Pulse combustion heat exchanger system and method

• US 10,215,401 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2017
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thermochem Recovery International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Thermochem Recovery International, Inc.
• Inventors: Chandran, Ravi, Newport, Dave G., Burciaga, Daniel A., Leo, Daniel Michael, Miller, Justin Kevin, Harrington, Kaitlin Emily, Attwood, Brian Christopher, Whitney, Hamilton Sean Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Basichas, Alfred
• Application Number:
  US15/794,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20190011122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F23C 15/00 Apparatus in which combustion takes place in pulses influenced by acoustic resonance in a gas mass for generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R7/00; starting devices F23D11/42
• CPC Class Codes: F23C 3/00 Combustion apparatus characterised by the shape of the combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/1836 using fluid fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0026 for combustion engines, e.g. for gas turbines or for Stirling engines
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 21/0008 Air heaters
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 2019/0053 Pressure sensors associated with other sensors, e.g. for measuring acceleration, temperature

Abstract

A pulse combustion heat exchanger having a longitudinal axis is configured to accept oxidant and fuel and output a cooled combustion stream. The pulse combustion heat exchanger includes an oxidant inlet section that accepts oxidant, a fuel inlet section that accepts fuel, a mixing section that mixes oxidant with fuel, a combustion section that receives the oxidant and fuel and produces a pulsating combustion stream, and a heat transfer section configured to receive the pulsating combustion stream, the heat transfer section includes one or more resonance conduits. Coolant is employed at a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart transition sections to remove heat.

Claims

1. A pulse combustion heat exchanger (1000) that is configured to accept oxidant (1A1) and fuel (1A2) and output a cooled combustion stream (1A5), including:

(a) an oxidant inlet section (100) that is configured to accept oxidant (1A1);

(b) a fuel inlet section (200) that is configured to accept fuel (1A2);

(c) a mixing section (300) including one or more aerovalves (A, A′

, A″

) that are configured to accept and mix oxidant (1A1) from the oxidant inlet section (100) with fuel (1A2) from the fuel inlet section (200) to create an oxidant and fuel mixture (1A3);

(d) a combustion section (400) configured to receive and combust the oxidant and fuel mixture (1A3) from the mixing section (300) to produce a pulsating combustion stream (1A4);

(e) a heat transfer section (500) configured to receive the combustion stream (1A4) from the combustion section (400), the heat transfer section (500) including one or more resonance conduits (502, 502A, 502B, 502C, 502D, 502E) that are configured to transfer heat from the combustion stream (1A4) to an energy sink (V108), wherein combustion of the oxidant and fuel mixture (1A3) may continue to take place within the heat transfer section (500);

(f) a first transition section (450) positioned between the combustion section (400) and the heat transfer section (500), the first transition section (450) comprising a first coolant path configured to receive a first coolant (451);

(g) a second transition section (650) connected to the heat transfer section (500) and configured to receive the combustion stream (1A4) from the heat transfer section (500) and output a cooled combustion stream (1A5), the second transition section (650) comprising a second coolant path configured to receive a second coolant (651); and

(h) a decoupler section (600) connected to the second transition section (650) and configured to accept the cooled combustion stream (1A5) from the second transition section (650) and output the cooled combustion stream (1A5) via a combustion stream outlet (606).

2. The pulse combustion heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 1, wherein the first transition section (450) comprises:

a first pair of parallel tubesheets (403, 457) defining a first interior space (450-1) therebetween;

a first coolant inlet (452) in fluid communication with the first interior space (450-1) and configured to receive the first coolant (451); and

a first coolant outlet (454) in fluid communication with the first interior space (450-1);

wherein;

the first coolant inlet (452), the first interior space (450-1) and the first coolant outlet (454) together define the first coolant path through the first transition section (450).

3. The pulse combustion heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 2, wherein the second transition section (650) comprises:

a second pair of parallel tubesheets (603, 657) defining a second interior space (650-1) therebetween;

a second coolant inlet (652) in fluid communication with the second interior space (650-1) that is configured to receive the second coolant (652); and

a second coolant outlet (654) in fluid communication with the second interior space (650-1);

wherein;

the second coolant inlet (652), the second interior space (650-1) and the second coolant outlet (654) together define the second coolant path through the second transition section (450).

4. The pulse combustion heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 1, further comprising:

a third transition section (350) positioned between the mixing section (300) and the combustion section (400) that is provided with a third coolant (351).

5. The pulse combustion heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 4, wherein the third transition section (350) comprises:

a third pair of parallel tubesheets (357, 205) defining a third interior space (350-1) therebetween;

a third coolant inlet (352) in fluid communication with the third interior space (350-1) that is configured to receive the third coolant (351); and

a third coolant outlet (354), in fluid communication with the third interior space (350-1);

wherein;

the third coolant inlet (352), the third interior space (350-1) and the third coolant outlet (354) together define a third coolant path through the third transition section (350).

6. The pulse combustion heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one ignitor (410, 410A, 410B) is in fluid communication with the combustion section (400); and

an ignitor input (412) configured to introduce an ignitor mixture (1A6) to the ignitor (410), the ignitor input (412) being in fluid communication with an ignitor oxidant supply and an ignitor fuel supply.

7. The pulse combustion heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 6, further comprising:

a plurality of ignitors (410A, 410B) in fluid communication with the combustion section (400).

8. The pulse combustion heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 1, further comprising:

a vessel (V100) having an interior (V102) defined by at least one side wall (V104); and

a heat transfer medium (V106) occupying the vessel'"'"'s interior (V102) and configured to accept heat from the heat transfer section (500) and serve as an energy sink (V108).

9. The pulse combustion heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 1, wherein:

the first transition section (450) is provided with a first coolant inlet (452) and a first coolant outlet (454);

the second transition section (650) is provided with a second coolant inlet (652) and a second coolant outlet (654);

the heat exchanger further comprises a coolant recycling drum (800) having a drum outlet (812) in fluid communication with the first and second coolant inlets (452, 652) and further having drum inlet (822) in fluid communication with the first and second coolant outlets (454, 654); and

a recycling pump (810) is interposed between the drum outlet (812) and the first and second coolant inlets (452, 652), the recycling pump (810) configured to supply coolant (815) under pressure to the first and second coolant inlets (452, 652).

10. The pulse combustion heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 9, further comprising:

a first restriction orifice (RO1) positioned between the recycling pump (810) and the first coolant inlet (452); and

a second restriction orifice (RO2) positioned in between the recycling pump (810) and the second coolant inlet (652).

11. The pulse combustion heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 9, further comprising:

a third transition section (350) between the mixing section (300) and the combustion section (400), the third transition section (350) having a third coolant inlet (352) and a third coolant outlet (354);

wherein;

the drum outlet (812) is in fluid communication with the third coolant inlet (352) and the drum inlet (822) is in fluid communication with the third coolant outlet (354); and

the recycling pump (810) is interposed between the drum outlet (812) and the third coolant inlet (352), the recycling pump (810) configured to supply coolant (815) under pressure to the third coolant inlet (352).

12. The pulse combustion heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 11, further comprising:

a first restriction orifice (RO1) positioned between the recycling pump (810) and the first coolant inlet (452);

a second restriction orifice (RO2) positioned in between the recycling pump (810) and the second coolant inlet (652); and

a third restriction orifice (RO3) positioned between the coolant recycling drum (800) and the third coolant inlet (352).

13. The pulse combustion heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 1, further comprising:

a third transition section (350) between the mixing section (300) and the combustion section (400), the third transition section (350) having a third coolant inlet (352) and a third coolant outlet (354);

a coolant recycling drum (800) having a drum outlet (812) in fluid communication with the third coolant inlet (352) and further having drum inlet (822) in fluid communication with the third coolant outlet (354); and

a recycling pump (810) interposed between the drum outlet (812) and the third coolant inlet (352), the recycling pump (810) configured to supply coolant (815) under pressure to the third coolant inlets (352).

14. The pulse combustion heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 13, further comprising:

a third restriction orifice (RO3) positioned between the coolant recycling drum (800) and the third coolant inlet (352).

15. The pulse combustion heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of fuel injectors (370A, 370B) location in the fuel inlet section (200), each fuel injector including a fuel injector conduit (372A, 372B) connected to a fuel injector distributor (374A, 374B), wherein;

the fuel injector conduit (372A, 372B) is configured to accept said fuel (1A2), and

fuel injector distributor (374A, 374B) is configured to transfer the fuel (1A2) from the fuel injector conduit (372A, 372B) into the mixing section (300).

16. The pulse combustion heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 1, wherein the mixing section comprises:

at least one metal aerovalve (A), having an aerovalve longitudinal axis (X1), an outer surface (S) with an outer diameter (D0), an interior (A-IN), a rear end (1E1) having a rearwardly facing rear surface (1E1S), a forward end (2E1) having a forwardly facing forward surface (2E1S), and a total aerovalve length (L) defined between the rear and forward ends (1E1, 2E1) along the aerovalve longitudinal axis (X1).