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 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 engine;
- 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;
- and
- adjust a flow rate of ammonia delivered to the cracker based on the future load demand, wherein the adjustment is configured to extend a contiguous time of operation or non-operation for the cracker.
A method for operating an ammonia cracker in a vehicle, 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;
- adjusting, by the vehicle, a flow rate of ammonia delivered to the ammonia cracker of the vehicle based on the future load demand, wherein the adjustment is configured to extend a contiguous time of operation or non-operation for the cracker;
- 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 a hydrogen gas and a nitrogen gas;
- conveying, by the ammonia cracker, the hydrogen gas to an 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;
- predict a future load demand of the vehicle based on the predefined route;
- determine an adjusted flow rate of ammonia delivered to a cracker of the vehicle based on the future load demand, wherein the adjusted flow rate is configured to extend a contiguous time of operation or non-operation for the cracker;
- and
- cause the cracker to receive ammonia at the adjusted flow rate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.