Description:Complete Specification

The following specification describes and ascertains the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.
Field of the invention
[0001] This invention relates to an oxygen separator, and more specifically to the oxygen separator that separates high concentration oxygen from air for delivery to an internal combustion engine.

Background of the invention
[0002] DE 102012213490 B4 describes a gas delivery device for an internal combustion engine having a fuel injection valve adapted to directly inject fuel into a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine through at least one fuel injection hole of the fuel injection valve. The gas delivery apparatus comprises a delivery assembly adapted to deliver high oxygen concentration gas having an oxygen concentration higher than an oxygen concentration of fresh air and to supply low oxygen concentration gas having an oxygen concentration lower than the oxygen concentration of the fresh air into the combustion chamber such that at a timing of injecting a fuel spray (G) from the at least one fuel injection hole of the fuel injector into the combustion chamber a high level of oxygen substance-concentration gas that has an oxygen concentration that is equal to or lower than the oxygen concentration of the high-oxygen-concentration gas, and a low-level oxygen-concentration gas that has an oxygen concentration that is lower than the oxygen concentration of the high-level oxygen-concentration gas and equal to or higher than the oxygen concentration of the gas low oxygen concentration, the high oxygen concentration gas and the low oxygen concentration gas are formed in an adjacent region of the combustion chamber which is adjacent to the fuel spray (G), characterized in that the high level oxygen concentration gas is formed in a corresponding region of the adjacent area is arranged, which is generally opposite of the at least one fuel injection hole of the fuel injection valve, while the fuel spray between the corresponding area of the adjacent area and the at least one fuel injection hole of the fuel injection valve, and the low-level oxygen concentration gas is disposed in a remaining area of the adjacent area other than the corresponding area of the adjacent area in which the high level oxygen concentration gas; the delivery assembly has a first inlet port and a second inlet port adapted thereto, respectively, the gas to supply the low oxygen concentration gas and the high oxygen concentration gas into the combustion chamber. The first inlet port is adapted to supply the low oxygen concentration gas into a central region of the combustion chamber, in which a central axis of the combustion chamber is arranged and which in a direction of the central axis. The second intake port is adapted to supply the high oxygen concentration gas into an outer peripheral portion of the combustion chamber located on an outside of the central portion and which is other than the central portion; and the gas supplying device further comprises an interrupt supplying device adapted to supply the high oxygen concentration gas into the first inlet port to supply the high oxygen concentration gas into the combustion chamber through the first inlet port to be supplied prior to a timing of supplying the low oxygen concentration gas into the combustion chamber through the first inlet port so that the high oxygen concentration gas and the low oxygen concentration gas through the first intake port during an intake stroke prior to a time of starting combustion of the fuel into the combustion chamber, the combustion using the high oxygen concentration gas and the low oxygen concentration gas introduced through the first intake port into the combustion chamber can be supplied.

Brief description of the accompanying drawing
[0003] Figure 1 illustrates an oxygen separator that separates high concentration oxygen from air for delivery to an internal combustion engine.

Detailed description of the embodiments
[0004] Figure 1 illustrates an oxygen separator 100 that separates high concentration oxygen from air for delivery to an internal combustion engine. The oxygen separator 100 comprises an air filter 110 that is adapted to receive air. A bi-directional outlet valve 120 is in flow communication with the air filter 110 at its inlet and receives air that is supplied from the air filter 110. A first molecular sieve bed 130 is in flow communication with a first outlet 140 of the bi-directional outlet valve 120 and receives air that is supplied from the first outlet 140 of the bi-directional outlet valve 120. A second molecular sieve bed 150 is in flow communication with a second outlet 160 of the bi-directional outlet valve 120 and receives air that is supplied from the second outlet 160 of the bi-directional outlet valve 120. An engine comprising an inlet manifold 170 is in flow communication with an outlet 180 of the first molecular sieve bed 130 and an outlet 190 of the second molecular sieve bed 150 and adapted to receive oxygen from the first molecular sieve bed 130 and the second molecular sieve bed 150.

[0005] Figure 1 illustrates an oxygen separator 100 that separates high concentration oxygen from air for delivery to an internal combustion engine. The oxygen separator 100 comprises an air filter 110 that is adapted to receive air. A bi-directional outlet valve 120 is in flow communication with the air filter 110 at its inlet 125 and receives air that is supplied from the air filter 110. The bi-directional valve 120 comprises two outlets (140,160) that are adapted to supply filtered air to a first molecular sieve bed 130 and to a second molecular sieve bed 190 intermittently. The first molecular sieve bed 130 is in flow communication with a first outlet 140 of the bi-directional outlet valve 120 and receives air that is supplied from the first outlet 140 of the bi-directional outlet valve 120.

[0006] A second molecular sieve bed 150 is in flow communication with a second outlet 160 of the bi-directional outlet valve 120 and receives air that is supplied from the second outlet 160 of the bi-directional outlet valve 120. An engine comprising an inlet manifold is in flow communication with an outlet 180 of the first molecular sieve bed 130 and an outlet 190 of the second molecular sieve bed 150 and adapted to receive oxygen from the first molecular sieve bed 130 and the second molecular sieve bed 150.

[0007] The first molecular sieve bed 130 and the second molecular sieve bed 150 comprises a zeolite material that allows oxygen from air to be filtered and delivered to the inlet manifold 170 of the engine. The first molecular sieve bed 130 and the second molecular sieve bed 150 filters nitrogen gas from air flowing to the first molecular sieve bed 130 and the second molecular sieve bed 150 and permits a high concentration of oxygen gas to flow from the first molecular sieve bed 130 and the second molecular sieve bed 150 to the inlet manifold 170 of the engine. An electronic control unit 195 is in electronic communication with the bi-directional outlet valve 120. The electronic control unit 195 is adapted to control the bi-directional outlet valve 120 to regulate a flow of air to one of the first molecular sieve bed 130 and the second molecular sieve bed 150 intermittently to permit an flow of high concentrated oxygen from the first molecular sieve bed 130 and from the second molecular sieve bed 150 to the inlet manifold 170 of the engine.

[0008] A working of the oxygen separator 100 for the internal combustion engine is described as an example. As air flows from the air filter 110 through the bi-directional valve 120, air is channeled from the first outlet 140 of the bi-directional valve 120 to the first molecular sieve bed 130. Nitrogen gas is arrested in the first molecular sieve bed 130, while oxygen gas is permitted to flow from the first molecular sieve bed 130 to the inlet manifold 170 of the engine. As the first molecular sieve bed 130 becomes saturated with nitrogen gas that is entrapped within the first molecular sieve bed 130, the air is channeled from the second outlet 160 of the bi-directional valve 120 to the second molecular sieve bed 150. Nitrogen gas is arrested in the second molecular sieve bed 150, while oxygen gas is permitted to flow from the second molecular sieve bed 150 to the inlet manifold 170 of the engine. The electronic control unit 195 controls the flow of air from the first outlet 140 of the bi-directional valve 120 to the first molecular sieve bed 130 and from the second outlet 160 of the bi-directional valve 150 to the second molecular sieve bed 150 intermittently depending on whether the first molecular sieve bed 130 or the second molecular sieve bed 150 is saturated with nitrogen gas respectively.

[0009] It must be understood that the embodiments explained above are only illustrative and do not limit the scope of the disclosure. Many modifications in the embodiments with regard to dimensions of various components are envisaged and form a part of this invention. The scope of the invention is only limited by the scope of the claims.
, Claims:
We Claim

1. An oxygen separator (100) for an internal combustion engine, said oxygen separator (100) comprising:
an air filter (110) that is adapted to receive air;
a bi-directional outlet valve (120) in flow communication with said air filter (110) at its inlet (125) and receives air that is supplied from said air filter (110);
a first molecular sieve bed (130) in flow communication with a first outlet (140) of said bi-directional outlet valve (120) and receives air that is supplied from the first outlet (140) of said bi-directional outlet valve (120);
a second molecular sieve bed (150) in flow communication with a second outlet (160) of said bi-directional outlet valve (120) and receives air that is supplied from the second outlet (160) of said bi-directional outlet valve (120); and
an engine comprising an inlet manifold (170) in flow communication with an outlet (180) of said first molecular sieve bed (130) and an outlet (190) of said second molecular sieve bed (150) and adapted to receive oxygen from said first molecular sieve bed (130) and said second molecular sieve bed (150).

2. The oxygen separator (100) for the internal combustion engine in accordance with Claim 1, wherein said first molecular sieve bed (130) and said second molecular sieve bed (150) comprises a zeolite material that allows oxygen from air to be filtered and delivered to the inlet manifold (170) of said engine.

3. The oxygen separator (100) for the internal combustion engine in accordance with Claim 2, wherein said first molecular sieve bed (130) and said second molecular sieve bed (150) filters nitrogen gas from air flowing to said first molecular sieve bed (130) and to said second molecular sieve bed (150) and permits oxygen gas to flow from said first molecular sieve bed (130) and said second molecular sieve bed (150) to the inlet manifold (170) of said engine.

4. The oxygen separator (100) for the internal combustion engine in accordance with Claim 2, further comprising an electronic control unit (195) in electronic communication with said bi-directional outlet valve (120), said electronic control unit (195) adapted to control said bi-directional outlet valve (120) to regulate a flow of air to one of said first molecular sieve bed (130) and said second molecular sieve bed (150).