Internal combustion engine as a chemical reactor to produce synthesis gas from hydrocarbon feeds
AssigneeResearch Triangle Institute
InventorsJohn Reeves Carpenter, David Douglas Barbee, Apoorv Agarwal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An internal combustion engine is operated at fuel-rich conditions by adjusting one or more operating parameters such as, for example, a throttle, an ignition timing, a load coupled to the engine, a fuel pressure, power to a supercharger, and power to a preheater to maintain a specified engine speed and a temperature of an exhaust gas. Operating the engine under these conditions allows the engine to function as a reformer producing a synthesis gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide.
Claims38
A method for using an internal combustion engine as a reactor under fuel-rich conditions, comprising:
- starting the engine using a feed gas having an initial fuel-air equivalence ratio;
- increasing the fuel-air equivalence ratio incrementally to generate a fuel-rich feed gas;
- and
- while increasing the fuel-air equivalence ratio, adjusting one or more of a throttle, an ignition timing, a load coupled to the engine, a fuel pressure, power to a supercharger acting on the feed gas or part of the feed gas, and power to a preheater acting on the feed gas to maintain a fuel-air equivalence ratio to about 1.6 to 2.4.
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A method for operating an internal combustion engine under fuel-rich conditions, comprising:
- maintaining a maintenance operating set of conditions after startup of the engine for an exhaust backpressure, an intake manifold pressure, an engine speed, an ignition timing, a fuel gas fuel-air equivalence ratio, and a fuel gas inlet temperature;
- increasing the fuel gas inlet temperature while maintaining the fuel gas fuel-air equivalence ratio, and monitoring methane and oxygen content of an engine exhaust gas;
- and
- adjusting ignition timing in response to the monitored methane and oxygen content.
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A gas reformer system, comprising:
- an internal combustion engine comprising a fuel gas inlet, an exhaust gas outlet, a plurality of cylinders, an ignition timing system, a throttle, a fuel gas preheater, and a supercharger;
- wherein the internal combustion engine is configured for operating with a fuel gas fuel-air equivalence ratio of between about 1.6 and 2.4.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.