Exhaust gas electrochemical energy recovery system
AssigneeSouthwest Research Institute
InventorsMatthew Kubesh, Ian Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed at the integration of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) into the exhaust stream of an internal combustion engine aided by the upstream injection of a fuel, such as a hydrocarbon fuel. The internal combustion engine may be advantageously operated in a lean condition while the SOFC receives the hydrocarbon fuel to promote and maintain optimized fuel cell operation.
Claims19
A method for operating an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine comprising:
- providing an exhaust conduit configured to receive exhaust from an internal combustion engine;
- providing a secondary fuel injector positioned in said exhaust conduit configured to introduce a fuel along with a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) positioned downstream from said secondary fuel injector, wherein said SOFC is configured to receive both said exhaust and fuel from said secondary fuel injector;
- operating said engine at an equivalency ratio of 1.0 to 1.1 to heat said solid oxide fuel cell to a temperature in the range of 500° C. to 1000° C.;
- operating said engine at an equivalency ratio of 0.50 to 0.77 upon reaching the temperature, and
- injecting fuel from said secondary fuel injector into said exhaust conduit wherein said fuel is then introduced into said solid oxide fuel cell.
A method for operating an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine comprising:
- providing an exhaust conduit configured to receive exhaust from an internal combustion engine;
- providing a secondary fuel injector positioned in said exhaust conduit configured to introduce a fuel along with a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) downstream from said secondary fuel injector positioned to receive both said exhaust and fuel from said secondary fuel injector;
- providing an engine electronic control module and a SOFC electronic control module wherein said SOFC control module is configured to:
- direct said electronic engine control module to operate said engine at an equivalency ratio of 1.0 to 1.1 to heat said solid oxide fuel cell to a temperature in the range of 500° C. to 1000° C. and to operate said engine at an equivalency ratio of 0.50 to 0.77 upon reaching the temperature, and
- direct the injection of fuel from said secondary fuel injector into said exhaust conduit wherein said fuel is then introduced into said solid oxide fuel cell.
An exhaust system for an internal combustion engine comprising:
- an exhaust conduit configured to receive exhaust from an internal combustion engine;
- a secondary fuel injector positioned in said exhaust conduit configured to introduce a fuel;
- a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) positioned to receive both said exhaust and introduced fuel;
- and
- an engine electronic control module (ECM) and a SOFC electronic control module in communication with said secondary fuel injector, wherein said SOFC electronic control module is configured to monitor the temperature of the SOFC and direct the engine control module to operate said engine at an equivalency ratio of 1.0 to 1.1 to heat said solid oxide fuel cell to a temperature in the range of 500° C. to 1000° C. and to operate said engine at an equivalency ratio of 0.50 to 0.77 upon reaching the temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.