Oxygenating fuel

Abstract

A system and method of oxygenating liquid fuels, such as diesel fuel, heating oil, gasoline, and other combustible liquid fuels. Oxygenated fuel may be used by vehicles, aviation aircraft and heating systems to increase performance and efficiency and produce cleaner emissions. Liquid fuel is oxygenated by depositing concentrated oxygen gas directly into the fuel, typically when the fuel is stored in a container such as a fuel tank of a motor vehicle. Concentrated oxygen gas percolates with the liquid fuel, thereby producing oxygenated fuel. The use of oxygenation liquid fuel by a combustion system results in increased fuel efficiency, as seen by increased efficiency (such as better gas mileage and horsepower), and improvements in the quality of exhaust emissions, as seen by reduced amounts of CO 2 and NO produced during combustion of oxygenated liquid fuel.

1 . A method comprising: depositing a concentrated oxygen gas directly into a liquid fuel, wherein the liquid fuel is stored in a fuel container prior to transfer to a combustion system, whereby the deposition of the concentrated oxygen gas causes the concentrated oxygen gas to percolate in the liquid fuel.  
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel container is a tank of a motorized vehicle.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel container is a tank of a aviation aircraft.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel container is a tank of a heating system.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel container is a tank of a fuel filling station.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid fuel is gasoline.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid fuel is diesel fuel.  
   
   
       8 . The method of Claim, wherein the liquid fuel is fuel oil.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid fuel is aviation fuel.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the act of depositing concentrated oxygen gas includes transferring concentrated oxygen gas at a concentration greater than 25% from an oxygen source through a conduit.  
   
   
       11 . A system for oxygenating combustible fuel, comprising: a fuel container containing a liquid fuel; an oxygen source capable of providing a concentrated oxygen gas; and a means for transferring the concentrated oxygen gas into the liquid fuel.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the fuel container is a fuel tank on a motorized vehicle.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the fuel container is a fuel tank on a aviation aircraft.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the oxygen source resides within propinquity to the fuel tank.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the means for transferring the concentrated oxygen gas is a conduit adapted to transfer concentrated oxygen gas from the oxygen source and deposit the concentrated oxygen gas into the liquid fuel of the fuel container, such that the concentrated oxygen gas is allowed to percolate with the liquid fuel of the fuel container.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 11 , whereby the oxygen source is a container containing concentrated oxygen gas at a concentration of greater than 25%.  
   
   
       17 . A method for increasing fuel efficiency of a fuel combustion system, the fuel combustion system including a fuel container configured to store liquid fuel and a combustion unit for combusting the fuel, the method comprising: releasing concentrated oxygen gas into the fuel container so that it percolates with the liquid fuel.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein concentrated oxygen gas is released into the fuel container through a conduit, whereby the conduit is adapted to connect the fuel container to an oxygen source.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein concentrated oxygen gas is released from an oxygen source adapted to reside in propinquity to the fuel container of the fuel combustion system.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the oxygen source is a container containing concentrated oxygen gas at a concentration of greater than 25%.