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US 9,359,948 B2Granted
Gradual oxidation with heat control
AssigneeEner-Core Power, Inc.
InventorsDouglas Hamrin, Jeffrey Armstrong
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Described herein are embodiments of systems and methods for oxidizing gases. In some embodiments, a reaction chamber is configured to receive a fuel gas and maintain the gas at a temperature within the reaction chamber that is above an autoignition temperature of the gas. The reaction chamber may also be configured to maintain a reaction temperature within the reaction chamber below a flameout temperature. In some embodiments, heat and product gases from the oxidation process can be used, for example, to drive a turbine, reciprocating engine, and injected back into the reaction chamber.
Claims19
A system for oxidizing fuel, comprising:
- an oxidizer having a reaction chamber with an inlet and an outlet, the reaction chamber configured to receive a gas comprising an oxidizable fuel through the inlet, the oxidizer configured to maintain an oxidation process without a catalyst;
- a sensor that detects when at least one of (a) a reaction temperature within the reaction chamber approaches a flameout temperature of the fuel within the reaction chamber and (b) a reaction chamber inlet temperature approaches an autoignition threshold;
- and
- a controller that outputs instructions, based on the sensor, to change at least one of (i) removal of heat from the reaction chamber by directing a flow of media from an inlet side within the reaction chamber to an outlet side within the reaction chamber through a path outside the reaction chamber wherein heat is extracted from the media along the path to maintain an actual temperature within the reaction chamber to below the flameout temperature, and (ii) the reaction chamber inlet temperature by directing a flow of a fluid from the outlet side within the reaction chamber to the inlet side within the reaction chamber and contacting the fluid with the gas to maintain the reaction chamber inlet temperature above the autoignition threshold of the fuel.
1 more element
A system for oxidizing fuel, comprising:
- an oxidizer having a reaction chamber with an inlet and an outlet, the reaction chamber configured to receive a gas comprising an oxidizable fuel through the inlet, the oxidizer configured to maintain an oxidation process without a catalyst;
- a sensor that detects when at least one of (a) a reaction temperature within the reaction chamber approaches a flameout temperature of the fuel within the reaction chamber and (b) a reaction chamber inlet temperature approaches an autoignition threshold;
- and
- a controller that outputs instructions, based on the sensor, to at least one of (i) maintain an actual temperature within the reaction temperature to below the flameout temperature by directing a flow of media from an inlet side within the reaction chamber to an outlet side within the reaction chamber through a path outside the reaction chamber wherein heat is extracted from the media along the path or (ii) maintain the reaction chamber inlet temperature above the autoignition threshold of the fuel by directing a flow of a fluid from the outlet side within the reaction chamber to the inlet side within the reaction chamber and contacting the fluid with the gas.
1 more element
A system for oxidizing fuel, comprising:
- an oxidizer having a reaction chamber with an inlet and an outlet, the reaction chamber configured to receive a gas comprising an oxidizable fuel through the inlet, the oxidizer configured to maintain an oxidation process without a catalyst;
- and
- a sensor that detects when at least one of (a) a reaction temperature within the reaction chamber approaches a flameout temperature of the fuel within the reaction chamber and (b) a reaction chamber inlet temperature approaches an auto ignition threshold;
- a controller, wherein the controller, based on the sensor, reduces an actual temperature within the reaction chamber to remain beneath the flameout temperature of the fuel by directing a flow of media from an inlet side within the reaction chamber to an outlet side within the reaction chamber through a path outside the reaction chamber wherein heat is extracted from the media along the path, and wherein the controller, based on the sensor, raises the reaction chamber inlet temperature above the autoignition threshold of the fuel by directing a flow of a fluid from the outlet side within the reaction chamber to the inlet side within the reaction chamber and contacting the fluid with the gas.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.