| abstract |
In an apparatus having an internal combustion engine, a fuel tank, and an extractor disposed fluidically between the fuel tank and the engine, a method of operating the apparatus is disclosed, wherein the method comprises adding a volume of a mixed fuel into the extractor from the fuel tank, wherein the mixed fuel contains at least one substantially nonpolar fuel component and at least one polar fuel component, adding a volume of a polar solvent to the extractor, extracting at least a portion of the polar fuel from the mixed fuel into the polar solvent, thereby forming a first fuel mixture with an enriched concentration of the polar fuel and a second fuel mixture with an enriched concentration of the substantially nonpolar fuel, and providing the first fuel mixture and the second fuel mixture to the engine in a ratio selected based upon engine operating condition. |