Natural gas reforming apparatus, oxygen eliminating apparatus provided in the same apparatus, and natural gas reforming apparatus-carrying gas engine

• US 5,943,859 A
• Filed: 07/15/1998
• Issued: 08/31/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Isuzu Motors Limited
• Original Assignee: Isuzu Ceramics Research Institute Co., Ltd. (Isuzu Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Kawamura, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lopez, F. Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Binh
• Application Number:
  US09/115,747
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 60/279, 60/278, 60/280, 60/320, 60/286, 60/303, 252/373, 48/197 R, 48/127.7, 48/127.3, 48/128, 422/168, 422/239, 55/DIG. 30, 55/385.3, 423/418.2
• US Class Current: 60/320
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/38 using catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 43/10 Engines or plants characterised by use of other specific gases, e.g. acetylene, oxyhydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 27/02 by catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/129 Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels

Abstract

This invention provides a gas engine in which a natural gas reforming apparatus for thermally decomposing CH₄ in a natural gas into a reformed fuel of CO and H₂ is used to improve the thermal efficiency, CO₂ in an exhaust gas being used for the thermal decomposition operation to reduce the CO₂ content of the discharged exhaust gas and minimize the generation of NOx. An oxygen eliminating apparatus for removing O₂ from CO₂ separated from the exhaust gas can be provided in the natural gas reforming apparatus. In this natural gas reforming apparatus, a gas fuel case in which a gas fuel flows is provided on the outer side of an exhaust gas passage body in which the exhaust gas flows, and a surface of a porous member provided in the gas fuel case is coated with a catalyst. The oxygen eliminating apparatus comprises a porous carbon member provided in a CO₂ passage so as to subject O₂ in CO₂ and C to a reaction and convert the same substances into CO and CO₂, and a power source for electrically heating the porous carbon member.

Claims

1. A natural gas reforming apparatus comprising an exhaust gas pipe in which an exhaust gas discharged from an engine flows, an exhaust gas passage body provided in said exhaust gas pipe and comprising a porous material provided with a honeycomb or passage holes forming an exhaust gas passage, a gas fuel case provided on the outer side of said exhaust gas pipe and having an inlet from which a gas fuel supplied from a gas fuel supply source and containing CH₄ as a main component is supplied, and an inlet from which CO₂ separated from the exhaust gas is supplied, a porous member provided in said gas fuel case, forming a gas fuel passage and comprising a porous ceramic material, a catalyst applied to a surface of said gas fuel passage-forming porous member, and having an action of converting CH₄ and CO₂ into a reformed fuel of CO and H₂ by thermally decomposing CH₄ and CO₂ by the thermal energy of the exhaust gas, and a heat insulating material provided on an outer circumferential surface of said gas fuel case.

2. A natural gas reforming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said catalyst comprises Ni or Pt.

3. A natural gas reforming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said heat insulating material comprising a nonwoven ceramic cloth.

4. A natural gas reforming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said exhaust gas pipe, said gas passage body, said gas fuel case and said porous member are formed out of a ceramic material of either heat resisting Si₃ N₄ or SiC.

5. A natural gas reforming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said ceramic material constituting said exhaust gas pipe, said gas passage body, said gas fuel case and said porous member contains AlN of a high heat conductivity.

6. A natural gas reforming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said porous member is provided with a plurality of passage holes extending from the side thereof from which a gas fuel and CO₂ are supplied, and a plurality of passage holes extending from the side thereof from which a reformed fuel is discharged.

7. A natural gas reforming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said inlet opened in said gas fuel case and used to supply a gas fuel containing CH₄ as a main component thereinto, and said inlet opened in said gas fuel case and used to supply CO₂ separated from an exhaust gas thereinto are formed so as to be opened in a mutually opposed state for the purpose of promoting the mixing of said gas fuel with said CO₂.

8. An oxygen eliminating apparatus for a gas engine provided with an exhaust passage through which an exhaust gas from combustion chambers is discharged, a CO₂ supply apparatus provided in said exhaust passage and having a CO₂ separation film for separating CO₂ from said exhaust gas, and a natural gas reforming apparatus provided in said exhaust passage so as to convert a natural gas into a reformed gas of CO and H₂ by thermally decomposing CH₄ in said natural gas by the thermal energy of said exhaust gas, and adapted to receive CO₂ from the CO₂ supply apparatus, said oxygen eliminating apparatus comprising a casing provided in a CO₂ passage in which a CO₂ -containing separated gas which has passed through the CO₂ supply apparatus flows, and having an inlet which said separated gas said separated gas enters and an outlet from which said separated gas is discharged, a porous carbon member supported in said casing via nonconductive supports and adapted to allow said separated gas to pass therethrough, and a power source for electrically heating said porous carbon member for the purpose of subjecting O₂ contained in said separated gas to a reaction with the carbon of said porous carbon member and converting said substances into CO and CO₂.

9. An oxygen eliminating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the quantity of carbon in said porous carbon member is detected on the basis of an electrical resistance value determined of said carbon member, an alarm being given in accordance with the detection of a decrease in the quantity of carbon in said porous carbon member to a level not higher than a predetermined level.

10. A gas engine comprising a gas fuel supply source holding a natural gas fuel containing CH₄ as a main component, a natural gas reforming apparatus adapted to convert CH₄, which is supplied from said gas fuel supply source, into a reformed fuel by thermally decomposing CH₄ by the thermal energy of an exhaust gas from combustion chambers, and provided in an exhaust passage, a turbocharger provided in the portion of said exhaust passage which is on the downstream side of said natural gas reforming apparatus, an apparatus for supplying said reformed fuel to said combustion chambers, a Rankine cycle provided with heat exchangers and installed in the portion of said exhaust passage which is on the downstream side of said turbocharger, and a CO₂ supply apparatus provided in the portion of said exhaust passage which is on the downstream side of said Rankine cycle, and adapted to supply CO₂, which is separated from said exhaust gas by CO₂ separation films to a gas fuel case of said natural gas reforming apparatus through a CO₂ passage.

11. A gas engine according to claim 10, wherein said Rankine cycle comprises first and second heat exchangers provided in said exhaust passage, a steam turbine driven by steam occurring in said first heat exchanger, a condenser adapted to convert the steam discharged from said steam turbine into water, and a second heat exchanger provided in the portion of said exhaust passage which is on the downstream side of said first heat exchanger, so as to convert the water from said condenser into steam and supply said steam to said first heat exchanger.

12. A gas engine according to claim 10, wherein said CO₂ separation films comprise inorganic separation films formed out of a porous ceramic material, such as alumina, silica and zeolite.

13. A gas engine according to claim 10, wherein said engine is provided with an oxygen eliminating apparatus installed in the portion of said CO₂ passage which is between said CO₂ separation films provided in the portion of said exhaust passage which is on the downstream side of said Rankine cycle, and said natural gas reforming apparatus.