# US 2014/0196467 A1 · Oxidizing fuel

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- Number: US 2014/0196467 A1
- Document ID: US20140196467A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/217,106
- Filed: 2014-03-17
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2007-10-23
- Assignees: Ener-Core Power, Inc.
- Applicants: Ener-Core Power, Inc.
- Inventors: Edan PRABHU
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140196467A1

## CPC

- F02C 9/28: Regulating systems responsive to plant or ambient parameters, e.g. temperature, pressure, rotor speed (F02C9/30 - F02C9/38, F02C9/44 take precedence)
- F02C 3/205: {in a fluidised-bed combustor (in combination with a steam cycle see F01K23/061; fluidised-bed apparatus in general B01J8/18; fluidised-bed combustors in general F23C10/00)}
- F02C 3/22: the fuel or oxidant being gaseous at standard temperature and pressure (F02C3/28 takes precedence)
- F23C 99/006: {Flameless combustion stabilised within a bed of porous heat-resistant material (F23C13/00 takes precedence; gas burners with radiant combustion on a porous surface F23D14/16)}
- F23R 3/26: Controlling the air flow
- F23R 3/28: characterised by the fuel supply (burners F23D)
- F23C 2900/99001: Cold flame combustion or flameless oxidation processes
- Y02E 20/34: Indirect CO2mitigation, i.e. by acting on non CO2directly related matters of the process, e.g. pre-heating or heat recovery
- F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00)
- F23C: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR COMBUSTION USING FLUID FUEL OR SOLID FUEL SUSPENDED IN {A CARRIER GAS OR} AIR (burners F23D)
- F23R: GENERATING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF HIGH PRESSURE OR HIGH VELOCITY, e.g. GAS-TURBINE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS (fluidised bed combustion apparatus specially adapted for operation at superatmospheric pressures F23C10/16)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A mixture of air and fuel is received into a reaction chamber of a gas turbine system. The fuel is oxidized in the reaction chamber, and a maximum temperature of the mixture in the reaction chamber is controlled to be substantially at or below an inlet temperature of a turbine of the gas turbine system. The oxidation of the fuel is initiated by raising the temperature of the mixture to or above an auto-ignition temperature of the fuel. In some cases, the reaction chamber may be provided without a fuel oxidation catalyst material.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-33. (canceled)

### Claim 34

A method of operating a gas turbine system, comprising:
oxidizing a fuel of an air and fuel mixture in a reaction chamber; and
controlling a maximum temperature of the mixture to be between an auto-ignition temperature of the fuel and 1300° C. by receiving a control flow comprising supplemental fuel through a plurality of ports located at a plurality of locations along a reaction chamber flow path in the reaction chamber, each of the plurality of ports being connected to a supplemental fuel source for introduction of the supplemental fuel into the reaction chamber through the plurality of ports.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

The method of claim 34, wherein the mixture is a substantially homogeneous mixture of air and one or more of oxidizable gas, oxidizable vapor, or oxidizable particles.

### Claim 36 (depends on 34)

The method of claim 34, wherein the reaction chamber defines an air and fuel mixture flow path of sufficient duration that the flow rate of the air and fuel mixture along the flow path provides sufficient time for the fuel to oxidize substantially to completion.

### Claim 37 (depends on 34)

The method of claim 34, further comprising heating the mixture before oxidizing the fuel in the reaction chamber.

### Claim 38 (depends on 34)

The method of claim 34, wherein the control flow further comprises air, and controlling the maximum temperature of the mixture comprises increasing an amount of the control flow received into the reaction chamber to decrease the maximum temperature of the mixture.

### Claim 39 (depends on 34)

The method of claim 34, wherein the control flow further comprises a non-reactive fluid, and controlling the maximum temperature of the mixture comprises increasing an amount of the control flow received into the reaction chamber to decrease the maximum temperature of the mixture.

### Claim 40 (depends on 34)

The method of claim 34, wherein oxidizing the fuel comprises gradually oxidizing a majority of the fuel.

### Claim 41 (depends on 34)

The method of claim 34, wherein a fuel oxidation catalyst material is not used during the oxidizing.

### Claim 42 (depends on 34)

The method of claim 34, further comprising
detecting a characteristic comprising a temperature at one or more positions in the reaction chamber; and
adjusting an amount of the control flow received into the reaction chamber based at least in part on the detected characteristic.

### Claim 43

A method of operating a gas turbine system, the method comprising:
oxidizing a fuel of an air and fuel mixture in a reaction chamber of the gas turbine system while controlling a maximum temperature of the mixture in the reaction chamber to be between an auto-ignition temperature of the fuel and 1300° C.;
receiving a control flow comprising supplemental fuel (i) from a supplemental fuel source, (ii) through a plurality of ports located at a plurality of locations along a reaction chamber flow path in the reaction chamber, and (iii) into the reaction chamber, each of the plurality of ports being spaced from another of the plurality of ports along the flow path; and
adjusting the control flow to control the maximum temperature of the mixture.

### Claim 44 (depends on 43)

The method of claim 43, further comprising, prior to oxidizing the fuel, pressurizing the mixture in a compressor of the gas turbine system.

### Claim 45 (depends on 43)

The method of claim 43, further comprising detecting a characteristic comprising a temperature at one or more positions in the reaction chamber; wherein adjusting the control flow comprises adjusting an amount of the control flow received into the reaction chamber based at least in part on the detected characteristic.

### Claim 46 (depends on 43)

The method of claim 43, further comprising expanding the mixture in a turbine of the gas turbine system.

### Claim 47 (depends on 43)

The method of claim 43, wherein a fuel oxidation catalyst material is not used during the oxidation.

### Claim 48 (depends on 43)

The method of claim 43, wherein the mixture comprises a fuel concentration below a sustainable-combustion threshold concentration.

### Claim 49 (depends on 43)

The method of claim 43, wherein oxidizing the fuel comprises gradually oxidizing substantially all of the fuel.

### Claim 50 (depends on 43)

The method of claim 43, a plurality of temperatures along the flow path defines a temperature gradient, and the temperature gradient generally increases from a flow path inlet temperature to a flow path outlet temperature.

### Claim 51 (depends on 43)

The method of claim 43, wherein the fuel is oxidized in a flow path defined by the reaction chamber, the method further comprising at least one of:
adjusting a flow rate of the mixture along the flow path;
adjusting a fuel concentration of the mixture;
receiving into the flow path air to decrease the temperature of the mixture;
receiving into the flow path air to decrease a rate of increase of the temperature of the mixture;
receiving into the flow path one or more non-reactive fluids to decrease a rate of increase of the temperature of the mixture; or
receiving into the flow path one or more non-reactive fluids to decrease the temperature of the mixture.

### Claim 52 (depends on 43)

The method of claim 43, further comprising heating the mixture before oxidizing the mixture in the reaction chamber.

### Claim 53 (depends on 43)

The method of claim 43, wherein the control flow further comprises air, and controlling the maximum temperature of the mixture comprises increasing an amount of the control flow received into the reaction chamber to decrease the maximum temperature of the mixture.

### Claim 54 (depends on 43)

The method of claim 43, wherein the control flow further comprises a non-reactive fluid, and controlling the maximum temperature of the mixture comprises increasing an amount of the control flow received into the reaction chamber to decrease the maximum temperature of the mixture.

### Claim 55

A gas turbine system comprising:
a reaction chamber adapted to oxidize a fuel of an air and fuel mixture and maintain a maximum temperature of the mixture in the reaction chamber between the auto-ignition temperature of the fuel and 1300° C.;
a plurality of ports located at a plurality of locations along a reaction chamber flow path in the reaction chamber, each of the plurality of ports being connected to a supplemental fuel source;
a controller adapted to adjust a control flow of the supplemental fuel through the plurality of ports into the reaction chamber to control the maximum temperature of the mixture within the reaction chamber.

### Claim 56 (depends on 55)

The gas turbine system of claim 55, further comprising a compressor having a compressor inlet and a compressor outlet, the compressor adapted to compress the air and fuel mixture between the compressor inlet and the compressor outlet, the compressor outlet being in communication with an inlet of the reaction chamber.

### Claim 57 (depends on 55)

The gas turbine system of claim 55, further comprising a sensor adapted to detect a characteristic comprising a temperature at one or more positions in the reaction chamber, wherein the controller is adapted to adjust an amount of the control flow received into the reaction chamber based at least in part on the detected characteristic.

### Claim 58 (depends on 55)

The gas turbine system of claim 55, further comprising a turbine in communication with the reaction chamber, the turbine adapted to convert energy from the oxidized air and fuel mixture into rotational movement.

### Claim 59 (depends on 55)

The gas turbine system of claim 55, wherein the reaction chamber is provided without a fuel oxidation catalyst material.

### Claim 60 (depends on 55)

The gas turbine system of claim 55, the reaction chamber comprising a reaction chamber inlet to receive the mixture into the reaction chamber, and a flame arrestor to reduce transfer of heat energy from the reaction chamber inlet to upstream of the reaction chamber inlet.

### Claim 61 (depends on 55)

The gas turbine system of claim 55, wherein each of the plurality of ports is further connected to a non-reactive fluid source and an air source for introduction of a non-reactive fluid and air into the reaction chamber through the plurality of ports.