Compounded turbocharged rotary internal combustion engine fueled with natural gas
OwnerPeter E. Jenkinsinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A Wankel rotary engine is modified to operate on natural gas, with the exhaust from the engine being fed into a combustion chamber where an ignition device ignites the hydrocarbons in the engine exhaust, with the engine timing, and the air and fuel mixture of the engine being controlled to produce a sufficient amount of hydrocarbons in the engine exhaust to enable ignition and combustion of the engine exhaust in the combustion chamber without the addition of fuel to air. The exhaust from the combustion chamber drives a power turbine. In further embodiments, the engine may be turbocharged, and heat exchangers use the excess heat from the engine coolant, lubricant, and exhaust gases to heat a usable liquid, such as water, thus providing a cogeneration system.
Claims16
A compounded engine, comprising:
- a first Wankel engine having a housing with a trochoidal inner surface containing a generally triangular shaped rotor, the engine containing a fuel supply system suitable for operating the engine with natural gas as a fuel;
- a turbocharger compressing air for combustion by the engine, the turbocharger being driven by the exhaust gases which exit from the engine;
- a combustion chamber in fluid communication with the exhaust from the engine after that exhaust has passed through the turbocharger, the chamber having an ignition device suitable for igniting hydrocarbons in the engine exhaust, whereby the engine timing, and the air and fuel mixture of the engine are controlled so that when the engine exhaust reaches the combustion chamber the exhaust contains a sufficient amount of oxygen and hydrocarbons to enable ignition and combustion of that engine exhaust in the combustion chamber without the addition of fuel or air, and whereby the engine operating conditions are controlled to vary the performance of the secondary combustor;
- and
- a controllable ignition device to ignite the exhaust gases in the combustion chamber at predetermined times.
A method of energy generation, comprising the steps of:
- operating a Wankel engine having a housing with a trochoidal inner surface containing a generally triangular shaped rotor, the engine containing a fuel supply system suitable for operating the engine with natural gas, and using the energy generated by a drive shaft of the engine;
- placing a turbocharger in fluid communication with the exhaust gases from the engine to compress air for use by the engine, the turbocharger being driven by the exhaust gases which exit from the engine;
- communicating the engine's exhaust from the turbocharger to a combustion chamber;
- and
- controllably igniting the hydrocarbons in the engine exhaust at predetermined times in the combustion chamber, whereby the engine timing, and the air and fuel mixture of the engine, are controlled to produce a sufficient amount of hydrocarbons and oxygen in the engine exhaust to enable ignition and combustion of the engine exhaust in the combustion chamber without the addition of fuel or air, and whereby the engine operating conditions are controlled to vary the performance of the secondary combustor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.