrecy
or keep proprietary information after the US Patent falls into the 'public
domain'. The address of an inventor is on file at the US Patent Office
and may be obtained upon request. Would any of the inventors in this list
share information concerning their devices after the patents expired? Perhaps
this information could save a researcher much time and money in perfecting
a vapor carburetor or fuel injection system. Several vaporizer devices
using heat to vaporize fuel have been commercially produced in the first
half of the twentieth century. Considering the Otto-cycle or four stroke
internal combustion engine is mechanically the same since its invention
before the turn of this century, could we not conclude that these vaporizer
systems are practical and work?Material discussed in - the Vapipe - (US
Patent 3,957,024) - leads us to this conclusion. We have not been able
to find any such examples commercially produced and marketed after 1940.
There are two types of heat-exchanger vaporizers - those that burn heavy
oils and those that vaporize gasoline. Heavy oils and kerosene will run
an internal combustion or 'gas' engine, if the heavy ends in the fuel can
be put into a vapor state - either by heat or mechanical action.Before
the 'gas crises' of the 1970's, kerosene cost from 1/2 to 1/3 the price
of an equivalent quantity of gasoline in the USA. This made such vaporizers
economically practical, since a farmer or machinery operator would save
a considerable amount in fuel costs. The 1905 Scientific American has an
advertisement on page 433 for 'The Meitz And Weiss Kerosene and Gas Engine'.
It was "belted or directly coupled to dynamo for electric lighting, charging
storage batteries, pumping, and all power purposes - ADOPTED BY US GOVERNMENT;
Highest award, direct coupled generator set Paris Exposition 1900; Gold
Metal, Pan American Exposition 1901."4 Gasoline engines were
adopted in Great Britain for burning low grade kerosene and oils in generator
and agricultural work as early as 1911.5 Scientific American
published further favorable comments on the development of 'distillate
gasifiers' in 1913.6 The Society Of Automotive Engineers was
aware of vapor technology in 1913. N.B. Pope, Member of the Society says
of this;"It is evident that at least that a carburetor designed for heavy
fuel may be more satisfactorily operated with gasoline than a gasoline
carburetor with heavier fuel. To assist in the vaporization of the lower
grade fuels, more heat is necessary than for gasoline."7 The
process of using heat to vaporize fuel was accepted bymainstream engineers
from the earliest period.8 A retired mechanical engineer told
us that the US Government Bureau Of Standards certified and tested fuel
vapor systems submitted for inspection up to the early 1930's. In view
of the claim 'ADOPTED BY THE US GOVERNMENT' made in the early Scientific
American advertisement, we wondered if such records of tests conducted
might still exist in Government archives.A Freedom Of Information Act(FOIA)
request to the National Bureau Of Standards gave the following reply; "records
of the tests you are requesting have been disposed of. In the 1958-1960
period, National Bureau Of Standards made a decision to destroy certain
test records after holding them for 20 years. This decision was made after
Congressional approval was given.9" A practical vapor carburetor
system for use on the internal combustion engine in the Fordson tractor
enabling it to use "the whole range of fuel oils, from benzol and gasoline
down through kerosene to the very heavy fuels, such as black oil commonly
used in Borneo." 10 The device was made by the Holly Carburetor
Company, (which today makes carburetors for 'performance' cars or "hot
rods") in the year 1925. The editors of Automotive Industries tested a
Fordson tractor running the gasoline engine with waste crankcase lubricant!
It was said of this;"runs under actual field conditions were made with
the tank filled with waste crankcase lubricant. Even with this unusual
fuel, little or no smoke showed at the exhaust end and the engine had the
flexibility of gasoline operation& the element time lag has been reduced
to a minimum, so that with the improved economy the demand for flexibility
and ease of starting has been satisfied."11 The Holley Vaporizer
installed in the Fordson Tractor was so popular with farmers around the
world that Bates and Strettell in the Proceedings Of the Institution Of
Mechanical Engineers report on its widespread use in Great Britain in 1962!12
In the intervening period, we found two other references to a multifuel
vaporizer that was marketed to the public in the literature. In 1936, the
Italian company Fiat developed a vaporizing system for heavy fuels known
as the "Naftoil". It was two carburetors in one, starting on gasoline and
switching to heavy oils such as kerosene and gas oil when the motor was
warm enough to run the vaporizer carburetor.13 The Italian engineer
A.P. Castellini used fuel oil in a gasoline engine by using a high pressure
pump which forced the fuel at a pressure of 3600 pounds through very fine
jets into the intake passage. The oil is vaporized by mechanical means
instead of heat. The engine was said to be readily started when cold, a
problem with these systems. 14 This was in 1936, and we could
find no more references to the production of such devices in the literature.
This system will work on the internal combustion engines of today. Refer
to recently granted US Patent # 5,555,853. The possible practical result
of further research into this is that so called 'waste oil' that is normally
is discarded (recycled = given back to the oil companies) can be used to
power a gas engine. This might be important if political crises like the
oil price hikes of the early 1970's take place again. The Abstract of the
Patent says; "A lightweight back-pack generator set having a spark-ignited
engine operating on middle-distillate fuels (e.g.:JP-5 and F-34) has been
provided. The generator set includes a back-pack frame; an alternator,
and a spark-ignited combustion engine, adapted to operate on middle-distillate
fuel. The engine uses a preheater for heating the intake manifold to facilitate
start-up operation of the engine."A conversation with one of the inventors
in Canada by telephone revealed some interesting points. He was familiar
with the 1925 Holley Vaporizer and said that his unit would also run on
(filtered and strained) crankcase oil or other wastes of this type. As
described in the Abstract, this would make it practical for an infantry
unit in a wartime environment, since the group could use almost any petroleum
distillate as fuel. He also said it could be used in larger engines, such
as an alternator/generator or stationery engines on a farm.Pollution levels
were at or below United States Environmental Protection Agency requirements
for conventional gasoline engines. It was easy to start in cold weather-overcoming
a major disadvantage of older units. Vaporizer carburetors for gasoline
using exhaust heat have been commercially produced in the past in the United
States and elsewhere. In 1923, the Stewart-Warner Corporation sold an exhaust
gas operated heat exchanger carburetor vaporizer system commercially in
the United States. The system was favorably reported on in the technical
literature of the time.15 It was said;"Further claims for the
direct fuel system are that it eliminates the formation of carbon, as the
fully vaporized fuel will burn more nearly completely; that it permits
the use of lower jacket water temperatures; that it reduces the tendency
to detonate; that it provides better fuel distribution-ensuring smoother
performance and that it reduces crankcase dilution and its related troubles
- wear and corrosion."16 In 1924, a vaporizer was produced and
sold by a group of Chicago engineers. It used exhaust gas to vaporize the
gasoline, and claimed to be self adjusting inasmuch as it enriched the
fuel for high speed and heavy pull and leaned it otherwise. "A decrease
in the CO (ie: carbon monoxide) content of the exhaust combined with a
greater fuel efficiency was noted in the article.17 A gasoline
vaporizer was developed in 1925 in Canton, Ohio. It was said of this device;
"that none of the raw gasoline delivered by the carburetor during starting
can get into the engine cylinders. The fuel is vaporized not by contact
with the relatively small and excessively hot area, which often results
in cracking, but by a differential action which removes the lightest constituents
first and brings the remainder in contact with surfaces of increased temperature
until they are vaporized also."18 This principle is the same
as that given in the writings of inventor R. Covey in his patent 4,611,567
and in literature privately printed and circulated by him.19
Covey referred to the Voight patent 2,733,698 column 3, lines 40-45. He
also referred to the Spindler patent 2,185,573 page1,column 2,lines 20-30
on 'dry' gas. He said that an understanding of these patents is essential
to successfully designing an efficient vapor system. Charles Nelson Pogue
of Winnipeg, Canada produced a highly efficient vaporizer carburetor using
exhaust gas as a source of heat for tractor and vehicle usage in the late
1930's. CN Pogue was issued US patents 1,750,354 1,997,497 and 2,026,798.The
final design based on his last patent would cut the gasoline consumption
of a tractor under conditions of maximum load down to between one half
and one third of what it was equipped with a 'stock' carburetor. It obtained
130 miles per Imperial gallon on a subcompact car with an 80 cubic inch
engine cruising at 65 mph under ideal climatic conditions-early September-in
Winnipeg and surrounding areas. This claim was made by the head of an auto
firm in Winnipeg, Canada who has physical possession of part of a Pogue
carburetor system.20 In this article, the reader must be mindful
that an Imperial gallon used in Canada in the 1930's equals five US quarts
of gasoline. This becomes one hundred miles per US four quart gallon using
a little arithmetic. The carburetor was sold to farmers until the beginning
of WWII, and then its production and distribution stopped for undetermined
reasons.21 It has been said that the Pogue carburetor was used
under conditions of strict military secrecy in the North African desert
inside of the Bren Gun Carrier against General Irwin Rommel's Afrika Korps
and may have been a reason for his defeat. It was also said to have doubled
the effective range of these vehicles under conditions of desert warfare-making
them superior to Rommel's technically better equipment.22 Former
US President Ronald Reagen issued an Executive Order declassifying all
activities and information recorded or experienced before the end of World
War II in 1945; so these adventures are no longer under a security classification.
If any readers know more and had actually been involved in these military
operations, please contact us.Since
CN Pogue in the late 1930's, a heat exchanger type vapor system has been
commercially produced in the United States or Canada. The large energy
and automobile companies have constructed working prototypes and done research
on heat exchanger vaporizer carburetors since the oil crises of the 1970's,
although these have not been brought to public attention in the mass media.
Douglas R. Hamburg of Ford Motor Company was awarded a patent for an 'Electric
Fuel Vaporizer' in 1977.23 He published SAE paper 760288 on
his work with this patent.24 He claims - as a significant innovation
- an electric vaporizer in series with the exhaust operated system for
an easy start from vapor. A gasoline vaporizer system described in the
August,1923 SAE Journal makes a similar claim: "special efforts have been
made in the design of the carburetor to facilitate starting in cold weather;
to this end, for starting, the gasoline is vaporized and superheated electrically."25
The inventor Ray Covey solved the problem by leaving the conventional carburetor
attached to the engine and placing the vaporizer in series with it connected
by a heat insulated tube. The engine could be started from the regular
carburetor and then switched over to vapor mode once the heat exchanger
had reached the proper temperature by use of a two way electric solenoid
switch in series with the carburetor fuel line.This had the added advantage
of being able to switch back to the 'stock' carburetor if there was a malfunction
in the vapor system. Less complexity means fewer mechanical problems. Engineer
Hamburg says; "The basic vaporized gasoline metering system utilizes engine
exhaust heat to fully vaporize liquid gasoline entering an exhaust gas
heat exchanger." 26 Such technology has been well known to those
skilled in the Art for over half a century. The SAE Journal for August,1923
has an extensive discussion of this concept by one of its members in the
article "Exhaust Heated Vaporizer."27 One of the favorable results
from this was; "The use of extended lean limit operation is an intriguing
approach to the control of exhaust emissions, and is based on the relation
of such emissions to air fuel ratio shown qualitatively in Figure 13.28
Figure 13 of SAE paper760288 shows an inverse relationship between the
percentage of NO, HC and Carbon Monoxide emissions from the exhaust and
an increase in the Air-Fuel Ratio between 12:1 and 22:1.The heat exchanger
26 in Figure One of Hamburgs' 'Electric Fuel Vaporizer' patent was granted
a separate patent #4,161,931 in 1979.29 Hamburg and Giardini
conclude;"Experimental results have indicated that to the extent to which
the air-fuel ratio may be controlled more accurately, the ability to implement
techniques for the reduction of atmospheric pollutants generated by a combustion
engine may also be increased.30 If the more complete combustion
of gasoline made possible by heat exchanger technology makes workable lower
polluting emissions because these elements in gasoline are now vaporized
and used to power the engine, why hasn't the public learned of this new
technology?31 Would its use make a catalytic converter last
the life of the engine? There are many other patents issued to energy and
automotive companies.32 A minor but very important point-the
intake manifold must also be heated to prevent the gasoline vapor from
condensing. See General Motors Patent 3,892,214. Also see 'Manifold Vaporization
And Exhaust Gas Temperatures' in the SAE Journal.33 Both the
United States and British governments hold gasoline vapor patents. US Patent
3,640,256 'System For Preconditioning A Combustible Vapor' was invented
by George M. Low in 1970 and is held by the National Aeronautics And Space
Administration. Using a FOIA petition, we found that the project was shelved
by a memorandum written by a John Brogan of the EPA office in Ann Arbor,
Michigan citing SAE paper 670485. It is interesting to note in spite of
results indicating a drop in pollutants consistent with all the literature
cited previously, paper 670485 comes to an ambivalent conclusion. Could
it be poor design of the apparatus - the vapor storage tank is the size
of a home hot water heater(9 cubic feet in size) when the one in Covey's
successful system was only a fraction of its size? Why did not the bureaucrat
Brogan cite other SAE papers giving successful results that coincided with
the lab tests on the NASA device? The British Government holds United States
Patent 4,167,165.34 A look at the illustrations of the device-this
patent bears an uncanny physical resemblance to the Bursley-Trask Fuel
Adjuster in the March 1926(p.185) Scientific American Digest article 'Doubling
The Automotive Mileage Per Gallon' If this older system can double the
mileage of an automotive engine, then what can Ian C. Findlay's British
patent do? We have found another vaporizer patent granted to Ian C. Findlay
assigned to the Shell Oil Corporation!35 Mr. Findlay is a British
subject and so are the other two inventors Rodger Lindsay and John Wilson
of the patent assigned to the Shell Oil Corporation. Findlay holds the
British Government patent with a George Gallacher, who is also a British
subject.Why has the public never heard of these patents? These systems
will not work with leaded gasoline, or gasoline having "detergent" additives.
For experimentation, be sure to use 'white gasoline', or gasoline containing
NO additives. High efficiency may have been achieved by some vapor systems
using thermo catalytic cracking, the breakdown of large multiple chain
molecules down into singular carbon molecules such as vaporous natural
gas and methanol. These molecules have similar and lower vaporization temperatures
than the 'heavy ends' in gasoline. They will burn instantaneously and completely
on ignition. The heat exchanger will have to reach a high temperature (400-430F
in manifold vacuum) for this reaction to occur. 36 Many exhaust
systems on an internal combustion engine may not be able to provide the
exhaust heat to do this, since metals like steel have a low thermal conductivity.
There is a solution. Weld a catalytic converter in series between the exhaust
manifold of the gasoline engine and the exhaust input to the heat exchanger/vaporizer
that is described in the patents cited. The catalytic converter acts as
a heat amplifier and its output is at a much higher temperature than its
input.The thermal conductivity of steel is lower than that of copper or
brass, but this will compensate. Ray Covey (USP #4611567) used this with
his system, as building a heat exchanger of 1/8 or 1/4 inch dia. brass
plate is very expensive.37 To control the exhaust heat temperature
to the exhaust input of the vaporizer heat exchanger, put two y-couplings
and a pipe in parallel with the catalytic converter. A flapper valve in
series with the parallel exhaust gas diverter pipe can be used to precisely
control the temperature at the output of the catalytic converter/input
to the heat exchanger/vaporizer.Opening the flapper valve allows the exhaust
gas to flow around the catalytic converter, closing theflapper valve forces
the exhaust gas to flow through the catalytic converter.Partial adjustments
can also be made. Covey recommended a catalytic converter from a Triumph
sports car or VW Rabbit. "Junk" catalytic converters can be used, provided
they are not fouled.Thermo catalytic cracking may be achieved by having
nickel present in the steel walls of the heat exchanger vaporizing chamber,
either as plating or as an alloy of the steel in a substantial percentage.[preferred]The
nickel is a catalyst - it promotes the breakdown reaction but does not
change chemically itself. Hastelloy C2-76 Stainless Steel(UNS #N01276)
is approximately 60-65 per cent nickel. Inconel 625 is half nickel(UNS#N06625)
and could also be used to build a heat exchanger vaporizer chamber that
could exhibit the thermo catalytic effect on gasoline.38 This
concept is completely described in US Patent 5,156,114 issued October 20,1992
to Rudolph W. Gunnerman.39 Having the thermo catalytic cracking
metal element/vaporizer separate and external from the engine/cylinder
head itself is to be preferred as a design consideration. An inventor,
Paul Pantone has developed a device that performs similarly to Gunnerman's,
but achieves the thermo catalytic cracking effect on an attachment mounted
externally to the engine.He has had his US patent application recently
approved, but a patent number [and publication in the Gazette] has
not been granted yet. (as of 5/29/98) Several US newspapers have described
his device. His invention, which he calls the GEET device,has not been
tested by any official or corporate labs, as the Gunnerman device has,
although it apparently runs on similar principles.40 Other patents
cited here may or may not run on the principle of thermo catalytic cracking
of gasoline, (pyrolysis) or the inventors might have hidden this information
in the patent application for legal reasons.The late Ray Covey (US Patent
4611567) observed this process in his device but was unaware of exactly
what was happening - more than just vaporization of the fractions of gasoline
was occurring.41 This vaporization using heat is as described
in the drawings of most of the patents cited.In conclusion we have found
information that might also be of interest to farmers. In the USA, a farmer
can obtain a permit to convert waste vegetable material to alcohol for
fuel. The Mobil Oil Corp. published a paper describing work on the conversion
of ethyl alcohol to gasoline. 42 The Environmental Protection
Agency at the China Lake Naval Weapons Research Center developed a system
that converts cellulosic (ie:green plant) type solid wastes or biomass
(ie:plant material) to gasoline.43 Could the farmer use this
to co operatively make his/her own gasoline for farm equipment from wastes
normally discarded? Has further work been done on this? The Ray Covey Patent
4611567* has been highlighted and underlined, and marked with an asterisk
to bring it to the reader's attention. So have US( 3,640,256*)& British
Government(4,157,165*) held patents.
Footnotes:[1] US Patent Office Internet version of Manuel Of Classification:
http://app1.1uspto.gov/cgi-bin/iftech4?index+CLASS+1+17392+257+0+ 19+OF+39+78+1+123%2f545[2]
Ibid.[3] US Patent 5,394,838 'Vaporized Fuel Injection System'. Also see:
US Patent 5,056,495 (Texas Instruments)[4] Scientific American Volume XCII,
Number 21 May 27,1905 pp.433 [5] Engineering (Great Britain),February 17,1911.
'The Davis Paraffin Carburettor', page 216[6] Scientific American August
2,1913 Article: 'Distillate Gasifiers For Motor Vehicles' page 95.[7] SAE
Transactions,1913 Part I, Volume VIII, pages 118-119. Article: "Low Grade
Motor Fuel For Trucks"[8] SAE Transactions, 1911 'Carburetor Division Report',1911
page 648. [Here the SAE sets construction standards for vaporizer carburetors!]
Article:'Kerosene Carburetors', AC Bennett. [discussion and extensive bibliography.
An early system, the 'Wilcox Bennet Vaporizer' illustrated. Source: University
of Rochester Libraries. Dewey Decimal Classification: TL2 S678t v.6 Also,
see Scientific American June 3,1916 page 584 Article: 'Plain Facts About
Kerosene Carburetors', Victor W Page M.S.A.E. [9] Karl E. Bell, Deputy
Director Of Administration, F.O.I.A. Officer, FOIA request, 9/15/83[10]
Automotive Industries.,April 16,1925. page 698-699. Article: 'New Holly
Vaporizer Permits Use of Any Grade Of Fuel'[11] Automotive Industries Ibid.,
page 698[12] Proc.Instn. Mech. Engrs.(A.D.) (Great Britain) No.4,1961-62
pages 146-157.[cite: pp 147] 'The Influence Of Tractor Service Conditions
On The Quality Of Fuels, Lubricants, and Protective Materials', E.S.Bates;
R.P. Strettell[13] Automotive Industries. January 17,1924, pp.141. "Vaporizing
System For Heavy Fuels Designed By Fiat"[14] Motor., January 1936, page
62 Article: 'High -Pressure carburetor Uses Fuel Oil'[15] Automotive Industries,
June 30,1923 pp. 1004-1006 'Atomization Takes Place In Tank In New Fuel
System', A.F. Denham.[16] Automotive Industries., June 30,1923 pp.1006[17]
Automotive Industries, December 18,1924. pp. 1049-1050 'New Device Enriches
Charge For High Speed and Heavy Pull And Leans It Otherwise'. By W.L. Carver.[18]
Automotive Industries., September 24, 1925 pp.516 'Designs New Fuel Vaporizer'[19]
R.Covey, personal communication[20] Winnipeg Free Press., August 18, 1973
page 6 Article: 'Auto Firm Head Recalls That F "Legendary" Carburetor By
Greg Shilliday.[21] Winnipeg Free Press.,April 30,1942 page8. 'Hints Pogue
Carburetor Sabotaged'[22] personal communication-war veteran[23] US Patent
4.047,512 Electric Fuel Vaporizer Douglas R. Hamburg and Jerome F. Hough
Assignee: Ford Motor Company International Claims: F02M 031/00 US Classification:
123/122 [24] SAE Paper #760288 A Vaporized Gasoline Metering System For
Internal Combustion Engines D.R. Hamburg and J.E. Hyland Engineering and
Research Staff, Ford Motor Company. [25] Journal Of The Society Of Automotive
Engineers., August,1923. Vol.XIII.,Number 2. Page 131.[26] SAE Paper#760288.,
pp.3[27] The Journal Of The Society Of Automotive Engineers August,1923.
pages 130-132. Article: 'Exhaust Heated Vaporizer'[28] SAE Paper #760288
page 7.[29] US Patent 4,161,931 Douglas R. Hamburg, Dante S. Giardini,
'Vapor Temperature Controlled Gas Heat Exchanger' Assignee: Ford Motor
Corporation[30] US Patent 4,161,931, column 2,line 20[31] SAE Paper 720462
'Ethics Of The Professional Automotive Engineer'.[32] Examples given are
US Patents, assignee in parenthesis: 4,085,721 (Exxon), 3,996,906 (GM),
3,763,839 (Phillips Petroleum), 3,957,024 (Shell Oil), 3,927,651 (Shell
Oil), 4,087,512 (Ford), 4,022,172 (American Motors), 3,851,633 (General
Motors)[33] SAE Journal., March,1922, Volume X, Number 3.,pages 171-176
"Manifold Vaporization And Exhaust Gas Temperatures", O.C.Berry and C.S.
Kegerreis (Purdue University)[34] US Patent 4,167,165 Fuel Vaporizer For
Internal Combustion Engines. Ian C. Findlay and George C. Gallagher, both
of Glasgow, Scotland., assignors to The Secretary Of State For Industry
In Her Britannic Majesty's Government Of The United Kingdom Of Great Britain
And Northern Ireland.[35] US Patent 3,763,838. Ian C. Findlay, Rodger Lindsay,
John Wilson 'Carburetor Having A Heat Pipe For Vaporizing Fuel' Assignee:
Shell Oil Company, New York, New York. Oct 9,1973 [36] McGraw-Hill Encyclopaedia
Of Science And Technology, 8th Edition, 1997 McGraw-Hill Pub.Corp.
N.Y.. N.Y.. Volume 13, page 327Aviation Gasoline=33 degrees to 170 degrees
Centigrade,
100 degrees to 392 degrees Fahrenheit.Automobile Gasoline=-1 degree to
200 degrees Centigrade, or 30 degrees to 390 degrees Fahrenheit. [page
325]Kirk-Othmer Encyclopaedia Of Chemical Technology
J.Wiley & Sons. Corp,N.Y.,N.Y.. Vol..11,pp.661Light Gas Oil=200-300
degrees Centigrade=[324-572 degrees Fahrenheit]
Heavy Gas Oil=300-400 degrees Centigrade=(572-752 degrees Fahrenheit.)[37]
7030 Brass.CDA260 Cartridge Brass
Used in rifle ammo = Copper 68%, .07% Lead,.05% Iron, rest is zinc
Cost: Metal plate, 1 square foot,1/8 inch-$89.95(US)
Takes nickel plating well, will not decompose at 400F[38] Inconel 625 =
61% Nickel,21% Chrome,9.5% Molybdenum, 3.6% Niobium, plus tantalum.
Cost,one square foot 3/16 inch is: $11.00/100 pound lot. One square foot
is 8 1/2 lbs.
Hastelloy G30 = 65% Nickel, 35% chromium, molybdenum, silicon, carbon (trace),
copper (trace)
310 Stainless Steel = 20% Nickel, 25% Chrome, 1% Manganese, 1/2% Silicon,
Iron One square foot 3/16 inch plate is @ $9.00[39]Business Week,
August 8,1994 "Engines That Run On Water?"
Author: Otis Port of New York. Science and Technology Section.
To search and retrieve on the Internet: http://bwarchive/businessweek.com/Business
Week says that Gunnerman's company "A-55LP" has formed a joint venture
with Caterpillar, Incorporated-the tractor company. In tests, Reno, Nevada
powered a city bus with Gunnermans' system for five months. The United
States Air Force tested it at the Elmdorf Base in Alaska. The Minnesota
Transportation Department sponsered a five vehicle journey from Reno to
Minnesota using vehicles equipped with his system. We quote Business Week:
"Gunnerman claims to have a technology that enables engines to burn a mixture
of half fuel, half water. Yes, water. What's more, he says, the mixture
gets 40% better mileage from the gasoline it contains and emits significantly
less pollution because engines run cooler. In particular, tailpipes emit
virtually no nitrogen oxides -- the principal source of smog. Why does
the fuel result in better mileage? Gunnerman believes the water gets broken
down into hydrogen and oxygen, and the hydrogen contributes energy to the
combustion process. That's because there is one additional trick in his
patented process: A small piece of nickel must be attached to the crown
of each piston or the top of the cylinder heads. The nickel seems to act
as a catalyst in `dissociating' the water, says Gunnerman." Read Gunnerman's
patent 5,156,114 carefully before examining the following material, and
use the column and line locators as a reference. Click
here to read the entire patent with comments!In [column 7, line 10]
Gunnerman describes his experiments with a Tecumseh stationary engine:
"a platinum bar was installed in the bottom surface of the engine head
forming the top of the combustion chamber. The platinum bar weighed one
ounce and measured 2 5/16 inch in length, 3/4 inch in width, and 1/16 inch
in thickness. The platinum bar was secured to the inside of the head with
three stainless steel screws." This quoted instruction is omitting information
necessary to get the device to work - the platinum bar must be completely
electrically insulated from the top of the combustion chamber, as it forms
a seperate high voltage negative electrode the crankcase being the positive.There
must be asbestos or other electrical insulating material between the bar
and the cylinder head for this purpose. If stainless steel screws are used
to mount the electrode, they must be electronically completely insulated
from the cylinder head using asbestos spacers and gaskets. One of these
3 screws can serve as a lead in for the high voltage insulated electrode
that the platinum bar functions as within the cylinder of the engine. A
nickle bolt may also be used: "Such an engine is equipped with a cylinder
(head) but (this) is changed to accept two one half inch diameter nickle
bolts or screws as the hydrogen producing catalyst, with the screw part
being of 1/4 inch diameter to practice the invention."[col 12,line 5]The
1/2 inch diameter nickle bolt and nut are insulated from the cylinder head
by asbestos gaskets. Nickle washers are placed between the asbestos gaskets
and the nickle bolt and nut to avoid deforming them when the nut is tightened.
There is an asbestos collar surrounding the 1/4 inch diameter screw as
it passes through the hole in the cylinder head from the bolt to the nut.
These are all insulated high voltage electrodes,as is the experiment with
the Tecumseh engine in [column 7,line 10] ALL negatively polarized high
voltage electrodes mounted to the cylinder head of the engine follow this
rule - they must be electrically insulated from the positive block of the
engine for the Gunnerman process to work. The spark plug and the electrode(s)
share the same 90KV high voltage source. The inventor has omitted this
critical information from the text of the patent. Use an engine with as
short a piston stroke as possible when experimenting with anything over
a 50% fuel/water mixture.[colunm 8,line 40] Considering possible optimum
design in relation to the surface area of the electrode; the nickel is
NOT a small piece attached to the top of the cylinder. [Column 7,line 10]
It could be seen as 1/4 inch wide strips 62/1000 of an inch thick bent
to form a louver inside the cylinder head making sure these strips do not
hit the top of the cylinder or the top of the head. This louver is part
of a nickel metal plate that acts as an insulated electrode. This is inserted
between two pieces of a head gasket made of asbestos or other insulating
material, and is thermally and electrically insulated from the engine block.The
nickel louver CANNOT physically touch any of the head bolts on the engine,
and a tab leads out from betweenthe two gasket halves. This tab is attached
to a negative 90KV direct current voltage potential, the positive pole
being attached to the block of the engine and serving as electrical ground.
These "electrodes" are completely electrically insulated fromeeach other!
A grid or screen made of interleaved number 12 AWG or SWG guage nickle
wire can also be used for this electrode, with an external tab for the
90KV high voltage supply.The louver inside the cylinder is important because
the strips give a relatively large surface area for this to occur within
the cylinder of the engine. The maximum surface area of strips possible
is what the designer looks for when the louver in the cylinder of the engine
is to be designed. The catalytic reaction described in his patent - the
breakdown of the water molecule into hydrogen and oxygen is caused by an
electrical potential in the nickel catalyst and the heat liberated by the
gasoline exploding in the cylinder of the engine. Use the high spark plug
voltages (i.e. 90KV) Gunnerman recommends in his patent and apply them
to this "electrode",and the block of the engine. [40] See: Emery County
Progress(UT.) Tuesday, Friday 20, 1996 (Utah)
"Inventor Proposes Revolutionary Engine" By Scott Niendorf - Progress Editor.
Page 2A Also see: Marin Independent Journal(Ca.)
November 7, 1992 Nurturing, Inventions, Ideas.
Section/A-11. "In Quest Of Perfect Engine" By Tom Nelson, IJ Business Editor.
Also See: El Dorado Gazette(Ca.) Vol. IV, Nr.5.
November 7,1984. "Garden Valley Inventor Fights Uphill Battle" By Dorothy
Ingram.
The inventor can be contacted:
Geet Management, LLC.
213 West 4800 South,
Salt Lake City Utah 94107
Tel# (801) 281-4577
FAX (801) 281-4578A fully working model, the 'University Special' is available
for US$ 1850 for research purposes by faculty in an accredited University.
[41] Personal communication to author. [42]'Engineering Index Annual, 1982
Citation 04372, page 3210 Thermochemical Conversion Of Wastes/Biomass To
Gasoline'.
Abstract: 'The process involves three operations: a selective pyrolysis
step to convert the feedstock to gases rich in olefins such as thylene,
propylene, and butylene, a compression and purification step to concentrate
this gasolene, and a thermal polymerization step to convert the olefins
primarily to high octane gasoline, this work discusses the information
necessary to determine product yield as well as work done by Dow Chemical"
reference[43]Liberick Walter W, Jr. (US EPA,Cincinnati Ohio, USA) Symposium
Paper: Energy From Biomass and Waste #4,Buena Vista Fla USA January 21-25.
1980.
Published by the Institute of Gas Technology Chicago, Illinois, USA pages
747-763.