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9.9.2 Membrane Enrichment of Air




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This article is from the Gasoline FAQ, by Bruce Hamilton with numerous contributions by others.

9.9.2 Membrane Enrichment of Air

Over the last two decades, extensive research has been performed on the
use of membranes to enrich the oxygen content of air. Increasing the oxygen
content can make combustion more efficient due to the higher flame
temperature and less nitrogen. The optimum oxygen concentration for existing
automotive engine materials is around 30 - 40%. There are several commercial
membranes that can provide that level of enrichment. The problem is that the
surface area required to produce the necessary amount of enriched air for an
SI engine is very large. The membranes have to be laid close together, or
wound in a spiral, and significant amounts of power are required to force
the air along the membrane surface for sufficient enriched air to run a
slightly modified engine. Most research to date has centred on CI engines,
with their higher efficiencies. Several systems have been tried on research
engines and vehicles, however the higher NOx emissions remain a problem
[132,133].



 

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