Variable pressure fuel generator and method
OwnerOrman L. Blenmaninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for generating acetylene gas by reacting water and calcium carbide wherein a tank containing water is pressurized by a pump in a manner feeding the water to another vessel wherein it reacts with particulate calcium carbide to generate acetylene gas. A portion of the acetylene gas is returned through a pressure regulator to the water tank in a manner maintaining regulated system operating pressure on the water to sustain the reaction without overproduction of the gas. The apparatus can be located in a vehicle for on board generation of acetylene gas as fuel for the internal combustion engine thereof.
Claims8
Apparatus for generating gas from the reaction between a first reactant in liquid form and a second reactant, said apparatus comprising:
- a. means defining a gas-tight region containing the liquid reactant;
- b. means for pressurizing the space over the liquid reactant in the gas-tight region;
- c. means defining a gas-tight reaction zone containing the second reactant and having a gas product outlet for removing generated gas;
- d. means for placing said gas-tight region in communication with said reaction zone in a manner whereby the liquid reactant is supplied under pressure to said reaction zone;
- e. conduit means connected at one end to said gas product outlet of said reaction zone and at the other end to said gas-tight region for supplying a portion of the gas product to said region to maintain pressure over the liquid reactant;
- f. pressure regulator means operatively connected to said conduit means for limiting the magnitude of pressure applied to said liquid reactant to a selected system operating pressure;
- g. check valve means in said conduit means between said pressure regulator means and said gas product outlet allowing flow only in a direction from said outlet toward said regulator;
- h. second pressure regulator means operatively connected to said conduit means between said check valve means and said gas product outlet, said second pressure regulator means limiting the pressure magnitude of generated gas product at a level above the selected system operating pressure as limited by said first-named pressure regulator means;
- and
- i. resevoir means operatively connected to said conduit means between said first named regulator and said check valve means for storing a constant volume of gas product.
A method of generating acetylene gas by the reaction between water and calcium carbide comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a quantity of water in a gas-tight enclosure in a manner providing an empty region over said water;
- b. pressurizing said region over said water;
- c. transmitting said water by the force of the pressure acting thereon into a gas-tight enclosure containing calcium carbide and reacting said water and calcium carbide to produce acetylene gas product;
- d. withdrawing acetylene gas product of the reaction;
- e. returning a portion of the acetylene gas product to said region to maintain pressure acting on said water said step of returning including limiting the magnitude of said pressure applied to said water to a selected system operating pressure with a first pressure regulator, limiting the pressure magnitude of generated acetylene gas product at a level above said selected system operating pressure with a second pressure regulator, and storing a constant volume of acetylene gas product obtained from the product returned to said region for use in compensating for any decrease in the system operating pressure, said stored gas product being at said pressure level above said system operating pressure, and the flow of said returned acetylene gas product being limited to a single direction toward said first regulator;
- and
- f. using the water transmitted to said enclosure to absorb heat released by the reaction;
- and
- g. passing the acetylene gas product through a quantity of particulate calcium carbide whereby any water vapor in the acetylene gas product reacts with the calcium carbide to produce additional acetylene gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.