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http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2005/06/27/136047.html



WASHINGTON, June 27 -- A new design that will enable a gasoline engine to be as fuel efficient as a diesel engine has just been awarded patent number 6,907,859 from the U.S. Patent Office, according to a spokesperson from National Fuelsaver Corporation.

"Every consumer dreams of getting more miles to the gallon," comments Joe Robinson, Technical Director of National Fuelsaver Corp, "but until today a gasoline engine could never compete with the fuel efficiency of a diesel engine. Our latest design closes the miles-per-gallon gap."

The newly patented design shows how to manufacture a gasoline engine with the 16 to 1 power stroke of a diesel engine, while retaining the 8 to 1 compression ratio of a gasoline engine. The higher power stroke ratio delivers 8% more miles per gallon, while the retaining of the compression ratio guarantees the engine's safe performance.

When this latest design is combined with the company's "Platinum Gas Saver," a low-cost automotive accessory that has racked up half a million sales since it appeared on the market, a gasoline vehicle can be as fuel efficient as the equivalent diesel vehicle.

The Gas Saver adds microscopic quantities of platinum to the air and fuel that enters the engine. The platinum is the catalyst which enables the non- burning fuel to burn inside the engine.

Without the Gas Saver, the typical gasoline engine will burn only 68% of each gallon. With the Gas Saver, the engine will burn 90% of each gallon, a 22% increase.

"Obviously, when 22% more of each gallon burns inside your engine, 22% fewer gallons are required to drive the same distance," explains Mr. Robinson. "The savings to the driver is substantial."

After a five year study of the Gas Saver, Federal Consumer Protection concluded: "Independent testing shows greater fuel savings with the Gas Saver than the 22% claimed by the developer."

In addition to the fuel savings, the Gas Saver's platinum cleans out the abrasive carbon to extend engine life and raises octane levels, making the higher priced gasoline unnecessary for most vehicles.

Although consumers will have to wait until the company's new engine design comes to market, the Gas Saver -- which accounts for most of the fuel savings -- can be easily installed on most gasoline vehicles today. For further information call 1-800-LESS-GAS or 1-800-537-7427.

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http://www.nationalfuelsaver.com/webdoc5.htm


BOSTON, Feb. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The Clean Air Act, legislated to reduce NOx (nitrogen oxide) emissions from diesel engines and signed into law by President Bush, just went into effect January 1, 1998. NOx is produced when nitrogen and oxygen from the air are brought together at the high temperatures of combustion chambers. Lowering flame temperatures by retarding the timing will decrease NOx, but will increase soot emissions which is not an acceptable solution.

The only known way to reduce NOx and soot emissions simultaneously from diesel engines is to add microscopic quantities of platinum and rhodium to the air and fuel entering the combustion chambers. The platinum burns the soot to CO2 while the rhodium reduces the NOx back to nitrogen and oxygen. This is identical to the chemistry of the catalytic converter in a gasoline vehicle where the platinum of the catalytic converter burns the CO to CO2, and the rhodium reduces the NOx back to nitrogen and oxygen.

But, you cannot use a catalytic converter with diesel because the unburnt fuel is not a vapor like CO. Soot is a solid. The moment the soot would begin to enter a catalytic converter, the passageways of the converter would get clogged, and the engine will stop functioning.

The simple technology of adding platinum and rhodium to the air and fuel entering an engine was developed by National Fuelsaver Corp. of Boston and is described in U.S. patent 5,085,841 and in SAE paper 891634. It applies the platinum and rhodium chemistry of catalytic converters to the combustion chambers of both gasoline and diesel engines. In 1979, National Fuelsaver began marketing their Platinum Gasaver which adds platinum, rhodium and rhenium to the air and fuel entering a gasoline engine.

The platinum catalyzes the CO to burn inside the engine, converting this pollutant into 22% more miles per gallon, while cleaning out the carbon for longer engine life. The rhodium reduces the NOx and the rhenium raises the octane of the gasoline, making premium fuel unnecessary.

The vested interests have fought the proliferation of this technology since 1977 because it reduces fuel consumption significantly. Since diesel combustion is the one area where there is no fuel savings with this platinum technology, it will be interesting to see if the vested interests allow the Clean Air Act to be or NOx to be.

For further information call: 1-800-537-7427.
CONTACT: Carl Ragland of National Fuelsaver Corp.,

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February 4, 1992

Abstract -- A catalyst mixture of platinum, rhodium, and rhenium is employed in the combustion of gaseous, liquid and/or solid fuel in combustion chambers such as diesel and gasoline engines, for reduction of pollution emitted from the combustion chambers. The platinum serves as a catalyst with carbon and carbon monoxide to produce carbon dioxide, the rhodium serves for reducing oxides of nitrogen to nitrogen gas and oxygen gas, and the rhenium serves as a catalytic promoter for the catalytic functions of the platinum and the rhodium. The rhodium also promotes the catalytic action of the platinum. The catalytic mixture is introduced into a flame zone of a combustion chamber in any convenient manner, such as by use of an air draft. The composition of the mixture is as follows, namely, 1-9 milligrams of platinum, 0.3-3 milligrams rhodium, and 0.3-3 milligrams rhenium for treating 24 kilograms of fuel.

Current U.S. Class:     423/213.5 ; 423/224; 502/103; 502/326
Current International Class:     B01J 23/42 (20060101); B01J 23/46 (20060101); B01D 53/94 (20060101); F02B 1/00 (20060101); F02B 3/06 (20060101); F02B 1/04 (20060101); F02B 3/00 (20060101); B01J 008/02 (); C01B 021/00 (); C01B 017/10 ()

Other References

R M. Montano et al, Simultaneous Reduction of Soot and NO.sub.x in Diesel Engines by Homogeneous Catalysis of Group Platinum Metals, The Society of Automotive Engineers, Aug. 1989..

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method for reduction of pollution emitted from combustion chambers. More specifically the invention relates to a method for reduction of pollution emitted from combustion chambers as in diesel and gasoline engines in motor vehicles and chambers in which combustion of gaseous, liquid and/or solid fuel takes place. The reduction of pollution is achieved by rhodium, platinum and rhenium as catalysts.

It is well established that the major pollutants produced by combustion chambers are soot (carbon), carbon monoxide, and oxides of nitrogen hereinafter referred to as NO.sub.x.

In recent years attempts were made to reduce pollution in various ways by using platinum-group catalysts but the results were only partially successful. In addition rhenium was used in order to increase the octane number in gasoline instead of using lead.

It became apparent that as combustion temperatures rose, soot and CO decreased but at the same time NO.sub.x increased, the latter being an undesirable result. On the other hand, if the combustion temperature is decreased, the NO.sub.x indeed drops, but the amount of soot and CO increases, and simultaneously the efficiency of the fuel utilization drops.

Attempts were made to use platinum as a catalyst for oxidizing the undesired carbon and the CO to CO.sub.2 in combustion chambers. (See U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,816). This patent discloses use of the entire Platinum group for oxidation purposes, but refers primarily to platinum. Over the last decade platinum has been used as a homogeneous catalyst to oxidize C+CO to CO.sub.2 in both engines and furnaces.

However, the problem remained as to how to reduce the NO.sub.x chemically to the gases N.sub.2 and O.sub.2, this being an exothermic reaction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the present invention is to oxidize the carbon and the carbon monoxide to CO.sub.2 and simultaneously to reduce the NO.sub.x to N.sub.2 and O.sub.2 without one process being at the expense of the other.

According to the present invention the catalyst mixture is comprised of platinum, rhodium and rhenium. Wherein the platinum serves for oxidizing the carbon and CO to CO.sub.2, the rhodium serves for reducing the NO.sub.x to N.sub.2 and O.sub.2, and the rhenium serves as a catalytic promoter for the catalysts platinum and rhodium. The rhodium also promotes the catalytic action of the platinum.

The rhenium enables the platinum and rhodium to fulfill their role optimally. A defined ratio must be maintained among the catalysts and between the quantities of catalysts and fuel.

The site at which said simultaneous oxidation and reduction takes place is the combustion chamber to which the catalysts are transported by various means. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,295,816 and 4,475,483.

The present invention relates to a method for reducing the pollution emitted from combustion chambers by the addition of the catalysts-platinum, rhodium and rhenium to the combustion chamber in specific proportions and in a specific ratio to the amount of fuel.

The introduction of the above mixture of catalysts into the combustion chamber leads to a simultaneous oxidation and reduction; Oxidation of carbon and CO to CO.sub.2, and reduction of the NO.sub.x to N.sub.2 and O.sub.2.

According to the present invention the following amounts of catalysts should be used; 1-9 mg platinum, 0.3-3 mg rhodium and 0.3-4 mg rhenium per 24-2400 kg fuel. Optimally the following quantities should be used: 3.2 mg platinum, 1 mg rhodium, and 1 mg rhenium per 240 kg fuel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Drawings 1-4 serve to illustrate the effectiveness of the invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates the CO and NO.sub.x levels prior to and subsequent to the injection of the catalytic mixture to the combustion chamber of a motor vehicle diesel engine.

FIG. 2 illustrates the NO.sub.x and opacity levels prior to and subsequent to the injection of the catalytic mixture to the combustion chamber of two motor vehicle diesel engines. The opacity level relates to the degree of carbon in air.

FIG. 3 illustrates the NO.sub.x and opacity levels of three additional motor vehicles.

FIG. 4 illustrates the NO.sub.x and opacity levels prior to the injection and subsequent to the injection as examined at specified intervals over time, and after a second injection.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The catalysts may be introduced into the flame zone of the combustion chamber in any manner such as by transporting the catalysts by air to the combustion chamber as described in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,816.

The combustion chamber may be of any type such as engines or furnaces.

The reduction of pollution by simultaneous oxidation and reduction can occur only when the specific proportions among the components of the system are maintained.

Preparation of the catalyst mixture:

A mixture of 160 gr. platinum, 50 gr. rhodium and 50 gr. rhenium suffices to reduce pollution in 12 million liter fuel.

The mixture is prepared as follows:

400 gr. H.sub.2 PtCl.sub.6.6H.sub.2 O (CPA) in water

120 gr. Rdcl.sub.2 in water

50 gr. rhenium in perrhenic acid in a total of 114 liters of liquid.

In order to reduce pollution in engines or furnaces by means of the equipment and method described in the above-mentioned U.S. patents, the catalytic mixture described above is divided into 6000 vials wherein each vial contains 19 ml liquid. Each such vial can reduce the pollution of 2000 liters of fuel in combustion chambers.

Up to the present, for reduction of pollution in combustion chambers 500 gr. of H.sub.2 PtCl.sub.6.6H.sub.2 O (CPA) has been used, without any addition of rhodium.

Although the U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,816 relates to the platinum-group metals for the reduction of pollution, it does so only with regard to the oxidation process of the carbon and the CO to CO.sub.2 and does not relate to the rhodium and its function in the reduction of the NO.sub.x.

FIG. 1 shows a reduction of the CO and NO.sub.x pollution in diesel engines in a motor vehicle. Prior to the injection of the catalytic mixture, the pollution level was measured as NO.sub.x 1000 ppm and CO 350 ppm. Subsequent to the injection of the catalytic mixture, a significant reduction was noted in the NO.sub.x level which dropped to 500 ppm and the CO level which dropped to 200 ppm.

FIG. 2 shows the decrease in pollution in two motor vehicles as a result of the injection of the catalysts mixture wherein the pollution was examined with regard to NO.sub.x and opacity. In one vehicle opacity declined from 73% to 8% and in the other from 50% to 5%. In the first vehicle the NO.sub.x dropped from 1600 ppm to 300 ppm, and in the second vehicle from 2000 ppm to 200 ppm. It should be noted that in the first vehicle the decrease in pollution was examined after 1845 miles after injection, and in the second--after 3203 miles.

FIG. 3 shows the decrease in pollution in three additional motor vehicles. The pollution test was conducted in the first vehicle 6538 miles after injection, and in the second vehicle--4925 miles after injection, and in the third vehicle--1311 miles after injection. In the first vehicle opacity decreased from 84% to 9% and the NO.sub.x decreased from 800 ppm to 250 ppm. In the second vehicle opacity decreased from 30% to 9% and the NO.sub.x from 600 ppm to 100 ppm, and in the third vehicle opacity decreased from 72% to 7% and the NO.sub.x from 800 ppm to 300 ppm.

FIG. 4 refers to the decrease in pollution examined 66 6538 and 9302 miles respectively after the injection and immediately after another injection. After 66 and 6538 miles the NO.sub.x dropped from 800 ppm to 300 ppm and 250 ppm respectively, and the opacity dropped from 84% to 4% and 9% respectively. 9302 miles after injection a dramatic increase in pollution was noted due to the fact that no more of the catalytic mixture remained. A second injection and reexamination indicated an immediate and sharp drop in the pollution level. The NO.sub.x dropped from 1200 ppm to 380 ppm and opacity from 78% to 25%.

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http://www.onwheelsinc.com/article/463/fuel_economy_gizmos_~~_fact_or_fiction

4/16/2008

You see them at your local auto parts store or advertised on late night television. We're talking about devices or chemicals that claim to improve your fuel economy and save you hundreds of dollars in the process. And with gas prices above $4 a gallon in some parts of the country, why not invest in a system that will save money?

There are scores of touted fuel savers on the market, all with claims to save you big loot on your gasoline bills. They go by catchy names like "Auto Miser," "Cyclone-Z," "Magna Flash Ignition Control System," "Platinum Fuel Saver," "Fuel Genie," and "Tornado Fuel Saver." There's even one device called the "Pre-Ignition Catalytic Converter (PICC)" that, in the company's words, "will increase the mileage of all personal vehicles to over 100 miles per gallon (city or highway). There are testimonials on the homepage for this device from an owner of a 2006 Mazda3 who is excited to now get 121 mpg after installing the PICC system. Another claims his Ford cargo van gets 43 mpg. By the way, before you spend several thousand dollars for the PICC, you must first buy the Hydrogen Assist Fuel Cell (HAFC) for just over $1,000.

Prices range widely for these gizmos, from a few dollars for fuel additives that purport to save fuel, to several hundred dollars for more advanced systems.

But do these devices really work?

For answers, we sought expert opinion. The federal government's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has tested nearly 100 "fuel savers" over the years and found no significant improvement in fuel economy with any additive or device, according to tests posted on its website, www.epa.gov

Consumer Reports (CR), an independent, consumer-oriented testing firm, also evaluated myriad devices. We spoke with David Champion, senior director of CR's Auto Test Center, who said: "you can do more to improve fuel economy by the way you maintain and drive your vehicle then any of these ‘gas savers' will ever achieve." Champion singled out the Platinum Gas Saver as typical of marketing hype.

The Platinum Gas Saver ($248 for two) is marketed by the National Fuelsaver Corp. and its ads claim up to 22 percent gains in economy. National Fuelsaver says that the product adds microscopic amounts on platinum to the air and fuel going to the engine, making the vehicle burn fuel more efficiently.

National Fuelsaver says the device may take up to 1,800 miles before it is fully effective, and you may have to advance engine timing or install new oxygen sensors for the system to work properly. According to CR, these actions alone may improve economy without purchasing any additional equipment.

In tests, Consumer Reports saw no improvement in economy after 500 miles of testing. They even replaced all four oxygen sensors in one of the test vehicles to the tune of $748, even though the vehicle was new and did not need sensor replacement. "Magnets, atomizers, vortex generators - none of them work, said Champion.

In fairness to the many companies that may have products with promise that may have not yet been tested, including the PICC and HAFC, do your own research.

We did find one product that made us more aware of our "fuelish" ways behind the wheel. It's called the Scan Gauge II Automotive Computer, and uses the OBD-II port found on every vehicle built since 1996 to monitor various engine parameters.

The Scan Gauge II retails for $169.99 and is extremely easy to install. Find a suitable location on your dash or console (away from airbags!) for the small, 5-inch wide, 1-inch deep unit. Route the supplied cable to the OBD-II port (usually under the dash), and perform simple calibrations by inputting information such as the capacity of the gas tank, vehicle weight, and so forth - all data that can be found in your owner's manual.

In addition to displaying engine speed, vehicle speed and reading and resetting "check engine light" fault codes that may develop, the Scan Gauge II is a full trip computer with readouts for things like fuel economy, gallons of gas used and distance to empty. It can also display battery voltage, coolant temperature, air intake temperature and other important measurements.

On a trip to Richmond, Virginia from Maryland, I installed the Scan Gauge in a 1997 Volvo 960. On the trip south, I averaged 26.3 mpg at an average speed of 62 mph. I disconnected the unit for the return trip and averaged 22 mpg at about 70 mph. Using the unit was fun, as four parameters can be displayed at one time, and proved to me that perhaps the biggest fuel saver of all is sensible driving - when you are aware of what you are doing, you can do something about it. I kept my speed near the limit, and saved more than four miles per gallon and possibly a ticket in the process. If your vehicle is not equipped from the factory with a trip computer, the Scan Gauge II or similar trip computer is a worthy, money-saving device. (www.scangauge.com)

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