A Novel Fuel Efficient and Emission Abatement Technique for Internal Combustion Engines

The investigation and results presented hereafter are based on the use of a novel technique to improve the performance and emission characteristics of gasoline and diesel engines. The technique involved generating corona discharges within the engine's pre-combustion air stream. These discharges were created by a multi-points charged electrodes. The onset of the discharges facilitated the ionization and excitation process of the neutral air species. New radicals and highly oxidizing species such as atomic oxygen (O) and ozone (O₃) were produced and these are known to modify some of the chemical reactions involved in the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels. Measurements of both gasoline and diesel engine torque, speed, various temperatures, fuel consumption and exhaust gas composition were obtained, using a constant throttle position under both normal and coronas operating conditions. Results strongly indicate that the implementation of the technique in engines could improve both the fuel economy and the exhaust emission quality.