FUEL COMBUSTION METHOD AND SYSTEM

• US 20090301445A1
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Opportunities Investment Group, LLC
• Original Assignee: Global Opportunities Investment Group, LLC
• Inventors: Field, Bruce F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,485,140 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/538
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 27/04 by electric means, ionisation, polarisation or magnetism

Abstract

A method and system for treating a combustible fluid and operating a combustion system, where the combustible fluid is introduced into an electrolysis cell, electrochemically activated in the electrolysis cell, and combusted in a combustion-based engine.

Claims

1. A method for treating a combustible fluid, the method comprising:

introducing the combustible fluid into an electrolysis cell, the electrolysis cell having at least one cathode electrode and at least one anode electrode; and

applying a voltage potential across the at least one cathode electrode and the at least one anode electrode to generate gas-phase bubbles in the combustible fluid.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising maintaining separation of at least two portions of the streams of the combustible fluid with at least one ion exchange membrane disposed between the at least one cathode electrode and the at least one anode electrode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated gas-phase bubbles are selected from the group consisting of macrobubbles, microbubbles, nanobubbles, and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated gas-phase bubbles have average bubble diameters including diameters less than about one micrometer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the applied voltage potential ranges from about 1 volt to about 40 volts.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the combustible fluid is selected from the group consisting of petroleum-based fuels, alcohol-based fuels, coal-based fuels, biofuels, vegoils, and combinations thereof.

7. A method for operating a combustion-based engine, the method comprising:

pumping a stream of a combustible fuel from a supply reservoir;

introducing a first portion of the combustible fuel into an anode chamber of an electrolytic cell;

introducing a second of the combustible fuel into a cathode chamber of the electrolytic cell;

applying a voltage potential across the first and second portions of the combustible fuel to generate gas-phase bubbles in at least one of the first and second portions of the combustible fuel, the generated gas-phase bubbles comprising a gas-phase composition at least partially derived from the combustible fuel and having an ionic charge;

feeding the first and second portions of the combustible fuel from the electrolytic cell to the combustion-based engine; and

combusting the first and second portions of the combustible fuel in the combustion-based engine.

8. The method of claim 7, and further comprising pressurizing the stream of the combustible fuel to one or more pressures ranging from about 34 kilopascals to about 480 kilopascals.

9. The method of claim 7, and further comprising maintaining separation of the anode chamber and the cathode chamber within the electrolysis cell with an ion exchange membrane.

10. The method of claim 7, and further comprising filtering the stream of the combustible fuel.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the generated voltage potential ranges from about 1 volt to about 40 volts.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the generated gas-phase bubbles are selected from the group consisting of macrobubbles, microbubbles, nanobubbles, and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the generated gas-phase bubbles have average bubble diameters including diameters less than about one micrometer.

14. An combustion system comprising:

a supply reservoir configured to retain a combustible fuel in a substantially liquid state;

a fluid pump configured to pump a stream of the combustible fuel from the supply reservoir;

an electrolysis cell comprising;

a chamber configured to receive the pumped stream of the combustible fuel;

an anode electrode disposed within the chamber, and configured to be electrically connected to a power source; and

a cathode electrode disposed within the chamber, and configured to be electrically connected to the power source; and

a combustion-based engine configured to receive the combustible fuel in an electrochemically-activated state from the electrolysis cell, and to combust the electrochemically-activated combustible fuel.

15. The combustion system of claim 14, wherein the electrolysis cell is configured to apply a voltage potential across the received combustible fuel to electrochemically activate the combustible fuel, wherein the electrochemically-activated combustible fuel comprises gas-phase bubbles suspended in a liquid-phase carrier fluid.

16. The combustion system of claim 15, wherein the gas-phase bubbles are selected from the group consisting of macrobubbles, microbubbles, nanobubbles, and combinations thereof.

17. The combustion system of claim 15, wherein the gas-phase bubbles have average bubble diameters including diameters less than about one micrometer.

18. The combustion system of claim 14, wherein the electrolysis cell further comprises an ion exchange membrane disposed between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode.

19. The combustion system of claim 14, wherein the fluid pump is configured to pressurize the stream of the combustible fuel to one or more pressures ranging from about 34 kilopascals to about 480 kilopascals.

20. The combustion system of claim 14, wherein the combustion-based engine is selected from the group consisting of internal combustion engines, external combustion engines, and continuous combustion engines.