In car oil refinery, run by EFI.

[Mike Dillon]

      I would look a little closer at the heat-pump idea the 110 % 
efficancy only means for every 100 watts in electical-mecanical energy put in 
you get 110 watts of heat out, not a big differance. Electric heaters
are 100% efficant at turning electical energy to heat, but then so is a 
light bulb. I am not sure what temps you need in the "refinery" but heat
pumps work real well for small delta T's  ie. 0 to 30 degrees, but 
are less attractive at higher delta T's. Good luck, refine your proposal 
stick with a how this will help the envirorment theme, and start asking
for grants, with luck you might get a career out of it.   
 
Mike D.


> From diy_efi-owner at esl.eng.ohio-state.edu Tue May  5 00:34 CDT 1998
> From: danny_tb at postoffice.utas.edu.au (Danny Barrett)
> 
> Just so that the guesses can stop coming in (even though it has been
> discovered what I am intending)...
> 
> I intend to build an in car "oil refinery." This may sound like a heap of BS
> to many, but others have researched the possibility, and found it might be
> viable IF it can be controled somehow.
> 
> The basic principal behind it is to catalytically crack the fuel molecules,
> in the presence of hydrogen, and form methane. This reaction is an
> ENDOthermic reaction - ie. it requires energy (in the form of heat) to be
> put IN, and thereby, the products of the reaction are at a higher energy
> state than the fuel that was put in. Thus, otherwise wasted heat energy is
> stored CHEMICALLY, to be used within the engine. Because of this "recycling"
> effect, less fuel should be required for the same power output, and hence,
> greater efficiency.
> 
> The main problem with methane as a fuel (from what I am told) is that it
> burns with a lower temperature than gasoline (this means it is more
> "explosive" in its reaction, but changes in ignition timing will cure this
> problem). Since it burns with a lower temperature, it might not produce
> exhaust gases hot enough to keep the catalytic cracking reaction going. This
> is where the refrigerants come in.
> 
> Everyone knows about heat pumps... They use a little bit of energy to
> TRANSFER a large amount of energy from one place to another. This is how a
> home heat pump can have an efficiency of say 110% - The energy it TRANSFERS
> is FAR GREATER than the energy it uses. For those who can't grasp this -
> consider a fuel pump on an engine. It uses a small amount of energy, but it
> pumps fuel, which has a very large amount of energy stored in it
> (chemically). The heat pump is just the same. Also, a heat pump can take
> heat energy from a cold place, and put it into a warm place, making the cold
> place colder, and the warm place warmer. This is how you can sit in your
> cosy room at 30 deg C, when it is 0 deg C outside, simply by using a heat pump.
> 
> How does the heat pump apply to the fuel system? Remember I said that the
> exhaust gases of the methane powered engine may be too cold to keep the
> reaction going? I intend to use a heat pump (using a little bit of energy)
> to TRANSFER a very large amount of energy from the exhaust (making it yet
> cooler), to the little oil refinery mounted on the engine (keeping it at the
> desired temperature). Hence, I have stipulated the refrigerant to be able to
> cope with temperatures of (at least) between 20 deg C, and 500 to 600 deg C.
> In actual fact, it would be better if it were to work at a larger temp
> range. This is also why I said that some kind of head cooling system would
> help my little project, although it isn't my project, per-say. However, I
> had thought of it before. If all of the wasted heat could be collected from
> the oil, the coolant system, and the exhaust (bearing in mind that both the
> coolant system, and the oil should be kept at their most efficient
> temperatures), then the system should (not saying it will) be more efficient
> still. In fact, it might be possible for such a system to replace the
> radiator, and recirculate the energy, instead of throwing it away by
> increasing the ambient air temperature.
> 
> However, such a system would have a maximum efficiency, where the attempt to
> recycle any more energy would result in the system using more extra energy
> than it gains. I do not know where this point is, but I would like to find out.
> 
> As for where EFI fits in, obviously, an EFI system can meter just the right
> amount of fuel (and water that is thermally cracked, and electrostatically
> separated into H(+) and O(2-) ions, then made into H2 and O2 inseparate
> chambers) needed more accurately than any carburettor will ever be able to.
> Also, it may be possible to have another EFI computer controling the heat
> pump, so that the little oil refinery can stay at its most efficient
> temperature.
> 
> Any comments/ideas???
> 
> Danny Barrett.
> 
> 
>