Flexible fuel engine enabled by hydrogen
AssigneeBlaze Energy Technologies Corporation
InventorsJesse E. Hensley, Richard D. Barton, Rok Sitar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method to allow flexible fueling of engines (including but not limited to four cycle compression ignition engines) with a portion of hydrogen gas derived “on demand” from a fluid containing chemically-bound hydrogen. The use of multiple fuel types including compressed or liquefied natural gas, diesel, heavy fuel oil, methanol, liquefied petroleum gas, and liquefied ammonia is enabled by modifying their combustion behavior with this derived hydrogen gas. Existing engines can optionally be enabled through a retrofit that adds the aforementioned apparatus, injecting the produced hydrogen gas into the air intake of the engine.
Claims27
A flex fueling apparatus comprising:
- a fluid container;
- a heat exchanger communicably coupled to said fluid container and configured to increase a temperature of a fluid containing chemically-bound hydrogen by using a fluid from a system associated with an engine;
- a catalytic reformer in fluid communication with said fluid container, said catalytic reformer comprising a solid phase catalyst selected to reform the fluid containing chemically-bound hydrogen and liberate the hydrogen;
- a heater positioned to supply heat to an endothermic reforming reaction that liberates the hydrogen from the fluid containing chemically-bound hydrogen;
- a source of energy;
- a controller configured to control said heater;
- electromechanical hardware configured to adjust and/or control a flow of the liberated hydrogen that is produced by said catalytic reformer;
- and
- an electromechanical apparatus configured to control a flow of the liberated hydrogen to an air intake system of an engine.
A method of retrofitting an engine to allow flex fueling with a portion of hydrogen gas, the method comprising installing:
- a container designated for fluid containing chemically-bound hydrogen;
- a heat exchanger configured to increase a temperature of the fluid containing chemically-bound hydrogen, the heat exchanger coupled to receive a fluid from a system associated with the engine;
- a catalytic reformer configured to liberate hydrogen gas from fluid containing chemically-bound hydrogen;
- a heater configured to supply heat to an endothermic reforming reaction that liberates the hydrogen gas from the fluid containing chemically-bound hydrogen;
- a controller configured to control the heater;
- a control computer configured to receive input signals and send output signals to control devices;
- a wire connected to an output terminal of the control computer;
- electromechanical hardware to control a flow of the liberated hydrogen gas from the catalytic reformer;
- and
- an electromechanical apparatus, the electromechanical apparatus configured to periodically and/or adjustably allow a flow of the hydrogen gas to enter an air intake system of the engine.
A method for providing supplemental hydrogen to assist combustion of another fuel in an engine, the method comprising:
- providing a supply of a fluid containing a chemically-bound hydrogen from a storage tank;
- pre-heating the fluid containing a chemically-bound hydrogen with a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger coupled and configured to receive a flow of an engine system fluid having a temperature greater than an internal temperature of the storage tank;
- providing heat from a heater to an endothermic reforming reaction that liberates the hydrogen from the fluid containing chemically-bound hydrogen;
- passing the pre-heated fluid containing a chemically-bound hydrogen into a catalytic reformer, such that the fluid containing a chemically-bound hydrogen contacts a catalyst and reforms the fluid containing a chemically-bound hydrogen to liberate hydrogen gas;
- collecting the liberated hydrogen gas;
- and
- dynamically controlling a flow of the liberated hydrogen gas into an air intake system of the engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.