Slurry fuels and associated methods
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorLawrence E. Fink
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Abstract
Slurry fuels and associated methods are disclosed herein. One aspect of the invention is directed toward a slurry fuel that includes a liquid hydrocarbon based fuel suitable for use in an air-breathing power plant, metallic particles (e.g., boron), and a fluoropolymer (e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene). In selected embodiments the slurry fuel can further include a surfactant (e.g., polyolefin amide alkeneamine and/or Product NB463S84 produced by GE Betz, Inc.). Other aspects of the invention are directed toward a slurry fuel that includes a liquid hydrocarbon based fuel, metallic particles, and a surfactant having a composition that lowers the surface tension of the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel and reduces the tendency for the metallic particles to separate from the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel.
Claims27
A slurry fuel, comprising:
- a liquid hydrocarbon based fuel suitable for use in an air-breathing power plant;
- metallic particles, the particles being mixed with and suspended in the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel, the metallic particles containing at least one of boron, aluminum, manganese, magnesium, titanium, and beryllium;
- and
- a fluoropolymer mixed with the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel, the fluoropolymer having a composition containing a plurality of fluorinated monomers, wherein the fluoropolymer is configured to release fluorine and/or the fluorinated monomers upon thermal degradation.
A slurry fuel, comprising:
- a liquid hydrocarbon based fuel;
- metallic particles, the particles being mixed with and suspended in the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel;
- a surfactant having a composition that lowers the surface tension of the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel and reduces the tendency for the metallic particles to separate from the liquid hydrocarbon based;
- and
- a fluoropolymer mixed with the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel, the fluoropolymer having a composition containing a plurality of fluorinated monomers, wherein the fluoropolymer is configured to release fluorine and/or the fluorinated monomers upon thermal degradation.
A method for producing power with an air-breathing power plant, comprising:
- introducing a slurry fuel into the air-breathing power plant, the slurry fuel including:
- a liquid hydrocarbon based fuel;
- a plurality of metallic particles, the particles being mixed with the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel, wherein the solid particles individually containing a metal;
- a fluoropolymer mixed with the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel, the fluoropolymer having a composition containing a plurality of fluorinated monomers;
- releasing fluorine and/or the fluorinated monomers upon thermal degradation from the fluoropolymer;
- and
- reducing formation of a metal oxide on a surface of individual solid particles with the released fluorine and/or the fluorinated monomers.
A fuel suitable for use in an air-breathing power plant, comprising:
- a liquid hydrocarbon;
- a polytetrafluoroethylene mixed in the liquid hydrocarbon;
- and
- a plurality of solid particles suspended in the liquid hydrocarbon containing the polytetrafluoroethylene, the solid particles containing a metal selected from the group consisting of boron, aluminum, manganese, magnesium, titanium, and beryllium;
- and
- wherein the plurality of solid particles, the polytetrafluoroethylene, and the liquid hydrocarbon form a slurry.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.