The motivation of the people involved in this form of combustion enhancement was the acceptance that the largest consumers of refined fossil fuels are boilers and internal combustion engines. It was obvious that the combustion process i.e. the mixing of fossil fuel and air to produce a combustible product was the common factor linking these two applications.
This approach had never been considered before and has provided the basis for the considerable amount of research, development and market ‘proving’ that has taken place over the last 30 plus years.
The original principles of hydrogen ion production by the ‘pulsing’ of air through a water/oil interface were proven on large oil and gas burning boilers. It was shown that the effect on the combustion process was beneficial both in terms of reduced fossil fuel consumption and noxious stack emissions. There was, at this point, an underlying realisation that it was the ‘in situ’ production of a hydrogen feed in to the combustion process that resulted in the benefits obtained. The logical step was then taken to design and prove equipment which would produce similar effects in internal combustion engines however it soon became obvious that the methods utilised on boilers to produce hydrogen were not practical in an internal combustion engine configuration. Another key challenge in the design of internal combustion engines is minimising fuel maldistribution. Where an uneven mix of fuel and air (or fuel spray) across cylinders can lead to incomplete combustion, reduced efficiency, higher emissions (unburned hydrocarbons, soot) and potential engine damage. Uneven fuel combustion can also lead to uneven pulsating exhaust flows sending uneven amounts of recirculated gas to cylinders.
It was at this point that a major step forward was made and the decision taken to treat the products of combustion (i.e. the exhaust) rather than the pre-combusted fuel mix (inlet) to produce the hydrogen.
The technology involved was designed to take advantage of the pulsations within the manifold by being operated by the positive and negative waves generated in the exhaust manifold, introducing minuscule amounts (much less than 1% equivalent of that used in typical ICE air injection systems) of atmospheric air, in to the exhaust manifold.
The above decision was only possible because it was known that a certain amount of exhaust gas is drawn back in to the cylinders (exhaust gas reversion) therefore hydrogen released from the exhaust gas mix (by steam reforming etc.) would also be drawn back in to the cylinders. One major advantage in harnessing the negative pulse waves was the damping down of the chaotic and turbulent pulse wave activity in the manifold leading to serious reductions in maldistribution of fuel.
The harnessing of pulse wave activity and steam reforming provided major benefits in the reductions of fuel consumption and associated emissions
It is the above concept of pulse air technology and means of operation that makes the Pulse Wave Combustion Enhancement System a unique system. Patent Granted.
Directors, ClearAirTech
