Electrically-driven particulate agglomeration in a combustion system
AssigneeClearsign Combustion Corporation
InventorDAVID B. GOODSON
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Technologies are presented for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction to produce agglomerated combustion particulates. For example, a system may include: one or more electrodes configured to apply electrical energy to a combustion reaction; a combustion zone configured to support the combustion reaction of a fuel at a fuel source; and an electrical power source operatively coupled to the one or more electrodes and configured to apply electrical energy to the combustion reaction. The combustion reaction is controlled to produce a distribution of agglomerated combustion particulates characterized by an increase in at least one of an average particulate diameter or an average particulate mass.
Claims47
A system, comprising:
- a combustion zone configured to be operatively coupled to a fuel source and to support a combustion reaction of a fuel from the fuel source;
- a first electrode and a second electrode, each configured to apply electrical energy to the combustion reaction;
- and
- an electrical power source that is:
- operatively coupled to the first electrode and to the second electrode, and
- configured to drive an electrical circuit formed by the first electrode, the combustion reaction, and the second electrode and to apply electrical energy to the combustion reaction sufficient to cause agglomeration of combustion particulates produced by the combustion reaction, and to form thereby agglomerated combustion particulates.
A method, comprising:
- supporting a combustion reaction by contacting a fuel and an oxidant in a combustion zone;
- producing combustion particulates by reacting the fuel and the oxidant in the combustion reaction;
- and
- producing agglomerated combustion particulates by applying electrical energy to the combustion reaction sufficient to cause agglomeration of the combustion particulates produced by the combustion reaction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.