Chemical fuel conditioning and activation

摘要

Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for chemically activating a fuel for injection and ignition in a combustion engine. In one aspect, a method to initiate combustion includes transforming an interim fuel substance into constituents including radicals, the interim fuel substance formed by a chemical conversion using a fuel, in which the interim fuel substance has a lower ignition energy than that of the fuel, injecting the constituents into a combustion chamber of an engine, and providing a gaseous fluid including oxidants in the combustion chamber to react with the constituents in a combustion reaction, in which the combustion reaction of the constituents occurs at a reduced energy than that of a combustion reaction of the fuel substance.

主权项

1. A method to initiate combustion, the method comprising:
transforming an interim fuel substance into constituents including at least one of a chemically active fuel, an oxidant, ions, or radicals, the interim fuel substance formed by a chemical conversion using a fuel and the interim fuel substance having a lower ignition energy than an ignition energy of the fuel; injecting the constituents into a combustion chamber in a plurality of bursts between combustion events to increase an efficiency of ignition, combustion, or both; and providing a gaseous fluid including oxidants in the combustion chamber to react with the constituents in a combustion reaction, wherein the combustion initiation reaction of the constituents occurs at a reduced energy level relative to an energy level of a combustion reaction of the fuel.