摘要 |
A fuel converter for a transportation vehicle includes a fuel container for a hydrocarbon fuel, an auxiliary container for water or for an inert fluid which is substantially transparent to radiant energy, an electrical power source, and a high temperature fluid-wall reactor.The high temperature fluid-wall reactor has at least one input for the hydrocarbon fuel and for water or the inert fluid, an electrical power input, and an output. Means are provided for metering the hydrocarbon fuel, water or the inert fluid, and electrical power into the appropriate inputs of the reactor. A manifold connects the output of the reactor to a combustion fuel input of the engine of the vehicle. By means of the fuel converter, a variety of low grade and inexpensive hydrocarbon fuels may be converted into combustible mixtures such as carbon black and hydrogen or carbon monoxide and hydrogen which are suitable as fuel for an internal combustion engine. The level of hydrocarbon pollutants in the exhaust of the engine is substantially reduced relative to the exhaust from the engine when burning an unmodified hydrocarbon fuel.
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