Supercritical fluids as diluents in combustion of liquid fuels and waste materials
First Claim
1. A process for forming a combustible liquid spray mixture which comprises:
- a) forming a liquid mixture in a closed system, said liquid mixture comprising;
(i) at least one liquid fuel capable of being combusted; and
(ii) at least one supercritical fluid selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, sulfur dioxide, ammonia, methyl amines, xenon, krypton, methane, ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, butane, butene, pentane, diemthyl ether, methyl ethyl ether, diethyl ether, formaldehyde, chlorotrifluoromethane, monofluoromethane, methyl chloride, cyclopentane, and mixtures thereof, which is at least partially miscible with the liquid fuel; and
b) spraying said liquid mixture into an atmosphere capable of sustaining combustion of said liquid fuel.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to processes and apparatus in which supercritical fluids are used as viscosity reduction diluents for liquid fuels or waste materials which are then spray atomized into a combustion chamber. The addition of supercritical fluid to the liquid fuel and/or waste material allows viscous petroleum fractions and other liquids such as viscous waste materials that are too viscous to be atomized (or to be atomized well) to now be atomized by this invention by achieving viscosity reduction and allowing the fuel to produce a combustible spray and improved combustion efficiency. Moreover, the present invention also allows liquid fuels that have suitable viscosities to be better utilized as a fuel by achieving further viscosity reduction that improves atomization still further by reducing droplet size which enhances evaporation of the fuel from the droplets.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A process for forming a combustible liquid spray mixture which comprises:
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a) forming a liquid mixture in a closed system, said liquid mixture comprising; (i) at least one liquid fuel capable of being combusted; and (ii) at least one supercritical fluid selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, sulfur dioxide, ammonia, methyl amines, xenon, krypton, methane, ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, butane, butene, pentane, diemthyl ether, methyl ethyl ether, diethyl ether, formaldehyde, chlorotrifluoromethane, monofluoromethane, methyl chloride, cyclopentane, and mixtures thereof, which is at least partially miscible with the liquid fuel; and b) spraying said liquid mixture into an atmosphere capable of sustaining combustion of said liquid fuel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for the spray combustion of liquid fuels containing at least one supercritical fluid comprising, in combination:
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a) means for supplying at least one liquid fuel capable of being combusted; b) means for supplying at least one supercritical fluid; c) means for forming a liquid mixture of the components supplied by means (a) and (b); d) means for spraying said liquid mixture by passing the mixture under pressure through an orifice into an atmosphere capable of sustaining combustion; and e) means to heat the liquid mixture prior to being passed to the spraying means.
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Specification