OPERATION OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE WITH IMPROVED FUEL EFFICIENCY

• US 20200131984A1
• Filed: 12/06/2017
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Precision Combustion, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Precision Combustion, Inc.
• Inventors: Roychoudhury, Subir, Mastanduno, Richard, Allocco, Eric Edward, Vilekar, Saurabh
• Granted Patent: US 10,787,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/464 Rhodium
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/58 Fabrics or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0261 containing a catalytic partial oxidation step [CPO]
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1064 Platinum group metal catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1247 Higher hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/386 Catalytic partial combustion
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/388 the heat being generated by superheated steam
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/023 for spark ignition
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/12 Inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1233 oxygen containing compounds, e.g. oxides, hydroxides, acids and salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 10/02 for reducing smoke development
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2200/0277 Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2200/0281 Carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2200/0423 Gasoline
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2230/22 for improving fuel economy or fuel efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2270/023 for gasoline engines
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2240/30 a fuel reformer
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2043/103 Natural gas, e.g. methane or LNG used as a fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 43/12 Methods of operating
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 47/06 the substances including non-airborne oxygen F02B47/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 51/02 : involving catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0671 : Means to generate or modify a fuel, e.g. reformers, electrolytic cells or membranes
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0002 : Controlling intake air
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0027 : the fuel being gaseous non-electrical control F02D19/02
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1475 : Regulating the air fuel ratio at a value other than stoichiometry
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/34 : with means for controlling injection timing or duration
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/00 : Engine-pertinent apparatus for adding non-fuel substances or small quantities of secondary fuel to combustion-air, main fuel or fuel-air mixture adding secondary air to fuel-air mixture F02M23/00; adding exhaust gases F02M26/00; fuel-injection apparatus operating simultaneously on two or more fuels or on a liquid fuel and another liquid F02M43/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/36 : with means for adding fluids other than exhaust gas to the recirculation passage; with reformers
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 27/02 : by catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 : Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems

Abstract

A process of operating a spark-ignited internal combustion engine (SI-ICE) with improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions including under steady state and under lean-operating conditions at high overall air to fuel (AFR) ratios. A first supply of high octane hydrocarbon fuel, such as gasoline or natural gas, and a first supply of oxidant are fed to a fuel reformer to produce a gaseous reformate with a reforming efficiency of greater than 75 percent relative to equilibrium. The gaseous reformate is mixed with a second supply of oxidant, after which the resulting reformate blended oxidant is fed with a second supply of high octane hydrocarbon fuel to the SI-ICE for combustion. Steady state fuel efficiency is improved by more than 3 percent, when the reformate comprises from greater than about 1 to less than about 18 percent of the total volume of reformate blended oxidant fed to the engine.

Claims

1. A process of operating an internal combustion engine comprising:

(a) contacting a first supply of high octane hydrocarbon fuel and a first supply of oxidant with a reforming catalyst in a catalytic reaction zone of a fuel reformer, the contacting being conducted under partial oxidation reaction conditions sufficient to produce a gaseous reformate comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide with a reforming efficiency greater than 75 percent relative to equilibrium;

(b) mixing the gaseous reformate with a second supply of oxidant to form a reformate blended oxidant wherein the reformate comprises from 1 to 18 volume percent of a total volume of reformate blended oxidant; and

(c) feeding the reformate blended oxidant from step (b) and a second supply of high octane hydrocarbon fuel into a spark-ignited internal combustion engine, and igniting the resulting mixture thereof under combustion conditions.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the first and second supplies of hydrocarbon fuel are each independently selected from liquid and gaseous hydrocarbon fuels having an average octane number greater than 80.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein the first and second supplies of hydrocarbon fuel are selected from gasoline.

4. The process of claim 2 wherein the first and second supplies of hydrocarbon fuel are each independently selected from natural gas or methane.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the first and second supplies of oxidant are each independently selected from molecular oxygen, a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen, and a mixture of oxygen and an inert gas.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the reforming catalyst comprises a metal or ceramic mesh substrate having an ultra-short-channel-length.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein the ultra-short-channel-length ranges from 25 microns to 500 microns.

8. The process of claim 6 wherein the mesh further comprises from 100 to 1,000 flow channels per square centimeter.

9. The process of claim 6 wherein the mesh further comprises a plurality of channels or pores having a diameter ranging from about 0.25 mm to about 1.0 mm, with a void space greater than 60 percent.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein the reforming catalyst comprises a porous structured substrate having an interconnected network of solid struts defining a plurality of pores of an open-cell configuration of 5 to 80 pores per inch and a relative density of from 2 to 15 percent, as compared with a density of material from which the solid struts are made.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein the reforming catalyst further comprises at least one Group VIII metal deposited on the substrate.

12. The process of claim 1 wherein the reformer is operated at a temperature from 700°

C. to 1,100°

C. and at an O;

C ratio of oxygen atoms in the first supply of oxidant to carbon atoms in the first supply of hydrocarbon fuel ranging from 0.5;

1 to 1.2;

1.

13. The process of claim 1 wherein the overall air to fuel ratio, expressed as a weight ratio (g/g) of total first and second supplies of oxidant to total first and second supplies of hydrocarbon fuel fed to the process, ranges from 14.7:

1 to 30.0;

1.

14. The process of claim 1 wherein the gaseous reformate is cooled prior to mixing with the second supply of oxidant.

15. The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen comprises from 18 to 25 volume percent of the total volume of gaseous reformate exiting the reformer.

16. The process of claim 1 wherein a portion of exhaust gas exiting the internal combustion engine is recycled to the reformer.

17. The process of claim 1 wherein the spark-ignited internal combustion engine comprises a two-stroke engine or a four-stroke engine.

18. A process of operating a spark-ignited internal combustion engine under steady state operating conditions, comprising:

(a) in an on-board fuel reformer contacting a first supply of hydrocarbon fuel having an average octane number greater than 80 and a first supply of oxidant with a reforming catalyst comprising a mesh substrate having an ultra-short-channel-length and having supported thereon at least one Group VIII metal, the contacting being conducted under partial oxidation reaction conditions sufficient to produce a gaseous reformate comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide with a reforming efficiency greater than about 75 percent relative to equilibrium;

(b) mixing the gaseous reformate with a second supply of oxidant to form a reformate blended oxidant, wherein the gaseous reformate comprises from greater than 1 to less than 18 volume percent, based on a total volume of reformate blended oxidant; and

(c) feeding the reformate blended oxidant from step (b) and a second supply of hydrocarbon fuel having an average octane number greater than 80 into the spark-ignited internal combustion engine, igniting the resulting mixture and maintaining combustion under steady state conditions.

19. The process of claim 18 wherein the first and second supplies of hydrocarbon fuel are each independently selected from gasoline, natural gas, methane, or a mixture thereof.

20. The process of claim 18 wherein the ultra-short-channel-length of the mesh substrate ranges from 25 microns to 500 microns.

21. The process of claim 18 wherein the mesh further comprises from 100 to 1,000 flow channels per square centimeter.

22. The process of claim 18 wherein the reformer operates at a temperature ranging from 700°

C. to 1,100°

C. and at an O;

C ratio of oxygen atoms in the first supply of oxidant to carbon atoms in the first supply of hydrocarbon fuel ranging from 0.5;

1 to 1.2;

1.

23. The process of claim 18 wherein the overall air to fuel ratio, expressed as a weight ratio (g/g) of total first and second supplies of oxidant to total first and second supplies of hydrocarbon fuel fed to the process, ranges from 14.7:

1 to 30.0;

1.

24. The process of claim 18 wherein the gaseous reformate is cooled prior to mixing with the second supply of oxidant.

25. The process of claim 18 wherein the hydrogen comprises from 18 to 25 volume percent of the total volume of reformate exiting the reformer.

26. The process of claim 18 wherein a portion of exhaust gas exiting the internal combustion engine is recycled to the reformer.