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My next project with engine efficiency:
In the last two years I
have learned a lot about engine efficiency and how to get better gas mileage.
I have explored:
- Hydrogen as a fuel
- Hydrogen as a catalyst in the combustion
process
- Ethanol as a home-made fuel
- Water injection
- Cold vapor injection (already evaporated fuel.)
- And many other technologies.
The technologies listed
above are solid and have been proven in many different arenas. I also have
explored electric vehicles and their benefits to both society and the owners
of those vehicles and I believe strongly in the use of them.
The largest problem with
these individual technologies is the practical application to a myriad of models
and types of vehicles. I would like to apply these principles to a common,
already efficient vehicle, creating a somewhat standardized add-on that can
then be applied to any vehicle of the same common model. I have chosen the
Dodge Neon (second generation year 2000+) as this vehicle because it
is:
- Already very efficient, meaning it is already
aerodynamic, has low rolling resistance, etc.
- It is VERY popular due to it’s
affordability and sensible styling
- It is a fun car to drive.
- It has been around long enough to have a
technical following
- There are many aftermarket performance items
available, which helps in integrating control systems.
- They are a very inexpensive “used”
donor car. Thus, even a later model year such as a 2001 can be purchased
for only a few thousand dollars. This makes it an economical
platform to start with.
I have worked hands-on at
developing and testing the previously listed forms of combustion enhancing
technologies and have a working theory that while individually, they are
good, working together there can be a dramatic effect in mileage performance
because of the principles inherent in hydro-carbon combustion process.
Generally, my reasoning is this:
- Using an alternative form of combustion cooling
(than current gasoline evaporation) to reduce oxides of nitrogen,
(Water injection replacing excess fuel) we are not bound to the
“stoichiometric” air/fuel ratio presently taught today. This
is because the presently taught stoichiometric mixture is actually a
balance between mileage and emissions. Too little fuel (Lean) results in
not enough evaporation and thus too hot a combustion. (And Oxides of
Nitrogen are created.) Too much fuel (too rich) would leave completely
unburned fuel in the exhaust. (Today, it is burned, but just in creating
more heat, not moving the piston. This is the crux of what I am trying
to address.)
- With the above, having the ability to LEAN the
fuel mixture (which would normally increase heat output) opens the door
to actually burning closer to ALL the fuel that is put into the intake
for the purpose of expanding gasses (moving a piston.)
- Using Hydrogen as a combustion catalyst (by
using an on-board electrolyzer such as the one I designed,) the SPEED of
combustion can be increased, resolving the second problem in leaning a
fuel mixture, which is putting the fire out before the exhaust valves
open.
- Using Cold vapor as a supplement, we have a
better opportunity to reduce the amount of overall liquid that
evaporates (because we will be using water for this purpose.)
In my experiments, I have
run into the limitations of both carbureted and standard EFI control systems
to modify the appropriate timing and fuel to air ratios. I have attempted to
create new controls from the ground up, using microprocessors, but have found
that user-configurable systems from the racing market are readily available
and suit the task.
I have already designed and
tested a micro-processor (PIC) controller to do the basic functions of
turning these systems on and off as required. They are basically
controls of amplified pulse width modulated signals.
Overall, I would like to do
the following, in this order:
- Purchase an appropriate Dodge Neon vehicle.
- Purchase a kit to convert it to electricity. (I
believe that emerging battery technologies will make future conversions
have far better performance, but the only difference will be in a
different battery pack.) I already have designed, constructed, and
tested a high-efficiency charging system to be built-in.
- Do the conversion, keeping the pulled motor in
working order.
- While driving the car, the engine can be put
into a test environment for integrating with the efficiency system.
- Purchase a Wintech based Control module and
appropriate sensors and install onto the engine. This gives us the
ability to precisely control ignition timing and fuel ratio curves.
- Work out the bugs in the design as they come
up.
- Purchase another Dodge Neon and replace the
engine with the modified one and test the outcome.
Having created a
“road map” for doing both of these mods, I will be able to have a
baseline for a “standard model.”
From there, I hope to be
able to do conversions for others. Imagine:
- An all electric Dodge Neon.
- A 70MPG Dodge Neon.
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