Paul A Harrell

US Patent:

59378387, Aug 17, 1999

Filed:

Aug 5, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/906131

Inventors:

Paul L. Harrell - Newborn GA

Assignee:

Vaporizer LLC - Newborn GA

International Classification:

F02M 2904

US Classification:

123593

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for assisting in the reduction of pollutants from liquid-fuel burning (e. g. internal combustion) engines comprises, in a first sense, methods and apparatus for subjecting liquid fuel to multiple stages of vaporization before entering the combustion chambers of internal combustion engines, and, in another sense, method and apparatus for interposing a screening device between a first source of misted fuel (providing first vaporization) and the combustion chamber, thereby accomplishing at least a second vaporization of the fuel prior to combustion. The embodiments include, for example, (i) retrofit apparatuses and methods in the form of an improvement to the air and gas introduction assemblies of a liquid-fuel burning engine (such as, for example, a prior art automobile internal combustion engine or a lawnmower engine outfitted with a carburetor), which improvement comprises primarily the introduction of a screening device between the air/fuel mixture outlet of the carburetor (functioning as the first source of misted fuel) and the intake of the engine combustion chamber, and (ii) unitary assembly embodiments incorporating within a unitary assembly a first source of misted fuel and a screening device such that fuel which enters the unitary assembly as a liquid stream exits the unitary assembly as a finally misted ("vaporized") air/fuel mixture which is subsequently delivered to the intake of the engine (combustion chamber), or, in some embodiments, introduced to a prior art carburetor associated with the engine.