Ammonia cracking for multi-fuel engines
AssigneeCummins Power Generation Inc.
InventorsAndrew Guy Kitchen, Axel O. zur Loye
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle includes an engine to receive a cracked gas mixture. A cracker of the vehicle can receive ammonia and energy, crack the ammonia to form the hydrogen gas and a nitrogen gas, and convey the hydrogen gas to the engine. A controller for the vehicle can receive a predefined route for the vehicle. The controller can predict a future load demand of the vehicle based on the predefined route. The controller can adjust a flow rate of ammonia delivered to the cracker based on the future load demand.
Claims20
A multi-fuel vehicle comprising:
- an engine configured to receive a cracked gas mixture;
- a hydrogen reservoir coupled with the engine;
- a cracker coupled with the hydrogen reservoir, with the hydrogen reservoir between the cracker and the engine, the cracker configured to:
- receive ammonia from an ammonia storage container and energy from one or more energy sources;
- crack the ammonia to form cracked gas comprising hydrogen gas and a nitrogen gas;
- and
- convey the hydrogen gas to the hydrogen reservoir;
- the one or more energy sources configured to provide the energy to the cracker;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- receive a predefined route for the multi-fuel vehicle;
- predict a future load demand of the multi-fuel vehicle based on the predefined route;
- determine a first quantity of hydrogen demand based on the future load demand of a time period;
- determine a quantity of ammonia configured to generate the first quantity of hydrogen;
- determine a flow rate of ammonia to deliver the quantity of ammonia to the cracker prior to the completion of the time period;
- generate a control signal to adjust the flow rate of ammonia delivered to the cracker to generate an amount of hydrogen gas exceeding the quantity of hydrogen demand, to cause the hydrogen gas to accumulate in the hydrogen reservoir;
- and
- provide, subsequent to the time period, a portion of the amount of hydrogen gas which exceeds the hydrogen demand to the engine, with the cracker in a non-operating state.
A method for operating an ammonia cracker in a vehicle having a hydrogen reservoir and an engine, the method comprising:
- receiving, by a controller of the vehicle, a predefined route;
- predicting, by the controller, a future load demand of the vehicle based on the predefined route;
- determining, by the controller, a first quantity of hydrogen demand based on the future load demand of a time period;
- determining, by the controller, a quantity of ammonia configured to generate the first quantity of hydrogen;
- determining, by the controller, a flow rate of ammonia to deliver the quantity of ammonia to the cracker prior to the completion of the time period;
- generating a control signal to adjust, by the controller, the flow rate of ammonia delivered to the ammonia cracker of the vehicle to generate an amount of hydrogen gas exceeding the quantity of hydrogen demand, to cause at least a portion of the hydrogen gas to accumulate in the hydrogen reservoir;
- receiving, at the ammonia cracker, ammonia at the adjusted flow rate from an ammonia storage container and energy from one or more energy sources;
- cracking, by the ammonia cracker, the ammonia to form a cracked gas comprising the hydrogen gas and a nitrogen gas;
- conveying, by the ammonia cracker, the hydrogen gas to the engine;
- and
- combusting, by the engine, a cracked gas mixture comprising the hydrogen gas.
A non-transient computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor for a vehicle, cause the processor to:
- receive a predefined route for a vehicle comprising an engine, a cracker, and a hydrogen reservoir therebetween;
- predict a future load demand of the vehicle based on the predefined route;
- determine a first quantity of hydrogen demand based on the future load demand of a time period;
- determine a quantity of ammonia configured to generate the first quantity of hydrogen;
- determine a flow rate of ammonia to deliver the quantity of ammonia to the cracker prior to the completion of the time period;
- generate a control signal to adjust the flow rate of ammonia delivered to the cracker to generate an amount of hydrogen gas exceeding the quantity of hydrogen demand, to cause the hydrogen gas to accumulate in the hydrogen reservoir;
- and
- generate a control signal to cause the cracker to receive ammonia at the adjusted flow rate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.