Vapor fueled engine

Abstract

A fuel supply assembly is provided that may allow for use of vaporized fuel to power an engine and enhance fuel efficiency. The fuel supply assembly may include a vaporizing tank, a heating source, a temperature control and a monitoring and control system configured to control intermixing of ambient air and vaporized gasoline to maintain a desired hydrocarbon level in an exhaust.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 an input block configured to receive a combustion exhaust data signal output by an exhaust sensor, the combustion exhaust data signal indicating a carbon level present in an amount of combustion exhaust; and   an output block configured to transmit a valve control signal to one or more of a plurality of valves, the valve control signal to control a mixture of an amount of vaporized fuel and an amount of air to maintain a desired fuel-to-air mixture based on the received combustion exhaust data signal.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the combustion exhaust data signal is a voltage output by the exhaust sensor. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the input block is further configured to receive liquid fuel temperature data output by a temperature sensor coupled to a vaporization tank; and   the output block is further configured to transmit a temperature control signal to a heating element, the temperature control signal to control a temperature of an amount of liquid fuel to generate the amount of vaporized fuel based on the received liquid fuel temperature data.   
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the temperature control signal causes the heating element to increase the temperature of the amount of liquid fuel. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the output block is further configured to transmit a signal to a heating element to enable the heating element to increase a temperature of the amount of vaporized fuel. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the combustion exhaust data signal includes information relating to oxygen (“O 2 ”) emissions, and the apparatus is configured to determine the presence of carbon content based on the O 2  emissions. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the output block is further configured to transmit a fuel control signal to a fuel tank, the fuel control signal to selectively provide the amount of vaporized fuel or an amount of liquid fuel to a combustion chamber. 
   
   
       8 . A method comprising:
 inducting liquid fuel into a vaporization tank;   increasing a temperature of the liquid fuel in the vaporization tank to an increased temperature to vaporize a portion of the liquid fuel; and   controlling an amount of air to be mixed with the vaporized portion of the liquid fuel in response to exhaust conditions.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the controlling comprises controlling the amount of air to be mixed with the vaporized portion of the liquid fuel in response to a signal indicating a carbon level in an amount of combustion exhaust. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 recycling another portion of the quantity of liquid fuel, wherein the another portion of the quantity of liquid fuel does not vaporize at the increased temperature.   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the recycling comprises switching engine operation to liquid fuel operation from vapor fuel operation. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the recycling comprises extracting the another portion of the quantity of liquid fuel from the vaporization tank. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the recycling occurs after vaporization of the portion of the liquid fuel. 
   
   
       14 . A system comprising:
 a vaporization tank including a fuel supply conduit to receive liquid fuel and a recycling conduit to recycle a residual portion of the liquid fuel;   a heating element, coupled to the vaporization tank, configured to controllably increase a temperature of the liquid fuel to generate vaporized fuel; and   a controller, coupled to the vaporization tank and the heating element, to controllably increase the temperature of the liquid fuel to generate the vaporized fuel and to control the recycling conduit to recycle a residual portion of the liquid fuel that does not vaporize.   
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the heating element is further configured to controllably increase a temperature of the vaporized fuel. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising a combustion engine that is configured to combust the vaporized fuel or the recycled liquid fuel. 
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to transmit signals to the combustion engine, the signals indicating whether the engine is to run on the vaporized fuel or the recycled residual portion of the liquid fuel.