Gradual oxidation with heat transfer

• US 9,353,946 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2012
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ReductoNox Corp.
• Original Assignee: Ener-Core Power, Inc. (Ener-Core, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamrin, Douglas, Martin, Richard, Armstrong, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Sutherland, Steven
• Application Number:
  US13/417,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20130232985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: 607/74, 607/22, 607/23, 607/33, 607/77, 60/395, 60/392.81, 607/91, 60/391.82, 422/168, 422/173, 431/268, 431/2, 431/5, 431/7
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 9/40 specially adapted to the use of a special fuel or a plurality of fuels
• CPC Class Codes: F23C 2202/10 Premixing fluegas with fuel and combustion air
• CPC Class Codes: F23C 2203/10 using heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: F23C 2203/20 using heat absorbing device in flame F23C2203/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 2206/202 with an internal combustion engine
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 7/066 preheating the waste gas by the heat of the combustion, e.g. recuperation type incinerator
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 5/00 Systems for controlling combustion regulating fuel supply F23N1/00, regulating air supply or draught F23N3/00
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 2900/00002 Gas turbine combustors adapted for fuels having low heating value [LHV]
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/005 Combined with pressure or heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/30 Technologies for a more efficient combustion or heat usage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

Described herein are embodiments of systems and methods for oxidizing gases. In some embodiments, a reaction chamber is configured to receive a fuel gas and maintain the gas at a temperature within the reaction chamber that is above an autoignition temperature of the gas. The reaction chamber may also be configured to maintain a reaction temperature within the reaction chamber below a flameout temperature. In some embodiments, heat and product gases from the oxidation process can be used, for example, to drive a turbine, reciprocating engine, and injected back into the reaction chamber.

Claims

1. A method for oxidizing fuel, comprising:

receiving a gas comprising an oxidizable fuel into an oxidizer having a reaction chamber with an inlet and an outlet, the reaction chamber configured to maintain a gradual oxidation process of the fuel within the reaction chamber;

determining an adiabatic reaction temperature based on the oxidizable fuel and an oxidant within the reaction chamber; and

drawing heat from the reaction chamber when the adiabatic reaction temperature within the reaction chamber exceeds a flameout temperature of the fuel, such that an actual temperature within the reaction chamber does not exceed the flameout temperature.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising expanding gas from the reaction chamber in a turbine.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing the fuel with a compressor prior to introduction of the fuel mixture into the reaction chamber.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein drawing heat from the reaction chamber comprises introducing a fluid into the reaction chamber.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising evacuating the fluid from the reaction chamber.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the fluid is evacuated from the reaction chamber in the form of steam.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber maintains gradual oxidation of the oxidizable fuel without a catalyst.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein heat is drawn out of the reaction chamber when the temperature within the reaction chamber exceeds 2300°

F.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the oxidizable fuel comprises at least one of hydrogen, methane, ethane, ethylene, natural gas, propane, propylene, propadiene, n-butane, iso-butane, butylene-1, butadiene, iso-pentane, n-pentane, acetylene, hexane, and carbon monoxide.

10. A method for oxidizing fuel, comprising:

receiving a gas comprising an oxidizable fuel into an oxidizer having a reaction chamber with an inlet and an outlet, the reaction chamber configured to maintain a temperature within the reaction chamber to gradually oxidize the fuel within the reaction chamber; and

determining an adiabatic reaction temperature based on the oxidizable fuel and an oxidant within the reaction chamber;

determining a flameout temperature of the fuel;

reducing the temperature within the reaction chamber when the adiabatic reaction temperature within the reaction chamber exceeds the flameout temperature, such that an actual temperature within the reaction chamber remains below a flameout temperature.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein reducing the temperature comprises drawing heat from the reaction chamber.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising expanding gas from the reaction chamber in a turbine.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising compressing the fuel with a compressor prior to introduction of the fuel mixture into the reaction chamber.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein reducing the temperature comprises introducing a fluid into the reaction chamber.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising evacuating the fluid from the reaction chamber.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the fluid is evacuated from the reaction chamber in the form of steam.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the reaction chamber maintains gradual oxidation of the oxidizable fuel without a catalyst.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the temperature is reduced such that the temperature within the reaction chamber does not exceed 2300°

F.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the oxidizable fuel comprises at least one of hydrogen, methane, ethane, ethylene, natural gas, propane, propylene, propadiene, n-butane, iso-butane, butylene-1, butadiene, iso-pentane, n-pentane, acetylene, hexane, and carbon monoxide.