Gradual oxidation with heat control

• US 9,359,948 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2012
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• 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, Armstrong, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Sutherland, Steven
• Application Number:
  US13/417,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20130232946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 607/74, 607/22, 607/23, 607/33, 607/77, 60/395, 60/392.81, 607/91, 60/391.82, 60/395.2, 607/50, 431/268, 431/2, 431/5, 431/7, 422/168, 422/176
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/22 the fuel or oxidant being gaseous at standard temperature and pressure F02C3/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/30 Adding water, steam or other fluids for influencing combustion, e.g. to obtain cleaner exhaust gases F02C7/141, F02C7/30, F01D21/00, F01K21/04, F23D11/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/12 Turbochargers, i.e. plants for augmenting mechanical power output of internal-combustion piston engines by increase of charge pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/08 Heating air supply before combustion, e.g. by exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/1435 by water injection
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/75 equipment using fuel having a low calorific value, e.g. low BTU fuel, waste end, syngas, biomass fuel or flare gas
• 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: F23C 9/08 for reducing temperature in combustion chamber, e.g. for protecting walls of combustion chamber
• 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: Y02E 20/14 Combined heat and power generation [CHP]
• 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 system for oxidizing fuel, comprising:

an oxidizer having a reaction chamber with an inlet and an outlet, the reaction chamber configured to receive a gas comprising an oxidizable fuel through the inlet, the oxidizer configured to maintain an oxidation process without a catalyst;

a sensor that detects when at least one of (a) a reaction temperature within the reaction chamber approaches a flameout temperature of the fuel within the reaction chamber and (b) a reaction chamber inlet temperature approaches an autoignition threshold; and

a controller that outputs instructions, based on the sensor, to change at least one of (i) removal of heat from the reaction chamber by directing a flow of media from an inlet side within the reaction chamber to an outlet side within the reaction chamber through a path outside the reaction chamber wherein heat is extracted from the media along the path to maintain an actual temperature within the reaction chamber to below the flameout temperature, and (ii) the reaction chamber inlet temperature by directing a flow of a fluid from the outlet side within the reaction chamber to the inlet side within the reaction chamber and contacting the fluid with the gas to maintain the reaction chamber inlet temperature above the autoignition threshold of the fuel.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller outputs instructions to remove heat from the reaction chamber by a heat exchanger.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller outputs instructions to remove heat from the reaction chamber by a fluid.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller outputs instructions to raise the reaction chamber inlet temperature.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a heat exchanger positioned within the reaction chamber.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber is configured to maintain oxidation of the oxidizable fuel beneath the flameout temperature.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller outputs instructions to remove heat from the reaction chamber when the temperature within the reaction chamber exceeds 2300°

F.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a turbine that receives gas from the reaction chamber and expands the gas.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a compressor that receives and compresses gas, comprising a fuel mixture, prior to introduction of the fuel mixture into the reaction chamber.

10. The system 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.

11. A system for oxidizing fuel, comprising:

an oxidizer having a reaction chamber with an inlet and an outlet, the reaction chamber configured to receive a gas comprising an oxidizable fuel through the inlet, the oxidizer configured to maintain an oxidation process without a catalyst;

a sensor that detects when at least one of (a) a reaction temperature within the reaction chamber approaches a flameout temperature of the fuel within the reaction chamber and (b) a reaction chamber inlet temperature approaches an autoignition threshold; and

a controller that outputs instructions, based on the sensor, to at least one of (i) maintain an actual temperature within the reaction temperature to below the flameout temperature by directing a flow of media from an inlet side within the reaction chamber to an outlet side within the reaction chamber through a path outside the reaction chamber wherein heat is extracted from the media along the path or (ii) maintain the reaction chamber inlet temperature above the autoignition threshold of the fuel by directing a flow of a fluid from the outlet side within the reaction chamber to the inlet side within the reaction chamber and contacting the fluid with the gas.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller outputs instructions to a heat exchanger to remove heat from the reaction chamber.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller outputs instructions to remove heat from the reaction chamber by a fluid.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller outputs instructions to raise the reaction chamber inlet temperature.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a heat exchanger positioned within the reaction chamber.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the reaction chamber is configured to maintain oxidation of the oxidizable fuel beneath the flameout temperature.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller outputs instructions to remove heat from the reaction chamber when the temperature within the reaction chamber exceeds 2300°

F.

18. A system for oxidizing fuel, comprising:

an oxidizer having a reaction chamber with an inlet and an outlet, the reaction chamber configured to receive a gas comprising an oxidizable fuel through the inlet, the oxidizer configured to maintain an oxidation process without a catalyst; and

a sensor that detects when at least one of (a) a reaction temperature within the reaction chamber approaches a flameout temperature of the fuel within the reaction chamber and (b) a reaction chamber inlet temperature approaches an auto ignition threshold;

a controller, wherein the controller, based on the sensor, reduces an actual temperature within the reaction chamber to remain beneath the flameout temperature of the fuel by directing a flow of media from an inlet side within the reaction chamber to an outlet side within the reaction chamber through a path outside the reaction chamber wherein heat is extracted from the media along the path, and wherein the controller, based on the sensor, raises the reaction chamber inlet temperature above the autoignition threshold of the fuel by directing a flow of a fluid from the outlet side within the reaction chamber to the inlet side within the reaction chamber and contacting the fluid with the gas.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller, based on the sensor, raises the reaction chamber inlet temperature above the autoignition threshold of the fuel by increasing a residence time of the oxidizable fuel within the reaction chamber.