Electrorheology

Electorheology is the study of how fluids -- usually liquids -- flow in response to applied electricity. Research done at Temple University, introduced in September 2008, focuses on electrorheology applied to fossil fuel.
Temple's innovation relies on what's actually a fairly new physics principle—that applying electricity to fuel can reduce its viscosity not only by imparting negative charges, but also by altering the position of fuel molecules . In Temple's new invention, this second effect is more important than the first.
When you pass fuel through an electric field, the molecules tend to realign. But fuel is made up of lots of different types of molecules, and the different types respond differently to the voltage. Larger molecules group together into little bunches, while smaller particles don't cluster as much. The result is a less viscous fluid, because the largest molecules are more spread out. Thinner fuel breaks up into a finer mist when it hits the injector nozzle.
The smaller the injected fuel particles, the more surface area comes into direct contact with oxygen. The particles burn more completely, allowing the engine to create more energy out of each serving of fuel. Second, it reduces the amount of pollution pouring out of our cars, because most harmful emissions result from the fuel not burning completely .
The voltage, 1 kV/mm, is applied within the fuel injector by two pieces of metallic mesh, one positively charged, the other negatively, spaced 1 centimeter apart . The pieces of mesh can simply be inserted into an existing fuel injector, positioned before the fuel hits the nozzle. The cost, then, would be relatively low. The other big plus is that it uses very little power to create the voltage, so it doesn't detract much from the car's battery.

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